"Then, you might consider capturing one in this desert. There should be several Pokémon here that meet your requirements," said Cain.
Hearing this, Steven’s eyes lit up.
Steven showed interest. "Cain, tell me, what Pokémon do you think I should add? But you know, my favorites are still Steel-types. Of course, if they’re Rock- or Ground-types, I can accept them as well."
"In this desert, I would recommend Excadrill first—a Steel and Ground-type Pokémon that fits your requirements, and you probably know its resilience better than I do."
"The second I’d suggest is Claydol, a Ground and Psychic-type Pokémon. While Psychic-types don’t always have a massive impact, not having one puts you at a disadvantage against opponents who do use Psychic-types."
"You already have Metagross, and pairing it with a Claydol could be even more impressive. You’ve battled me several times, so you must know why Slowking is such a nuisance, right?" Cain suggested.
Steven fell into thought, contemplating the viability of those Pokémon.
In fact, Steven already had many Pokémon at home, and as soon as he asked, he could get them—many of which had great potential and outstanding abilities.
However, like any capable and wealthy young man, Steven felt that he could catch Pokémon through his own efforts without relying on his family.
If Cain knew what Steven was thinking, he would immediately say, "Then stop using your family’s money! If you’re not going to use your family’s Pokémon, give them to me! I promise I’ll take good care of them!"
Of course, he would only say that as a joke. If Steven truly couldn’t find a suitable Pokémon, he would undoubtedly use his family’s resources.
"These are the two Pokémon I’d most recommend in this desert, but ultimately, it depends on your own needs."
"And what about outside the desert?" Steven asked, catching the nuance in Cain’s words.
Cain hesitated a little, unsure if he should interfere with Steven’s Pokémon choices.
The two Pokémon he had already mentioned were ones Steven would eventually catch anyway, but they weren’t necessarily the ones with the highest potential.
As a visionary, Cain knew which Pokémon truly had the greatest potential.
In later stages, Pokémon that couldn’t Mega Evolve would always be at a disadvantage.
"Onix, Scyther, Mawile, and... Aegislash!" Cain mentioned four Pokémon he thought would be most suitable for Steven and had the highest potential for development.
"Onix can evolve into Steelix, Scyther can evolve into Scizor, and Mawile as a Steel-type is also a great option."
"As for Aegislash, is it a Pokémon from the Kalos region?" Steven asked, familiar with the first three since he had seen them used within his family. However, he wasn’t as familiar with the last one.
If anyone had experienced what Cain had, they would understand how accurate Cain’s Pokémon recommendations were.
He wasn’t misleading Steven at all.
If Steven captured those Pokémon, alongside his Shiny Metagross and an Aggron, he wouldn’t just be a Steel-type champion—he’d be a much stronger champion.
Onix had many weaknesses, but after evolving into Steelix, most of those weaknesses disappeared, leaving only four minor ones, along with ten resistances and immunities. Most importantly, Steelix could Mega Evolve.
Scizor, after evolving from Scyther, was even better than Steelix. Except for its quadruple weakness to Fire-types, it had no other weaknesses.
Aside from its speed decreasing slightly after evolution, its physical attack and defense improved, and it could also Mega Evolve.
Then there was Mawile, which currently was only a Steel-type, but Cain knew that when the Fairy-type was introduced, Mawile would gain that typing. Steven would then have a strong counter against Dragon-types.
Moreover, Mawile could also Mega Evolve, and its ability after Mega Evolution would be Huge Power.
Huge Power doubled the Pokémon’s physical attack power, making it an incredibly potent ability!
These three Pokémon were outstanding and could Mega Evolve. Steven didn’t know this yet, but when Mega Evolution was introduced, he would definitely thank Cain.
As for the last one, Aegislash.
A Steel- and Ghost-type Pokémon from the Kalos region, it could change forms during battle, altering its attack and defense stats.
Additionally, it had resistances and immunities to twelve types, making it a very strong Pokémon and one of Cain’s personal favorites.
It was like an upgraded version of Shuckle.
Cain hesitated to tell Steven about these four Pokémon. While they were close friends now, Cain didn’t know how Steven would react when his Team Rocket identity was revealed.
Strengthening Steven now could mean strengthening his greatest enemy in the future.
But in the end, Cain said it. That was what a true friend should do, and Cain didn’t believe his Team Rocket identity would be exposed.
Even if there was a possibility now, in the future, when Cain consolidated his plans and increased his influence in the League, he didn’t think anyone in Team Rocket, except Giovanni, would dare expose him.
And based on Giovanni’s behavior, the higher Cain climbed, the less likely he’d be betrayed.
Most importantly, Cain thought that even if Steven discovered his identity, there was a fifty percent chance he wouldn’t do anything.
And when Steven understood the benefits of the Pokémon Cain recommended, no one could surpass him in supporting Cain.
Compared to the possibility of Steven becoming a formidable opponent in the future, Cain preferred to focus on immediate gains.
Cain was confident that in the future, he wouldn’t be weaker than Steven—and might even surpass him!
Cain slowly explained Aegislash to Steven and the reasoning behind his recommendations.
Of course, he didn’t mention anything about Mega Evolutions or the Fairy-type.
It would be up to Steven to decide what to do, but even if he didn’t choose any of them, Steven would still have the strength of a champion in the future.