Author's Note: Hi all! Thanks for taking a peek at this story. I love Hoenn, Steven and Wallace and hope you guys feel the same way since you came to read. ^_^
I see this as a special friendship and mentoring opportunity between a kid and a teen. There is an undertone of originshipping, but since they are both very young I want to keep it light and mostly friendship for now. So nothing graphic here. I will probably turn this into a series of stories about encounters between Wallace and Steven over the years, and over time that relationship may change.
Thank you again readers! Now let's relax and have fun!
-Lore
The Relicanth and the Gyarados
A deckhand waxed the teak floorboards of the ship, restoring the sleek fiberglass finish as he sang. "The daybreak shines on Route 108. Wake up, our towering fort!"
Being the fun-loving sort, Joseph Stone had wagered business partners that he could outspeed a starmie with a relicanth. His bet was always met with howls of laughter, laughter that quickly turned to tears after the mogul introduced his associates to his yacht the Relicanth, or as he deemed her, the eighth wonder of the world.
Relicanth was not only beautiful, but the the most technologically-advanced yacht on the market of any size. Stone had visited shipyards in every region. He asked for a boat that could do 75 knots at 140 feet. Half of the shipyards thought there was rubble in Stone's head, calling him a rock from space. He only chuckled at that; he would see who had the last laugh.
Undeterred, Stone set up another company of his own and built Relicanth, the fastest mega yacht in the world. Whereas there were racing boats or clunky yachts not built for speed, he had proven to the world that a yacht could have both luxury and power.
She had a graceful exterior line and bow profile like the neck of a swanna. The superstructure was a newly discovered metal. The material was lightweight, ice-colored and allowed for a more aerodynamic shape to keep Relicanth light on her feet. It came from a tree in Sinnoh, and was more delicate than honeycomb.
Stone also had gotten some sleek, modern furniture made out of the stuff to keep the weight of the boat down. It was more beautiful-looking than handcarved rosewood. He had used it in tiles of the stone flooring too, and had something more cunning than the marble and granite it was polished to resemble. His girl Relicanth could hit speeds of 90 knots unlike her namesake, a prehistoric fish that was mighty and rare but heavier than a stone.
Nobody would ever say that Joseph Stone was a dishonest man. Sure, he liked a good riddle and the sport of seeing the look on a friend's face as they watched Relicanth outmaneuver their seadra, wingull and lumineon. But being a generous-natured fellow Joseph always forfeited winnings from such a wager.
He chuckled to himself as he strolled down memory lane, caterwauling like a loudred with nostalgia. He swiped the screen of his tablet, rereading the financial report. A hologram of the Sea Mauville project emerged from the touchscreen.
Stone had just returned from Sea Mauville with his boy. The large, gregarious business man smiled. Devon Corporation is not going to be left out of a visionary project to extract natural resources from the ocean, no sir! Everyone is getting in on history in the making, Cozmo, Stern, Great Mauville Holdings.
The valet had asked if he wished to reschedule his appointment with his son when a Mauville project meeting came up. Joseph admitted the playdate with Steven sure had sneaked up on him; he was almost certain that their quality time was scheduled for the following month instead. Regardless, he was not about to neglect his life as a family man. The quick-thinking entrepreneur decided to take Steven with him to Sea Mauville, and let him see how grownups conducted business, killing two taillow with one stone, as the adage said.
One day this will be Steven's duty. Now is as good of a time as any to get the boy used to the grownup world. Why, in twenty years time the lad will be taking children of his own to see the legacy of their grandfather, Josef grinned at the thought.
Steven enjoyed touring the research center. He was a smart boy who would make him proud when he took over Devon Corps. The kid already had such an imagination, and a hunger to learn how things worked. He even wanted copies of the blueprints for the machinery.
A beautiful cocktail waitress from the bar down at the sky lounge appeared, offering her boss a refill of bluk berry tea and lemonade, his favorite combination. He couldn't refuse, but asked for a hot cup of green tea to go along with it to keep himself feeling energetic. He couldn't have all sweetness, no sir! He was Joseph Stone! He wanted the energy to stage two hostile takeovers.
He didn't normally conduct business up on deck by the fly bridge, but since Steven was out playing here he thought it would be a good idea to work on the sun deck today. He could work and see his son. He held the blueprint up to the sunlight as Pelipper circled overhead.
Further down deck in the middle of an inlaid floor sat a nine year-old with silver bangs and gray eyes. He was on his knees, crouched over a series of mosaic tiles trimmed with gold and arranged into a pattern that portrayed the pokemon solrock.
Steven played quietly with a collection of stones and pieces of quartz. The sun beat down on him as he placed different rocks about the deck, making sure that every stone was in the perfect position to catch the most light. They were not precious stones, just interesting ones he found over the years, but precious to him at nonetheless.
Steven's chunk of scolecite looked like a thousand tiny pieces of quartz and white needles fused together. He also had chryscolla in malachite, titanium quartz that shifted from black to green and a piece of uncut rhodochrosite that was almost a perfect cube. That was not all of his treasure, the best was his bismuth. This mineral was intricate, and reminded him of the insides of a machine. Each ridge could have passed for a cog.
He resolved that the next time he traveled outside of Hoenn he would catch a steel pokemon that looked similar to his bismuth. He had many pokemon on his wishlist from other regions that he wanted to meet from klink to magneton. When he was big he would travel the world all by himself, maybe even live in other regions, starting with Johto, the place where steel type pokemon were first discovered!
The only stone the boy owned that had not been identified was an odd circular piece. The sphere was such a light grey that it was nearly translucent. There was a golden, leaf-like shape in the center of the stone. Steven at first thought the stone was sodalite, and the gold in the center was a decorative sign that an artist painted over it. But when he had the stone tested there was no trace of paint particles. Nor could he find anything like it in his libraries at home. It had stumped their top scientists at Mossdeep City and museum curators in Defword when he tried to learn more. His father told him to hold onto such a special stone, but Steven already knew that!
A frail-looking robotic pokemon with a single eye laid next to Steven. Beldum had no limbs or other facial features, just a straight, thin piece of steel for a body that could have passed for a discarded chair leg. To Steven this pokemon was more special than having any legendary pokemon in the world. He didn't mind if it only knew one move, take-down.
He wondered how Beldum would be able to handle himself in a battle. Their chauffeur Sakamoto had agreed to battle Steven once, but Steven saw right away that his father's employee was allowing him to win. Disappointed, he immediately withdrew Beldum and forfeited, the only proper thing to do. He was a nice man and meant well, but he was not doing him any favors by not allowing him to work hard and improve. He hoped that one day he would be good enough that Sakamoto would genuinely want to battle him.
He was too young to participate in gym battles or even apply for an official trainer's license, but he was allowed with family insurance and co-signature to have a permit and own a limited number of pokemon as pets.
Steven looked down at his favorite pokemon. The big red eye blinked, doing its best to show Steven some affection in return as the boy stroked the mechanical creature. He handled the hard metal and claw as though it was softer than velvet and meowth fur.
"When the alum and potassium come together we will be able to make more crystals like this one," said Steven, holding up what looked like a large dusk stone yet with several facets spread over the gem. "I know we made the same color salt crystal last week, but I'm afraid that I couldn't find many ingredients in our kitchen- I mean down in the galley on board. I hope you don't mind Beldum."
A maid came, bringing Steven the pot of hot water he requested. He thanked her, accepting the final ingredient for his experiment. After the two exchanged a polite bow he gave the surprised old kitchen maid the present of the pretty crystal he had shown Beldum, then went back to his project.
He poured boiling water into a measuring cup filled with powdery white chunks and a dark grainy substance, turning the two into one inky product.
"It will be hours before it solidifies in the cup, but we won't reach the port in Dewford for awhile," he said, removing a blue wrapper and feeding Beldum rare candy.
Beldum savored the hard candy, feeling himself grow stronger after just one bite. He was sure that he had gained a level! He could taste hints of yummy oran berry spice.
Steven folded his arms behind his head and laid back on the floor. He stared up at the clouds, imagining what it would be like to see a real meteor shower and find a piece of space rock afterward, freshly fallen from the asteroid! He owned several comet shards, but he wanted to not just buy them! Steven's dream was to be there just when then rock fell from outer space, then walk up to the crater and carve himself a piece!
Beldum wriggled over to Steven and laid down on the boy's chest, enjoying the warmth emanating from the human.
"In ancient Kalos there were people called alchemists. An alchemist works with all kinds of minerals. They can take a base metal and turn it into a gold nugget for a king. At least that's what the books they left behind said. The legend is that they really conducted experiments to revive a pokemon that perished in the war," said Steven.
Beldum could not respond to Steven yet, he could talk only to other beldum. Someday when he came into the full height of his psychic powers he would be able to send Steven telepathic messages. For now at least he could send a light, controlled pulse of magnetism through his trainer's body to let him know that he had understood every word, and found the subject equally fascinating.
Steven's pale eyes were locked on the sky, watching the clouds escape him as Relicanth glided quickly on the sea. There were wingull behind them, and some of the clouds on the horizon morphed into swablu, their round blue faces sticking out from the white fluff. Their wings sometimes looked identical to clouds to the naked eye.
They were probably going 60 mph, but it never felt like dizzying on his father's ship. Steven could walk around and do anything, and most of the time it did not even seem like they were moving, at least until a moment later when a vibration came from Relicanth suddenly.
Steven looked up and saw his father headed up the main staircase. Joseph turned back. "Steven, why don't you take your collections and go play in your room for awhile, eh?"
It sounded like some minor engine trouble. He wished he could accompany his father, and see the command center where everything happened, look at the controls and turbine engines.
"Yes father," Steven said respectfully, pulling out a pokeball and pressing the release button. "Thank you for your company Beldum, we will talk again."
A red laser light flashed on the pokeball and Beldum was converted into a smaller size, pulled into the light and absorbed safely into his ball for the time being. The pokeball became tiny, shrinking down to the size of a pinpoint.
On his other hand Steven wore a steel ring with a bezel of turning gears, brass and clockwork. He lifted the face of the clockwork ring, revealing a secret compartment where he stored things inside. Steven gently took the seed-sized pokeball where Beldum slept and tucked it away in the holding space of his ring. He closed the bezel again and fastened the clasp.
As Steven began to sort out his rock collection he heard mutterings that the captain might go ashore for a bit to change the propeller. Nobody seemed especially alarmed. His father had a built a good boat that always had spare parts.
Steven tried to overhear the adult conversation as it grew quieter and more distant. He called out to his father, but Mr. Stone had stepped inside with members of the crew.
Steven opened a black carrying case in the same style as his father's briefcase. He carefully stowed each stone in the correct compartment, under his handwritten labels, all except for his rarest stone. He pinned the mysterious prism to his blazer, and snapped the clasp shut.
The ship shook violently at the very second Steven rose to his knees. It felt like a torpedo had hit them! He was knocked off balance before he could get back to his state room, then doused with water. The wave cracked against his skin like a vine whip. The boat tilted to and fro before another wall of water came crashing down on deck and a strange, sudden wind shook the ship.
Steven tried to get back up and stand up straight on the slick boards of the floor, blinking his eyes wildly as the salt water ate away at them with fire. He grabbed the railing, steadying himself as pieces of deck furniture went flying towards him, knocking the boy overboard.
Sea filled his nose as he smashed against the water. His slim body bruised from flying objects. He was pulled fast under the sea. He felt a wet claw dragging across his face. He was being smothered by his own soaked shirt as the fabric raised over his head and he was dragged deeper and deeper into the sea.
Steven closed his mouth, not wanting the water to fill his lungs. He knew he had to get his head back above water, and forced himself up for air, using his blistered, red legs until he came to the surface, spitting the bitter taste out of his mouth.
He took the air back in one huge gulp, shaking water from his bangs, ignoring the stabbing in his eyes from the burning saltwater. Steven called for help just before he was swallowed by the sea again.
Schools of panicked Luvdisc swam past the boy's face in a hurry, fleeing the terrible storm that came to route 20. He opened his eyes through all of the hurt, seeing the strange, heart-shaped pokemon swimming in every direction. He kicked for the surface, pushing himself out of the water again.
The spring sky had gone completely dark by the time he struggled his way back up doing the growlithe paddle. Heavy rains beat down onto Steven's face as he floated alone in the sea.
"Help!" Steven cried out through bleary eyes.
No one came. He could not even see Relicanth through the salt and pouring rain, but heard the sound of thunder. He was panicked. He squinted and tried to look for the yacht as the wind blew in his face.
Lightning brandished across the sky, illuminating the dark waters. Steven heard a low, animalistic cry mixed in with the sound of thunder.
In the center of the ocean was a sea snake so gigantic that its head reached the clouds. Another flash of lighting exposed the pokemon's open mouth and hooked fangs. Steven was breathing, but his heart missed a beat as he came face to face with the pokemon the family boat had disturbed.
He felt his knees buckle and nearly sank back into the sea. He couldn't believe his eyes. The dragon's body was armored in blue scales and a spiked fringe crisscrossed up and down the monster's back. The pokemon was crowned with a green trident-shaped crest on her forehead that made her brow look more furrowed and her red eyes even more furious.
A harrowing sound came from the her mouth again. This time she drowned out all noise from the storm across the skies. Steven could see father's ship in the distance at last, but to his horror the windows of the ship shattered and pieces of glass went flying as the dragon's cry reached a stratospheric pitch. Blood drizzled down Steven's neck as his right ear drum burst from the sound that shook everything in sight.
It happened in just an instant, before he could do anything. It seemed unreal that something of such a massive weight could move so fast, a pokemon greater than a hundred of his father's ships put together, went on the attack. A tail that stretched out for miles began swinging wildly, striking out at the unsinkable Relicanth, putting a dent in it. Now it was the screams of everyone on board that filled the air over the claps of thunder.
"No!" Steven cried, putting out his arms in vain, imagining his father and everyone he knew inside of the ship .
The tail sent wood, glass and iron flying into the ocean as it attacked the Relicanth head on. The dragon's tail slapped the face of the sea, making a wave that buried Steven. He was vacuumed away with everything else. As the boy drowned the pokemon sent what remained of the ship flying across the sea with another dragon tail attack.
He could not breathe. He fought to find his way out of the water, turning paler with each second. He held his breath for what felt like hours until the water overtook him. He felt his mouth prying open against his will, bringing bowls full of water into his throat. It was so painful as the water filled his lungs. He was swallowing half of the sea .
His breath was labored and wild. He couldn't tell anymore whether where he was even breathing in or out. Buckets of more water rushed into his windpipe. That was when everything began to turn yellow and fade. His head was down. It was black now. Steven couldn't feel anything anymore after those horrible seconds.
The storm still raged from when the pokemon Rain Dance attack, but as the water fell fire also appeared0 in the sea. They were inextinguishable green and blue flames took hold of the sea, incinerating any pokemon that got near. Smoke billowed from the gaping mouth and endless tongue as Gyarados roared, making another path of magic fire as she circled the sea.
To be continued..
- "Once Gyarados goes on a rampage, its ferociously violent blood doesn't calm until it has burned everything down. There are records of this pokemon's rampage lasting a whole month." - Pokemon Sapphire