Chapter 1: The Summoning Stone
15 years ago
Steven glanced behind his shoulder, certain that he was being followed. Ever since he had found the strange, black stone with colours that swirled like the galaxy in its center, he had felt a nearby presence wherever he went. He had researched the stone to no avail, before declaring it a newly discovered stone, and naming it the Galaxy Stone. A befitting name, based on its looks. He had not yet figured out what its purpose was, but he was determined to find out.
He was currently holed away in Mt. Shady, trying to find anything that would help him figure out what the stone was, and its capabilities.
The sound of small rocks moving made him glance over his shoulder once again, and goose-bumps show up on his arms and neck.
"Who's there?" He called out.
The sound of scraping feet followed, and three men and a woman stood in front of him, all clad in the Team Galactic Uniform, though various forms of the original version. They must have been more than just grunts.
"My name is Lord. Salazar," The middle man said, before gesturing to his companions "And these are my followers, Mercury, Venus and Pluto,"
"I know who you are," Steven told him, standing up to his full height. "What do you want?"
"Now, now, we both know that you know exactly what I am here for," Lord. Salazar told him. "Hand over the rock, and no one will get hurt,"
"Over my dead body," Steven told him "Help me out Metagross,"
"If a battle is what you want, a battle is what you shall have," Lord. Salazar replied with a grin. "Toxicroak, Arcanine, you're up!"
His companions also sent out their pokemon, and the battle was on.
xOxOx
Steven signed on the dotted line, opening a new account and transferring all of his belongings into it.
"And you are certain this is untraceable?" He asked yet again.
"Of course sir, no one will ever find out who this account belongs to. As far as they are concerned, it belongs to an old elderly woman who wished to live her final years of life on a secluded beach," The bank manager informed him.
"And you will make sure my daughter gets away from here?" He insisted, his eyes searching frantically into the bank managers.
"Of course, my wife is doing the job herself. She knows a lovely couple back in Hoenn, who run an orphanage. Your daughter will be sent there and cared for properly. She will only find out her true identity on her sixteenth birthday, when she receives her starter pokemon, and her inheritance," The bank manager told him. "And as soon as the girl arrives, they will be closing down their current orphanage, and reopening in another town, without any trace of the old location,"
"Good, good," Steven sighed "I just can't believe it has come to this. But it is too dangerous for her to be with me, and far too dangerous for me to leave her at home, with our employees,"
"I understand, sir. These are grave times. Your daughter must be protected, and as her mother is… no longer with us… it makes sense to take her to a loving couple far away from all of this nonsense,"
"I agree, I just can't help but thinking this will be the last time I will ever see her again," Steven said truthfully, running a hand over his face.
"Now, Mr. Stone, don't talk such nonsense. You are the strongest person I know," The bank manager insisted "If anyone can defeat a bunch of unruly thugs, it is you,"
Steven looked up, a look of determination on his face "I just hope you're right.
A knock on the door rang through the office, and a small, petite old lady entered the room, carrying a tiny baby girl in her arms.
"It is time Steven, we must leave now if we are to catch the next ship," The woman told him.
He nodded, reaching out towards his baby. "You may not understand this now, but in fifteen years you will. You may hate me for abandoning you, but this is the only way I can protect you. I never knew before, what finding that stone would do to our futures, to your mother… And I cannot reverse the clock," He untied a thin black ribbon from his neck, a strange dark stone attached in the middle. "This is all I have left to leave you,"
"Mr. Stone," The woman said urgently.
"Hush Helga, give the man a bit of peace. He is saying goodbye to his baby," The bank manager told her.
"Here," Steven said, handing Helga a letter, scrawled with the name Azure. "Please make sure she gets this on her sixteenth birthday,"
"Of course, dear," Helga replied, grabbing the letter and the baby back off of him. "You will see her soon. Once this is all over, I will take you to her,"
Steven nodded, but his gut feeling kept telling him he would never see her again.
"Goodbye for now," Helga said, giving a small wave and exiting the room.
"You should also be leaving, Steven. It is a long way to Veilstone City," The bank manager told him.
Steven nodded, grabbing his bag and making his way out.
That was the last time the bank manager saw him. Rumors emerged that Steven Stone was taken prisoner by Team Galactic, while others insisted that they killed him.
The bank manager could only hope it was the former.