Ch. A: Flash
A major and minor chord of footsteps echoed amongst the stones. In the unlit, cool air of Granite Cave, a young woman and a spritely kirlia waded through the narrow, cavernous walls, carefully minding their steps by way of the pokemon's flash ability. The lithe psychic pokemon bounded ahead of her trainer happily, admiring the newness of their surroundings and the icy air of the cave. Indeed, the cave was a welcome respite from the Hoenn heat and humidity.
The young woman's hair was tied up in a bouncy ponytail, and her clothes bore the dust and and grime of her many travels. Though she never planned to add Granite Cave to her list of adventures, by way of an odd turn of events, she nevertheless found herself here, on an errand for a very kind, old man.
And though she was unaware of it yet, this errand would prove itself to be one of the most important encounters of her life.
"Slow down, Maris! If I lose you, I'll never make it out of this cave," May called teasingly, ducking under a large stalactite. The young kirlia let out a charming trill, stopping to wait patiently for her trainer. Maris was the newest addition to May's team, and May's first successful pokemon capture. Within a few days, Maris evolved into kirlia, and she was still showing signs of steady growth and promise. It was Maris' psychic abilities that cinched them their second gym badge from Dewford's gym leader, Brawley. May beamed with pride at the thought of their battle today.
"What do you think: after we finish this errand, we'll go swimming at the beach and have some ice cream?" Maris cooed happily in response.
At the end of the long, well-trodden path, the pair finally reached a cavernous clearing, about the height of a small building, that was warmly lit by flood lights. A makeshift ladder had been constructed to the bottom of the cavern floor. It was obvious that this cave had been excavated within the past few years.
On the opposite wall, May could dimly make out what appeared to be an expansive mural of some sort, carved and painted into the granite walls of the cavern.
And there was a man, peering up at the wall.
May feared, for a moment, that this wasn't the person she had been sent to find. He looked so small under the colossal heights of the etchings, unlike how President Stone described him. May and Maris headed down the ladder and walked tentatively towards the man. But as she approached the man, she also took interested in the mural, the etchings becoming clearer the closer she approached. She stopped.
It looked like a pokemon...it was probably a pokemon, but it was unlike any she had seen thus far. Walls of fire surrounded the strange creature bursting from the bowels of the earth. May's eyes trailed further down the painting, taking it in slowly. She gasped quietly in horror. Cities, people, pokemon, enveloped in flames. Was this part of a history May never learned, a history the people of Hoenn chose to forget, or was it a fable? A primal, visceral fear quieted May, and for a moment, she forgot about the man next to her. Even Maris' buoyant nature stilled in its presence.
But the man's voice, low and quiet, eventually brought May back to her senses.
"...Mm-mmm. So in the ancient world, their primal forms once held this much power...? The super ancient Pokémon...What terrible strength… But this appearance here… It seems somehow different from Mega Evolution…"
A faint smiled perked at May's lips as she heard him talk to himself. She cleared her throat and straightened her posture.
"Excuse me, are you Steven?" May asked. She cleared her throat again. Her question came out much quieter than she'd hoped it would be.
"Hmmm.. It seems my questions will not be answered today," he murmured, again to himself, before turning to face May, his hand still resting quizzically under his chin.
"Yes, I am. And you are…?" he asked quietly. May faltered under his gaze.
Steven was an exceedingly beautiful man. He bore a surprising resemblance to President Stone, with obvious departures in his defined features and scintillating blue eyes, and May wondered if they were related. The warm glow of the floodlights made Steven's hair appear almost appear faded blonde, but under further observation, May could tell it was shockingly bright, almost silver. The silver of his hair juxtaposed nicely with his dark suit. The only color he wore took the form of a red ascot, quite similar to the bandana May wore to keep her hair back. And yet he looked and dressed unlike anyone May had met before in Hoenn.
May subconsciously fidgeted with the hem of her shorts.
"Oh, um, I'm so sorry if I caught you at a bad time, Steven. My name's May," she prattled, her voice raising from whisper-level to shrill in a matter of words. She winced at her not-so formal address that President Stone had given her, as it wasn't clear to May just how old Steven was. His face looked young, but by the way he dressed, he could be thirty.
"I'm sorry. Do I know you?" he asked, though without wavering in politeness. His expression was inscrutable, and it made May feel like she indeed caught him at a bad time.
"No, ah, but I know President Stone. He asked me to deliver a letter," May stuttered, and began rummaging through her purse to find the letter.
"Oh, drat...I just saw it in here a second ago..." she chuckled nervously, feeling sweat bead on her brow. She felt the letter the very bottom of her bag, but when she pulled it out, some of the contents of her bag flew out onto the cave floor, scattering and making both a mess and a noise. Maris leapt out of the way.
"Oh my gosh," May muttered, her face flushing bright red as she quickly knelt down to retrieve her fallen belongings. Steven swiftly mirrored her, kindly helping her collect a few runaway potions and antidotes.
"Thank you, I'm so sorry," May gushed. But when she hazarded a glance up to Steven, she thought she detected a faint smile around his mouth.
"Happens all the time, I'm sure," he said lightly. May bit her lip as they stood up. His expression went back to being inscrutable.
"Here," May sighed, before handing him the now slightly bent envelope. His eyes narrowed as he took the letter from her. She noted that he wore a strange, iridescent stone on his lapel in the form of a pin. She wondered if it served any purpose other than adornment.
"My father sent you," he murmured softly, though it strangely wasn't a question.
"Y-your father? President Stone is your father?" May stuttered dumbly.
He scanned over the cursive handwriting on the envelope, considering it, before stowing it away, unopened, inside his jacket pocket. His inscrutable frown cleared like smoke in the wind into a smile. It struck May odd how well-rehearsed it felt, almost as if Steven was putting on a mask.
"Yes, he is," Steven sighed oddly. Something about Steven's expression made May think that maybe Steven had a tense relationship with his father.
Steven then extended a hand, "It's a pleasure, May." May grasped it.
"My apologies. My name is Steven," he smiled softly.
"It's nice to meet you," May smiled back. Steven considered her for a moment.
"So, how do you know my father?" he asked.
"Oh, um, I just met him in Rustboro," she said simply.
Steven's eyes narrowed, "You just met him and he already trusts you enough to send you on a personal errand? That doesn't sound like my father." May chuckled awkwardly, thinking that Steven was kidding, but by his serious expression, May could tell that he was going to require more of an explanation.
"It's a rather boring story," she said flatly, fidgeting with her hands.
"Well, you've certainly piqued my interest," Steven shrugged. May's pulse quickened, and she looked down at her dusty tennis shoes nervously.
"I, uh, stopped a thief who had stolen some machine parts from Devon, and after your, uh, President Stone heard that I was traveling to Dewford, he asked me to stop by here and drop this off to you," she rambled. Steven's frown returned.
"Please tell me that he at least offered you a reward for your time and help?" Steven asked lowly.
"Oh, of course he did! I promise that it wasn't a problem since I really was already heading out here," she assured him. Steven's posture and expression softened a bit.
"So, what did he offer you?" he asked, leaning in. A strange shiver crept up May's spine.
"Oh, um, he updated my PokeNav."
Once again, Steven paused thoughtfully and looked over at her a second time. It took everything in her body not to fidget or look away from his gaze. His eyes shifted briefly to Maris, who had been clutching May's leg for the length of their conversation. His posture suddenly relaxed and his gaze softened.
"So, that means you're a trainer then," he said simply, "where are you from?"
"Petalburg, originally. But most recently Littleroot."
"How long have you been training?" Steven asked.
"About two months," May said, quietly.
Steven's eyes widened, "You've only been on your journey for two months and you've already made it to Dewford? That's very impressive." May blushed.
"Well Professor Birch and his son really helped me get started, I don't think I could have made it this far without them," May said modestly. Steven's eyes glinted at May's mention of the Professor, which for some reason surprised her. Steven did not look like the kind of person who would ever have a reason to visit the sleepy town of Littleroot, let alone interact with Littleroot's eccentric but kind Professor Birch.
"Do you know him?" May asked. Steven nodded, a secretive smile playing at his lips.
"Yes, we go way back."
"Oh? Are you a trainer too?"
Steven thought for a moment, and then shrugged, "In a manner of speaking, yes. I did go on a pokemon journey a very, very long time ago."
May frowned, considering his face again. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, let alone how old he was, by his features.
"H-how old are you?" she stuttered, her eyes darting away from his gaze.
"Twenty-five."
Before May could respond, Steven's eyes darted to Maris, who had been quietly waiting during their conversation.
"And who is this?" Steven asked, crouching down to meet Maris. The kirlia appeared to blush, if that was even possible for pokemon. May resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was always such a flirt.
"This is Maris," May laughed, nudging her pokemon forward.
Steven's eyes darted back up to May, "Maris? Like the-"
"Sea," they both said simultaneously. May blushed. Another strange, inscrutable expression crossed Steven's face that May wished she could understand. Steven turned his attention back to May's pokemon.
"May I, Maris?" Steven asked, extending a hand. The psychic pokemon blushed again and reached out tentatively for his index finger. A warm light hummed from the tip of Maris' hand to Steven's finger in the way that kirlias often connected between pokemon. Yet Steven was unfazed.
Steven then looked up at May from the ground.
"Is she your starter pokemon?"
"Oh, no, um," faltered May. She knelt down by Maris and Steven, who were still touching. "I have a marshtomp, Finn, and he's my starter pokemon. Maris has been with us for about two weeks now."
"Two weeks?" Steven's eyes darted to May in surprise. Maris darted into May's arms at Steven's sudden shift in volume. May stood up, cradling Maris in her arms, and Steven quickly mirrored.
"She's quite advanced for only two weeks of training. I'd say she'll evolve into her final form quite soon," Steven observed. Maris cooed happily at this.
"That's great news!" May cheered, giving Maris a squeeze.
"I do admire psychic types, they are so..." Steven paused thoughtfully, thinking of the perfect word, "perceptive. But ralts are rather rare in the wild," Steven murmured, still eyeing the tender pokemon.
May nodded fervently, "A lot of trainers have mentioned that to me. But my friend and I didn't have any trouble catching them on Route 102."
May's mention of her friend piqued Steven's interest.
"Oh? Are you traveling with someone?" he glanced to the passageway opening, checking to see if she came alone.
"Oh, um, no, I like traveling by myself. Wally just needed some help in getting started," May shrugged. Steven stared at her again, for the third time.
"You seem to have a passion for helping people for someone who likes to travel alone," Steven said with an odd tone of amusement, "Coincidently, I also like to travel by myself. I'm interested in rare stones and gems, so I find myself in caves and mountains here and there. Today my journey brought me here, to this," he said, gesturing to the expansive mural.
May looked at the mural again, the same sense of fear, but duller this time, returned. Steven hazarded a glance at May from the side.
"If I may be so bold, do you feel anything in particular when you look up at this wall?"
May hummed at his question. She could feel Maris turn her face away into the folds of May's clothes.
"Yeah, it fills me with dread just looking at it. Is it a pokemon?" Steven nodded.
"Yes, from a primal world, lost thousands of years in the past. It was a legendary pokemon of tremendous power and it became humanity's greatest threat. I think that the dread you feel is an appropriate response, in light of this ancient artwork."
"What terrible power," May murmured. Steven eyed her curiously, with a slight smile on his face.
"…Indeed. But not all power is terrible. Your pokemon are clearly quite capable as well. Looking at you all together…" a knowing glint darted across his face, "I think that you have in you what it takes to become a pokemon League Champion...of course, if that is what you intend to do through your travels and training." May smiled at his words and nodded.
"Yes, I'm completing the League challenge. Finn and Maris actually just earned their second gym badge today," she said proudly, and Maris cheered.
Steven smiled fondly at May and Maris. "I see that a congratulations are in order. If you keep up with your training, you will surely make it far."
"How do you know that?" she asked, stroking behind Maris' red sensors. He smiled at her strangely, as if he knew a secret.
"Just take my word for it," he winked. May's cheeks flushed red, and she wished that she had some control over her emotions.
Steven sighed and glanced at his watch. "I'm afraid I must be going now. It was wonderful to meet you, May," he said, looking at her warmly, "Good luck to you. Thanks for delivering this letter," he said, tapping his jacket pocket.
"Oh, it was no problem at all. I'm glad to have met you," she said cheerfully. His smile deepened as he considered her and Maris once more. A stroke of memory flashed on Steven's face, and he all of a sudden looked a little embarrassed.
"You must have gone through some trouble to track me down in this cave. I suppose I must also repay you in some way...Let me see..." he said suddenly, feeling around his pockets for something. May's eyes widened. If the familial connection hadn't been established before between President Stone and Steven, May certainly detected it now.
"No, please, your father already helped me out a lot with the update," she pleaded, gesturing broadly. He pulled out of his pocket a small, silver disc in a plastic case.
"Nonsense. You would have received that update for free in a few weeks with everyone else. That isn't what I consider proper compensation. Here, I will give you this TM-" May began to shake her head, but Steven thrusted it towards her.
"-Please accept it. It contains my favorite move, Steel Wing." There was a knowing glint in his steel grey eyes. May accepted it warily.
"Thank you," she sighed, "I'll try to make good use out of it." His smile deepened, and he bowed his head slightly to the young woman, before turning to leave. May stood watching him, holding the gifted TM in her hand and Maris in her arms. But Steven turned back to look at her once more.
"I get the feeling I'll see you again soon," he glanced down at May's kirlia, "and you too Maris."
"Y-you do?" May stuttered. He leaned in closer.
"Yes, I do... until then," with a final nod and smile, Steven left almost silently from the warmly lit cavern.
May stood breathless for a brief moment, considering the very strange line of circumstances that led her here, to this cavern, under this painting, and to this rather alluring man. Whoever Steven Stone was, May indeed hoped to see him again.
