Comfort on Hoenn
A lot of things changed after Steven stopped being the Champion of the Hoenn region.
Even though the elegant guy usually had a rematch against the trainer that defeated him, after his battle with Brendan, a trained whom he crossed paths with a few times before that moment, Steven decided not to continue with his tradition, feeling that he already met his match and also feeling that his time as a champion needed a closure. At first, he was a bit melancholic, thinking about all the battles and impact he had on the trainers and also wondering about where he could go and what would happen next, but all those ideas stopped being an issue thanks to the help of Phoebe.
The two knew each other for years, even before they became part of the Hoenn Pokémon League and they always were there for each other. The short-haired gal was always grateful for the things Steven did for her, from helping her feel better when she was affected by her own fears and doubts to even assisting her in making Misdreavus, her new Pokémon, trust in her. While the day of his defeat the steel-type trainer remained calm, Phoebe felt that he was affected by that moment and assured him that whatever would happen, she was going to be there for him.
Taken by her words and her caring attitude, Steven decided to invite her to one place he liked to go. After their first trip to the Meteor Falls, where the cheerful gal helped him find a rare orange stone, the two mentioned that they enjoyed their time together and agreed on reuniting at least once a week to see each other. From that time onwards, when the elegant guy and the short-haired gal reunited, the former would receive her with a token of appreciation like a sweet she liked, flowers and even necklaces and earrings that had precious stones he personally found. It was his way of thanking her for the support during that time and while Phoebe always appreciated those gifts, for her, the best thing of their meetings was enjoying a wonderful time with Steven.
He even gave her those things each time he decided to visit her and the other members of the Elite Four, who were aware about the "dates" the two had and always asked them if there was more between them. Although Phoebe and Steven didn't talk much about that idea, their meetings and what they usually did made them suspicious. The last one had the short-haired gal taking the elegant guy to Mt. Pyre, where she told him about her time training there and showing her the ghost-type Pokémon that habited that place and before that, Steven invited Phoebe to Devon S.A. so she could see the company of his family, meet his father and also get a new Pokenav that was also another gift from him.
Of course, neither of them said much about it, at most mentioning that they enjoyed the company of the other and that they never saw those meetings as dates, but the idea they had about them remained the same. It was a usual topic each time Steven decided to visit Phoebe on the Pokémon League, that he and Phoebe had something special and that they look like a cute couple. They didn't think much about it and continued with their usual meetings, going around places in Hoenn and enjoying the company of the other, but during their last one, things started to change.
It happened the day Steven invited Phoebe and her Misdreavus to the Mossdeep Space Center to introduce them to his new Pokémon: a shiny Beldum. Unlike the short-haired gal and her small ghost Pokémon, the silver-colored Pokémon didn't have any issues trusting in his trainer and even had a good attitude towards the two gals, who welcomed it with open arms into their group. Although the addition of Beldum into their group was a nice thing, there was something else as both Phoebe and Steven started to think more about what they had.
Their time together made the feelings the two had for the other grow stronger. For the short-haired gal, she always appreciated the help of Steven, always being there when she needed some assistance and always treating her and everyone around him with respect. She admired him and liked his company. For the elegant guy, he considered Phoebe someone very special, admiring her usual cheerful attitude and her desire to help him during a time where he was unsure about his own future. Those meetings not only made the two grow closer, but it also made them have feelings for the other.
During his next visit to the Pokémon League, Steven tried to talk with the cheerful gal, set on telling his feelings for her, unaware that Phoebe was also planning on doing the same thing. The elegant guy waited until the last trainer was defeated to see the short-haired gal, who hugged him tightly the moment she saw him. As they wanted to have a private moment, the two trainers and their Pokémon went to the roof of the Pokémon League building.
Even though both struggled with their words, with Phoebe even changing topics a lot to give herself more time to think about what to say, in the end, both the short-haired gal and elegant guy revealed their true feelings and were glad to know that the other felt the same. All started because the ghost-type trainer wanted to help the former champion and, in the end, both got more than they expected as they became closer and would enjoy more of those nice moments they liked. To commemorate the start of their relationship, Steven asked Phoebe if she was interested in making a trip to Unova, an idea that came during one of their dates, where the short-haired gal mentioned that she always wanted to travel to that region.
Taken by the surprise, the cheerful gal hugged Steven tightly, accepting the offer on the spot while thanking him. As they continued to enjoy that moment, Phoebe asked him if she could spend some days with him on Mossdeep before traveling to Unova. Loving the idea, the elegant guy gave her a kiss on the forehead before telling the short-haired gal that she could stay with him as much as she wanted, making her blush and giggle.
For the next few days, the couple started planning their trip, seeing which places they wanted to visit and what to do during their time there. As Phoebe and the other members of the Elite Four also got a break and some days off, the short-haired gal had more time for Steven and their trip and while they still haven't left for Unova, she was enjoying her time with the elegant guy. It was just like their usual meetings, with the main difference being that they were now a couple.
After a few days planning everything, they were ready. The tickets were already bought, they had a list of places to visit and Steven made reservations around certain hotels in the region, some of which he had already visited before. As they still had a few days to spare before going to Unova, the short-haired gal and elegant guy decided to enjoy their time in Mossdeep, with Phoebe even suggesting letting Steven show her around the city, giving him complete control over which places to visit and what to do.
Naturally, the former champion took in consideration things that the cheerful gal and their two Pokémon might enjoy. They didn't have a schedule and usually planned what to do the same day, from visiting the Mossdeep Space Center again to staying in Steven's home with their Pokémon. It didn't matter if it was one or the other, just the chance of spending time together was something that they enjoyed.
During their last day before traveling to Unova, the elegant guy decided to take Phoebe and the two Pokémon out, telling her that it was going to be a special day and that she could ask for anything. The short-haired gal liked the idea and took it as a chance of getting something for Misdreavus and Beldum and also getting something for their trip. They walked around the city, talking about how they were looking forward to visiting Unova and how happy they were about getting to travel with each other.
After going back to their place to leave the things they bought, the short-haired gal and elegant guy decided to walk close to the cliffs as Phoebe wanted to take a look at the view of the sunset. Because there was a lot of wind, Steven gave her his jacket so she would be called, a gesture that the cheerful gal appreciated. The couple walked for a while, admiring the scenery and thinking about those last few days together, wondering if their trip to Unova would have some of those nice moments.
Once they passed close to the Mossdeep Space Center, the short-haired gal and elegant guy stopped there to look at the sunset. Both of them had a lot of things in their minds, most of which were related to their time together. Steven couldn't stop thinking about all the changes that came after Phoebe and him became closer, thinking that he couldn't have done it without her. He had a lot of things to thank her for and he wanted to tell the short-haired gal about how he felt about being with her.
"Did I ever tell you how much I enjoy having these moments with you?" Steven asked, smiling upon noticing that Phoebe was looking at the game console that he bought for her that day. The elegant guy laughed, finding her reaction cute. After the short-haired gal apologized for being distracted, laughing at her own mistake, she promised him that she was going to pay attention. As Steven assured her it was fine, he continued with what he was going to say. "What affected me that day wasn't losing, it was something else. I was worried about where to go next, you know? I was glad you and Misdreavus decided to be there for me and I'm happy with what we have."
Phoebe blushed, taken by the words of the elegant guy. All started because she wanted to see how he was after being defeated and it ended with the two becoming closer. Their time together was a good one, with them going around places together and having moments that neither of them would forget. The words of Steven motivated her to do the same as she decided to tell him how she felt about their time together.
"It makes me happy too," Phoebe said, smiling while looking at Steven. She always mentioned how important he was to her and how she liked going out with him, thanking him again for the invitation to Unova. She didn't stop there as the cheerful gal had a lot more to say. "Ever since then, I've been extra excited to meet up again! I like seeing you loosen up and smile too. You always take me out to places you know I like, but just seeing you happy makes our days together even more special for me!"
It went like that for a while, with both talking about their favorite moments together and how things changed since they started going out. As they mentioned their trip to Unova, Steven and Phoebe decided to walk back to their place. During their walk, the short-haired gal held the elegant guy by his arm while she also gave her game console to him so he could defeat the boss of that level for her.
The next day, the couple was ready for their trip. Phoebe was so excited that she barely slept, eager to travel to the region that she always wanted to go and the best part was that she was accompanied by someone who was very important to her. As the cheerful gal and elegant guy took a last look at their luggage, they were ready to leave the house. "For a great trip together," Steven said before kissing Phoebe on the cheek.
The day he stopped being the champion of the region, the elegant guy was worried about his future, but thanks to the assistant and company of the cheerful gal, those bad ideas and doubts fade away. Steven knew that he and Phoebe were going to have a good time with their trip and he was looking forward to more memorable moments with the short-haired gal. Things might have changed after he lost his title, but that wasn't an issue.
He had Phoebe by his side and that was more important to him.