The train from Rustboro to Petalburg didn't run every day. Joseph could've flown or teleported with one of his Pokémon, but today, he didn't feel like speed. He wanted peace.
He had lived fast once. In another world, with deadlines and screens and blaring noise. This world? This world gave him slow mornings, chirping Taillow, and the soft swaying of carriages on steel tracks.
Eevee curled beside him on the seat, its silvery fur gleaming in the morning sun filtering through the window. They were alone in the private cabin. Joseph's name still carried enough weight to make people respect his space—even if he never asked for it.
Across from him, a boy sat with perfect posture, knees tucked together, hands folded neatly. Polished shoes, navy-blue jacket. Steven Stone.
"You know," Joseph said, sipping tea from the porcelain cup provided by the attendant, "you don't have to dress like you're in a business meeting when we're going to visit Dad."
Steven looked up from his notebook, blinking behind his small, rimless glasses.
"Father expects it. Presentation is important."
Joseph smiled, half-amused, half-sad. He leaned back, fingers stroking Eevee's fur.
"Steven," he said softly, "you don't have to prove anything to him."
"I'm not," Steven said, gaze shifting out the window. "I'm proving it to me."
Joseph let the silence linger, not pushing further. He respected that. He'd had that phase too—trying to be more than what people saw. It was just... Steven was still a kid. He wanted to slow that down, let him be a kid a little longer.
The Heir and the Ghost
Joseph Stone had returned to Hoenn not to fight Gyms or make a name for himself. His name already opened doors. What interested him now was something simpler: living.
He had Pokémon stronger than most Champions. Hidden in his strange, untraceable storage system—a leftover from the world he came from. An invisible PC box linked not to Hoenn's network, but to his own: the one from the GBA ROM he'd once spent years perfecting.
He could feel them. Waiting. Watching. Loyal.
But they stayed in their Poké Balls, or tucked safely in the digital ether.
For now.
Only Eevee traveled with him. His first hatch. Bred for perfection, raised from the first moment he landed in this world. She was the only one who didn't feel like a living reminder of how absurdly strong he was.
She was family.
Rustboro Mansion
Their destination wasn't Petalburg after all.
It was home.
The Stone family estate on the western cliffs outside Rustboro: a sprawling mansion built into a mountain, overlooking the glittering ocean. The building itself was part fortress, part museum. Pale gray stone. Reinforced with iron and granite. It housed artifacts from Devon Corp's earliest days—old Poké Ball designs, fossils, even meteorite fragments.
But all Joseph noticed when they walked through the grand arching gates was how small Steven looked standing in front of it.
A butler opened the door with a respectful nod.
"Young Masters."
Steven nodded. Joseph gave a brief wave. He never liked being called that.
Inside, they passed the portrait hall—dozens of oil paintings of past Stone family heads, all looking stern, all dressed in suits. At the end hung two newer ones. One of their father, still head of Devon Corp. The other? Joseph, in a dark coat, eyes distant, arms crossed.
Steven stopped and looked up at his brother's painting.
"They made you look taller."
"I am taller."
Steven smirked faintly.
"Still haven't beaten me in chess."
Joseph let out a soft laugh.
Father and Son (and Another Son)
Their father, Mr. Stone—Reginald Stone to the public—was waiting for them in the study. He stood by the bay windows, back to them, hands clasped behind his back. His gray hair was neatly combed, suit pressed, voice calm when he finally spoke.
"Joseph. Steven. It's been too long."
Joseph sat without being invited. Steven remained standing, stiff.
"I didn't come to talk business," Joseph said, meeting his father's eyes.
"And yet you bring Steven."
"He wanted to see you."
Reginald turned to his younger son. His face didn't soften much, but his tone lowered a notch.
"You've been keeping up with your studies?"
"Yes, sir," Steven said. "Geology, ancient Pokémon ecosystems, and I've been helping Professor Birch with fossil reanimation models."
Joseph saw the flicker of pride in their father's eyes. Subtle. But there.
"And battles?"
"He beat me last week," Joseph added with a smirk. "Clean sweep."
Steven flushed.
"You were using only normal types."
"Still counts."
Reginald's gaze shifted back to Joseph.
"You're not entering the League."
It wasn't a question.
"Nope."
"You have Pokémon powerful enough to flatten Elite Fours."
"Which is why I don't need to prove it."
Silence.
Then Reginald nodded.
"Very well. But at least consider representing us in the Devon Exhibition next month."
Joseph sighed.
"I'll think about it."
That was enough for now.
Late-Night Fossil Talk
That night, Joseph found Steven in the fossil wing, surrounded by cases of ancient bones and stones. He was examining a shard of a Claw Fossil under a magnifier, muttering to himself.
Joseph entered quietly, hands in his coat pockets.
"You don't sleep?"
Steven didn't look up.
"I like this room. It's quiet."
Joseph walked over and sat beside him.
"You've got a good mind," he said. "Better than mine was at your age."
Steven looked up, blinking in surprise.
"I mean it," Joseph said. "You're sharp. Focused. Dad sees it too. He just doesn't know how to say it."
Steven's lips twitched.
"He's not good with praise."
"He's not good with people."
That got a laugh out of Steven.
Joseph leaned forward, resting his arms on the table.
"One day, you're gonna run Devon."
"And you?"
Joseph looked at him.
"I'll be your ghost. The one behind the curtain. I don't want the spotlight. I just want to protect you."
Steven's eyes widened.
"Why?"
Joseph smiled gently.
"Because you're my little brother. And no matter how big Devon gets, that'll always come first."
Planning Their Journey
Over breakfast the next day, the topic turned to travel.
"You're heading to Dewford, right?" Steven asked. "You were talking about visiting the caves."
"Granite Cave, yeah," Joseph nodded. "There's an ancient tablet there with writing similar to the ones in Sinnoh. I want to take a look."
Steven's eyes lit up.
"Can I come?"
Joseph blinked.
"Don't you have classes?"
"They're remote this week. I can submit the reports from my PokéNav."
Joseph looked to their father, who—surprisingly—nodded.
"Go. If anything, it'll be a field test."
Joseph smiled.
"Then pack your gear, little brother. We've got a ferry to catch."
S.S. Tidal Departure
The siblings stood at Slateport Dock, the S.S. Tidal gleaming in the morning sun, sails rippling. Dozens of passengers bustled about, trainers loading gear, sailors shouting orders.
Joseph adjusted his coat, Eevee resting on his shoulder.
Steven wore his usual jacket but had swapped his polished shoes for hiking boots. He looked younger already. Freer.
As they boarded, Joseph whispered to his Pokémon storage.
Withdraw: Swampert (Lv. 100) – Mystic Water – Surf
The Poké Ball materialized in his coat. Just in case. Not for battle—but for rescue, if needed.
Because now, it wasn't just about wandering.
It was about keeping his little brother safe.
And shaping the world together.
Support the author:
Patreon: patreon.com/KyJo_
YouTube Gaming: youtube.com/@KyJoGaming
Discord: discord.gg/v2uSTygMgb