The sea was calm, the sky bright, and the scent of salt hung in the air like a soft promise. The S.S. Tidal cut across the waves with practiced ease, its engines humming beneath the deck like a heartbeat.
Joseph stood at the bow, coat flapping in the ocean breeze. His silver Eevee sat perched on the railing beside him, ears twitching as Wingull soared overhead.
Behind them, Steven leaned on the polished wood railing, nose buried in a book about regional stone formations.
"You're going to read the whole trip?"
"It's research," Steven replied without looking up. "Granite Cave has one of the oldest geological strata in Hoenn. You can find evolutionary fossils fused with meteorite fragments."
Joseph chuckled.
"And here I thought we were going to hike and relax."
"This is relaxing," Steven said, flipping the page.
A sailor passed them by, tipping his cap.
"Docking in Dewford soon, gentlemen!"
Joseph nodded, glancing toward the horizon. The small, green island of Dewford was coming into view—low cliffs, scattered trees, a peaceful port town nestled on the shoreline. Granite Cave loomed beyond it like a jagged scar on the land.
He felt something stir in the distance. Not danger—yet—but the subtle tension of something approaching.
Dewford Town: Quiet Before the Tide
The port town of Dewford was quiet, with the scent of fish and the distant calls of Makuhita and Wingull drifting over sun-warmed streets. People waved as Joseph and Steven disembarked, and more than a few locals paused to do a double take when they noticed the distinctive silver-haired siblings.
"You're from Devon, aren't you?" one woman asked, squinting at them.
"Stone boys," a fisherman muttered, nudging his friend. "Big money up in Rustboro, yeah?"
Joseph offered a polite smile, hand resting gently atop Eevee's head as she chirped softly at the attention.
"We're just here to see the caves," Steven said, already consulting his PokéNav. "Not here for business."
Joseph let his brother lead the way, content to trail behind, taking in the slow rhythm of the town. It reminded him of Pallet Town, oddly enough—humble, coastal, peaceful. The kind of place you didn't expect world-shaking events to happen.
Which was exactly why they always did.
Granite Cave
The trail to Granite Cave wound through trees and rocky cliffs, a pleasant hike beneath the early afternoon sun. Eevee trotted beside Joseph, tail flicking. Steven rattled off geological facts every few meters, enthusiasm bubbling over like a researcher on his first expedition.
"This layer here—see that shimmer? That's meteorite quartz. Same pattern as what was found in Fallarbor Crater."
"Mm," Joseph nodded. "So it's older than Hoenn's current volcanic era?"
"Much older. Prehistoric. Possibly pre-Kalos tectonics."
Joseph smirked.
"I should've brought a notebook."
"I brought a spare."
They reached the cave entrance: tall, shadowed, with ancient stone steps leading into darkness. A sign nearby warned of wild Zubat and Aron.
Joseph pulled out a flashlight from his pack.
"Let's see what the world forgot."
Deeper Still
The interior was cool and damp, echoes bouncing off stone walls. Crystals embedded in the walls shimmered faintly in the light, like stars frozen in rock. Zubat screeched in the distance, and a distant rumble of falling pebbles hinted at shifting chambers deeper in.
Steven stopped occasionally to scan walls and take photos. Joseph stood back and let him, arms folded, gaze scanning the cave with something more instinctive.
He wasn't just looking for rocks.
He was listening for disturbance.
A flicker. A shift. A small pulse in the air.
"There's something odd here," he murmured.
Eevee's ears twitched.
Steven looked up from his camera.
"Odd how?"
Joseph walked to a cracked wall. There were scrape marks. Recent. Metallic.
Not natural.
"Someone else was here. Not long ago."
"Maybe other trainers?"
Joseph knelt and touched the ground. Ashes. Burnt cloth fibers.
"No. Something was burned here."
He withdrew a Poké Ball from his coat and released Swampert. The massive Water/Ground-type emerged with a deep growl, eyes glowing in the dim.
"Surf if we need to escape. Earthquake if anything jumps us. Stay sharp."
Steven stared at him.
"You brought a Level 100 Swampert for a fossil expedition?"
"You never know."
They moved deeper.
The Tablet Room
Eventually, the narrow path opened into a wide underground chamber, lit dimly by cracks in the stone above. A central monolith stood in the middle—carved with strange symbols. Some looked Unown. Others were unfamiliar even to Joseph.
Steven gasped.
"This is it…! This isn't even in the Devon archives. It's undocumented!"
Joseph approached it slowly. The script tugged at him. His old world knowledge pinged uselessly—it wasn't from there. This was something else. A warning.
"It mentions balance," he said. "Land. Sea. Sky. Harmony broken, awakened wrath."
Steven was too enthralled to hear him. He was already sketching the glyphs in his notebook.
"This symbol matches Kyogre. And this—Groudon. But what's this spiral...?"
"Rayquaza," Joseph murmured, touching the spiral.
A cold wind brushed through the chamber, though no opening allowed it. Eevee growled.
Joseph stood suddenly.
"We're not alone."
Team Aqua's Shadow
Footsteps. Soft. Fast.
Then came the voices.
"We're close," someone hissed. "This is where the readings spiked."
Joseph motioned for Steven to back away from the tablet. He recalled Swampert silently, then stood between his brother and the only entrance.
Three figures stepped into the light. Blue bandanas. Black vests.
Team Aqua.
They froze when they saw Joseph.
"Hey—what the—"
"You're not supposed to be here!"
Joseph didn't move. His voice was calm.
"You're interfering with Devon's geological research. This is private territory."
"Like we care!" the lead Aqua grunt barked, pulling out a Poké Ball. "Get out of the way or we'll—"
Eevee appeared in front of Joseph, eyes glowing red.
Joseph didn't raise his voice.
"You really want to try me?"
There was a pause. The grunts looked at each other.
Then the lead one hesitated. Recognition flickered.
"Wait... Stone? The older one?"
Joseph said nothing.
"Boss said not to mess with him!"
"You sure?"
"Look at the Eevee! That's the shiny one from the League rumors!"
They backed away slowly.
"This ain't worth it. Let's go!"
And just like that, they turned and fled into the shadows.
Steven exhaled.
"They recognized you."
"Good," Joseph said, patting Eevee. "I don't like wasting energy."
Back to the Surface
By the time they returned to Dewford Town, the sun was dipping below the horizon. The locals had already heard whispers—Team Aqua sightings, strange tremors, researchers in the caves.
Joseph kept it vague when asked. Just "natural shifts" and "precautionary measures."
Steven gave a formal report to Devon via video call, omitting the confrontation entirely. He hadn't stopped smiling since they left the chamber.
"That was incredible," he said as they walked the moonlit shore. "Real history. Untouched glyphs. I think it predates even the Johto Ruins!"
Joseph let him talk, content just to listen. He didn't interrupt. He just watched his brother come alive.
"You're going to change the world," he said quietly.
Steven blinked.
"What?"
Joseph smiled.
"One rock at a time."
They both laughed.
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