The heavy doors creaked open.
Albert stepped into Joseph Stone's office, the vast chamber lined with shelves of rare minerals and polished wood.
Behind the imposing desk sat Joseph Stone himself, his posture commanding, his presence radiating the weight of authority.
Beside him, seated with small hands folded neatly in his lap, was Steven Stone — his ice blue hair catching the light from the window.
Both father and son studied Albert as he approached. Their brows furrowed almost in unison.
His face was… indistinct. Familiar enough to suggest an identity, yet impossible to define with certainty. Like an image blurred at the edges, his features slipped from precise recognition the longer one looked.
Joseph was the first to speak. His voice was calm, but a note of intrigue lay beneath it. "Your name has crossed my desk many times, Albert Hugo Deford. And yet, your face… Why is it that no one seems able to recall it clearly?"
Albert didn't hesitate. His voice was steady, almost too composed for a child his age. "Because I don't want them to. It's a simple application of my psychic powers—a subtle field that makes my features vague in memory or when seen through photographs. Only official government records carry an untouched image of me, required at preschool, grade school, and high school graduation."
Joseph leaned back, steepling his fingers. "A mask, I see. Invisible, yet always present."
Albert nodded. "I'm not afraid to stand out, Mr. Stone, but I am not careless either. Attention is useful when it comes from the right people. Dangerous, when it attracts the wrong ones. I do not doubt that my path will cross with interests better left unseen—and I'd rather not make myself an easy target for opportunists or…organizations with darker agendas."
For a long moment, silence hung between them. Then Joseph chuckled, a low, approving sound.
"Caution and boldness, balanced in one so young. Admirable." His eyes narrowed, his tone sharpening. "Since you've shown awareness, it would be remiss of me not to mention what lurks in the shadows of this world. Here, in Evergreen Island, the greatest threats come from Team Magma and Team Aqua. Two forces are constantly at odds—one seeking to expand the land, the other the sea. Their methods differ, but their chaos is the same. Both have disrupted trade, attacked research sites, and endangered entire provinces."
Albert's eyes glinted faintly. He remembered those names well. In his old life, they had been villains in stories—exaggerated, almost comical at times. Here, Joseph's tone gave them weight. These were not cartoonish extremists. They were real, dangerous, and entrenched.
"And of course," Joseph went on, "there are others beyond our shores. Team Rocket, with its roots in Indigo and Silver, remains the largest criminal syndicate overall—its reach extends across continents. The Eden Empire struggles with Flare. The Grayscale Kingdom contends with Plasma's zealotry. Every region has its shadow. But here, Albert, you must always remember: Aqua and Magma are the names to watch."
Albert listened quietly, expression unreadable, though inwardly his mind raced. Fiction reborn in reality, each name more dangerous than the last.
Finally, Joseph's gaze sharpened. "And so, your prudence in shielding your identity… is not paranoia, but wisdom. You may only be five years old, Albert, but already you understand a truth many adults ignore: this is a world of both wonder and danger."
Albert gave a small nod. "Which is why I choose when, and to whom, I reveal myself."
Deciding to take a leap of faith, he inhaled a deep breath and let the silence stretch, trying to gather the courage.
Then, finally, with deliberate intent, the faint shimmer of psychic energy around his features dissipated.