Rustboro City shimmered in the late morning light, a city of steel and stone nestled at the edge of Hoenn's mountains. The buildings gleamed with polished surfaces, reflecting the sky and the sea in elegant harmony. Joseph took in the sight with quiet appreciation as he and Steven stepped off Route 104's dirt path onto paved streets.
For Joseph, it was like watching a memory unfold—a city he'd seen hundreds of times through a screen, now made real in every brick, every passerby, every familiar signboard outside the Devon Corporation building.
Steven, however, was more focused on the Pokémon School up ahead.
"She teaches fossil studies here, right?" Steven asked.
Joseph smirked. "She does. Roxanne. Top-tier Rock-type trainer, very by-the-book."
Steven looked thoughtful. "Should I challenge her?"
"You're not quite there yet," Joseph replied gently. "But go learn. Absorb everything. I'll take care of some things around the city."
Rustboro Pokémon School
Steven attended two lectures that day, sitting quietly in the middle row while Roxanne went over fossil reformation techniques and how sediment density affects Rock-type defense. She didn't recognize him as a Stone heir, and Joseph didn't make introductions either.
Joseph watched from outside through the window, leaning against a tree with Umbreon curled at his feet. His silver eyes scanned the streets casually—half enjoying the moment, half on alert.
Team Aqua had been quiet. Too quiet.
Devon Corporation HQ
Later that afternoon, Joseph entered the towering Devon building without announcing himself. He wore no badge or credentials, but when the receptionist saw his eyes—and the name he gave—she quietly led him up to the top floor.
Mr. Stone, the company president and Joseph's father, stood by the window, arms crossed. He turned slowly.
"I heard you arrived in Rustboro," Joseph Senior said. "No call. No message. Just waltzing in like always."
Joseph shrugged. "I'm not here to make a scene. I just want information."
His father motioned him to sit. "Team Aqua's been sniffing around some of our underwater research. We've tightened internal protocols, but if they really want something, they'll try harder."
"They always do," Joseph said. "Keep Steven out of it."
"Of course."
Joseph paused, then added, "Also… you might want to double-check the fossil registry on Floor 9. Some data was altered last week. Subtle changes—enough to create a gap in the system without tripping alerts."
His father's eyes narrowed. "You found that?"
"I'm not just traveling, Dad."
Back at the School
Steven exited the building energized. "She's amazing," he said, practically skipping down the steps. "She gave me a quiz and said I got everything right!"
Joseph ruffled his hair. "That's my little genius."
"Are you gonna challenge her?"
"Not today."
But fate, as always, had other plans.
That Night – Museum Break-In
Joseph awoke to the sound of sirens in the distance. He was out of bed and dressed in under five seconds. Umbreon materialized from her Poké Ball, silent as the shadows she controlled.
Steven was still asleep, so Joseph left a quick note on the table and dashed into the night.
The museum across from the Pokémon School had been broken into. The exhibit on meteorite samples had been cracked open, and two men in Aqua uniforms were inside, scrambling to grab shards from the shattered display.
Joseph entered quietly through the back.
"You're not getting away with that," he said.
The grunts turned, startled. One of them laughed. "You alone, kid? You don't even have a badge."
Joseph didn't answer.
"Sharpedo, let's go!"
The first grunt released his Pokémon with a flash of blue light. It growled, fangs bared.
Joseph raised a single hand. "Umbreon."
The Dark-type flickered into visibility beside him, her crimson rings glowing like blood moons in the dark.
"Dark Pulse."
The shockwave hit Sharpedo before it could move. It was out cold in seconds.
The second grunt tried to flee.
"Shadow Ball."
Umbreon's orb of darkness collided with his legs, knocking him flat.
Joseph calmly walked over, pulled out a Devon badge from his pocket, and placed it on the shattered display before the police arrived.
The Morning After
Roxanne stood at the scene, arms folded.
"You were there," she said, looking at Joseph across the barrier tape.
"I was passing by," he replied, tone casual.
"Your Umbreon did this?"
He gave a lazy nod.
She narrowed her eyes. "You're more than a passerby."
He only smiled. "Aren't we all?"
Steven arrived minutes later, breathless. "I heard what happened! Everyone's saying someone in black took down the thieves."
Joseph winked. "Maybe they were just scared of Umbreon's glow in the dark."
Steven laughed, not pushing for more.
Leaving Rustboro
They left Rustboro a few days later. Roxanne gave Steven a book on fossil science as a parting gift. She didn't challenge Joseph, though he could tell she wanted to. Instead, she simply said:
"You'll be tested soon."
He replied, "I already am."
As they made their way toward Route 116, the air felt different—denser, like the tension before a storm. Meteor Falls lay ahead. And so did Team Aqua's first real move.
Joseph didn't know how the anime would twist now that he was in it.
But one thing was certain.
He wouldn't let Hoenn fall.
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