The ferry ride to Route 110 had been a quiet one. Not for lack of conversation, but rather, a kind of peaceful silence that came when there was no need for words. The siblings had just completed another leg of their Hoenn journey—Steven now with his third badge safely tucked into his case, and Joseph simply enjoying the gentle breeze, leaning over the railing, gazing at the ocean stretching to the horizon.
Umbreon was curled around his neck like a living scarf, tail flicking now and then, ears twitching in rhythm with the wind. It was becoming a habit. After evolving, she was even more protective than before, though she'd mellowed considerably in public. The loyalty in her eyes was unwavering—and mutual.
Steven had grown in confidence too. He was becoming a better battler, but more than that, Joseph could tell his younger brother was beginning to carry himself differently—more sure of who he was and where he wanted to go.
"Route 110's next," Steven muttered, brushing some sea salt off his sleeve. "There's a Cycling Road overhead, and the lower route's crawling with trainers. Should be good training."
Joseph nodded, hands in his pockets. "You going to take the upper road?"
Steven shook his head. "Nah. I want the full experience. Besides, it's not like I'm in a rush."
That made Joseph smile faintly. "Good."
When the ferry docked, they disembarked into a gentle afternoon. The city skyline of Mauville loomed far in the distance, but for now, they followed the well-worn dirt path running along the sea's edge. Fishermen waved as they passed, some recognizing the Stone brothers immediately.
"Hey! That's Joseph Stone, right?""And isn't that Steven Stone? The kid who's been sweeping the Gym circuit?"
The attention was light and polite. The brothers nodded, waved, but kept moving.
After an hour or so, they made camp near a bend in the river delta. Joseph preferred not to stay in cities if he didn't have to. There was something peaceful about these in-between places—away from expectations and titles and the endless pressure of being someone.
Steven was content beside him, sketching some rare stones they'd found along the bank. He was always cataloging, drawing, observing—just like their father. Joseph found it almost funny how much Steven was shaping up to be like the man he had once rebelled against.
Joseph, meanwhile, lay on his back, arms folded behind his head, watching Umbreon patrol the perimeter like a silent guardian. She'd changed so much since those early PC days, when she was still an excitable shiny Eevee on his old FireRed file. Even then, he'd trained her endlessly—max EVs, perfect IVs, perfect moveset. But that had been a different kind of training. Numbers and values. Stats.
Now? Now it was something else entirely.
A rustle in the bushes snapped Joseph from his thoughts. Umbreon's head whipped toward the noise instantly, her rings glowing faintly in the shade.
From the brush came a small group of schoolkids—likely junior trainers from Slateport. Their eyes widened when they saw the two of them, particularly Umbreon, who practically shimmered with sleek, midnight-black fur and polished confidence.
"You're… Joseph Stone!" one of them gasped.
"And Steven!" another chimed in. "W-we're sorry! We didn't mean to sneak up!"
Joseph sat up and gave them a disarming smile. "Relax. No harm done. Out training?"
The oldest of them, probably around thirteen, nodded. "We wanted to challenge some strong trainers before we headed to Mauville… but we didn't think we'd run into you."
Steven looked at Joseph, a spark of amusement in his eye. Joseph gave a casual shrug.
"Tell you what," Joseph said, standing. "I'll give you a practice battle. One-on-three. Sound good?"
The kids looked at each other, wide-eyed, before nodding furiously.
Joseph stepped to a clear patch of grass, and with a single glance, Umbreon padded to his side. She didn't need words anymore.
The match was brief—but not brutal. Joseph pulled his punches without letting the kids feel condescended to. Umbreon moved with elegance, her Dark-type moves perfectly choreographed, calculated, and deliberate. The way she danced through Quick Attacks, pivoted with Confuse Ray, and finally ended each round with a gentle Moonlight or a barely-there Shadow Ball—it was artful.
By the end of it, the kids were breathless with excitement.
"You're so cool!"
"That was amazing!"
"Umbreon's beautiful…"
Joseph knelt down, smiling faintly. "You're all doing well. Keep at it. Sometimes it's not about raw power—it's about understanding your partner. Knowing them inside and out."
They nodded, absorbing every word, and thanked him before running off down the path.
Steven leaned back against a tree, watching him.
"You're good with people," he said simply.
Joseph blinked. "I don't try to be."
"I know," Steven said. "That's why you are."
Later that night, as the fire crackled and the stars came out, Joseph pulled a certain item from his old travel pouch. It was the ancient Emerald version PokéNav—still functioning, somehow.
When they'd first arrived in Hoenn, Joseph had realized that his connection to the old games—the ROM PCs—manifested differently here. In Hoenn, it was the Emerald PC system. Every route, every center, every town—they all accessed that specific dataset. His Pokémon from that file were accessible anytime, just as in Kanto, the FireRed PC served as his storage there.
Right now, he was flipping through boxes. Aggron. Salamence. Gardevoir. Blaziken. Groudon.
All of them quietly waiting, tucked away in that strange, digital-but-real stasis.
He didn't summon them yet. He didn't need to.
Not until the world did.
Beside him, Umbreon gave a low hum and pressed into his side. Her eyes reflected the stars above them.
Joseph sighed, looking up at the sky.
"Someday," he murmured, "we'll build something that lasts."
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