Chapter Text
“Skarmory, return!” Steven held out the Ultra Ball until his Pokémon disappeared inside of it with a flash of light. He tossed the ball lightly into the air before grabbing it and approaching the looming entrance of Granite Cave. Thankfully, it had been a perfect day for flying. Only a few stray clouds dotted the sky, none of which seemed to hint at rain. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a day like this to himself. The air was fairly quiet, with only a few Pokémon cries here and there and the voices of fishermen testing their luck on the seashore. He took a moment to adjust his suit before walking into the interior, allowing the sunlight to fade away behind him.
When the darkness became too thick, Steven flicked on a flashlight that bore the familiar Devon Corporation logo. A flock of disgruntled Zubat retreated from the light, charging past him. He didn’t even wince as they narrowly streaked past his body, stirring up a gust that faintly ruffled his silver hair. He proceeded up the rocky steps and headed further into the interior. His footsteps echoed softly, barely drowning out the distant drops of water that resounded throughout the cave.
He always felt oddly at peace in places like this. Separated from other people, just taking in the earth and the Pokémon. Both his father and his old friend Wallace had teased him about this incessantly in the past. He had always simply shrugged and grinned helplessly in response. He did what he wanted; other people’s thoughts on the matter never really stood out on his list of concerns.
Steven paused when he heard a faint cry and a sound akin to skipping rocks. He slowly moved his flashlight toward the source of the noise and was met by the curious, blue eyes of a little Aron. A warm smile crossed Steven’s features as he took in the familiar white shell with black spots.
“Hey, there,” he murmured softly. He crouched down and stroked the Aron’s shell. It closed its eyes and purred happily. Steven chuckled and rose back to his feet. The Pokémon followed him for a little while before departing to join two Arons that were digging into the cavern floor. After a few more minutes of walking and climbing, Steven finally reached the innermost cavern. The air here was still, silent, and quite cold. Luckily, his suit provided just enough warmth. Steven stepped back so that the light of his flashlight was magnified, illuminating much of the giant mural that rested on the cavern’s back wall. No matter how many times he saw it, the mural never failed to take his breath away.
It was carved into the wall long ago, depicting a battle between two legendary Pokémon.
Groudon and Kyogre.
Groudon was the large, towering figure with a blast of flame spilling from its mouth. Its arms were adorned with omega symbols. Opposite it was Kyogre, a magnificent beast that rose up from the sea. Alpha symbols were carved on its body.
So much power...lost in the tides of time. The power of Primal form. It reminds me of Mega Evolution...But I’m almost certain that it’s not quite the same thing.
“U-um, excuse me…” Steven’s eyes widened slightly as a voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. A girl’s voice, gentle yet confident.
“Hm?” He had been so absorbed in his thoughts he hadn’t noticed her approach. When he turned, the first thing he noticed was her eyes.
The girl had huge, steel gray eyes that locked inquisitively on his own. Afterward he took in her short, brown hair, her red shirt and white shorts, and the Shroomish that stood at her side. A burst of light was emanating from the Pokémon, indicating that it was using Flash. She seemed to be a few years younger than him, her eyes both wise and innocent.
“You are…” he prompted.
“My name’s May. And this is my Shroomish! You’re Steven, right?” she asked cheerfully. “I have something for you. I was sent by Mr. Stone from the Devon Corporation.” She held up an envelope with the official Devon logo.
Father?
“Oh, I see. Is that PokéNav on your wrist from Mr. Stone, then? It’s a Devon Corp. exclusive, after all,” he said, reaching out for the letter. May smiled proudly as she handed it to him.
“Right! I helped Mr. Stone out with something in Rustboro City, so he gave it to me as a reward.” Steven’s expression softened. If shrewd Mr. Stone thought this girl trustworthy, he could probably believe in her as well.
“And I guess I should be giving you a reward as well for coming all this way. I assume you’re a trainer, right?”
May nodded enthusiastically. “Right!”
“Let me see…” He reached into his pocket and produced a silver disk. “Here’s a T.M. It’s Steel Wing, my favorite move. I think it could come in handy on your journey.” May’s eyes shone brightly.
“Th-Thank you! You don’t have to do that… I just like to help out whenever I can.”
“Oh, it’s no problem at all. Please accept it.” May took the T.M. and stored it in her fanny pack. He couldn’t help noticing the slight tremble of her fingers as she grabbed it.
Is she nervous? Do I scare her? Or did I imagine that?
He said nothing about it, though. The Shroomish that stood next to her was silent, staring cautiously at him. He took note of the way that it sidled up against her leg, perhaps enjoying her warmth.
“May...Can I ask you something?” Steven said, turning to face the mural again. He flicked the flashlight off, since Shroomish’s Flash had rendered it redundant.
“Sure!” she said, bending over to pet the Shroomish. It trilled happily, breaking its icy expression with a warm look.
“What do you think of this mural?” He hadn’t really thought much before asking, a break from the usual. His question was purely instinctive.
“Oh? Um…” May stood up again to examine the mural. Her eyes widened with wonder as she took in every facet of the ancient artwork for the first time.
“These Pokémon...I’ve heard stories about them from my parents. Groudon and Kyogre. They...seem really powerful. And really scary.” Her voice trembled ever so slightly.
Steven smiled gently and turned back to May. “Yes, power can be deadly...But you don’t have to be frightened of it. For instance, how do you feel about your Pokémon?”
“Well, I only have Marshtomp and Shroomish so far...But I love them both so much. I want to become stronger right alongside them.” He detected a slight blush on the girl’s cheeks.
“Just as I thought. If that’s the case, you and your team will gain great power. Maybe even enough power to become the Pokémon League Champion. I can tell from the look in your eyes…just how much you love Pokémon.” May’s eyes widened, and her blush deepened. Steven’s steel blue eyes pierced her own.
What is this...feeling?
“May!” a boy’s voice suddenly called. The pair started and turned to meet the outsider.
“Brendan!” May exclaimed warmly. She ran to meet the boy wearing a red shirt and white cap. He seemed to be about the same age as her. Steven watched them curiously.
They chatted about how their journeys were going, exchanging affectionate banter that quickly escalated into a Pokémon battle challenge. May glanced back at Steven as if just remembering his presence.
“Oh, that’s Steven, by the way. He’s a friend of mine.”
“Ohhh. Hey, Steven. You gonna stick around and watch me wipe the floor with this newbie?”
“Br-Brendan!” she snapped playfully, jabbing at him. Steven smiled.
“I would love to watch this battle if neither of you mind,” he said. It was a perfect opportunity to see if his first impressions of May were correct.
Steven turned on his flashlight again so Shroomish could release its Flash for the match. The two trainers took up positions several feet away from each other, their eyes burning with a fire that was very familiar to Steven. The fire that could only come from two Trainers who had made eye contact and were ready for battle.
“Grovyle, let’s go!” Brendan commanded, tossing a standard Pokéball into the air. The grass-type Pokémon quickly came forth, letting out a battle cry and entering a fighting stance. May grinned, her steel eyes burning proudly.
“Grovyle, huh? Not a little Treecko anymore. You ready, Shroomish?” Shroomish let out a cry of its own and stepped forward. Steven recalled her stating that she also owned a Marshtomp. She was smart to avoid the critical type disadvantage.
“Ladies first, May,” Brendan said with a wink.
“Fine. Shroomish, Poison Powder!” May called out. Shroomish rushed forward and released the array of poisonous spores.
“Grovyle, dodge them!” Brendan yelled. The Grovyle was fast, much faster than Shroomish. It ran out of the way and prepared to counter.
“Now use Leaf Blade!” The leaves that sprouted from Grovyle’s hands began to emit a bright green energy. It dove toward Shroomish, pouring in all of its speed.
“Shroomish, Poison Powder!” May called at the last possible second. Grovyle slashed Shroomish with Leaf Blade, sending it skidding across the ground.
“Shroomish!” May cried. Shroomish rose to its feet slowly, wincing from the pain. Even though its typing matched the attack, Grovyle’s incredible power had caused serious damage. Grovyle jumped backward, stumbling to its knees for a brief second before forcing itself back up.
Brendan gritted his teeth as he noticed the poisoning. Steven nodded, realizing that May knew that she had to let Shroomish take the powerful hit if it was ever going to get close enough to hit Shroomish with the poisonous spores. Now did she have the right move to capitalize…?
May grinned confidently. “Hang in there for me all right, Shroomish?” The Pokémon shook itself, as if to dispel the pain, and locked its eyes fiercely on the Grovyle. “Now use Body Slam!” The two Pokémon slammed into each other again and again. Grovyle slashed at the Shroomish, easily outmatching it speed. However, May’s tactics and maneuvering seemed to be enough to compensate. Grovyle was strong, but Brendan was hasty when making decisions, matching the speed of his Pokémon, while May’s commands came slowly and decisively. Very much like Steven’s own.
“Shroomish, let’s end this with Venoshock!” May yelled, right as Grovyle became visibly exhausted. It couldn't dodge the poisonous spray fast enough.
“Grovyle!” Brendan cried. The Pokémon let out a weak growl before fainting. The next match was between May’s Marshtomp and Brendan’s Slugma. The type matchup was easily in Marshtomp’s favor. The scuffle ended with a powerful, precise Water Pulse.
“Marshtomp, we did it!” May gasped as the second Pokémon fell. Marshtomp rushed happily toward May. She knelt and accepted the Pokémon into her waiting arms.
Brendan sighed but smiled nonetheless. He thanked Slugma for its strength and withdrew it. He walked over to May, who was still praising Marshtomp.
Brendan reached out his right hand with an exhausted, yet somehow content sigh. “I hate to interrupt the victory fest, but...You really have become strong, May. I still remember when you went rushing away from Professor Birch’s lab with only a tiny Mudkip. You deserved this win, through and through.” May smiled brightly and took his hand to stand up again. When the two friends parted ways, May walked over to Steven, who had been waiting for her.
“That was a great battle. Your Pokémon trust you unconditionally, and for good reason.”
May giggled and shrugged. “I just sort of do what feels natural, you know?” She looked down at her feet and clasped her hands in front of her.
“If you keep training, your power will eclipse all others. Even myself probably,” Steven remarked with a chuckle, raising his hand to his chin.
“What are your Pokémon like, Steven?” May asked curiously. Words and wisdom such as his usually indicated a seasoned veteran.
“Well...May as well see for yourself.” He drew out an Ultra Ball and summoned a hulking Metagross. Its loud, deep cry resounded throughout the cavern as its short claws planted into the ground.
“Whoa…” May whispered. She slowly approached the beast, staring into its sharp, red eyes.
“No need to be shy. He’s really friendly.” May froze as Steven suddenly took her hand. Acting on instinct yet again, he guided her to touch the metallic cross on Metagross’ face. It groaned softly and closed its eyes, content.
Steven nodded, satisfied. “See? Power doesn’t have to be terrible. It all depends on how you use it.”
“Y-Yes…” May said, smiling warmly. After what felt like a lifetime Steven called the Metagross back and turned to May.
“It’s been nice meeting you. I have to be going now,” he said. A shade of disappointment crossed May’s face before her smile returned.
“Okay! It’s been nice meeting you too, Steven. And Metagross of course!” Steven chuckled softly before departing, leaving May behind just as she had met him: with a glowing Shroomish by her side. Thoughts of her stayed with Steven long after Granite Cave became merely a speck from his vantage point in the clear, blue sky.