Pokémon Heroes of Hoenn

A Stepping Stone For My Dreams

"Ah, how great it is to be in nice, dry clothes again!" I sighed out peacefully as I sat on the couch opposite of Steven in the Pokémon Center. We had already made it to the Pokémon Center when it was getting dark out, so Steven decided to spend the night here with us while Winona returned home.
Steven glanced up at me and smiled, dropping the booklet he was reading on the table. A sudden thought popped into mind, making me curious about the cyan haired man before me.
"Hey, Steven? What're you doing way out in these parts anyway?" I asked curiously, leaning forward a bit as I spoke.
To my surprise, Steven looked down a bit in a shy manner, a nervous smile on his face as he did so.
"Well... to tell the truth, I'm actually looking for rare stones." Steven stated shyly.
"Rare stones...?" I repeated questioningly, not understanding what he meant.
"Yes indeed. You see.... I'm a bit of a... well... a rock collector. Though some people call me me a rock.... maniac." Steven confessed with a nervous chuckle.
"Oh really? Can I maybe see some of your collection?" I asked curiously, a soft smile making its way to my face as I spoke. I had always had a fascination with collectors, so getting to see their collections always peaked my interest. Steven's eyes seemed to light up when I asked him to see his and he quickly reached into his pocket, pulling out what seemed to be a rolled up piece of cloth. Laying it on the table between us, Steven proudly rolled it out, revealing a row of pockets with different stones in them.
"This is from my recent findings. The rest of my collection remains at my home. What do you think?" Steven asked cheerfully.
"Wow, that's a Thunder Stone!! And those are Fire and Water Stones! Man, that's so cool, Steven! You found all of these?" I asked in amazement.
"I sure did! Look, this here is a Moon Stone. And that one right there's a Sun Stone. I search all around Hoenn to find rare stones like these and take them home to put on display." Steven stated happily, a shine in his eyes as he discussed his passion.
"That's awesome.... Huh? Hey, Steven, what kind of stone is that?" I asked, pointing out a sparkling seafoam green stone.
"I'm actually not quite sure. I've never seen this one anywhere before. I planned to research it when I get home." Steven explained.
"I bet there are lots of stones we've never heard about. Just like Pokémon. There are plenty of stones and Pokémon we have yet to discover. Who knows, maybe one day we'll find them all." I stated softly, staring in admiration at Steven's collection.
"Here, Ruby. Why don't you take this Moon Stone? I've found plenty of them recently, so I'd like you to have it. Think of it as a good luck charm for your upcoming Gym battle tomorrow." Steven stated warmly as he handed me the Moon Stone he had previously pointed out. I gratefully accepted, smiling softly as I took the stone from his hands. We chatted on about his collection for awhile, both of us falling asleep somewhere in-between that time and now.
When I awoke, I could already tell the sun was out due to its rays hitting my face. Sitting up a bit, I glanced down at the soft grey blanket that covered me, wondering who had placed it over me. Turning my attention to Steven, I noticed the soft blue blanket covering him as well. Steven was laying on his chest, his right arm hanging off the side of the couch as he slept soundly on it. His collection still lied open on the table, each stone glistening in the sunlight. I pushed myself up completely, letting out a silent yawn after staying still for a moment. Before I could move I heard a familiar cry, and before I knew it Sapphire's Skitty leaped onto my lap, wagging its tail happily as it did so.
"Hey, Skitty, quit it! You're gonna wake up Steven!" I whispered loudly, trying to shove Skitty away as it pounced at me playfully. Steven groaned, his eyebrows twitching in response to his name being called. Before I could turn back to Skitty, the curious Pokémon reached behind me to take a peak at my Moon Stone and gave it a curious tap. Suddenly, Skitty began to glow a bright white, causing me to gasp in shock. Steven's eyes popped open and locked onto the glowing Skitty, taking in what was happening as he did so. When the light faded, there stood a brand new Pokémon that my Pokédex confirmed to be a Delcatty.
"That Skitty just evolved into Delcatty because of the Moon Stone!" Steven exclaimed in awe.
"B-but Skitty- I mean Delcatty isn't my Pokémon! It's Sapphire's! What's she gonna think if I tell her it evolved without her knowing?!" I gasped, panicking over the thought.
"Morning, Ruby! Hi, Steven! Oh, I see you finally evolved, Skitty. That's great!" Sapphire exclaimed cheerfully, patting the newly evolved Delcatty on the head and casually walking out of the lobby. Steven and I watched her go, completely dumbfounded by her reaction.
"That was quick..." I muttered, causing Steven to laugh.
At least there wasn't any problem though.
Sapphire and Emerald decided to stay by the Pokémon Center to train, so Leaf, Steven, and I decided to explore the town a bit since it would be awhile before my Gym battle. I released
Flygon to let it get some fresh air, watching as it flew above the trees and sighed contently at the breeze it felt. I smiled up at Flygon, wondering how Fire was doing as I watched it enjoy the free feeling of flight.
"So the people here made Fortree City to get closer to nature? That's neat! I never thought of anything like that." Leaf stated thoughtfully. Leaf and Steven had apparently started up a conversation while I was lost in thought, which somehow made my thoughts returned to the Champion of my home region. It still surprised me that she was directly related to the legendary Pokémon Master Red. Though he's only been the reigning Champion for about half a decade, the news of Red's victory at the Champion League spread world wide swiftly, making him the most famous trainer in the world. Red is the one and only modern day trainer who has ever been given the title of Pokémon Master. Many people believed that Pokémon Masters were just old trainer tales to excite kids to train harder, but I always dreamed about those old tales. Knowing that I met the sister of the Pokémon Master is just enough to inspire me to press on during my journey.
"Hey, Ruby? Ruby, are you alright? Hello? Ruby?" Steven called softly, snapping his fingers in front of my face to snap me out of my mind.
"O-oh, sorry! I was just thinking." I stated nervously, grinning shyly as I spoke.
"What a relief. You looked like you were in a daze. We've been trying to tell you that Winona should be waiting for you by now." Steven stated calmly, clearly holding back a laugh as he smile down at me.
"Right, let's go! Wwwhere are the girls?" I asked, turning back on my heel to face them after racing ahead a bit.
"Waitin' for us at the Gym, now move!" Leaf ordered, turning me around and pushing me towards the Gym in a matter of seconds. When the Gym came into view, we spotted Emerald and Sapphire in the distance, both of them calling out to us and waving cheerfully. I rushed to their side, realizing Winona was here as well, I waved to her too.
"Are you ready to take to the sky?" Winona asked with a grin of determination.
"You bet! We'll fly so high that my Pokémon and I will be out of this world!" I exclaimed proudly, earning a chuckle from Winona in response.
"Well then, let's get started, shall we? Come, I'll take you to the battlefield." Winona offered, motioning for us to follow with her hand.
"I hope you don't mind if I watch as well." Steven stated politely.
"Not at all! I'd be glad if ya did, actually!" I reassured him with a smile, racing into the Gym after Leaf strolled in.
Steven followed close behind and took his seat in the bleachers with Sapphire, Emerald, and Leaf. A sudden passion filled me once again, just as it always did during times like these. I've only got three more Badges left to go before I can enter the Pokémon League. My Pokémon and I have worked for this through both day and night. We've been there for each other through the good times and the bad, and we're about to be one step closer to fulfilling our dream. And after that, our promise. Our promise to battle Fire when we defeat the reigning Champion. With all these dreams awaiting me to reach them, and all the battles I must face to get there, there's no time for me to rest. I only have one thing to say in response to that knowledge, and I say it proudly with a smirk on my face.

Let the battle begin!