Dewford Town

In a lengthy conversation with Brawly I learned where to find Steven, after a stop at the pokemon center I walk around the coast to find Granite Cave. Just inside I find a nice gentleman who gives me a HM05. I remember it contains the move flash but I also remember it was retired and replaced with a different move, or rather it will be replaced eventually.

Is it possible to feel nostalgia for something that hasn’t happened yet?

I try not to think about this time travel stuff to much, it gives me headaches. But I can’t get over the fact I’m really here in the past, and in Hoenn too! Before everything changed…

Schools are only now starting to teach about this era, by “now” I of course mean the time I come from. Maybe I’d know what to look for or avoid if I’d gone to university to study, or bothered to look this era up, or even just watched a damn documentary!

If I’d gone to university instead of doing the pilgrimage that is the pokemon journey I’d never be in this mess. I’d never have left home to travel to Kanto and…

Is that how it happened?

Now that I think about it, how did I get to Kanto? I don’t remember getting on a plane, a boat, or even a bus! I don’t remember how I got to Pallet Town. How did I even leave my country? I don’t even have a passport!

Hey! Yo! Quit daydreaming, Cal!

- Hm? Oh… right…

I descend further into the cave, I can barely see. There’s a tiny glimmering point near me. I decide to have Jay use flash to lighten the place up. The glimmer was a raw gemstone… in the hand of a black imp-like pokemon, it looks at me with a shocked expression on it’s face. It hurriedly eats the gemstone in one bite.

It’s a sableye! Pokeball go!

Sableye: This little guy seems to like dark places and snacking on precious rocks. Just don’t let him near a jewelry store!

- Welcome to the bench, Glint!

Glint ♂ Lv. 10

Exploring the cave further I eventually come to a chamber where I see someone with a rock in his hand, inspecting it closely.

- Hello?

Oh, hello.

- Are you Steven Stone?

Yes I am, what’s this about?

- I’m Caldar and your father sent me to give you this letter. If you don’t mind me asking, what’re you doing with those rocks?

They’re minerals, I collect them.

- You collect rocks?

I just said. By Arceus, Caldar, they’re minerals!

- Oh, sorry. So.. what’s special about that particular mineral?

Some minerals have power. I’m sure you’re aware of evolution stones, they can react with pokemon to make them change. There are legends of stones that could control pokemon, people used them long before we figured out how to use the more humane apricorns and then created pokeballs when the plain apricorn went extinct and the other ones were endangered, as you know.

But I digress. I’ve also discovered evolution stones that seem to not react to any pokemon I’ve seen so far, either they’re very specific or something more is needed. And then I discovered rare fragments of a mineral that can react to certain people, but only in proximity to these seemingly useless stones…

He still digresses…

- Interesting… and that one in your hand?

Oh this? It’s a mundane mineral, I think it just looks pretty.

- You really are passionate about roc– er minerals, aren’t you…

Sure am! I see you have a pokenav, let’s exchange numbers. If you find any unusual minerals in your travels I’d like to hear about them.

- Sure.

I look around the chamber but I don’t see anything else interesting. Steven’s catches a glimpse of something I don’t see as interesting, picks it up and starts inspecting it.

I leave him to his rocks and make my way back out of the cave and over to Mr. Briney who is dozing in a deck chair with a newspaper over his face.

- Um.. Mister Briney?

Bwuh? Oh, Caldar! Ready to go?

- Yep, to Slateport please.

Let’s set sail!

A quick zip across the sea and we land on the beach of Slateport.

- Thanks again Mister Briney.

It was nothin’, I needed the fresh air anyways!

A lot of trainers sure like to battle on the beach here. While battling challengers Gustavo evolves!

Gustavo ♂ Lv. 14

Slateport City

I walk into the city proper and the first thing I notice is a whole bunch of the aqua crew streaming into a museum.

That can’t be good…

- In Arceus’ name… it’s like the rocket gang all over again…

Without a second thought I run into the museum to find several members of the crew just standing around or looking at the exhibits. They really are obsessed about the ocean, all the exhibits are about the ocean.

I head to the second floor to find a man hiding behind a model ship.

Oh, you’ve not one of them.

- No I’m not, are they causing trouble?

I think they’re looking for me, well… I think they’re after a package I’m expecting from Rustboro.

- You’re Captain Stern?

Yes, you’re the guy?

- Yeah I have it here.

Great!

Yaarrr! We be takin’ that!

- Oh no you don’t!

They didn’t put up much of a fight, why they both didn’t try to attack me at the same time I’ll never understand.

Aw ye be in big trouble now laddie, the Cap'n be here!

Ye lads be dawdlin’ again! How long do it take t’ rob a man o’ science?

Cap'n! It be that Caldar I tole ye ‘bout!

So ye be th’ scallywag who think it fun t’ mess with me plans! Since I know ye name it only be polite to know mine. The name’s Archie 'n’ I won’t have ye meddlin’ in me business no more.

- I’ve dealt with tougher and better dressed scumbags than you!

Oh so ye already sided with Team Magma?

- Who?

They be th’ bilge rats who’re stoppin’ our plans, they be usin’ th’ pokemon to dry th’ ocean!

-You all abuse pokemon to get what you want and I won’t tolerate it! Be you the aqua crew or one of the magma men!

Ye know nothin’ o’ me plans, boy! Me loyalties be t’ th’ sea. All livin’ things once came from th’ briny deep, ye must respect th’ waters o’ th’ world. We, Team Aqua will expand th’ oceans 'n’ make a better world!

- You’re gonna what?

Oh this guy’s crazy.

If ye not be with Magma then ye stay away from me crew 'n’ don’t be meddlin’ in me plans no more.

Lads! We be shovin’ off!

Archie and his crew make a swift exit.

Thanks, this package must be important if Team Aqua want it.

- I guess I’ll be heading off too.

You going to chase them down?

- No, these types always find their own ways of getting in my way. They’ll piss me off sooner or later and I’ll shut them down…

Later, at Captain Stern’s office

Stern sits at his desk, reaches down to the bottom drawer. He slides it open to reveal a small metal lockbox, lifts a small key from a chain around his neck and unlocks the box. Sliding open the lockbox reveals a small silver sphere set in velvet.

Taking the sphere in his palm, a small shadowy figure appears over it.

Agent 10 reporting in, sir.

The figure appears to be talking but there is no sound, Stern listens.

Yes, sir. I’ve retrieved the artefact. Adverse technological advancement has been averted, what of the other anomaly?

The shadowy man speaks silently.

Understood, I’ll pass the intel to Agent 9 and then await extraction as instructed. Terminating transmission.