Rustboro City greeted them like a familiar melody—stone buildings, neatly trimmed hedges, and orderly streets basking in the late afternoon sun. The towering Devon Corporation building gleamed like a monument to ambition, its glass facade reflecting the bustle below.
To the untrained eye, this was just another peaceful day in Hoenn.
But to Joseph, every movement of Devon staffers, every courier zipping down the sidewalk, and every nod they received from passersby was another subtle reminder of just how deep the Stone family's influence ran.
Steven walked beside him, arms crossed. "Feels weird coming back."
Joseph nodded. "Too quiet."
Eevee trotted between them, ears alert as always.
As they passed the city's central plaza, a woman carrying Devon's latest PokéNav+ bowed slightly. "Welcome home, Masters Stone."
Steven made a face. "I wish they wouldn't call us that."
"You think I like it?" Joseph muttered. "Sounds like I'm about to inherit a marble mansion and twenty lawsuits."
Steven gave a tired chuckle. "You already did."
Back at the Estate
The Stone family estate lay just outside city limits—a multi-acre property carved from ancient land, filled with winding gardens, imported Lum trees, and rare stone sculptures collected over generations. The main house, a sleek modern compound of white stone and dark wood, stood tall behind an automatic iron gate that opened the moment the brothers arrived.
Joseph barely set foot on the gravel path before a voice called from the front steps.
"I told your mother you'd be back by the end of the week."
President Joseph Stone Sr.—or just "Father," as Steven called him—stood with a small tablet in one hand and a half-finished report in the other. Tall, with silver streaks in his hair and sharp green eyes, he looked like the kind of man who never stopped working even when the world did.
Steven stopped in front of him. "We weren't planning to come back this soon."
"Yet here you are." His voice held no judgment. Just expectation. "Come. We'll talk inside."
A Business of Power
The sitting room was elegant, but not cold. Books lined the walls—real ones, bound in leather—while a flickering fireplace cast warm light across polished floors. A tray of mint tea awaited them, already prepared.
Joseph sat back, letting Eevee curl on his lap. Steven remained tense.
"I heard about Mauville," their father began. "You handled Wattson's Gym with... decisive force."
Joseph shrugged. "He wanted a show. I gave him one."
President Stone regarded his eldest son carefully. "And the boy with the camera crew?"
"Just a kid trying to make his mark. He'll remember the battle."
"More importantly," Steven added, "he'll remember the name."
Their father nodded. "Good. You understand the weight it carries now."
Joseph said nothing.
The man continued, "There's talk across Hoenn. Whispers. About trainers moving unusually. About Teams Aqua and Magma resurfacing. Devon satellites have picked up supply convoys along the coasts. Rustboro's Gym is on alert."
Joseph leaned forward. "What are you suggesting?"
"Nothing yet. But you'll both need to move carefully."
Steven glanced at Joseph, then back at their father. "We're not interested in politics."
"You are Stones," the president said calmly. "You may not seek power, but you wield it. Your presence matters."
Joseph narrowed his eyes. "We just want to travel."
"You can do both," the man replied. "But be mindful. Trainers talk. Gym Leaders listen. The world is watching."
A Gift from the Vault
After tea, their father led them to the Devon research wing—a private section of the estate filled with technology and rare stones.
From a locked glass case, he removed two objects wrapped in velvet. With slow precision, he unwrapped them.
One was a Mega Ring embedded with a shimmering keystone.
The other—a polished Mega Stone.
Steven's eyes widened. "Is that a Metagrossite?"
Their father nodded. "Recovered from a ruin in Kalos. Our teams verified its integrity."
He handed the Mega Ring to Steven and the stone to Joseph.
"I want the two of you to carry these. You may not need them now. But when the time comes… the world may."
Joseph turned the stone over in his hand, feeling the thrum of ancient power pulsing within.
"Thanks," he muttered.
Their father's gaze softened slightly. "Your mother would have wanted you to be prepared."
There was silence after that—an old, familiar one.
Nightfall: Sibling Conversations
That night, after dinner, Joseph stood on the estate's balcony overlooking the forested cliff beyond the city. The moon hung low, reflecting in the garden ponds below.
Steven joined him, a quiet presence at his side.
"You think he's right?" Steven asked. "About the world watching?"
"I think the world doesn't know what's coming," Joseph said. "But we'll be ready."
Steven was silent for a moment. "I want us to do this together. You and me. Not just as trainers. As brothers. As Stones."
Joseph looked over at him.
"I never wanted the company," he admitted. "But I'll help you make it stronger. I'll help you protect it."
Steven nodded. "Then let's make Devon something that matters. Not just a business. A legacy."
They clasped forearms in quiet unity.
Plans for the Road Ahead
By morning, Joseph had already packed his bag. Eevee sat on his shoulder, freshly groomed and gleaming like polished silver. Steven joined him outside, wearing a newly upgraded PokéNav with region-wide access.
"Where to next?" Steven asked.
Joseph pulled out a folded map. "We'll take the Rusturf Tunnel and cross through Fallarbor. Visit Professor Cozmo. Then circle back toward Meteor Falls."
Steven raised a brow. "You want to go near Team Magma's activity, don't you?"
Joseph smiled faintly. "Just a hunch. And I hear the wilds near Fallarbor are beautiful this time of year."
Steven smirked. "You just want to train your Gardevoir in the mountains."
"Maybe."
"Or challenge Flannery on a whim."
"Maybe that too."
They walked down the estate's grand steps together, two sons of Hoenn—and perhaps its most powerful trainers-in-waiting—headed back into the wild.
Behind them, the Stone estate gates closed with a quiet hum, and the world beyond opened once more.
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