Rustboro City, Devon Corporation headquarters.
In the president's office, President Stone watched Steven push open the door, travel-worn and visibly exhausted, and asked with concern,
"How did it go? Do you need some rest?"
Despite his exhaustion, Steven was in high spirits. Even his disheveled, dirty appearance could not hide his air of noble refinement. He waved a hand lightly and said with a smile,
"I'm fine, old man!"
Steven set his backpack on the desk. Suddenly looking excited, he took a stone and an egg out of it.
"This trip to Mt. Silver really exceeded my expectations!"
He picked up the stone and held it in front of President Stone as if showing off, delighted as a child!
"Look! This is a fossil I discovered myself! An ancient fossil!"
President Stone shook his head helplessly.
His son was wonderful in every way, except that his love of stones was a little too obsessive! He was just like his father in his younger days!
"Yes, yes, wonderful! And what about this egg? If I'm not mistaken... this should be a Rock-type or Ground-type Pokémon Egg?"
Seeing the old man skillfully change the subject, Steven shrugged in disappointment, then looked at the Pokémon Egg on the desk with a meaningful smile.
At that moment, he once again became the young heir of the Stone family and the Champion of the Hoenn League!
An intangible aura quietly spread around him as Steven said softly,
"It was a pretty good find, too... a Larvitar egg..."
"What?"
President Stone was somewhat surprised. Among all the pseudo-legendary Pokémon, the Larvitar line was the rarest. Almost all of them lived deep within Mt. Silver in Johto, where they were seldom discovered!
Only the Johto League, which had signed an agreement with that clan, could obtain young