The Stone family made their fortune in mining and steel smelting.
Slowly, they began to expand into the gas and energy sectors, while also getting involved in the research of ancient Pokémon and the surveying of ancient fossils.
However, the reason the Stone family leaped to become a top-tier family was Steven Stone!
As the eldest young master of the current Stone family, he was exceptionally talented.
Both he and his father were passionate about collecting precious stones.
Specializing in Steel-types, he became the Hoenn League Champion at a young age, with his ace being a Shiny Metagross!
Powerful martial strength was a necessary deterrent to guarantee the family’s development, and also the best way to demonstrate the family’s power to the world.
Steven’s existence was the fundamental reason the Stone family became a top-tier family.
Rustboro City was an important port and industrial city in the western part of the Hoenn region.
The Devon Corporation used this as its foundation, placing its headquarters here.
The entire southwestern part of the city was filled with large steel factories and laboratories.
Among them, a hundred-meter-tall building was the President’s building, where Mr.
Stone resided.
Walking for a long time, he arrived at the base of the Devon Corporation building.
Under the watchful eyes of security personnel, he stated his identity.
After verifying his Pokédex and getting permission from the President’s office, he finally entered the company building.
This made Leo sigh at the strictness of a large corporation.
Led by security personnel, he entered the elevator and arrived at the top floor.
After handing him over to the secretary, the security guard turned and left.
The secretary brought him to a luxurious redwood door with gold carvings, smilingly signaling for Leo to enter himself, and then closed the door.
A completely bewildered Leo looked around the absurdly spacious office.
In the entire room, there were only two rows of sofas facing each other in the hall, and a long redwood table placed horizontally at one end of the room, directly facing a massive bookcase that occupied the entire wall.
And while the overall style of everything was massive, sitting in the executive chair behind the redwood desk was a middle-aged man whose stature seemed much shorter.
His full head of black hair mixed with white, styled in a star shape, looked a bit peculiar.
He was sitting in his chair, smiling as he looked at Leo.
Walking up quickly, Leo met the middle-aged man’s gaze and respectfully greeted him, “Hello!
I’m Leo from Dewford Town!
It’s an honor to meet you, Mr.
Stone!” You have to speak politely at a time like this!
Eyes narrowing in happiness, President Stone laughed continuously, “Oh, so you’re the Flint family’s kid?
You’ve grown so big!
Don’t call me Mr., just call me Uncle!” Leaving his seat, he walked to Leo’s side.
Although he wasn’t tall, he had a lot of spirit and presence.
“Yes, Uncle Stone!” “Good, good, good!
I heard everything from your dad!” Patting Leo’s shoulder, he continued, “You just started your journey, and you actually managed to defeat that girl Roxanne’s third-team main force.
You’re already very strong!” Uh?
Looking at him in surprise, he saw the older man wink at him and say mysteriously, “Quite surprised, right?” “Uh, yes.” He nodded honestly.
“That girl comes here often to mooch food and drinks!” President Stone suddenly said with a bit of indignation, “Under the guise of a shared hobby and mutual exchange, she’s scammed away my treasured stones.
It makes me so mad!” Immediately after, he returned to a smiling face and said to Leo with a bit of pride, “However, I never let her see the truly good stuff.
Haha, I’m smart, right?
Ahahaha!” Looking at this uncle performing face-changing acts before him, Leo didn’t know what to say anymore.
Sure enough, can human expressions really be this rich!?
“Oh, right!” The uncle, suddenly turning serious, finally remembered the main business.
“Clare said you need a Metal Coat to evolve your Onix, right?” Clare was Clarence Flint, Leo’s dad.
“Yes, Mr.
Stone.
My Onix is already on the brink of evolution.” “Mm, you came to the right person.
Wait a moment.” Returning to the redwood desk, he picked up a box and a bottle of transparent liquid, then walked back and handed them to Leo, happily introducing them, “The latest product!
An ultra-lightweight Metal Coat.
Although an evolved Steelix will gain weight, its agility and speed will actually increase a bit.
This is the newest scientific research achievement!” Saying that, he picked up the bottled liquid again.
“This is a bottle of Primal Stone Essence.
When diluted and consumed with Pokémon food, it can increase the mass and density of Rock-type and Ground-type Pokémon, boosting their defense and body size!” Looking at the surprised boy, President Stone placed the two items in his hands and said kindly, “I heard from your dad that you want to become a Ground- and Rock-type Master?
Very ambitious.
I look forward to that day!
These are my travel gifts to you!
I hope that, like Steven, you can both stand at the pinnacle of the League in the future!” Nervously taking the Metal Coat and Primal Stone Essence, these were incredibly rare, excellent items.
Not to mention the ultra-lightweight Metal Coat that felt almost weightless in his hand, just this bottle of Primal Stone Essence alone could greatly increase the strength of Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon!
Just think about the already high defense and massive size of Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon, then add his Solid as a Rock talent, and supplement it with the Stone Essence!
How exaggerated would that become?
“Thank you for the gifts, Uncle Stone!
Thank you so much!” He happily thanked the older man.
“I will definitely work hard!” Patting Leo’s shoulder once again, Mr.
Stone was also very happy.
“Very good, go for it with all you’ve got, boy!
Your dad and I will support you from behind!” Escorting Leo to the door and handing him over to the secretary, he blinked again and said meaningfully, “You can take a stroll through Rusturf Tunnel.
You might find a surprise there!” “Ah, alright!” A thoughtful Leo bid farewell to President Stone, followed the secretary to take the elevator to the first floor, where the previous security guard was already waiting.
Having achieved his goal, Leo looked back at the Devon Corporation building, still pondering.
‘Rusturf Tunnel, huh?
It probably hasn’t been excavated yet.
Would there be a surprise if I go?’ ‘I’ll go take a look after this.
It should still be a half-excavated cavern.
Maybe there’ll be powerful Rock-type Pokémon there?’ Head down in thought, Leo suddenly bumped into a pedestrian.
“Ah, I’m sorry, I apologize, I was…
thinking…
uh!” “…” A middle-aged man wrapped in a strange robe and wearing a hood glanced at him, stood up silently, and hurried away, instantly blending into the crowd and disappearing.
“Weird!” Shaking his head, Leo stopped overthinking.
He’d know once he went to Rusturf Tunnel.
He quickly ran toward the Pokémon Center.
Now, everything was ready.
It was time for Onix to evolve!
With an expectant mood, throwing the strange middle-aged man to the back of his mind, Leo also disappeared into the crowd.
…
In an unknown alley somewhere, the middle-aged man hid in the shadows of a corner.
Taking off his robe, he took out a test tube filled with a purple liquid, uncorked it, and let the liquid inside volatilize.
“It’s about to begin!
Come!
Destroy, my pets!” A hoarse voice echoed in the alley!
As the breeze drifted, the chemical agent scattered and spread.
The robe fluttered.
Faintly, vaguely, it seemed as if he only had one arm.