Steven Stone

**Steven Stone** appears in the Resetverse as both a Devon Corp. executive and Hoenn's Regional Champion. He finds the corporate life boring and much prefers his Champion duties.

## History

### The New Timeline (Past)

During his time before becoming Hoenn's Champion, he fought against Team Zenith multiple times, leading to great familiarity with how they operate.

### Poison War Arc/Fuchsia Arc

Steven alongside his friend Roxanne arranged for the Rustboro City's Trainer's School to visit the Devon Corporation headquarters for a field trip. On this trip Steven notices one of the students, Sawyer, get distracted and wander off, so he follows him and warns him to stay out of their top secret R&D department only for Sawyer to tell him that someone had just left from that direction. Steven checks inside and sees that someone had broken into a vault and stolen an invention called the Flower. Steven takes Sawyer with him to track down the thief and they find him in the lobby. Steven has his Metagross hold the doors shut with Psychic so the man complains about how Steven is holding the world back from advancing and mentions that he is part of Team Zenith. This surprises the champion and while he is distracted, the man releases a Golbat and has it use Haze. In the confusion, Metagross drops the Psychic and the Zenith Grunt escapes.

Steven prepares to go after him and Sawyer insists on going with him. Steven is reluctant, but accepts and they fly through the city on Metagross. Despite their best efforts, they fail to find the grunt and Sawyer asks what Team Zenith is. Steven explains their history and ideology before Sawyer points out a man and asks if a dragon coat would be their uniform. Steven confirms that the man is outfitted in the team's gear and decides to follow them covertly. They head north toward the mountains until they hear a sharp cry and the man bolts before Metagross gets knocked out of the sky by a Draco Meteor. Both Steven and Sawyer survive the fall but are immediately surrounded by Draconids. One of their number, Zinnia, accuses them of stealing a lore scroll and attacks. Metagross puts up Protect and Steven uses the opportunity to try to negotiate. Eventually Steven agrees to go to Meteor Village to discuss the matter further, taking Sawyer with him.

When they get to the village, they meet the Elder and Zinnia explains their reasons for being there. Steven asks that the negotiations be done quickly, but the Elder refuses and invites him in. Steven tells Sawyer to behave himself outside and gives him a Beldum just in case he needs to defend himself. The Elder serves Steven tea and Steven tells her that Team Zenith was responsible for both of the thefts. They discuss Zevie, Team Zenith's leader, before she mentions that Team Zenith was after their secret lore but refuses to reveal what it is. With no other options remaining, Steven reveals the secrets of the Flower to the Elder. The Elder decides that the information Steven gave her is worth parting with some of the lore so she summons Zinnia back indoors. Zinnia explains that Rayquaza quelled the fighting between Kyogre and Groudon, and then explains about an artifact called Megalith and how Rayquaza destroyed it, but the pieces are now trying to gather together once more. Realizing what the Megalith and the Flower might be capable of if combined, Steven asks to speak with the Zenith Grunts. Despite Zinnia's protests, the Elder permits him to speak with them before their execution.

On their way to see them, the Elder has to stop a group of Draconids from attacking Sawyer and Steven tells him to accompany them. Steven enters the cell alone and offers the criminals an olive branch, but they flatly refuse. At this, he calls out Metagross and threatens them with Metagross's Meteor Mash. This convinces them to talk and they reveal that Zevie is on Mt. Chimney. At that, Steven departs, telling Zinnia what transpired and denies that he would actually attack them. With that, Zinnia gathers a group of Draconids while the Elder leads Steven and Sawyer to a secret tunnel to Mt. Chimney.

In the tunnel, Steven talks with Sawyer and lets the boy know he thinks he will become a great trainer before offering him the Beldum to keep. Sawyer declines saying the he already had planned to start with a particular Treeko from Professor Birch. Steven says he understands before saying that he should at least keep the Steel-type with him until during the mission. Zinnia then pulls Steven aside saying it was irresponsible to bring the boy with them. He replies that he is unsure that being left at Meteor Village would actually be safer for him. They then debate whether it is possible for the Draconids and Sootopolitans to put aside their differences.

Once they arrive at Mt. Chimney, they scout out their enemies and identify the two Team Zenith admins, Taylor and Carly. They attempt to sneak past but are quickly attacked by the two women. Zinnia declares that the Draconids will handle it and urges Steven to go take care of Zevie. The champion brings out his team and they make a break for the summit. Soon he finds Zevie and the man talks about their goals a bit before bringing out his own Pokémon who set up a barrier around the Megalith while also moving in to attack. The battle commences with both trainers riding their aerial Pokémon. It is a very close match but seems to be in Steven's favor, until Zevie tries to turn the tide by Mega Evolving his Altaria, which Steven responds with the same for his Metagross. The battle continues now and Steven is eventually knocked from Metagross' back towards the lava pit with no way for his Pokémon to catch him. Fortunately Zinnia swoops in on her Salamence saving him and joining the battle. After Zinnia Mega Evolves her own Pokémon, Steven agrees to try to take out Zevie while she attempts to get rid of the Wind Shield around the Megalith. They both accomplish their goals and they relax thinking that they have won, before Sawyer runs up saying that Team Zenith had another plan in the works.

Suddenly the Megalith begins to emit a strong emerald light so everyone has their Pokémon attack it in hopes to destroy it before it goes critical. Their attempt was thwarted by Zevie's Pelipper using a Protect with the last of its energy before collapsing. Zevie gets up and activates a machine hooked up to the Flower which starts draining all of the nearby Pokémon's energy. This energy is fed into the Megalith which then transforms into the shape of a Mega Rayquaza. Zevie controls his artificial Legendary Pokémon to summon tendrils that reach out trying to restrain all of his enemies. Steven works with all of the Draconids to fend them off, but due to the struggle almost everyone's morale is broken. Sawyer and a Draconid boy, Ryuga, declare that they can still win if they shut down the machine hooked up to the flower. Which inspires Steven to launch another offensive, but Zevie responds by having his monstrosity use a Dragon Ascent. In the chaos the boys sneak up to the machine and have their Pokémon destroy it. Without the energy from the machine, The Megalith is destroyed by Steven and the Draconids launching one final attack. This sets off a chain of explosions so everyone but Zevie attempts to escape and evacuate the mountain. Steven wants to save the Zenith leader, but is unable to before he has to leave himself.

Later, Steven and Sawyer leave the Rustboro police station after dropping off the grunts they had picked up from Meteor Village. He asks the boy how it feels to be a part of a mission that saved the entire region, and Sawyer downplays his importance. Steven argues that he helped a lot and as thanks gifts the boy a Sceptilite and again tells the boy to keep Beldum alongside a Bagon that he had befriended. Sawyer acquiesces and they return to Devon Headquarters. There he explains the situation to Roxanne before declaring that they must have the battle they had previously promised the students.

Steven has a meeting with Lysandre where he explains about the Mt Chimney incident before asking for the other man's help locating and then collecting the other Megalith shards that are out there, to which the other man agrees.

Steven meets with Wallace where he again retells the story of Mt. Chimney and asks his opinion as a representative of the Sootopolitans whether peace is possible. Wallace says its not as simple as Steven sees it and states Steven is too optimistic. They then agree to have a Pokémon battle and head towards the Sootopolis City gym to use the battlefield there.

## Pokémon

* Meteor Mash
* Protect
* Flash Cannon
* Zen Headbutt

* Iron Defense
* Hold Back

* Aerial Ace

## Equipment

### Key Stone

Steven obtained a Key Stone at some point in his journey and now keeps it housed in his Mega Pin he keeps pinned to his lapel.

## Links

1. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/AG022
2. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/XYS02
3. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/JN118
4. ↑ https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/AG022