Steven Stone: Then and Now

A skilled Trainer, rock enthusiast, and heir to the multimillion-dollar Devon Corporation, Steven Stone makes his return in this fall's eagerly awaited remakes, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. The enigmatic CEO's son first captured the hearts of players as a secondary protagonist in the third generation. Since then, he has made cameo appearances in games such as HeartGold and SoulSilver, in addition to Black 2 and White 2. In anticipation of his reappearance as a prominent character, let us take a look back to see the impact Steven made in his initial appearance and what we can expect from him in the near future, what with the nifty new features bestowed upon him by Game Freak.

Fateful Encounters

First encountered within the depths of the Granite Cave in Dewford Town searching for rare stones, Steven offers the TM Steel Wing as a reward for the player delivering a letter to him. With a few words of encouragement pointing the protagonist towards the Pokémon League, he disappears. This striking meeting, however, was not the last to be seen of Steven. He would reappear whenever the fancy struck him, always in possession of advice and tools such as the Devon Scope to aid the player in their journey. Though seemingly flighty in nature, he demonstrated admirable grit and determination as he rushed to Sootopolis City in an attempt to resolve the conflict between Groudon and Kyogre, dragging the player along with him in the process. The last time that Steven was seen in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire was at the Pokémon League in Ever Grande City, where he reigned as Champion. Upon his defeat, Steven departed on an unknown adventure, his legacy consisting only of a rare Beldum gifted to the player at the end of the game.

Off the Radar

"I've decided to do a little soul-searching and train on the road. I don't plan to return home for some time." ~ Steven Stone

After being dealt a thorough defeat at the hands of the protagonist, Steven vanished from Hoenn to explore the other regions. It is known that he arrived in Kanto first, drawn to it courtesy of landmarks such as Pewter City's famed Museum of Science and the reports of Latios and Latias sightings. From there, the entirety of his trail becomes more difficult to trace. He is rumored to have occupied a villa in Sinnoh's exclusive Resort Area during his brief stay. Whispers of an unusually powerful Trainer who collects stones abound in Unova's Undella Town. In the midst of the uncertainty, Steven made a dramatic appearance as a competitor in the Champions Tournament at the Pokémon World Tournament. However, his stay in the spotlight was brief, as he once again opted to conceal his tracks, which he did so well that not a single soul has any evidence to explain the changes brought about in him upon his return to his homeland.

And there's no doubt that he underwent a massive upheaval, the cause of which lies in the strange brooch pinned firmly to his lapel. There's a distinct expression cast over Steven's face now, as though he's been made privy to a secret of grand implications known only to a select few. Our best guess identifies Kalos as his final destination. Ambrette Town's fossil research facility and the surrounding Glittering Cave would certainly have appealed to him, as would the unique rock formations of Geosenge Town. From there, he would have progressed to Shalour City and, be it by fate or sheer coincidence, stumbled upon the Tower of Mastery and the secret that has redefined the limit to the potential of a Pokémon: Mega Evolution.

Newfound Power

It is highly likely that Steven received his Mega item, the Mega Brooch, whilst training in the Tower of Mastery. Intrigued by the awe-inspiring strength of Mega Pokémon, his path would have taken him to Anistar City and its sundial, which he used to track down Mega Stones for his own team members. This leads us to the current befuddled state of affairs, in which speculation abounds as to exactly which Mega- or, dare I say, Megas- Steven now has.

Mega Charizard X

Depicted near him in an image from the source CoroCoro, the insinuation that Steven would be in command of a creature known for its monstrous presence in the OU metagame set the interwebs ablaze. Wild theories circled, one such being that his Mega Charizard X was Level 100. If this were to be true, Steven's Charizard would be the highest level Pokémon that a non-player character has had in the history of the games, surpassing even Red's Level 88 Pikachu. It would also be an unexpected deviation from his self-proclaimed preference for using Steel-types. While this is an interesting possibility to consider, it is unlikely that Steven will abandon his roots.

Mega Aggron

This incredibly bulky Steel-type is much more likely to be found on Steven's team compared to Mega Charizard X. That isn't saying much, however, given that the suitability of the latter is virtually nil. Aside from Mega Aggron's typing, it is not a fan favorite nor does it offer any especially astounding qualities that would render it a Mega Pokémon appropriate for such an important character. Its only chance of making an appearance is perhaps in Steven's first team iteration, as the player makes their initial League challenge. On the second run-through though, which is typically associated with a considerable difficulty increase, it would be replaced with the Mega Pokémon that is looking to return with a vengeance after its base form fell into obscurity.

Mega Metagross

The Steel / Psychic type acquires a gold tint to the metal strips crossing its face and claw-like extensions to its legs and body upon Mega Evolving, new features that grant it a particularly intimidating presence. In addition to increases in size and weight, it also acquires the ability Tough Claws, which boosts the power of contact-based moves by 30%, enabling it to pack an impressive punch. It has been confirmed that it receives an immense boost to its Speed, as well as added buffs to its Attack, Defense, Special Attack, and Special Defense. Bulky, powerful, and fast, Mega Metagross has all the tools it needs—despite the nerf that the XY generation brought to its typing—to be one of the defining forces of the upcoming games. Steven's Metagross has always been the strongest member of his team and, as such, it is highly likely that it will be the one that Mega Evolves to truly fit the role of his signature Pokémon.

Meaningful Return

While it is expected that Steven will resume his role as an advisor to the player, as in the original games, he has also been gifted with an additional purpose: to search for the secret of Mega Evolution. In doing so, he will assume the role of a mentor to the hero by introducing them to the concept and guiding them toward the mastery of it. From the little that has been revealed, we can extrapolate that it is Steven who will provide Omega Ruby's and Alpha Sapphire's version of the Mega Ring–the item that enables its user to establish a connection between themselves and their Pokémon's Mega Stone to facilitate Mega Evolution. Furthermore, though he previously hunted for rocks of seemingly every type, his predominant focus will be on locating the Mega Stones, and he may very well point the protagonist in the direction where they may be obtained, such as in Meteor Falls. Whether or not he would behave akin to Korrina in X and Y by giving the player their first battle utilizing Mega Pokémon is debatable, given that historically, Steven has only been an opponent at the Pokémon League or in Meteor Falls post-game.

Aside from mentoring the hero, Steven will play a larger role in stopping the conflict incited by Team Magma and Team Aqua this time around, whereas previously he occupied a role resembling that of a cheerleader to the player. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire introduce the concept of Primal Reversion, a condition in which Kyogre and Groudon acquire considerable boosts to their Special Attack and Attack, respectively. This newfound reliance on brute force to accomplish goals indicates a devolution to a more primordial form and contrasts the well-rounded development brought forth by Mega Evolution. As such, Primal Reversion can be thought of as the opposite of Mega Evolution, and discovering the key to the latter, as is Steven's goal, may also indicate the process behind the former. Consequently, Steven will be key to aiding the player in finding the way by which to reverse the Primal transformation of the two legendary Pokémon and ending their earth-shattering and ocean-rising assaults. It is possible that this could be accomplished by summoning the Mega Evolution of the legendary Fairy- and Rock-type Diancie, to whom Steven may have close ties as a result of his fascination with geology.

Iconic

There is a certain mystique to Steven Stone, a technological magnate's heir who chooses to spend his time shrouded in the darkness of a cave rather than the bright lights of the city and the illustrious Devon Corporation. As a mentor to the protagonist, in addition to being the League Champion, it is safe to say that he will comprise an integral part of our hero's adventure. Armed with undoubtedly one of Hoenn's most powerful Pokémon in Mega Metagross and possessed of a new purpose closely interwoven with the plot, Steven's presence in the games will be nothing short of iconic.

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