˚₊·-͟͟͞➳❥ 𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆 

Sorry for the little delay! This chapter was a bit of a nightmare, as I had planned it out but my writer's block was REAL! ;-; I had to put a lot of care into this since it's the beginning of the plot so I hope you'll enjoy!

- - - - - - - - ❰･💎･❱ - - - - - - - -

Reader POV

Bright and early. Just like he said.

But I wasn't expecting to be rushed out of our house at six o'clock in the morning, the sun had barely risen from the horizon. If the gift was that important, I could sacrifice a few hours of sleep. What was even stranger was that Steven requested to wear thick clothes and a jacket.

Where the hell was he taking me that required layers? The Hoenn region had one of the warmest climates—even in the mountainous areas—Mt. Chimney provided enough heat to prevent anything remotely "chilly". Yet we weren't heading in that direction.

His Skarmory aimed for the northern waters of Mossdeep. The metal bird sliced through the air at breakneck speeds as we rode on its back. I clung on to Steven for dear life as he directed his pokemon. The tight buckles of the saddle locked us in place, but I still found myself clutching my lover around his waist. I didn't even dare to look down at the wide open sea yards below us, the endless blue threatened to consume any poor bastard that fell into its murky depths. Even more annoying was the wind blasting in my face and whistling sharply in my ear, so I hugged my body against his back to reduce any discomfort.

"Steven, wherever you're taking me it better be worth it!" I had screamed so that he could hear me.

"I promise, we're almost there. Trust me, I hate my hair constantly whipping my face."

The pokemon cawed, a sharp screech ringing from its iron jaws.

"Skarmory fount it."

"Fount wh-" I couldn't finish my question before the metal beast spiraled downwards, our weight being pulled down at a steep angle.

Even Steven was caught off guard, clutching onto the creature's bulky neck. "Skarmory, slow down!"

The pokemon heed his request. It lightened its descent by raising its body upwards and flapping its wings. Its momentum came to a halt as it merely hovered. Soon, its talons rooted themselves in the sandy soil as it landed and tucked its wings away.

Steven sighed as the nightmare was over. "Goodness, we're finally here."

"We are?" I opened my eyes and peered over his shoulder. We arrived on an island, but a majority of the land was hidden away in a mountainous peak. A bleak cave entrance was right in front of us, an ominous darkness hiding its contents. "Don't tell me we're going in there."

"Yep!" He undid the buckle of the saddle and hopped off his Skarmory. "We won't be long."

"I hope so." I got off as well, dread filling my stomach as I stared into the abyss while he took out his poke ball.

"Please, next time be gentle." He stroked the beak of the metal bird. "I know you don't get a chance to fly much but I need more patience from you." The Skarmory gave him an apologetic nudge before it was absorbed into its capsule. He placed it in his pocket before taking out his flashlight. "Let's go, it'll be fun!" He seemed more than eager to head inside.

But his enthusiasm isn't that infectious. The fear of the unknown kept me planted where I was. The Zubats ready to leach their teeth into anything that moved, the random bits of moisture dripping onto my body, and the claustrophobic rocky walls were enough to make me almost have a panic attack. I can't fathom why he enjoyed those conditions, but that bright smile he had loosened my anxiety. Only a little.

"C'mon, I promise, I won't let anything happen to you."

"Well, you are making a lot of promises today, aren't you?"

"The guilt...It's been killing me greatly. I have to make it up to you, so please, just this once will you go in a cave with me?" He furrowed his brows and silently pleaded with his eyes.

I can't say no to a sincere beg like that. I stretched out and took in one last cozy breath, the salty sea air soothing me, savoring my last sight of the outside world before I spoke, "I'll do it."

"Good!" He turned on the flashlight, aimed the light forward, and took my hand.

At least his presence and expertise on the matter made me comfortable enough to go inside. We took our first steps into the darkness yet my palm was already sweaty against his.

"If it makes you feel better, this is Shoal Cave," he said, his voice echoing in the tunnel, "It's one of the most visited caves, and locals come here all the time."

"So there are more crazy people like you around?"

"If you put it like that, yeah." He chuckled lightly. The more we entered the more pep was added to his step. "There is also a secret area that's only accessible at low tide."

"That means..."

Oh.

Oh! The water fills the cave!

"I wish you would have said that before!" The threat of drowning made my heart leap. I couldn't turn back, however, I was at the mercy of Steven's guidance and his grip on my hand wasn't loosening any time soon.

Not like I complained about that, we rarely handhold. But this hold wasn't casual, no. It was one that told me "I got you, through thick or thin". That I won't ever be alone again. I won't ever have to guess if he would return home on time or not. I could put my full trust in him and feel safe for once.

"You won't drown, I swear on my life. I know exactly when the water level rises. But you can bonk me on the head if it gets to your knees."

The thought of water even soiling my shoes and rising up on me...Yeah, no. "I don't even want to think about it. Let's just hurry, please!"

"Right." He agreed.

We started to lightly jog, heading deeper into the unknown.

'What have I gotten myself into?' I thought until we finally made it out of the tunnel and into a wider area. A rocky roof twenty feet above us prevented any ounce of sunlight, but the water near our feet had bioluminescence, lighting the whole place where it was comfortably viewable without a flashlight. The water level was very low, only mere puddles we could walk over. The whole ground was soggy sand and annoying pebbles that lodged into my shoe.

And an...old man? Standing peacefully in the middle to admire the calm environment. His attention shifted to us when we approached. "Visitors? Oh, Steven, hello!"

"Hey, Mark. I'm doing the same ol' same ol', y'know?"

"Great! If you find any shoal salt and shoal shells, I can make you a shell bell anytime. I see you even brought a friend."

"I try but never d-"

"Psst." I tugged on his shirt and mouthed "let's go". Small talk was cute and all but we had things to do.

"Um, we can catch up later. I got something to do."

"Come talk to me anytime!"

Steven nodded before we ventured forth. Multiple tunnels were up ahead, some on different elevations that required high tide to traverse. But the low tide entrance was the only one we could go through. As we delve deeper, the madness grows. We weaved through tight cracks of the stalagmites, one even getting caught on my shirt and nearly tearing it apart. I had to put on my hoody to prevent any random moisture from dripping onto me. Who knows what that water was contaminated with. And don't get me started with the Spheals rolling around and giving us jumpscares.

But Steven knew the method to the madness, going up slippery slopes with the calculated placement of his footing. He hopped from rock to rock with ease while I had to scramble and weasel my way up. But he didn't leave me behind and saw me struggling, grabbing my hand to hoist me up the final slope.

"Good exercise right?"

I wiped the sweat from my forehead. The jacket locked the heat against my body. "Easy for you to say, I didn't know you were that athletic."

"I'm stronger than meets the eye. A lot doubt me because of my stature. I have class, but I'm not afraid to get bold and daring when I need to."

"And that's why I love you." I kissed his cheek and messed with his hair, earning a faint blush from him.

He then held my waist and pulled me in close, giving me a peck along my collarbone. "And that's why your gift will be special, no doubt about it."

I raised a brow. "I think I know what it is."

"Well, sort of, but there's more layers to it. The only way to find out is by going down this ladder."

A hole was dug straight through the ground, a metal ladder right at our feet. At first, I was pained by the thought of going deeper, but a blue light glistened below, dancing along the edges of the hole as if it were alive. It called out to me and quelled all of my fear. "Whatever's down this HAS to be rare."

"Then see it for yourself, c'mon!" He propped himself on the ladder and lowered himself down with haste.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," I replied dramatically before I descended.

Coldness began to creep on us; the temperature dropped as we climbed down. The steel ladder could give us frostbite if we weren't quick with our movement. Now I'm grateful for the jacket that prevented me from being a shivering mess. Hell, gloves and a scarf would be better.

We reached the end and the view did not disappoint. The entire room was encased in this brilliant blue material. Biolumensece water was trapped under, but the colors were amplified as it shimmered through the material. The light reflected constantly, giving a permanent glow, almost blinding even. But I couldn't look away, tranced by the endless wonder sealed within this hidden gem.

"Holy shit, Steven! Is this diamond?"

He reacted with a hearty laugh. "No no, this room would have been dug out by now if that were the case. It's actually nevermelt ice."

"Oh, no wonder why it's so damn cold. But it's still beautiful."

"That's not even the best part." He treaded up two layers of ice to stand close to a...clump?

I couldn't make it out, so I got closure to his level. It was more ice, but there was something inside.

"This. This is your gift, ___."

I squinted heavily and spotted a white rock. So we woke up at the crack of dawn, traveled miles, went through a rocky jungle gym, and nearly tripped and busted my ass over some rock.

Oh, classic Steven...I guess this would be added to my collection of sixteen of them that he gave me. Don't get me wrong, they were wonderful stones, some even costing a pretty penny or they were more unique than the rest. But a repeat of past gifts did underwhelm me. "I thought..." I trailed off, unsure of how to feel. I didn't want to be ungrateful but he promised this gift would be special from the others.

"I-I know it seems simple on the surface, but I have a plan with it."

"You do?" I couldn't think of any idea he would plan we would use this for. A decoration for the house maybe? I don't know how you can have plans with an ice-covered boulder.

"Yes. This very rock, it's the same one in front of the Space Center of Mossdeep City. It embodied a wish. A wish for the rockets to fly safely, a wish for hopes and dreams to come true, and a wish you and I share. But it won't be a wish, it'll be a reality."

"Steven, what are you on about?" His mini-speech gave me more questions than answers.

He gave me a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry for getting carried away, I was trying to set the mood but I'm not the best smooth talker. I just-, y'know-" He couldn't even get his sentence out, as if his own throat was closing in on him. He looked at me with desperation, his steel blue eyes concentrated on my reaction.

'Do it, Steven.' I called out in my mind. I listened with a calm and understanding gaze, alleviating any weight he may felt.

And that was all he needed to go further.

He dug into his pocket.

A tiny velvet casing in his palm.

He got down on one knee.

"___, will you marry me?"

Three years. Three years of waiting. Three years I've been begging for him to pop the question. He never gave a clear answer, or just dodged it entirely. I didn't know what kind of relationship we had after I'd been denied for that long. I know it was hard but I deserved clarity. I thought we were drifting apart. I thought he valued his time more with trivial matters than me. I thought we were going to split that very evening yesterday on the beach.

Today I was finally graced with those words from the man I loved. An aching warmth filled my chest as I clutched it. Uncontrollable tears flowed down my flushed cheeks. "Steven..." I started with a disbelief whisper, but my voice bloomed into helpless cries. "Yes, Steven, yes! I do! I'd do it a hundred times if I could!"

"Maybe in another universe where that's possible, but I'll make this one count!" He immediately slipped the ring onto my finger. "I've been saving a lot to make this happen."

"So that's why you've been busy this year."

"Yes, I had to make this perfect. This ring's shank is pure carat gold."

I took a look for myself. The base of the ring was a honey-yellow, 3 strips of 24k gold was weaved into a knot. On top of there were three bearings. The two on the side contained a single diamond and the one in the middle was empty, a missing piece. "Um. Did one of the diamonds fell out?"

"No, not at all! That's where the white rock will be. We'll take it out of the cave and we can carve it into anything you want for you ring. Unless you desire another diamond or a different gem all together!"

He really did go out of his way to plan this, didn't he? The diamonds, the gold, and the rich nevermelt iceroom were a nice touch but those meant nothing to me. "Steven, you could have lodged a rock candy into here and I'd still take it. As long I'm with you, that's all that will ever satisfy me."

His commitment was what I yearned for and recieved it, but my own guilt nagged at me. He kept it all a secret, working long hours, putting his sweat, blood, and tears into this. All of his time and effort he would never get back. That weighed on me as I gazed at my reflection on the gold.

"If only I can repay you in some way..."

"___, you don't have to. I'll earn it back eventually."

"I know, I know, it's just dawned on me that I haven't given you a gift in a long while."

The last time I did, it was months ago for Valentine's day. I got him the stereotypical basket. A heartbox with chocolates, a bouquet of roses, a little teddy bear that played cheesy music when you pressed its paw, and a bathbomb. You know what he did with the bathbomb? Added straight to his collection, he couldn't bring himself to destroy it in water so he hoarded it. I let out a bittersweet laugh at the memory.

"What's funny?"

"That I couldn't get you anything all this time. Something meaningful." I shook my head. I only worked part time at the Pokemon Center. The pay was decent enough to support myself when Steven was absent but I wouldn't be able to live off of it alone. Still, that was something to work it. Something I could invest for a proper gift.

"That's okay, I fulfilled my debt to you. And I don't want that cute smile to disappear from unneeded stress." He went over and embraced me. Even with the layers on, I still felt his warmth envlope me. He kissed my forehead before cupping my cheek with his hand. "Please don't worry about me, my dear. I only get to stress about finances, okay? Save what you can for now."

I refused to meet his gaze. I softly shook my head. I had to come up with something. All I wanted was to...

Give.

Huh?

Give.

The very essence of that word snatched my full attention.

The rock, glimmering, calling, standing out to me.

Yes, I'd give anything! It was though the rock understood my want. I didn't know what become of me but I slowly faced the rock.

"___?" Steven called out to me.

I couldn't say anything. Before I knew it I left his embrace. He tried to clutch my hand. I was too quick. I made haste to the white rock, its powerful gravitation reeling me in. My body betrayed itself as I tried to take control, but my muscles refused to budge to my influence. My twitching hand reached for its surface.

Steven leaped forward. "No! The nevermelt ice will-"

The rock began to glow, a blinding white light eminating from its core. Steven let out a grunt as his eyes strained and covered his face.

I wanted to scream while my lips shut into a thin line. My palm graced the nevermelt ice. The sharp cold stung my palm, I forcefully ignored the pain. The rock sensed my presence. It made the nevermelt ice transparent, making me lean right through it. The surface of the rock was like liquid, warping to allow me inside. Once my body was fully escased, it solidified.

I felt...nothing. My senses were all gone. My eyes were wide open but the stone blocked out everything, barely transparent enough to view the outside world. I couldn't feel it around me. It was like I was in space, consumed by a deep void that I couldn't escape.

No air could find its way into my lungs. The only thing I could feel was my own artificial heartbeat in my chest. All I could do was think.

'What the hell is happening? How am I still alive? Why and how did I get inside this rock?,' I thought only for my questions to echo into my head. 'I must be dead, this has to be some sort of twisted afterlife.'

In the distance, I could hear Steven's cries resounding through the stone. I wish I had the ability to shout out, tell him I'm still there. Tell him that I'm only a few inches from him. Tell him I want to spend the final days of my life growing old with him.

But the rock refused. I had no choice but to obey.

- - - - - - - - ❰･💎･❱ - - - - - - - -

˚₊·-͟͟͞➳❥ 𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆

Q: Do you think the relationship between you and Steven is believable and pleasing? Did you like the proposal scene? Is 1st person pov with x reader stories more engaging or do you prefer the traditional second person pov other stories do?

I know this was a hefty chapter but it was accomplished! I had to edit it heavily, rereading it multiple times til it was good to send out. That's why updates come in every 3-5 days, I try to provide a good quality story. While my brain dies afterwards from exhaustion!

I also work on writing commissions and other personal writing in the background so that keeps me busy. Gotta hustle, y'know? If you're also wondering what the ice room of Shoal Cave looks like, this is what it looks like in the game. 

You have to slide across the room correctly to get to the stairs and reach the rock, as there are paths where you can't control yourself and have to use the ice spikes to navigate though. I debated to wether have Steven and the reader to do the same thing to get to the white rock but that would just be filler to an already decently long chapter. Check out my message board for anything and vote too!

Sylvy signing out.