Route 116 unknowingly lead me back to Rustboro. I stop by the devon corporation and let the CEO know I've made all his deliveries. He doesn't give me anything but does let me know that the unknown mega stone is for Pidgeot. From Rustboro I set out toward Lavaridge. Or I was if team magma hadn't decided to be an annoyance, but they did. I spent a week in the mountains tracking them down getting stolen good back and beating enough members so they'd leave me alone and leave. In Lavaridge there was a fire gym leader, but I have Kwan so now I'm licensed to use strength. Which I then teach to Kwan and Herb.
I'm temporarily stopped by a local sandstorm, so I buy some googles then go on my way. I take the dessert road back to Petalburg. Now with 4 badges, I teach the basic bitch normal gym leader a lesson for making me backtrack.
Kwan now able to use surf takes me down route 118. Another nice old man trades me a new fishing rod for the antique one I was given before. At the end of the route, I run back into the guy I had delivered a letter to who introduces himself as Steven. We talk for a bit and we were going to go our separate ways but we heard a strange Pokemon cry. We see two Pokemon moving very fast and we chase after them. We are led to a small remote island already crawling with team magma. Steven and I do a series of double battles kicking them off the island. After they leave we discover that the Pokemon are Latios and Latias. They thank us for our help before leaving. Steven gives me a mega bracelet an item capable of causing mega evolution in appropriate Pokemon. We then go our separate ways.
Route 119 was great. Just randomly lying around there was a mega stone for my venasaur. I mean yea I ran into more team magma taking over a weather station, but dealing with them is an everyday event.
I make an uneventful stop in Fortree city before once again running into Steven. He's testing glasses that let you see invisible things called a Devon Scope. He let me try them out. While wearing them I see a kecleon. Steven captures it but lets me keep the scope and gives me a mega stone for swampert completing the set for my team. With the set complete I spend some time in Fortree to train them all with mega-evolutions. I forgot to beat the Fortree gym so I do that. I don't have anything strong against flying, but my team is beefy. I can now use fly if I had a Pokemon capable of fly. I could get an HM toadie for fly but I like my team the way it is, so I'll just walk or use Walt's ability to teleport which is like fly except instant. I can't use it to get to new places but it is helpful for getting around.
More team magma shenanigans make me head up Mt pyre. They end up stealing a magic orb and running away with it. I'm given the other magic orb and warning that what they intend to do can destroy the world. Given their track record I'm not worried, but better safe then sorry so I teleport back to Slateport. I beat them there, but they sneak into town and highjack a submarine. Although they do reveal their base is in Lilycove City. So while they're in the sub I'm offered a ride to Lilycove.
I find their base and mega evolve the whole team. I go in guns blazing... Well, Pokemon blazing... Well, actually no fire types either. Me my team wrecks their shit. With my intervention, they don't have the time they need to upgrade the sub, but they leave early to avoid capture. I chase after them making sure to grab their master ball on the way out.
I'm able to surf but they're in a sub and while I can dive after the man's use my rebreather I won't be able to handle the water pressure. I instead stop at Mossdeep City. I finish the fishing trilogy by meeting yet another old man that gives away better fishing rods. I then quickly go and beat the seventh gym a double battle let me beat the leaders twice as fast. I can now legally use dive.
After beating them there is an earthquake that shakes the town. Steven shows up again telling me he has faith I can handle it and so he gives scuba gear and a dive HM. I mean he was a little rude, but I guess he's busy being one of the only competent people on the continent. I teach Kwan dive and head in the direction of underwater sea caves Steven and the sub captain mentioned.
It's a long chase across the ocean and through underground sea caves with lots of team magma grunts to beat in between. I defeat the magma boss, but I made a mistake by bringing my magical orb down here. It makes a weird light show with the one team magma brought, and despite beating team magma Groudon awakens. He raises the surface temperature by 10 degrees then runs away after more power. At this point the magma boss realizes he messed up and tells me Groudon is probably headed to the Cave of Origins to achieve a primal reversion to his most powerful state.