Steven walked through the dark and damp Cerulean Cave, his pale blue hair glistening in the dim light. He was on the hunt for rare stones and crystals, something he had been doing since he was a young boy. His father had taught him about the importance of minerals and geology, and Steven had taken to it like a duck to water.

As he wandered around the cave, he couldn't help but notice that the wild Pokemon inside seemed to be afraid of him. It was unusual, as most Pokemon were friendly towards him. He shrugged it off and continued on his search, his pale blue eyes scanning the ground for any interesting specimens.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. Whirling around, he saw a Mareep peeking out at him from behind a rock. "Hey there, little guy," he said softly, holding out his hand. The Mareep hesitated for a moment before slowly emerging from its hiding place. Steven smiled and reached out to pet it, but the Mareep recoiled, letting out a small shriek.

Confused, Steven withdrew his hand and backed away slowly. "I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to scare you." The Mareep seemed to relax slightly, but it still kept its distance. Steven sighed and turned back to his search, wondering what could be making the Pokemon so afraid of him.