Just going through ORAS landmarks and I saw this. Granite Cave’s Japanese name is Stone Cave??? And Steven looks like he’s apologising for something??? And so an AU idea…

…where Steven is actually the ancestral/guardian spirit of the cave in Dewford and also the one who did that cave art as some kind of record; and you’re supposed to reassure him that everything’s fine and guide him on into the afterlife???
IS THAT WHY STEVEN WENT ON SOUL-SEARCHING POST-GAME???? I mean it’s possible that he got bored and went on to be champ, and his signature poke is literally a super-computer…