Although Team Magma had lost the Red Orb, Team Aqua's revival plan was still proceeding in an orderly manner.
The Sootopolitans would have to figure out how to reach the depths of the magma and make contact with Groudon if they wanted to awaken it. As for Team Aqua, they had probably already built their submarine and were steadily making their way toward the underwater cavern.
"I see..."
Shiro spoke as he tried to recall the Team Aqua base he had investigated in Lilycove City not long ago. Judging by the efficiency of the Pokémon world's workers, the Submarine Explorer 1 should have been nearly finished after a month, right?
But Team Aqua had been forced to retreat because of the Pokémon riot.
So where was the submarine now?
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he said a quick word and immediately ended the call.
On the other end, Joseph sat blankly in his office. He listened to the buzzing sound of the communication device as the call ended, then slumped into his leather Pokémon chair and finally let out a long breath.
* * *
Mt. Chimney.
The dark crimson soil was rough and uneven. The harsh environment and the volcanic ash that erupted from time to time made it difficult for any green plants to survive. Even Bug-type Pokémon with strong vitality would not want to stay here for even a day.
The sky was also filled with dark clouds formed from years of accumulated volcanic ash, making the entire place feel gloomy and oppressive.
At that moment, Corviknight circled down from the sky.
After leaving Lilycove City, Shiro had immediately headed for Mt. Chimney. Now that he knew Team Magma might already have the Red Orb, he had to prepare in case they awakened Groudon at any moment. It was better to wait here and catch them in the act.
For now, however, he could not spare the time to return to Lilycove City.
Fortunately, there was still someone there who could help.
Shiro immediately called Clara. She was definitely still in Lilycove City.
The phone rang only twice before she answered.
* * *
"Hello~ Why did you suddenly call? Don't tell me..."
Clara stood with one hand on her hip at the port of Lilycove City. She watched as groups of League trainers volunteered to clean up the aftermath, dealing with the Water-type Pokémon that had unfortunately been left stranded on the shore one by one.
Her mood was excellent.
Maybe she could go to a café in Lilycove City... No, it did not matter which city. She just wanted to have a cup of coffee.
"That's right. I have something urgent. Help me seal off the Team Aqua base north of Lilycove City." Shiro spoke quickly. "Isn't the League planning to make Team Aqua the main culprit behind the Pokémon riot? They've already fled, so go and seal their base right now."
"The base?" Clara felt a little dizzy.
Team Aqua's base?
She was supposed to seal it off?
Wait. Shiro had said that Team Aqua had already escaped.
Team Aqua had already escaped!
Clara finally understood the important part. She was about to ask for more details when Shiro continued, "If any League higher-ups want to go inside, tell them it's a place I need. There may still be something dangerous inside that could cause another Pokémon riot. If they have any questions, tell them to come to me. Just make sure the place is sealed off."
"No one is allowed inside!"
Clara instinctively replied, "Okay, but—"
Before she could finish, the call was already disconnected.
She stared at the communication device, its screen now dark. Covering her forehead, she tucked her blue hair behind her ear and let out a helpless sigh.
"Why is there always something going on?"
"Can't we just have a normal conversation for once...? It's always these evil organizations that deserve to be dragged to the gallows. They do nothing but cause trouble in Hoenn. Can't they just hurry up and disappear?"
She complained for a moment before quickly mounting her motorcycle and heading toward Team Aqua's northern base.
* * *
Meanwhile, at Mt. Chimney.
Shiro put away his communication device. Following the information he had received, he had already found traces of the Tyranitar colony.
He had come to deal with Team Magma and could even capture some Pokémon along the way. It was killing two birds with one stone.
The only problem was that time was tight. There was a chance Team Magma would return while he was capturing the Pokémon.
In the eastern part of Mt. Chimney, a valley separated two areas of land. On the other side stood a range of shorter yellow-brown rocky mountains. Farther east, the soil was still red, but sparse vegetation had already begun to appear.
Some Pokémon, such as Slugma, would occasionally come out to search for food.
Riding on Corviknight, Shiro flew into the valley between the two mountains and landed beside a patch of black rocks.
An Elite-level Tyranitar colony really did live here. They had simply hidden themselves extremely well.
Tyranitar was a Rock and Dark-type Pokémon. Its large body made it look much like Godzilla, and it could survive by eating rocks. Tyranitar could also sleep for years at a time to recover and preserve its strength, allowing it to avoid certain enemies.
The Tyranitar colony here at Mt. Chimney, especially its leader, had been sleeping in an underground cavern beneath the ground.
If Shiro had not accidentally obtained this information, he probably would never have known this place existed.
Even Team Magma, which had built a base here, had failed to discover it after all this time.
However, if he wanted to capture the Tyranitar, someone or some Pokémon still needed to keep watch outside and report any changes.
Although the Red Orb in Team Magma's possession had been stolen, the situation had not really changed. Groudon could still revive at any moment.
He did not know what method the Sootopolitans would use to reach the bottom of the magma, but they were one of the oldest clans in existence. Even without Devon Corporation's technology, they would certainly have their own way.
Shiro did not want to finish capturing the Pokémon only to walk outside and face a legendary Groudon's Precipice Blades.
"Gengar, stay here. Keep an eye on the surroundings. If you see anyone suspicious, come back and notify me."
"Gengar~" (No problem~)
Gengar patted its round belly and flashed a confident, wide grin.
Shiro rubbed its head before turning to Corviknight and giving the order.
"Corviknight, Drill Peck!"
The target was the patch of black rock beside them.
In fact, this black rock was much harder than the ordinary rocks around it. That was one of the main reasons why so few people had discovered this place.
Normally, there would be even harder rock and ore behind such a solid layer. The entire area would usually be solid rock. Unless there were extremely valuable mineral deposits inside, no one would pay much attention to a place like this.
Of course, these rocks were still too fragile for Corviknight.
"Coooorv!"
With a sharp cry, Corviknight shot into the air and came spinning down.
Its steel beak struck like a drill, instantly shattering the patch of black rock.
A cloud of dust rose into the air. After Corviknight briefly flapped its wings, the dust quickly cleared.
Behind the rocks was a pitch-black cave.
At first glance, it was difficult to tell whether it was even a cave or simply another section of rock.
But half of Corviknight's body was already inside.
Shiro did not hesitate. After briefly probing the area with his psychic power, he called out once more.
"A!"
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