"But that detective said he wants additional compensation before he's willing to reveal the entrance location to the base," Zoroark said with a troubled expression. It hadn't expected the man to suddenly raise the price at the last moment.
"How much?" Edward frowned slightly but didn't get angry. As far as he was concerned, if something could be solved with money, then it wasn't really a problem at all.
Besides, once they found the location of Team Magma's base, they could prevent an impending disaster in Hoenn's future. He could always ask the Hoenn League for a reward afterward—fairly so. After all, even though in the games, Team Magma's base was located around Mt. Chimney near Lavaridge Town, the real-world Mt. Chimney was an enormous mountain range—vast to the point of despair.
Humanity's smallness in the face of nature was painfully clear here.
"He's asking for an extra one million." Zoroark glanced at the phone.
Edward agreed instantly. One million really wasn't that much. If it meant getting the location of Team Magma's base, it was absolutely worth it. And once Edward gave the green light, the detective seemed satisfied with his credibility and promptly sent over the location coordinates—along with his bank account number.
Without hesitation, Edward had Zoroark transfer the payment, then input the coordinates into the computer to check them.
Even though the Pokémon world didn't have satellites, it did have detailed coordinate maps and its own positioning systems. Edward quickly confirmed: the location was in the middle section of the Mt. Chimney mountain range.
"Team Magma's base, huh?" Edward narrowed his eyes.
The coordinates looked promising, but he needed to verify the location before taking further action. Of course, he wasn't going to go check it out himself. That kind of recon work was best left to professionals. With that, Edward picked up his phone and called an old friend—Officer Jenny Grace.
"Yo~ Edward! What's up calling me at this hour?"
The call was picked up after just two rings, Jenny Grace's teasing tone coming through loud and clear.
Edward didn't waste time on small talk. He quickly explained the situation with Team Magma's base. As soon as she heard that, Jenny Grace's tone shifted.
"Team Magma's base? In Mt. Chimney?! Got it—hold on a second…"
The call didn't disconnect, but there was the sound of rustling fabric on the other end. Moments later, a calm, authoritative female voice replaced hers.
"Edward. This is Jenny Isolde. Tell me everything you know about the Mt. Chimney situation."
Edward was stunned for a moment. Jenny Isolde? She was the head of the Jenny clan in the Hoenn Region, and also the chief of the League's Enforcement Division—the woman who could ride around with the license plate 00001.
Now that was a true big shot.
Edward quickly explained that he had hired a detective to investigate the matter. Jenny Isolde didn't pry any further. Once she received the location, she simply said, "Wait for further updates," and hung up.
"She's pretty direct, huh?" Edward muttered to himself, staring at his phone. He remembered his older brother once told him that Jenny Isolde was known to be rather quiet. But when it came to her duties, she sure didn't waste time.
Either way, Edward was hopeful now. If they could take care of Team Magma, then dealing with Team Aqua wouldn't be as difficult. After all, the two criminal organizations needed to work together to get their hands on the Red and Blue Orbs. Without that cooperation, it would be difficult for either side to succeed alone.
His only remaining concern was whether Groudon was actually present in the Mt. Chimney base.
The Hoenn League—such a massive organization—wasn't built on ideals like truth or justice. It wasn't held up by some lofty code of morality.
No. It survived on pure force.
Soon, under Jenny Isolde's orders, a 20-person elite intel unit was deployed. Flying on Altaria, they soared above the target area.
Altaria had been chosen for its unique body coloration, which allowed it to blend seamlessly into the sky. Specially trained Altaria could even fly silently—perfect for stealth operations.
The unit said nothing, communicating entirely through hand signals. They swiftly descended, forming a circular encirclement around the target zone and slowly closed in.
When they reached the designated coordinates, they found only rocky cliffs—everything seemed peaceful and normal. Hidden in the forest, camouflaged from view, the unit waited.
The squad leader pulled out a Poké Ball and released a Venusaur.
This Venusaur was clearly battle-worn, its body scarred and one eye blind. The man gently patted his partner, and the Venusaur affectionately rubbed against him before releasing a very fine, spore-like mist.
Carried by the wind, the spores drifted over the rocky cliffside and clung to it.
Then the man pulled out a specialized instrument and tapped a few buttons.
Moments later, he signaled with a thumbs-up.
Another woman in the unit brought out her Pokémon—a Alakazam, which used its psychic power to twist a small paper note out of existence and send it away instantly.
The team fell silent once more, watching the suspected base entrance with tense anticipation.
…
"Forward team has confirmed the target location has a concealed door."
Isolde received the report and her eyes gleamed coldly with a hint of satisfaction.
Team Magma—like sewer living Rattata—had been slipping through their fingers for far too long. No one could ever pin down their exact whereabouts. But now, thanks to Edward's tip-off, they finally had something concrete.
And the fact that they dared to mess with Mt. Chimney? That was serious.
Isolde knew full well what lay within Mt. Chimney.
"Contact the Champion. Mobilize our combat units. Surround the entire target zone," she ordered without hesitation.
Team Magma had overstepped their bounds. Their very existence could no longer be tolerated.
With her command, the full force of the League began to move. Countless specialists carrying state-of-the-art gear descended upon Mt. Chimney. They would map the entirety of the base, determine whether other hidden entrances existed, and ultimately raze the entire facility.
Hoenn's newly crowned Champion, Steven Stone had already received direct orders. With his team of Pokémon, he raced toward Mt. Chimney.
Riding atop a Dragonite, Isolde looked down at the mountain range below.
"Team Magma—your ambitions end here."
(End of Chapter)