"Alright, Mr. Edward, please throw out your Poké Ball."
Inside a secret base operated by the Hoenn League, Edward was standing in a massive training field. Around him was a crowd of official League personnel and a swarm of researchers setting up various pieces of equipment. They were all here to witness the first person in the Hoenn League to catch a Legendary Pokémon—Edward Stone.
Edward's mouth twitched slightly. Ever since he discovered he had accidentally captured a dormant Groudon, he knew he'd gotten himself into serious trouble. After all, this was Groudon—one of Hoenn's legendary trio. Even if the one he caught was dormant, it was still Groudon.
What Edward didn't expect was how seriously the League would take it. The moment they confirmed he had captured Groudon, they immediately brought him to this secret research facility overnight.
"Alright." Edward sighed helplessly, but still tossed out the Luxury Ball in his hand. With a flash of light, the massive figure of Groudon appeared in the center of the field. Edward immediately heard countless gasps from the onlookers. The most excited, however, were the researchers, who quickly began operating their equipment to analyze Groudon's data.
"It really is Groudon..." the League Chairwoman standing beside Edward muttered in awe. Her gaze shifted toward Edward with a trace of disbelief. How did this guy do it?
According to him, he had simply thrown a Poké Ball at a rock that looked like Groudon, and by sheer luck, captured it. The League had already received a report on that rock, which Edward had previously submitted for testing. According to the Devon Corporation's analysis, it was an ordinary stone. There was no indication of any connection to Groudon. If not for the fact that the base where this happened was under tight security and that Edward had been in Rustboro the whole day, the Chairwoman might have suspected that he intentionally went to catch Groudon.
"...Brother, I swear..."
Steven rubbed his temples in agony. As the League Champion, he was naturally informed immediately. Honestly, when he first heard the news, he didn't believe it. Groudon was no ordinary Pokémon—capturing it was nearly impossible. Due to issues around Mt. Chimney, Poké Balls would even melt from the extreme heat before they got close enough to try.
The League had long been cautious about this. They feared that attempting to capture Groudon might awaken it, which could bring catastrophic drought to the Hoenn region—something depicted clearly in ancient murals.
So, they opted for long-term surveillance instead. But now, somehow, Groudon had been caught by his younger brother.
Steven was stunned beyond words.
"At least it still seems to be asleep," said Officer Jenny Isolde with relief. Ever since Groudon appeared, it hadn't stirred—it was completely dormant.
"Then... is it possible to release Groudon back into the wild?" the League Chairwoman asked, turning to the head researcher.
Though Edward was the Devon Corporation's heir, the Chairwoman wasn't entirely comfortable with him carrying Groudon around. What if someone tried to target him?
"We can't be sure," the researcher said, frowning. "If we release it, there's a chance it could awaken. If that happens, there's no telling what might go wrong—and I definitely don't want to be the one blamed for it."
The Chairwoman's expression instantly turned grim. She knew full well that such a disaster would be on her head—even with her status, she couldn't afford that risk. If Hoenn were plunged into a severe drought, the consequences would be disastrous.
That's why the League had only ever monitored Groudon, never dared capture it. But now, faced with Groudon's hulking presence, she was clearly uneasy.
"Can we keep the Luxury Ball here?" the Chairwoman suggested another option.
Steven remained silent, understanding her true concern. It wasn't about distrusting Edward—it was about protecting him. If word got out that he possessed Groudon, every villainous team and dark organization would hunt him down. Capturing Edward would be as good as owning Groudon.
If the League kept the Poké Ball instead, that danger could be avoided.
The researcher gestured for Edward to try it. Edward didn't mind—in fact, he was eager to be rid of this hot potato. If Groudon were awake and could fight, it would be a different story. But a dormant Groudon was more trouble than it was worth.
Edward recalled Groudon into the Luxury Ball and placed it down nearby. Just as he turned to leave—barely twenty steps out—alarmed voices rang out from the researchers.
"Temperature rising! It's about to exceed the Luxury Ball's limit!"
"Activity spike detected! Groudon's reacting strongly!"
The sudden shouts made Edward instinctively turn around, only to see the Poké Ball trembling violently. It looked like Groudon was about to burst out any second.
"Mr. Edward! Come back here, quick!" the Chairwoman shouted sternly.
Edward hurried back a few steps—and just like that, the Poké Ball settled. The temperature dropped, the vibrations stopped. Everything calmed down.
Edward's face turned green.
What the hell? Was Groudon… clingy?
Was he some kind of chosen one? Why did Groudon insist on staying by his side? This was a nightmare. It was like walking around with a mountain of gold strapped to your back—he might as well be asking to get robbed.
"...This is bad."
Steven groaned into his hands. Now what? His little brother had somehow become Groudon's chosen trainer. There was no way the League would feel at ease with this.
Beside them, the League Chairwoman remained silent, her expression unreadable as she stared quietly ahead, deep in thought.
(End of Chapter)
(Author's Note: The protagonist won't be randomly catching legendary Pokémon. This is part of a larger setup and ties into the main plot.)