"There's a Pokémon hiding nearby?"
Upon hearing Eternatus's warning, Lucas frowned slightly and glanced around cautiously.
The two of them were now just outside Viridian Forest. Behind them was the forest, and in all other directions, there was only open space. But no matter how closely Lucas examined the surroundings, he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.
Still, there was no way Eternatus would lie to him.
And clearly, the Pokémon in question wasn't some ordinary wild creature. Otherwise, Eternatus wouldn't have even bothered to speak up—those kinds of Pokémon were beneath its notice.
"How strong is it?"
Lucas asked Eternatus silently in his mind.
"It's aura is very strong. And it's Psychic-type."
Eternatus immediately replied. Being a Poison/Dragon-type, it was naturally sensitive to Psychic-type energy, which it was vulnerable to.
"Psychic-type, huh… Then it can only be one thing."
Lucas raised an eyebrow. In the Kanto region, there was only one Psychic-type Pokémon strong enough to make even Eternatus cautious—Mew.
Sure, Celebi was also a Psychic-type Mythical Pokémon, but when it came to actual combat ability... Celebi's strength was honestly underwhelming.
By all rights, as a mythical Pokémon, Celebi should have a strong base power level, but perhaps due to its peace-loving nature, it was almost entirely unfit for battle. Even in the face of danger, it would usually just flee rather than fight—unlike Mew, who could snap and go berserk when pushed.
And in terms of overall strength, Celebi ranked among the weakest of all legendary or mythical Pokémon.
"Mew can turn invisible—it's not strange we can't detect it."
Lucas muttered, scanning the empty air around him again. Although he couldn't see any signs of a Pokémon, he was now fairly certain that Mew was floating nearby, watching them.
After all, Mew could become invisible at will. Unless one used a specific method to force it into battle, there was no way to make it reveal itself.
"Let's go, Marnie. We're heading to Cinnabar Island."
After a moment of consideration, Lucas decided not to release Eternatus to force Mew out. Instead, he took Marnie's small hand and resumed their journey.
He didn't know why Mew had taken an interest in him, but he wasn't too worried.
As long as Eternatus was by his side, Mew wouldn't be able to harm him. Besides, Lucas didn't believe Mew bore any hostility toward him. Mew was, after all, a creature far beyond human comprehension.
Its temperament could be unpredictable, but it was also pure-hearted and playful by nature. As long as one didn't attack or provoke it, Mew would rarely harm anyone. In fact, it might even approach humans out of curiosity.
If it wanted to peek at him, so be it. Lucas wasn't in a rush. If Mew was curious, then sooner or later they'd meet properly.
Lucas and Marnie walked away.
Not long after they left, a shimmer of light and shadow twisted the air.
A small, cat-like Pokémon, entirely pink, floated silently in the sky.
"Mew~"
Tilting its head and gnawing on its paw, Mew looked in the direction Lucas had gone, its long tail swaying gently behind it.
Originally, it had just been playing nearby when it suddenly sensed an extremely ancient and indescribable presence.
After floating over to investigate, it immediately understood the source—
Arceus's Creation Plates.
That human actually had several of them on his body!
Mew couldn't comprehend why items that belonged to Arceus would end up in the hands of a human.
Even more puzzling, when it got close, it also sensed another incredibly powerful Pokémon residing within that human's aura.
"Mew~"
Its tiny head worked hard trying to figure it out. Blinking its big, curious eyes, Mew gave a soft, ethereal cry, spun once in midair, and vanished again into the sky.
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Cinnabar Island.
Cinnabar—a name invoking the vivid color of flame. True to its name, the island was a land of fire and heat.
At its center stood a massive volcano—an active one, no less.
In the Gold and Silver versions of the games, Cinnabar Town was destroyed due to a volcanic eruption, forcing Blaine to relocate his Gym to the Seafoam Islands. A tragic turn of events.
But reality differed from the games. While Cinnabar Island was indeed volcanic, even if it erupted, the effects weren't nearly so catastrophic.
In fact, thanks to its famous hot springs, Cinnabar Island had become a bustling hub for tourism.
Arriving at the harbor, Lucas and Marnie disembarked and headed toward town.
"So many people…"
Marnie looked at the crowded streets, her bright eyes sweeping across the bustling scene.
No surprise—it was one of the most famous resort destinations in Kanto. The crowd was borderline insane.
"It's not that strange," Lucas said with a smile. "These hot springs are among the best in the world, and the beaches aren't bad either. Really high value for the price."
He wasn't exaggerating. With quality beaches, top-tier hot springs, and even the occasional volcanic activity as a spectacle, Cinnabar Island was an excellent choice for vacationers.
"Let's find a hot spring inn too, then," Marnie said, blinking her bright eyes in anticipation.
Hot springs—what girl could resist?
"Of course. I already booked us a place in advance."
Lucas gave her cheek a gentle pinch. He'd made reservations before even setting foot on the island. Trying to find a room now? Good luck with that.
"The Rocket executive you mentioned… they're not here yet?"
Marnie had grown used to Lucas's occasional teasing. She asked out of curiosity.
They'd been traveling for two days since leaving Viridian City. During that time, Lucas had mentioned they'd be meeting a Rocket executive here.
"Sabrina should be arriving tonight. Let's check in first."
Lucas glanced at the map. While his main goal was to find Dr. Fuji, he hadn't forgotten about another target—Articuno, on the Seafoam Islands.
The Team Rocket Three Legendary Birds Project required Articuno, and the Seafoam Islands weren't far from Cinnabar.
Sabrina was one of the top three Rocket executives and had been assigned to capture Articuno. But since Saffron City was far from Cinnabar, and her public identity made it tricky to travel freely, she was moving carefully.
----------------------------------------------
Lucas and Marnie arrived at the hot spring inn.
"Welcome! Are you looking for a room? Sorry—we're fully booked."
A hearty, elderly voice called out from behind the counter as they entered.
Looking up, Lucas saw an old man wearing sunglasses and a round gentleman's hat—Blaine.
"We already booked online. Here's my ID card."
Lucas approached the counter and handed it over.
"Ah, let me check... Lucas, right? Yes, it's here."
Blaine took the card without looking up. But when he saw the name, he froze slightly and glanced up at Lucas.
The Blackthorn surname was well-known in Kanto—because the current Champion was Lance of the Blackthorn clan.
Even though insiders knew Lance had no true blood ties to the Blackthorn family—having emerged from the Viridian Forest—he had since been officially accepted into the clan.
"Handsome young man from the Blackthorn family, huh? But since you brought a lady with you, should I prepare two rooms?"
Blaine chuckled as he completed the check-in. The old man, though aged, clearly still had a playful streak.
Marnie's eye twitched. She casually turned away, but a faint blush rose on her porcelain cheeks.
What the hell kind of question is that? "Do you still need two rooms?"
Of course we do! It's not like we're actually dating…
"Don't joke like that, sir. We're dating, yes—but we're both very traditional."
Lucas smiled innocently. Marnie's face turned even redder, but she didn't refute it.
"Haha! Young people like you—how refreshing."
Blaine laughed. He could clearly see this girl liked the boy, even if she tried to hide it.
"But I'm curious, Blaine—why are you running a hot spring hotel? Is your Gym that quiet?"
Lucas asked casually.
"Oh? You recognize me?" Blaine raised an eyebrow. "Don't get me started! Today's youth are so soft—barely a challenge begins before they give up. Sigh…"
He shook his head dramatically, as if lamenting the weakness of the new generation.
But Lucas didn't buy a word of it.
Blaine was a long-time Elite Four-level trainer, specializing in aggressive Fire-types. Despite his age, he was still full of energy and incredibly passionate.
Yet his Gym had the fewest challengers in all of Kanto.
Why? Because he went way too hard on them.
Almost every challenger left with half their team severely burned. Even when trying to hold back, his power level was still leagues above the average trainer.
Complaints about the insane difficulty of Cinnabar Gym flooded the Kanto trainer forums.
But Blaine didn't care. He believed anyone who couldn't handle hardship wasn't worthy of being a trainer.
"Still, maybe you could tone it down just a bit," Lucas said with a smile. "Not everyone can take hits from your Pokémon."
He didn't dislike Blaine. Trainers like him—elderly but still passionate about Pokémon—were rare these days. That spoke volumes about Blaine's love for the craft.
But his performance… well, he was also a hell of an actor.
He'd spent the last six months helping Team Rocket with the Mewtwo project—yet here he was, playing the kind old hotel owner.
"I know, I know. But it's hard to hold back once the battle starts."
"By the way, young man from the Blackthorn clan, interested in challenging my Gym?"
Blaine gave him a knowing glance. He was intrigued by this young man with such a famous name.
"I'll pass. I'm not planning on entering the Indigo League. But I am looking for you, Blaine."
Lucas's smile faded into something darker.
"Oh? What for?" Blaine asked, now intrigued.
"The whereabouts of Dr. Fuji. I assume you might know something?"
Lucas's grin turned malicious as he asked.
Blaine's body stiffened. Behind the sunglasses, his pupils contracted sharply.
This guy… he's here for Fuji?
"No need to react so strongly, Blaine. You're half a Rocket yourself—one of the heads behind the Mewtwo Project. Surely you didn't think we'd just let that go?"
Lucas took a step back, his grin cold as his voice dropped in tone.
Marnie stepped back as well, her gaze flicking between the two men in surprise.
Blaine—a Team Rocket member too?!
From Viridian's Gym Leader being the Rocket Boss to this—Kanto really was a chaotic mess.
"I didn't think you'd come this quickly…"
Blaine sighed and removed his sunglasses. "But I'll admit, I never expected someone from the Blackthorn clan to be working with Rocket…"
"I've already made enough mistakes once. I won't repeat them. I've kept my promise—I haven't told the League a thing about Mewtwo. Why force this, boy?"
His tired eyes were now calm and resolute as he looked at Lucas.
"You misunderstand. I said I'm only here to ask about Fuji's location."
Lucas shrugged. He really didn't care about Blaine all that much.
After all, Blaine was too deep to betray Rocket easily—and even if he did, what could he reveal?
Once Fuji and Blaine fled, Giovanni had relocated Mewtwo immediately.
Even if Blaine blabbed to the League, they'd find nothing. Meanwhile, Blaine would fall under suspicion himself.
So… no risk.
(End of Chapter)