In the conference room of the League Building on the Indigo Plateau, a number of people were already seated.
"Yesterday afternoon, Team Rocket launched a sudden and terrifying assault on the S.S. Anne, attempting to seize the Pokémon aboard," said the elderly man seated at the head of the table, sweeping his gaze around the room, lingering briefly on the expressionless Lorelei and Lance. His voice was heavy.
Short and hunched, with a full head of white hair and beard, he was none other than Logi, the current Chairman of the Kanto League and the Supreme Chairman of the entire Pokémon League.
"This was an extremely severe act of terror! The S.S. Anne is a world-renowned luxury cruise liner, and this attack occurred within the waters under our jurisdiction in Kanto!"
Officer Jenny, dressed in uniform, had a solemn expression. The S.S. Anne was a vessel known to the world, and now that Team Rocket had brazenly attacked and attempted a mass kidnapping on it, the news would undoubtedly spread across the globe.
The ramifications for the Pokémon League and the Kanto region were deeply serious.
"This is a blatant provocation! Those scum from Team Rocket!"
"We absolutely cannot let them get away with this. Otherwise, Kanto will lose face before the world!"
"Exactly! We also need to calm the frightened public. Team Rocket is far too arrogant now!"
Several recently informed council members frowned deeply. This was no trivial matter—this was a crisis that could tarnish the Kanto League's global reputation.
No wonder Logi had convened an emergency meeting.
Lorelei and Lance stared coldly at these indignant councilmen, their indifferent gazes treating them like clowns putting on a laughable performance. But—
"If I remember correctly, Elite Four Lorelei arrived at the S.S. Anne yesterday, didn't she? Then why didn't she capture any of those Team Rocket members?" a middle-aged councilman asked directly, casting his eyes toward Lorelei without a shred of concern for her status.
Lorelei's expression instantly turned icy. This ignorant fool!
"That's the second matter. This time, Team Rocket introduced a new executive with extremely terrifying strength," Logi said, displeased as he glanced at the councilman, his bushy white eyebrows furrowing.
Indeed, Lorelei hadn't captured the Rocket members—but it was her presence that had forced them to retreat. Had she not intervened, the aftermath aboard the S.S. Anne would have been unimaginable.
Yet this idiot had the nerve to nitpick at Lorelei?
"Team Rocket is continuing to grow in power. We cannot allow this to continue. I'm ordering an all-regional crackdown on Team Rocket from here on out!" Logi declared gravely. Though years of suppression had once caused Team Rocket to lie low, this recent event proved they were rearing their heads again.
"Officer Zero, I'm entrusting this operation to you."
"Understood, sir!" Officer Jenny Zero stood and responded firmly. She was the head of the Jenny clan in the Kanto region, responsible for coordinating the entire Kanto security network.
"If any Team Rocket bases are discovered within cities, evacuate nearby civilians immediately. The Indigo Elite Four shall take charge of eliminating them."
"We must deal a crushing blow to Team Rocket! The League's dignity shall not be trampled!"
Logi's voice was deep and resolute. Though aged and small in stature, his authority and determination in that moment were imposing.
The honor and authority of the Pokémon League were not to be challenged.
Clearly, the S.S. Anne incident had finally awakened the Supreme Chairman's attention.
"Agreed."
"Seconded."
None of the other council members voiced objections.
--------------------
3:00 p.m., Castelia City, Unova Region
An airplane slowly descended onto the runway.
"Wow~"
As they exited the airport, a massive metropolis spread out before them. Green's eyes widened in awe.
Marnie was equally stunned, her round eyes taking in the overwhelming spectacle.
Castelia City's visual impact was nothing short of astonishing.
Countless skyscrapers rose into the clouds, packed tightly with other tall buildings, forming a unique urban skyline that defined this bustling port city.
The trio made their way into the city's core.
"There are so many people…" Green muttered as they walked along a crowded street, amazed by the seemingly endless flow of hurried pedestrians. "Unova's really lively… It's just so far from Kanto."
Marnie kept scanning her surroundings. Even by plane, it had taken them over five hours to arrive—Unova was just that far.
"That's normal. Castelia is Unova's economic center. It's also recognized as one of the largest cities in the world," Lucas explained with a chuckle. Castelia's status in Unova mirrored that of Safron City in Kanto.
With such a high population and commercial density—especially being a port city—its foot traffic was only natural.
"If you want to explore the sights, there'll be plenty of time later. For now, let's stay focused," Lucas said, smiling at the two curious girls.
After all, their true destination lay elsewhere.
------------------------
Dragonspiral Tower
An ancient structure located in the northwestern region of Unova.
Its age was unknown, its origins lost to time. No one knew when or by whom it was built. What was certain was that it was the oldest structure in the entire Unova region.
On the second day of their arrival in Unova, Lucas and his companions stood before the tower.
"I can feel it… The draconic energy here is incredibly dense."
Lucas stood before the ancient edifice, his eyes flashing as he gazed upward.
His power as a Dragon Master was particularly active here. The dragon aura around the tower was extraordinarily strong.
"Legend has it that a legendary Pokémon of Unova lies dormant within the tower."
Marnie recalled the information she had researched the night before. The rumored Pokémon were none other than Zekrom and Reshiram—the dragons of Truth and Ideals!
"Pff—yeah right. If those dragons were really in there, how come no one's ever managed to bring them out?" Green scoffed at the idea, clearly skeptical.
Everyone in Unova had heard the legend about the twin dragons sleeping in Dragonspiral Tower.
And yet?
The tower wasn't exactly hidden. It sat just north of Icirrus City. Still, no one had ever seen the so-called dragons of legend.
The whole idea just sounded absurd to Green—this seemingly decrepit old tower didn't look like it could house any divine beings.
Marnie glanced at her, suddenly struck by déjà vu…
Ah yes—back in the Crown Tundra, Marnie had confidently declared there were no legendary Pokémon there either…
And then her face had been thoroughly slapped by reality.
"No. The dragons really do sleep within this tower. And…" Lucas's lips curved upward as he directly refuted Green.
Her eye twitched slightly, but since it was Lucas saying it, she didn't argue.
"Salamence, use Dragon Pulse!"
With an even wider grin, Lucas tossed out a Poké Ball. A powerful dragon soared into the sky—its aura fierce and oppressive.
Blood-red wings spread wide, a deep blue body, and a long swaying tail—it was Hoenn's pseudo-legendary Salamence, also known as the Brutal Pokémon.
Hovering midair, Salamence charged a brilliant beam of draconic energy in its maw and fired it directly at a nearby bush.
Boom!
The Dragon Pulse exploded violently.
Several figures in medieval-style white uniforms stumbled out, clearly wounded by the blast's aftershock.
Team Plasma.
Marnie and Green stared in shock—they hadn't even noticed someone was watching them nearby.
"Tch… The Chairman of Galar's League really is generous—giving away a Salamence like that."
Green looked enviously at the ferocious pseudo-legend. This wasn't just any rare Pokémon—it was gifted by Rose himself!
Yes, the Salamence had been Rose's "gift" to Lucas.
Any pseudo-legendary Pokémon was rare and valuable, and one given by someone like Rose was undoubtedly top-tier in talent.
"Run!"
The Plasma grunts realized they'd been discovered and attempted to flee immediately.
But—
"You think you can run?"
Lucas's smile turned mockingly familiar as Salamence let out a savage roar and slammed down in front of their retreat path, eyes burning with primal fury.
The Plasma members froze, sweat pouring down their foreheads as they backed away from the menacing dragon.
"You're with Team Plasma, right? Then why don't you kindly explain why you're guarding the entrance to Dragonspiral Tower?" Lucas asked with a warm smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"And don't try anything. My Salamence doesn't have much patience."
Cold sweat flowed down their faces.
"It was Sage Ghetsis… He told us to prevent anyone from entering the tower," one grunt confessed quickly. They were terrified—Salamence was carnivorous, after all!
"Oh?" Lucas narrowed his eyes. So, Ghetsis was already keeping tabs on the tower.
"You'd better let us go. Our King has already been chosen by the Dragon God! He will liberate all of Unova!"
"No one can oppose the power of the Dragon God. You'll regret going against us!" another grunt declared, filled with fanatical devotion.
Marnie and Green exchanged shocked glances. Chosen by the Dragon God?
"N's already taken one of the dragons… So was it Truth or Ideals?" Lucas mused, his interest piqued.
Indeed, N was the King of Team Plasma—and in the original story, he had awakened one of the dragons from this very tower.
"You know our King?!" the grunt was stunned.
"Lord N has received Zekrom's blessing! He's already captured the Black Dragon. Soon, he'll liberate all of Unova—and then the world!"
His reverence was unmistakable. N, to them, was practically divine.
"So, the Black Dragon of Ideals… That means the White Dragon of Truth is still in the tower," Lucas said calmly, unsurprised.
Whether it was Zekrom or Reshiram, N had the potential to be acknowledged by either.
"But I'm afraid to tell you—your so-called ideals likely won't come to pass."
Lucas grinned mockingly at the grunts.
He acknowledged N's power and potential—but with only one dragon, he expected to conquer Unova?
Naïve.
"You don't understand N's greatness!" the grunt roared angrily.
"You're a frog at the bottom of a well. Now—where are N and Ghetsis?" Lucas couldn't be bothered to argue anymore.
After all, he had people to find within Team Plasma.
"We'll never betray Lord N!"
Clearly, they feared death—but their loyalty to N outweighed it.
"As expected, I'll have to use force."
Lucas wasn't surprised. In Unova, Ghetsis had shaped N into a messianic figure. Most Plasma members saw him as a literal savior.
But that wasn't a big problem.
Lucas released another Poké Ball. Gardevoir appeared at his side.
"Hypnosis."
He gave the order without hesitation.
Loyalty wouldn't save them from sleep. Whether their minds stayed intact afterward was no concern of his.
They should've cooperated.
Moments later, all the Plasma members had collapsed in slumber.
"Let's go. Into the tower."
Lucas didn't even glance at them again as he returned Salamence. He was quite satisfied with the dragon.
Its talent was excellent, already nearing Elite Four level, making it a viable combat force. For now, it was more than enough to crush weaklings like these.
----------------------------------
"Were they really telling the truth just now?" Green asked as they crossed the bridge toward the entrance of Dragonspiral Tower.
The idea that the dragons were real—and that someone had already taken one—was almost too much to process.
"Of course. The Dragons of Truth and Ideals are unlike other legends. They actively choose heroes who embody those principles," Lucas explained openly. The twin dragons were truly unique among legendary Pokémon.
As he stared at the towering gates ahead, his eyes glinted.
"I wonder… Will my 'truth' be enough for you to acknowledge me, Reshiram?"
(End of Chapter)