Meanwhile, far away in the Sinnoh region, things weren't going smoothly for Cynthia.
Her investigation into "New Island" had completely stalled.
She'd pulled every connection she could, even discreetly sent requests through Sinnoh League channels to the Kanto League, but every reply she received was the same: "Never heard of it." "No such island in the archives."
That total blank only made her more uneasy. An island important enough for Team Rocket to use as a major base couldn't possibly have appeared out of thin air or vanished entirely from League records.
With no other options, Cynthia turned to the most tedious method she could think of: combing through maritime records of every registered and unregistered island around Kanto, one by one.
For hours, she sat immersed in charts and databases, her cursor skimming past island after island—from the famous Sevii Islands to nameless dots mentioned only in old explorers' notes.
But the sea was vast, and Kanto's waters had always been a tangled maze of shipping routes and half-forgotten legends.
Searching for "New Island" by name alone was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Her eyes ached from staring at the screen. Cynthia rubbed her temples and exhaled.
"This is way too inefficient…" she muttered, finally giving up on the fruitless search.
At least, thanks to Lance's warning, she had already urged League headquarters to quietly raise the security level at key facilities and launch a large-scale investigation into Team Rocket's activities in Kanto.
That was the only realistic move they could make right now.
So wasting more time on this endless search clearly wasn't the best idea.
Maybe the breakthrough still lay in that game—Emerald.
The information hidden there wasn't just shocking; it was ahead of reality. Events shown in the game seemed to foreshadow what was coming next in their world.
Cynthia decided to pause her investigation and refocus her efforts inside the game. Perhaps in the next part of its story, she could find new clues about "New Island."
Just as she was sitting down at her computer, ready to log back in, her desk communicator suddenly rang sharply and insistently.
Caller ID: Professor Oak.
"Hello? Professor Oak?" Cynthia answered, sounding weary. After half a day of staring at data, her mind felt completely drained.
"Oh! Cynthia! Excellent, you're online!"
Professor Oak's voice was as energetic as ever, perhaps even more so than usual.
"I've got great news for you! Remember how you asked me to keep an eye out for rare stones and evolution materials?
Well, I've been exploring several caves in the game for quite some time now, and it wasn't in vain! Hahaha! The quantity and quality I've gathered should be more than enough to awaken that big fellow!"
He was, of course, referring to the Rock Titan sealed in the Desert Ruins: Regirock.
Only then did Cynthia recall that before turning her focus to investigating Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua, they had asked Professor Oak to handle that very task.
"Professor, you've been searching all this time? That must've been tough. But…"
Her tone softened with apology and gravity. "Given the current situation, awakening Regirock in the game may have to wait."
"Eh? Put on hold?"
Professor Oak's excitement deflated instantly, like cold water poured over his enthusiasm. Then his tone shifted, laced with confusion and concern.
"This is a Legendary Pokémon, Cynthia. Did something happen?"
He'd caught on immediately. Knowing Cynthia's passion for Legendary Pokémon, he could tell her reaction wasn't normal.
Cynthia took a deep breath.
Only now did she realize that since the Mt. Chimney incident, she had been in close contact with Lance but hadn't yet shared this crucial intelligence with another key figure: Professor Oak.
"Professor, the situation is… complicated. How should I put it… Lance and I have been through a lot in the game."
She organized her thoughts, then began to summarize everything that had happened.
From their infiltration of Team Rocket's underwater base and the horrifying Pokémon experiments, to the so-called Twilight Project and the creation of an artificial Legendary Pokémon, plus that tortured, mutated Eevee with its dangerously unstable power.
Then she spoke of what they witnessed at Mt. Chimney: Team Magma and Team Aqua each seizing the Red and Blue Orbs, their ensuing battle, and Team Aqua's insane plan to control ancient Pokémon to expand the oceans themselves.
On the other end of the line, silence.
Only the faint sound of Professor Oak's sharp intakes of breath broke through occasionally.
Cynthia's explanation was clear, but the information itself was staggering. Even someone as experienced as Professor Oak, a former Champion, needed time to process it all.
"…An artificial Legendary Pokémon? And Team Magma and Team Aqua trying to control ancient Pokémon to reshape the world?"
His voice finally returned, now solemn and heavy.
Despite his usual cheerful demeanor, when things turned serious, so did he.
"This is… unbelievable. Cynthia, are you sure all this is actually in the game? This goes beyond anything we've seen in decades."
"I'm absolutely sure, Professor," she said firmly.
"The game's predictive accuracy has already been proven.
Lance knows it too. Team Rocket in the real world is definitely plotting something, and these two Hoenn organizations are far more dangerous than anyone thought.
The League has been underestimating them."
She paused, then continued thoughtfully.
"Professor, about Team Magma and Team Aqua's targets—their 'Legendary Pokémon.'
I only know one is tied to land and the other to the sea, both with unimaginable power.
I think I know who they are, but… have you heard any myths about such beings?"
"Land and sea, you say…" Professor Oak murmured, searching his memory.
After a long pause, he spoke again, his tone shifting into something almost reverent, as if reciting a legend from long ago.
"According to some of Hoenn's oldest records—so ancient they can barely be verified—such Pokémon did exist. I still remember reading something like this…"
He paused briefly, then continued, voice distant and low:
"In the beginning, the world was covered by endless rain and towering waves.
The 'Giant Who Bore the Land' rose from the abyss, expanding the continents and creating a home for life.
Opposing it was the 'Giant Who Ruled the Seas,' commanding every tide and rainfall. Its power could drown the earth itself."
He sighed softly.
"But the records are fragmented. The names of these beings have long been lost. Some clay tablets simply refer to them as the 'Primordial Lord of the Land' and the 'Primordial Lord of the Ocean.'
They say the two fought catastrophic battles before falling into deep slumber.
If Team Magma and Team Aqua are truly trying to harness that power…"
Professor Oak's voice grew grim.
"The resulting disaster wouldn't just affect Hoenn—it would be global. This is very bad."
Cynthia listened quietly, the weight in her chest growing heavier.
So Professor Oak knew of them too. His words aligned perfectly with what she'd seen in the game, confirming her worst fears.
"It seems we have to move quickly," Cynthia said, regaining her composure.
"Professor, I'll need your help investigating 'New Island' in the real world. Your connections and reputation will be essential.
And as for those ancient myths, we'll need deeper research. You'll probably have to access the League's ancient archives at Indigo Plateau."
That archive was the most comprehensive in the world, housing the oldest records from Kanto and beyond.
Even Cynthia herself didn't have unrestricted access, but Professor Oak did.
"Don't worry, Cynthia. Leave that to me," he said immediately, his tone serious.
"I'll head to Indigo Plateau right away. This intelligence is too crucial to ignore. As for the Regirock matter, that can wait."
"Alright," Cynthia replied with a nod.
"Lance and I will keep pushing ahead in the game, looking for any clues about those organizations' next moves. We have to stay one step ahead."
"Good! Keep me posted. I'll contact you as soon as I find anything."
Professor Oak hung up in haste, no doubt already preparing to leave for Indigo Plateau.
Cynthia set down her communicator and turned back to her computer.
She took a deep breath, slipped on her headset, and gripped the mouse tightly.
Next target: Mossdeep City.
If there were more clues in the story, she had to find them fast.
---
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After a journey repeatedly interrupted by Eevee's training, Lance's in-game character finally crossed mountain trails and vast seas using Surf, defeating countless NPCs along the way, until he reached the eastern coastal city of Hoenn: Mossdeep City.
The city radiated a calm yet open atmosphere, sea breezes drifting by as the massive Space Center loomed in the distance.
Normally, Lance would've stopped to take in the scenery—he hadn't really visited the Hoenn region much before.
But not today. The urgency of their mission left no room for sightseeing. His main goal was clear: challenge the Mossdeep Gym and earn the seventh badge.
Following the game map's directions, he soon reached the gym.
Its exterior was unique, its walls decorated with glowing star and planet patterns, as if one were stepping into space itself.
But when he pushed the doors open, the expected gym challenge didn't begin.
Inside, the place was dim and eerily quiet. A few young trainers huddled together, whispering nervously. The gym leaders were nowhere to be seen.
Just as Lance began to wonder what was going on, a little girl NPC with twin pigtails, no more than seven or eight years old, ran up to him, eyes wide with panic.
"Are you a strong trainer? Please, help us!"
Her trembling voice nearly broke.
Lance quickly pressed the interaction key. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"It's my Meowth!" she cried.
"It chased after a shiny blue butterfly and ran into that cave north of the city—the one that's always making whooshing wind sounds!
It's so dark and cold there, I didn't dare go in too far. Mom and Dad say it's dangerous…"
Her lip quivered. "But Meowth's been gone for so long! I even asked the two gym leaders to help me look, but they haven't come back either!"
The little girl tugged at his character's sleeve, pleading. "Big brother, please! Help me find Meowth, and the gym leaders too! They're all my best friends!"
Without question, this had to be the prelude to the gym's storyline quest.
Naturally, Lance accepted without hesitation.
"That's great! Thank you, strong trainer!"
she said, smiling through tears. "Please be careful, though… that cave feels different lately. It's gotten really cold."
After accepting the quest, Lance put the gym challenge aside for now. Following the quest marker, he left Mossdeep City and used Surf to travel north.
Not far away, tucked between cliffs, he found a cave entrance, cold air seeping constantly from within.
According to the map, this was the destination: Shoal Cave.
Even from the entrance, he could hear it—the eerie, wailing sound of wind howling through narrow passages, as if the mountain itself were groaning.
For some reason, a deep unease stirred in his chest.
He couldn't explain it, but he had a feeling something inside that cave was very wrong.