"It's fine. Don't worry." Giovanni said in an uncharacteristically gentle tone.
Silver was silent for a moment. Then, in a low voice, he said, "Father... please be careful."
Giovanni was momentarily stunned. Though Silver was his son, their relationship had never been close. He had never heard Silver call him "Father" before. At that moment, a strange feeling welled up in his chest.
Without another word, Giovanni released his Beedrill and leapt directly out of the helicopter. He plunged into the airflow stirred up by Beedrill's wings, and quickly vanished into the distance.
…
Meanwhile, Lucius was at Jasmine's home in Olivine City. Ever since he'd begun making headlines repeatedly, he had started shifting from being a celebrity Gym Leader to something of a savior. Jasmine had bombarded him with over thirty calls in a row—Lucius wasn't sure what exactly had prompted her persistence.
"So tell me, what's really going on with Kyogre?" Jasmine lay curled in his arms, a faint blush on her face. She traced slow circles on Volkner's chest with a finger pale and delicate as a scallion stalk.
By now, Volkner's body was no longer that of a human. His physical strength far exceeded that of even a Fighting-type Pokémon, and every part of him could morph freely. Combined with the knowledge he'd amassed in his previous life, the sensations he could evoke were enough to send a partner soaring as though riding on a Dragonite's back through the clouds.
"It's just like the reports say—Kyogre acknowledged me, accepted me as its partner, and is willing to stand with me in protecting humanity from storms and chaos." Lucius said indifferently.
Smack!
Jasmine's soft, delicate hand landed gently on his chest. Wrinkling her adorable little nose, she pouted, "You expect me to buy that? I'm a League-recognized Gym Leader, you know?"
"Hahaha." Lucius caught her hand and flipped them both over. Their faces were so close now he could feel the warmth of her breath.
"Again…?" Jasmine's chestnut-brown hair was slightly tousled, her cheeks flushed. Her voice trembled.
"You don't want to?" Lucius teased, a smirk on his face.
Jasmine blushed deeper, unable to reply.
As waves of passion rolled again, the room once more echoed with the rhythm of love.
...
In recent days, the central narrative pushed by major media outlets was clear: Volkner, as the leader of Hive—a League-sanctioned organization—had been chosen by the Lord of the Seas, Kyogre to help safeguard humanity.
With Hive actively cracking down on crime syndicates like Team Rocket and Team Aqua , the public's admiration for Volkner had exploded.
To the everyday citizen, Kyogre was akin to a divine being—one of legend. And if such a being had personally chosen someone, how could they be wrong?
Among younger fans—particularly the boys and girls—Volkner's handsome face alone was enough to swoon over. Add to that his title as Hive's charismatic leader and trainer of a mythical Pokémon? Irresistible.
But Lucius wasn't doing this just to bask in admiration. His goal was rooted in his unique ability: Collective Wil. The more sincerely his infected followers admired and believed in him, the more mental power would be channeled into his Emperor Strain.
This meant Lucius couldn't afford to hide in the shadows like a traditional villain. He had to step into the spotlight. Without public faith, his ability couldn't reach its true potential.
Right now, this was merely the beginning. But when Volkner amassed ten million, a hundred million, or even a billion followers—when he became a universally revered icon—it would be as though every person in the world became a living battery for him. The scale of that empowerment would be unimaginable.
Of course, the story about being "chosen by Kyogre" was far-fetched. Not even an official Gym Leader like Jasmine truly believed it—let alone more seasoned minds.
A human, the trainer of a mythical Pokémon? That was as absurd as an ant declaring itself the trainer of a human.
But that absurdity made it all the more terrifying.
Everyone knew ants couldn't train humans. But if one ever did—would you dare to underestimate it?
Even as Lucius's body moved with purpose, his consciousness monitored another operation unfolding in Hoenn.
Archie had already been devoured by Kyogre. The base that had originally been promised to him was now split into two factions.
One had been rebranded as the Hive Hoenn Division, led by Shelly, who now worked publicly to help others—and to harass Team Magma at every turn.
The other faction retained the name Team Aqua and was now led by Matt. They took on the tasks Hive couldn't publicly be seen handling.
Being the "good guys" was tough. But playing the villain wasn't easy either—someone had to do the dirty work. So Lucius tasked Team Aqua with taking out dual accident insurance.
Currently, both Shelly and Matt were acting under Lucius's orders, launching a full-scale manhunt for Team Magma.
Unlike the past, Hive now had no shortage of manpower. Their goal wasn't to recruit Team Magma's members, but to seize the Red Orb in Maxie's possession—
An item critical to awakening the Continent Sovereign, Groudon.
Over the years, Team Aqua had gained significant experience dealing with Team Magma, even becoming familiar with the locations of most of their key hideouts.
But unlike the flamboyant and unrestrained Archie, Maxie, the leader of Team Magma, was far more calculating and reserved. Despite years of clashes, even Shelly and Matt had no idea where he currently was.
Ever since Team Aqua's recent troubles and the public threat from the Hive to eradicate Team Magma, Maxie's movements had become even more obscure. Even Courtney and Tabitha, two of Team Magma's top admins, seemed to have gone into hiding.
Lucius figured that while it was possible to deploy full force to locate Maxie, doing so would burn through massive resources and manpower—not worth the cost. Instead, he preferred a subtler approach: leak the right piece of information and let Maxie come to them.
From Lucius's memory, Groudon was said to lie dormant within the magma chambers of Mt. Chimney, the towering volcano in the northwestern corner of the Hoenn region. It was one of the most active volcanoes in the world, though it currently slumbered. Locals had harnessed the volcano's heat to create natural hot springs, transforming the region into a well-known tourist destination.
Of course, it didn't really matter whether Groudon was actually there. What mattered was that if the rumor spread that Groudon was slumbering beneath Mt. Chimney, Maxie—driven by his obsessive dream of expanding the landmass—would undoubtedly take the bait.
Maxie may have been composed, but at heart, he was a fanatical idealist.
That said, the rumor couldn't be leaked too widely, or it would draw too much unwanted attention. Lucius instructed Shelly and Matt to feed the intel to a select few mid-level Magma operatives. That would be enough to lure Maxie out of hiding.
Team Magma Headquarters, Jagged Pass, East of Sootopolis City.
"Is this true? Where did this information come from?" asked a towering, overweight man whose bulk likely tipped over three hundred pounds, as he looked down at his subordinate.
"I-I overheard it from a few researchers from Sinnoh discussing ancient legends," stammered the man, dressed in the signature red cloak of Team Magma.
"Cave of Origin, huh?" the big man muttered, rubbing his thick fingers along his chin in thought. After a moment's pause, he dialed a number on his communicator.
"Boss, it's Tabitha. We've uncovered some new leads on Groudon's whereabouts…" he said into the now-connected line.
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