Lucius had made one thing very clear through his actions: no matter how much fame he gained, even as one of the most beloved stars in the world, he would never recklessly flirt or get entangled romantically.
After calming Jasmine down, he brought his team to Lavaridge Town in the Hoenn region.
Soaking in the steaming hot springs, Lucius still found comfort and relaxation in the volcanic warmth—even though his body was no longer entirely human.
Sharing the spring with him were Lance and Steven Stone.
In the women's side of the hot springs, transformed into Celebi form, Anabel and Cynthia were bathing.
Just days before their arrival, several trucks and heavy transports had begun moving mechanical components in and out of the area. Around the volcano, a network of high-powered energy weapons had been set up.
But this formidable setup wasn't for Team Magma or Maxie. No, this was preparation for something far more dangerous: Groudon—and possibly Lugia or others who might interfere.
Three days had passed since rumors were intentionally leaked to Team Magma. Judging the timing to be right, Lucius brought his forces here.
Three days was plenty of time for Maxie to receive the intel and consider his options.
With Team Magma now under pressure from the Team Aqua, the League, and the Hive, their days were numbered. Maxie had no choice but to awaken Groudon—every day delayed meant more of his operatives were being captured.
"Do you really think Lugia and the others will show up?" Steven asked. He had only recently joined the Hive and was still reeling from the organization's wild ambitions involving Lugia, Ho-Oh, and others.
Especially concerning was Volkner's directive to deploy Devon Corporation's Infinity Energy-based weapons around the volcano—something that deeply unsettled Steven.
This wasn't just any mountain. Even in dormancy, it continuously emitted fine, snow-like volcanic ash. If provoked, the eruption could devastate half of Hoenn.
"Whether they come or not doesn't matter. Groudon is our primary objective," Lucius replied calmly.
Times had changed. Lucius now had Kyogre on his side. Even if Lugia intervened, with champions, leaders, and advanced weaponry on hand, they'd still give it a run for its money.
Devon Corporation had already absorbed nearly half of Silph Co.'s assets. With Steven's allegiance to the Hive, those holdings now indirectly fell under Lucius's control.
Particularly the devices used to harness Infinity Energy. Though the interdimensional warp technology from the original narrative hadn't yet been developed, the weapons for the "Project Rayquaza Capture" were already functional.
...
Inside Mt. Chimney.
Molten lava flowed slowly, painting the interior in a glowing red from the intense heat.
A young girl with violet hair and a crimson cloak walked confidently through the cave.
"I've infiltrated the site," she whispered into her communicator.
"Well done. The League and Hive surely laid traps—stay alert," came Maxie's firm voice.
"Don't worry, I'll complete the mission for you and Team Magma. Heehee~" Courtney giggled maniacally, not hiding her disdain for the Hive.
She ended the call, activated a protective shield, and moved deeper into the volcano.
Toxic gases filled the tunnel. Breathing here without protection would mean poisoning.
Typical League fools, she thought. Sneaking in was almost too easy.
Maxie had suspected a trap the moment he heard that Groudon was slumbering inside Mt. Chimney. But even with the risks, the mission's importance to Team Magma's vision couldn't be ignored. So he dispatched Flannery himself to investigate.
"Someone's infiltrated," Steven suddenly said.
His signal scanner showed that an unauthorized wireless transmission had just been made from inside the volcano—not Hive-issued. They'd intercepted the entire conversation.
Lucius smiled faintly after listening in on Flannery and Maxie's exchange. Turning to Steven, he said, "Think we can trace Maxie's location using this?"
"Haha, absolutely. The transmission was short, but with Devon's tech, we can pinpoint him with precision," Steven replied confidently.
"Good. Let's give him a little surprise."
The volcano was massive, surrounded by dense forests. It was impossible to station guards at every entrance. Inside, the heat and strange energy patterns made deploying people equally impractical.
So Steven tapped into the area's full communication spectrum, especially the volcano interior. Any external communication would be intercepted.
All they needed to do was identify which signals belonged to Team Magma.
That's the power of technology. Even in the Pokémon world, science remained the ultimate productive force.
Though Maxie had dispatched one of his most capable operatives, there was no way he'd entrust the Red Orb to anyone else. That gem—said to control Groudon—was far too valuable.
"Based on the signal just intercepted, Maxie's out at sea, east of Lilycove City. Judging by the coordinates, he's likely in the Jagged Pass," Steven reported after receiving analysis from the tech team.
"Huh?" Lucius paused. The Jagged Pass, east of Lilycove… wasn't that where Team Magma's headquarters was located?
Could Maxie have been hiding in the base all along?
After a moment of thought, Lucius made a decision—this couldn't be left to chance. The Red Orb was too important.
"You all stay and continue executing the plan. I'll head over with Anabel."
Lucius sent a signal to Anabel using pheromone transmission, then vanished in a flash of light from the hot spring.
Since Lugia might still interfere, Lance and Steven needed to stay behind to hold the fort.
Using hyperspace teleportation, Lucius and Anabel reappeared on the eastern shores of Lilycove City.
"Ah… y-you…" Anabel had barely emerged from hyperspace when she turned away and covered her face, her body—still hovering mid-air—visibly flustered.
Lucius, having teleported straight from the hot spring, was completely naked.
"…"
Because he hadn't brought any clothes, Lucius shifted effortlessly into the form of a Gallade, cleared his throat, and said, "You're a Pokémon now. What's there to be shy about...?"
With the powers granted by Deoxys, he could assume any form he desired.
Sensing that Volkner had also transformed into a Pokémon, Anabel let out a breath and turned around.
In that moment, both of them realized the same thing—they had once been human, but now stood there in Pokémon bodies. The absurdity of the situation made the atmosphere strangely humorous.
"What are you looking at?" Anabel frowned as she noticed Gallade's gaze scanning her up and down. The intensity of his eyes made her feel a bit uneasy.
"I was just wondering," Lucius replied seriously, "now that you've turned into Celebi, were you ever embarrassed about not wearing clothes?"
"Go to hell."
Somehow, a blush spread across the green face of the Celebi. Without hesitation, she flung a Shadow Ball straight at Lucius.
"Hey, hey, take it easy!" Lucius immediately used Teleport to dodge.
The Shadow Ball crashed into the ground, blasting a half-meter-wide crater.
Luckily, Anabel still remembered she possessed Champion-level strength. She kept her power in check—otherwise, that attack might've left behind a meteor-sized impact.
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