Faced with the aggressive Glacia, Shiro only glanced at Drake with some surprise. He did not refuse immediately.
With Lilycove City currently facing a massive attack from wild Water-type Pokémon, Drake could still laugh and even suggest that they battle at the Hoenn headquarters.
This was... really interesting.
For the first time, Shiro felt genuinely intrigued. What exactly was the Hoenn League trying to do? And what was Drake thinking?
After Lilycove City was reduced to ruins, could he really escape responsibility? Perhaps Drake himself could, but what about the people who suffered in Lilycove City?
Even if the Hoenn League did everything it could to handle the disaster afterward, Chairman Goodshow of the Kanto League would surely demand an explanation and hold someone responsible.
But Glacia had just said that this might all be a show directed by Drake himself. What benefit could Drake possibly gain from doing something like this?
Shiro tried to figure out what was going through Drake's mind.
Glacia, however, directly pushed open the meeting hall doors. She took out a Poké Ball, planted one hand on her hip and stood in the hallway as she shouted loudly, "Are you afraid to battle an Elite Four member like me? Champion!"
"Pfft..." Drake couldn't hold back his laughter again. He grabbed Sidney and walked out of the meeting room.
In the corner, Wattson, who had remained silent with an almost nonexistent presence, also quietly stood up. He continued playing with the small electric toy in his hand as he followed Drake out.
Shiro stood alone at the doorway. In front of him was the fierce-looking Glacia and Drake, who was waiting to enjoy the show. Some Hoenn headquarters employees had even been drawn over by the noise and were now poking their heads out curiously to see what was happening.
The extra pairs of eyes seemed to be urging him on.
"No way, Shiro. You're really afraid to battle Glacia?" Drake deliberately provoked him. "You're even afraid of a little girl. If that's the case, then I will really be disappointed in you!"
"Heh."
Shiro chuckled and shook a finger. "No. I think what Glacia said just now was absolutely right. If I don't beat you up first, how are we supposed to communicate?"
"To save time, you should all come at me together… the Hoenn Elite Four!"
As soon as his words fell, Drake's smile suddenly disappeared. Wattson also stopped playing with the little toy in his hand.
Glacia's expression became even uglier, while even Sidney, who had been forcibly pulled to Drake's side, became serious.
"Are you serious?"
Wattson put away the electric toy and looked up at the somewhat arrogant young Champion.
Shiro did not answer. Instead, he took out a Poké Ball.
The golden glow of the Ultra Ball swayed through the hallway under the flickering fluorescent lights.
* * *
Sootopolis City.
A mysterious city known as a place where history slumbers.
"One thousand years ago, a massive meteorite fell into the ocean. The crater it left behind eventually became what is now Sootopolis City. The meteorite split the earth open and caused natural energy to surge out. It also granted two deities even greater power."
Atop an ancient building in the northern part of the city, an old man who looked as though he was nearing the end of his life spoke calmly.
The old man wore a white ceremonial robe decorated with blue-green patterns. His gray-white and withered hair was sparse, while his thin face was covered in wrinkles and visible dark spots.
Because of his hunched posture, his once tall and upright body had become frail. He even needed to support himself with a wooden cane whenever he struggled to turn around.
"Maxie, the Sootopolitans are natural followers of the gods. We have also been waiting day and night for the gods to return."
Behind him, Maxie was also dressed in a crimson robe. After pushing up his glasses, he spoke slowly, "Mr. Aubert, as the Lord of Sootopolitans, I'm afraid you're more than just an ordinary believer, aren't you? And the gods you're waiting for are probably not limited to the one we of Team Magma believe in either..."
"Hehe."
Aubert, known as the Lord of Sootopolitans, merely smiled. He was completely unmoved by Maxie's sarcasm. Of course, his age was also a factor. Getting too angry might send him straight to meet the two gods.
"Maxie, you came looking for me this time because you've run into some trouble, I suppose?"
Maxie did not press the issue of Team Aqua any further. Instead, he took out the red crystal, the "map" used to search for the Red Orb.
"This thing is useless. It can't find the orb. All it can show us are ruins that have already been emptied." His expression darkened as he continued, "Mr. Aubert, you should know where the orb is, right?"
Aubert slowly looked at the red crystal before coughing weakly. He seemed as though he might fall asleep at any moment. Then, in his slow and deliberate manner, he reminded him word by word, "The orb... must be in the hands of the League."
"I obviously know that!" Maxie's voice suddenly grew louder. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here looking for you like this! Aubert!"
He had actually received news about the League's search for the orb. At the time, however, he had not believed that the League could find the real orb without the map.
He never expected them to actually take the Red Orb!
"Hehehe, Maxie, don't be so impatient."
Aubert calmly tapped his cane against the ground and gave a simple wave of his hand.
Suddenly, the specially made wooden cane in his hand burst with a glow of psychic power, causing the surrounding space to distort slightly.
After only a couple of seconds, another bright crimson crystal appeared in midair.
Maxie froze for a moment before realizing what had happened. "You still have quite a few of these things?"
"Actually, this is the last one." Aubert smiled kindly. "Maxie, with the two 'maps' together, you should be able to point out the location of the Red Orb, right?"
With a dark expression, Maxie snatched the second map from the old man's hand and turned to leave. However, just before going, he paused and took out his communication device.
"Courtney? You and the others come straight up here, to my location… We'll perform the second instruction right here."
After saying that, he hung up and returned to Aubert's side.
"Mr. Aubert, do you think it'll definitely work this time...?"
His tone was stiff and his expression was somewhat unpleasant.
Aubert continued smiling as if he hadn't noticed the sudden change in his attitude at all. "Of course, Maxie. If you have any questions, you can continue asking me. Today, I will definitely help you find the location of the orb."
"Good."
Maxie slowly nodded and stood there waiting.
A moment later, Courtney, Blaise and the others hurried up to the top of the ancient building. They also brought along the activation machine that stored Fire-type energy.
Without needing any further explanation, Courtney immediately began working after seeing the second crystal. She placed the two crystals together and quickly pulled out a second tube from inside the machine. Then she injected the energy into the crystals from both sides.
Click.
The switch was pressed, and the crystals began to flash with bright red energy.
**
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