"Alright then, that settles it."
After speaking, Tabitha signaled for Brodie to end the communication.
The projections of Tabitha and Brodie gradually faded from the carriage interior, leaving only darkness behind.
Butler tightly gripped the crimson communicator in his hand, his knuckles turning faintly white from the force as he muttered under his breath:
"Mega Evolution… that woman Courtney actually managed to crack even that…"
His expression was complicated, filled with unwillingness and jealousy.
A moment later, he turned and walked deeper into the carriage. There, an enormous metal device stood quietly in the shadows, its surface covered in intricate circuitry and crystal conduits, faintly radiating a dangerous aura.
"Just wait, Courtney… I'll definitely surpass you…"
At the same time, high above the Hoenn sea at night, two black silhouettes were speeding across the sky.
Tabitha and Brodie each stood atop a Crobat. The powerful beats of their wings tore through the night air, the gusts they generated even scattering the sea spray below.
"Hey, Tabitha, do you think Butler's plan can really work?"
Brodie stared toward the blurry outline of the distant shoreline as he suddenly asked:
"Butler already managed to wake Jirachi. Honestly, his idea of recreating Groudon doesn't sound completely impossible anymore. If he really succeeds in reproducing Groudon, wouldn't that be incredible? So why does the boss seem completely unconcerned?"
Tabitha shook his head. His plump face instantly curled into a smug grin as he mercilessly exposed Brodie's hypocrisy.
"Brodie, you're seriously stubborn. During the call just now, you kept mocking Butler nonstop, but now that we're talking privately, you're praising his plan?"
Brodie choked on his words and immediately turned his head aside with a snort.
"That was just arguing with him. You obviously know what's really going on, so hurry up and tell me!"
"Oh, I definitely know."
Tabitha lowered his voice, his tone becoming mysterious.
"I kept pestering Courtney back at the base until she got annoyed and finally explained everything to me clearly."
He paused dramatically before continuing:
"The Groudon the boss wants to revive isn't some ordinary Groudon. According to Courtney, it's the true primal form of Groudon, one fused with Fire energy.
The reason we've been collecting so many Fire type energy items all this time is to provide enough energy for it.
And the Reverse Energy Activation Device Courtney developed is meant to convert all surrounding energy into Fire type energy and inject it into Groudon's body, allowing it to awaken quickly and complete its transformation."
Brodie froze.
"A Fire type… primal Groudon?"
"Exactly!"
Tabitha puffed out his chest proudly.
"Courtney said the current Groudon isn't actually the true form of the Lord of the Land. Think about it. Our clan's starter Pokémon has always been Numel because Camerupt is nicknamed the Little Groudon.
So how could the real Groudon possibly possess only Ground typing without any Fire typing at all?
Long ago, our clan leader already found Groudon but never awakened it because Groudon had obtained the treasure that truly belonged to it…"
He lowered his voice further.
"The Red Orb.
Groudon has remained asleep all this time because of the orb's influence. That thing is basically similar to the Mega Stones used by the League.
Courtney said that once Groudon absorbs enough Fire energy, it will fully awaken the power of Fire and become the true Lord of the Land."
The wind howled around them as Tabitha continued speaking enthusiastically.
"Did you think we've been hiding out here collecting resources for no reason? The energy inside this volcano is almost drained dry already, and even that still isn't enough to awaken Groudon.
That's why Courtney created the Reverse Energy Device, to speed up the process.
And about our Mega Camerupt…"
He grinned smugly.
"Without the League's Mega Stones, stolen Key Stones alone are useless.
Courtney used the residual energy leaking from Groudon's resting place to create something similar to a Camerupt Mega Stone. That's the only reason we can even Mega Evolve at all."
"I see…"
Brodie finally understood.
"So that's why. I was wondering how Courtney could possibly be so amazing that she managed to crack Mega Evolution not long after we stole those Key Stones from the League.
If that's the case, then Butler's so called Groudon replication plan really does seem insignificant."
"Exactly."
Tabitha sighed.
"Courtney already explained Groudon's condition to him a long time ago. Even the boss personally stepped in, but Butler just refuses to listen.
The boss said it himself. This is Butler's obsession."
He scratched his head helplessly.
"I seriously don't understand what that guy is thinking. If he were willing to come back and help, he'd definitely be able to assist Courtney a lot with her research…"
Then Tabitha changed the topic.
"Anyway, enough about Butler. Once this mission is over, we'll leave Jirachi to him and let him continue messing around with his experiment. After he fails for real, he'll naturally come back on his own.
Right now, the important thing is staying cautious around that 'Wallace Junior.'"
At the mention of Theo, Tabitha's tone became serious.
"That kid isn't easy to deal with. Don't underestimate him. If this mission fails and we lose to some brat, the boss definitely won't punish us lightly."
Brodie let out a disdainful laugh.
"Relax. He's just some lucky kid who happened to fish up a shiny Feebas and managed to latch onto Steven.
That Mega Metagross of his…"
He snorted coldly.
"Our Mega Camerupt completely counters it. When the time comes, I'm definitely going to teach him a lesson.
Even if we can't beat Steven, bullying the 'offspring' of Steven's Metagross still sounds pretty entertaining."
"Brodie, there you go again. That arrogance of yours is going to get you killed someday."
Tabitha frowned deeply.
"Stop underestimating him."
His expression became increasingly serious.
"And don't believe all those rumors floating around online either. What 'luckily catching a shiny Feebas'? Total nonsense."
He let out a cold snort.
"In my opinion, that kid is probably Wallace's illegitimate son."
Brodie nearly fell off his Crobat.
"Illegitimate son? What the hell?"
"Think about it!"
Tabitha analyzed confidently.
"The way the kid looks, his Pokémon training style, even the creative ideas he uses in Contest battles. He's practically identical to Wallace.
And Wallace himself already looks unreliable enough. Who knows how many romantic messes he's left behind outside?
That shiny Feebas? Please. I bet Wallace personally prepared it for him."
Brodie stared blankly.
"You're seriously saying…"
"Use your brain."
Tabitha continued with absolute certainty.
"You really think an ordinary trainer could become that powerful? Steven just casually gifts him a shiny Beldum and fossil Pokémon?
And remember his debut Contest? Wallace himself showed up as a judge.
Do you honestly think that was just a coincidence?"
Tabitha slapped his thigh dramatically.
"That was obviously Wallace publicly backing him up, basically telling everyone: 'This is my kid, so judge carefully.'"
The more he spoke, the more convinced he became.
"And don't forget the kid has Viridian Power. Think carefully. Which region is famous for that ability?"
"Kanto…"
"Exactly."
Tabitha nodded proudly.
"And all that nonsense about him being from Dewford Town only fools idiots with no knowledge."
After finishing his deduction, Tabitha patted Brodie's shoulder.
"Anyway, just stay alert. Don't look down on him because he's young. If we really mess up this mission, none of us will be able to bear the consequences."
"Yeah yeah, I got it."
Brodie impatiently brushed Tabitha's hand away, but inwardly, his vigilance had already risen considerably.
The Crobat continued flapping their wings through the night sky, flying toward Forina.
The salty scent of the ocean drifted through the cold wind, carrying with it the unmistakable feeling of a storm that was about to arrive.
(End of Chapter)