Chapter 315: The Great Evil Joins Forces
~Third POV~
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Nighttime, Lilycove City – Hoenn's TV (Parking Lot)]
Miles away, as the vibrant Hoenn sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in fiery oranges and deep purples into the black, starry night, Lilycove City began to hum with the evening's quiet retreat.
Archie, the esteemed director of the Hoenn TV station, a man whose public persona exuded charm and professional integrity, stepped out of the gleaming glass doors of his workplace.
His tailored suit, usually impeccable, felt a little tight around his shoulders, a slight tension in his posture betraying the weariness of a double life. He walked across the well-lit parking lot, keys jingling, towards his sleek black car.
Just as his hand reached for the door handle, a voice, deep and laced with a familiar, acidic sarcasm, cut through the evening air, startling him, "Team Aqua has been busy lately, haven't they, Archie?"
Archie froze, his hand dropping from the car door. The voice belonged to only one man whom he knew personally.
A silver glint flashed in the periphery of his vision, followed by a soft whizz as something sailed through the air. It slammed into the side of a parked car behind him with a dull thud, not enough to dent, but enough to grab his attention.
Archie demanded, his voice dropping from its usual affable tone to a low growl, "Who's there? Show yourself!!"
He wasted no time, pulling a Poké Ball from his belt, "Walrein, present!"
*Pop*
A flash of white light, and in a burst of mist, the formidable bulk of Walrein materialized, its tusks gleaming, its thick blubber rippling as it settled into a defensive stance. It let out a deep, guttural roar, ice crystals forming at its powerful maw, "Walll!!"
*Snap*
*Ssss*
The lighter that had struck the car now sputtered to life, a small, contained flame dancing within its metallic casing. But this was no ordinary flame.
Within its flickering light, an image began to coalesce, shimmering and distorted, yet undeniably clear: the stern, angular face of Maxie, leader of Team Magma. Archie snarled, his patience evaporating, "Show yourself, Maxie! Don't be a coward!"
As if responding to the challenge, the image in the flame vanished, and with another flash of light and a burst of volcanic ash, Maxie and his imposing Camerupt appeared just a few feet away. Camerupt, a dual-humped behemoth, snorted, trails of smoke coiling from the volcanoes on its back.
Maxie's sharp gaze met Archie's, a cold, calculating fury simmering beneath the surface. Maxie retorted, his voice calm, almost dangerously so, "Cowardice isn't in my nature, Archie… But subterfuge clearly is in yours. You've been making life very difficult for Team Magma."
Archie scoffed, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he mocked him openly, boasting, "And what exactly have I done, Maxie? Merely reported the news as it happened."
Maxie snapped, his composure cracking slightly as he glared at him, "Don't play coy! Your 'reporting' has been a masterclass in deflection. Every Team Aqua activity, every little 'incident,' somehow gets spun as a Team Magma prank or gets buried under a landslide of fabricated news about our supposed 'schemes.' You use your influence on the media to cover your tracks and keep the spotlight on us, making us out to be the real villains while your own 'philanthropic' organization operates in the shadows."
Archie's smirk widened. He punctuated the last words with a sneer as he boasted, "And you think I haven't? It's been rather convenient. Blaming Team Magma for Aqua's actions has kept my organization's profile delightfully low. It allows us to work undisturbed towards our… noble goals."
Maxie's eyes narrowed, a vein throbbing at his temple, as he made a jab at him, mockingly said, "Noble goals? You're a fool, Archie. A fool who's about to pay for his insolence. And speaking of fools… losing your base to that Kanto kid, Azure Sky, was a humiliation I won't soon forget, and your media circus certainly didn't help."
The mention of Azure Sky, however, triggered an unexpected reaction from Archie. His own face, usually smooth and confident, contorted in a flash of pure, unadulterated rage.
A prominent vein popped from his forehead, mirroring Maxie's earlier frustration. The name was a raw nerve, a fresh wound.
Archie hissed hatefully, the words tasting like ash in his mouth, "Azure Sky! That meddling brat cost me Lilycove City! He's a menace!"
The shared enemy, however, did little to quell the immediate animosity between the two leaders. Maxie seized the opening, a renewed surge of anger propelling him forward, ordering coldly, "Enough talk, Archie! Camerupt, Eruption!"
*RMBL*
Camerupt roared, and the volcanoes on its back glowed a furious orange, molten rock and superheated ash beginning to churn. Archie countered instantly, his rage lending urgency to his command, "Walrein, Ice Ball!"
*PEW*
Walrein gathered a sphere of frigid energy, launching it with surprising speed. The Ice Ball slammed into Camerupt's flank, but the fire Pokémon barely flinched.
The heat radiating from Camerupt was intense, distorting the air around it. Maxie challenged, his eyes burning with defiance, "One-on-one, Archie. Right here, right now… unless you're a coward."
Archie's jaw clenched, his knuckles white around the Poké Ball still in his hand. He looked at Walrein, then back at Maxie as he hissed, "Fine. You want a fight? You've got one, you son of a bitch!!"
The air crackled with anticipation as Camerupt and Walrein charged. The parking lot, usually a mundane space, became an arena for the clash of titans.
*THUD*
Camerupt, despite its bulk, moved with surprising agility, its hooves kicking up sparks on the asphalt. Walrein, a formidable mass of blubber and muscle, met it head-on, its tusks poised.
Archie commanded, "Walrein, Aurora Beam!"
*PEW*
A vibrant, multi-hued light erupted from Walrein's mouth, striking Camerupt square in the chest. Maxie grimaced, but Camerupt roared, its Magma Armor ability shimmering, deflecting much of the chilling attack.
The ground beneath their feet began to radiate heat, forcing Walrein to recoil slightly. Maxie roared, pushing his advantage, "Camerupt, Lava Plume!"
*POOOF*
Molten tendrils of fire and rock erupted from Camerupt's humps, arcing towards Walrein. Archie reacted swiftly as he ordered, "Walrein, Dive!"
*Swoosh*
With an unexpected burst of speed, Walrein plunged its massive body into the ground, as if it were water, disappearing beneath the asphalt just as the Lava Plume scorched the spot where it had been.
*Ssss*
The concrete hissed and melted under the intense heat. Maxie taunted, a sly smile on his face, "Impressive, Archie, but you can't hide forever! Camerupt, Stomp!"
*THUMP*
Camerupt brought its immense hooves down, trembling the very foundations of the parking lot. A section of the asphalt cracked and splintered, but Walrein didn't emerge.
*Rmbl*
Then, a disturbance in the ground near Camerupt's hind legs. Archie bellowed, "Now, Walrein, Ice Fang!"
*CHOMP*
Walrein burst from the ground, jaws agape, its fangs coated in a shimmering layer of ice. Before Camerupt could react, Walrein locked its powerful jaws onto Camerupt's back, a visceral crunch echoing through the lot.
*CRUNCH*
Ice began to spread, attempting to freeze the fire Pokémon's volcanic hide. Maxie's eyes widened, a flicker of concern crossing his face.
However, Camerupt's Magma Armor was a potent defense. The encroaching ice sizzled and melted, unable to fully penetrate its superheated skin.
*Rmbl*
A low rumble began to emanate from Camerupt's humps, growing in intensity, shaking Walrein's grip. Maxie cried out, sensing the shift in momentum, "Camerupt, full power! Eruption!"
*RMBL*
With a deafening roar, Camerupt unleashed an explosion of molten rock, fire, and ash from its humps, far more potent than its earlier Lava Plume. The full force of the Eruption blasted Walrein off its back, sending the huge Pokémon tumbling backwards through the air, before it slammed into a nearby parked car with a sickening thud.
*THUD*
The vehicle crumpled around it like a tin can. And not only that, but their battle would soon attract people…
/////
[Hoenn Region, Nighttime, Lilycove City]
Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, Gabby and Ty were driving back to the Hoenn TV station. Gabby, the station's tenacious reporter, gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were white.
Ty, her trusty cameraman, sat beside her, his expression a mix of concern and exasperation. Gabby insisted, her voice tight with indignation, "I'm telling you, Ty, something isn't right. That anonymous tip about the company keeping vital information from the public… It's been gnawing at me all day."
Ty sighed, adjusting his hat, and knowing this song and dance, replied, "Gabby, you know how these things go. Someone's always got an axe to grind. We're a news organization; we get accusations all the time."
Gabby frowned, hearing that, as she shook her head and argued, "But this felt different. A cover-up, Ty. That's what they said. And Director Archie has been acting… shifty lately. I swear, if I don't get a straight answer from him tomorrow, I'm going to follow this story wherever it leads, even if it means digging into our own backyard."
Ty merely grunted, knowing that once Gabby latched onto a story, she wouldn't let go. He'd seen her chase down leads that others had dismissed as dead ends, often unearthing truths that sent shockwaves through the region.
He respected her journalistic integrity, but it also made him worry. Suddenly, a blinding flash of orange light erupted in the distance, followed by a concussive BOOM that rattled the car.
*BOOOM*
The force of Camerupt's Eruption attack was so immense, so unexpected, that Gabby instinctively slammed on the brakes. The car screeched to a halt, tires smoking, barely avoiding a collision with a lamppost.
Gabby gasped, her heart hammering against her ribs, "What in the world was that?!"
Ty was already fumbling for his camera, his professional instincts kicking in. Ty muttered, adjusting the lens, "Sounded like a Pokémon attack of the highest caliber! Coming from the TV station parking lot, no less."
Without another word, Gabby threw open her door as she ordered, "Let's go. We have to see what that was."
They moved cautiously, cutting through a small, manicured patch of bushes that bordered the parking lot. Peeking through the dense foliage, their eyes widened as they took in the chaotic scene: the scorched asphalt, the crumpled car, and the two figures, Maxie and Archie, their Pokémon still poised for battle.
Ty quietly began to record, the whir of his camera almost imperceptible. But the two could feel the pressure of what's going on…
/////
[Hoenn Region, Nighttime, Lilycove City – Hoenn's TV (Parking Lot)]
Archie surveyed his Walrein, which was slowly, painfully, extracting itself from the mangled wreckage of the car. Despite the devastating Eruption, the huge Pokémon seemed more annoyed than seriously injured.
Its Thick Fat ability, a natural insulator against fire and ice attacks, had absorbed the brunt of the molten blast. Archie conceded, a strained smile on his face, "Not bad, Maxie. But Walrein's Thick Fat kept it from being badly damaged. Looks like our Pokémon are still equally matched."
Maxie gritted his teeth, his expression unreadable. He knew Archie was right. Another prolonged battle would only exhaust them both, serving no real purpose beyond satisfying their personal animosity.
He took a deep, steadying breath. Maxie finally admitted, retracting Camerupt into its Poké Ball, "Perhaps. But this isn't why I truly came, Archie. As much as I enjoy seeing you squirm, there's a more pressing matter."
Archie raised an eyebrow, recalling Walrein asking curiously at Maxie's actions, "Oh? Do enlighten me."
Maxie began slowly, his voice taking on a serious, almost academic tone, "Team Magma has possession of the Submarine Explorer 1. A marvel of engineering, capable of reaching unimaginable depths. However, it requires a specific heart component, a navigational array, to withstand the crushing pressures of the deepest ocean trenches and plot a course to our ultimate destination."
Archie's eyes narrowed, a flicker of understanding dawning as he answered calmly, eyeing Maxie's expression, "And I suppose Team Aqua, in its infinite wisdom, happens to have that very component?"
Maxie gave a curt nod as he explained logically, eyeing Archie cautiously, "Precisely. Without it, my Submarine Explorer is merely an expensive dive suit. And without my submarine, your little heart component is nothing but a useless paperweight, incapable of getting you where you want to go."
The implication hung heavy in the air. Neither of them possessed the full capability to achieve their grand designs. Maxie continued, his voice softer, almost persuasive, "I propose an idea, Archie. The two teams… will join forces. Just long enough to journey to the bottom of the sea. Once we reach our destination, once we achieve our respective goals… we can resume our fight. Agreed?"
Archie's mind raced at the offer. The offer was pragmatic, undeniable in its logic. His ambition to expand the seas, to unlock the true power of Kyogre, necessitated reaching the deepest parts of the ocean.
Maxie's ambition to expand the land, to awaken Groudon, also required access to ancient power sources hidden far below. He knew Maxie would never give up the Explorer, and he would never surrender the heart component.
*Beep*
He was about to agree when Maxie's Rotom Phone buzzed, a sharp, insistent sound. Maxie glanced at the screen, and his expression instantly twisted into a bitter mask of frustration, gritting his teeth.
Archie asked, a spark of malicious curiosity in his eyes, "What's wrong, Maxie?"
Maxie practically spat the words out venom as he replied, "My base at Jagged Pass… It's just been destroyed. By Azure Sky."
A low chuckle escaped Archie's lips, a dark, mirthless sound. He leaned back, crossing his arms, a wave of schadenfreude washing over him.
Maxie looked up, his eyes wide with disbelief, then narrowed in renewed fury as he scowled in a low hiss, "You find this amusing, Archie?"
Archie replied nonchalantly, unable to suppress a broader malicious grin, "Amusing? Maxie, my friend, that's an understatement. Finally, you understand. That meddling Kanto champion isn't just a nuisance to me. He's a thorn in both our sides. He destroyed my base at Lilycove, and now he's done the same to yours. He's been actively getting in our way, disrupting our operations, and hindering our progress. At this rate, neither of us will ever get what we want."
The logic, though painful, was irrefutable. Maxie's anger simmered, but a cold, strategic calculation began to take precedence.
Azure Sky was a mutual enemy, a force of chaos upsetting their carefully laid plans. They couldn't fight each other and fight him.
They needed to secure their objectives, and then, only then, could they resume their grand rivalry. Maxie conceded, the words tasting like ash, "You're right. This boy… he is an impediment. A significant one."
He looked at Archie, a spark of cold resolve in his eyes as he said calmly, "Very well. For now, we put our differences aside. We are united by a common enemy. You have my word, Archie. A temporary alliance."
Archie extended a hand, a predatory glint flashing in his eyes. They shook hands, a silent, uneasy pact forged in the twilight as Archie said, "And you have mine, Maxie."
/////
[Hoenn Region, Nighttime, Lilycove City]
Hidden amongst the rustling leaves, Gabby and Ty stared, frozen. They had witnessed everything: the tense showdown, the display of raw power, and the chilling, unexpected alliance. Gabby's hand flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp. Their director, the respected figure they saw every day, the man who shaped the news… was Archie, leader of Team Aqua.
And he was shaking hands with Maxie, leader of Team Magma. Gabby felt a surge of disbelief, then a wave of white-hot fury as she uttered hatefully, "He… he lied to us! He used us! He's a criminal!"
She took a step forward, ready to burst from the bushes, to confront Archie right then and there, to demand answers, to expose him to the world. But Ty, ever the pragmatist, grabbed her arm with an iron grip, pulling her back before she could reveal their presence, whispered harshly, "Gabby, no! Are you insane? Think! What good would that do?"
He was right. Gabby slumped against him, her body trembling with shock and outrage. The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place in her mind: the suppressed stories, the strange narrative shifts, the constant 'blaming' of Team Magma for incidents that now, chillingly, made sense as Team Aqua's doing.
Her own company, her own career, had been unknowingly complicit in a vast, dangerous deception. Archie and Maxie, their pact sealed, turned and walked towards their respective vehicles.
Maxie climbed into a rugged, customized jeep that would blend in perfectly in volcanic terrain, while Archie slipped into his sleek black sedan. With discreet revs of their engines, they drove away, leaving Gabby and Ty alone in the rapidly darkening parking lot.
The silence that descended was heavy, suffocating. Gabby felt a cold dread creep into her heart. Her voice was a terrified whisper, "What do we do, Ty? What do we possibly do? We can't go to the police; he's too powerful. He controls the media! What if… what if other employees are in on it? What if this whole station is just a front for Team Aqua?"
Her panic was palpable, her journalistic ideals shattered. Ty, though shaken, was already thinking several steps ahead.
He pulled out his Rotom Phone, his fingers hovering over the screen as he said calmly, "You're right, Gabby. We can't go to the authorities here. Not safely, not effectively. And confronting them directly? That's suicide."
He looked at Gabby, his expression grim but resolute resolve as he continued, "But we can't let this go. They're planning something big, something that involves both of their teams. Something dangerous for Hoenn."
Ty took a deep breath as he continued in a determined tone in a serious voice, "We go to the people who can fight them. The Gym Leaders… they're powerful, and they operate independently. We also inform Ruby; he's a formidable trainer and always seems to be in the thick of things."
He paused, then his eyes took on a determined glint as he added, "And if Archie and Maxie are united against 'Azure Sky'… then Azure Sky is the most important person we need to warn. He's clearly already disrupted their plans. He's the only one who seems to be able to hit them where it hurts. Our 'enemy,' as they called him. We need to find him, Gabby. We need to tell him what we heard."
He began inputting a destination into his Rotom Phone, a frantic, desperate hope sparking in his eyes. Gabby stared at him, then at the empty parking lot. The weight of their discovery and the perilous path ahead settled upon them.
The Hoenn region was on the brink of something catastrophic, and they, two ordinary newspeople, now held a secret that could either save it or condemn them both. Ty's phone screen lit up, a map displaying their new, dangerous quest…
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A/N: Reach the goal of 100 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!