As a thriving metropolis, Mauville City naturally consumed considerable energy daily, its power generation capacity ranked first among all cities in the Hoenn region.
It even surpassed Ever Grande City, where the Pokémon League headquarters was located.
The reason traced back to Gym Leader Wattson's urban renewal project, which had indeed brought prosperity to Mauville City, but also an enormous energy burden.
Consequently, one aging power plant after another was abandoned.
Meanwhile, brand new facilities with vastly superior generation capacity continued to emerge.
The most famous was undoubtedly the ambitious underground power plant and secondary city constructed several years ago, "New Mauville."
Rumor had it that building this underground facility had consumed countless resources and manpower, with standards modeled after Kanto's Power Plant and Sinnoh's Valley Windworks.
Mauville City had even promoted itself by claiming these three facilities as the "Three Great Power Plants of the Pokémon World."
For a time, "New Mauville" enjoyed immense prestige.
Unfortunately, Wattson later called an emergency halt to the project, citing its negative impact on the surrounding Pokémon ecosystem.
Though construction was only halfway complete, New Mauville still supplied massive amounts of electrical energy to the entire city each year.
As for the old power plants, they naturally fell into disrepair, becoming gathering places for wild Pokémon, especially various rare Electric-types.
These locations had become favorite exploration sites for countless trainers.
In a forest near a small abandoned power plant.
Murkrow circled overhead, its sharp gaze constantly scanning the surroundings, alert for any sudden threats.
Sieg sprinted through the jungle, his agile form stirring up fallen leaves. With light footsteps, he quickly scaled a massive boulder.
"This Emolga is way too slippery! It's like trying to catch an eel!"
Sieg gazed toward the small abandoned power plant in the distance, breathing heavily, speaking with some exasperation.
Ever since completing his gym challenge yesterday, he'd begun researching what attractions near Mauville City might interest trainers.
The numerous abandoned power plants, teeming with rare Electric-type Pokémon, had immediately caught his attention.
After all, he now had five Pokémon to raise, expenses were accumulating rapidly, and the financial pressure was mounting.
He finally understood why most trainers never kept more than three Pokémon. Beyond the considerable time investment each required, the cost of raising them was a significant factor.
Therefore, earning money was unavoidable.
This morning, shortly after entering the forest, he'd spotted a rare Pokémon, an Emolga.
This species was primarily found in the Unova region, with smaller populations in Sinnoh and Hoenn.
Due to its rare Electric/Flying typing and adorable appearance, it was quite popular among female trainers.
Wealthy ladies especially loved keeping such Pokémon, not particularly strong, but extremely cute pets to bring along to social gatherings. It was quite the status symbol.
It would definitely elicit admiration and envy from their well-to-do friends.
Sieg naturally couldn't pass up such an opportunity. After all, you could never underestimate how far these women would go for something they adored.
Whether selling it on the black market or trading it to the League for points, both were excellent options.
Originally, with Murkrow's speed, catching up should have been easy. Who knew the thing actually knew Tailwind? Combined with Emolga's base 103 Speed stat, it was incredibly fast.
Moreover, Emolga was naturally small, and being able to fly made it perfectly at home in the familiar forest environment.
Meanwhile, Murkrow wasn't familiar with the forest's complex terrain, and had to keep track of Sieg following behind, so it lost the trail.
"Did that Emolga escape into this small power plant? This is going to be tricky..."
These small power plants typically housed large populations of Electric-type Pokémon, drawn by the residual electrical energy inside.
Combined with the cramped interior where Pokémon could ambush you from any corner, most people avoided exploring them.
Over time, more and more Electric-types congregated inside, effectively making these places off-limits.
Though the facility before him was merely a small one, Sieg suspected there might even be Elite-level Pokémon inside.
To enter or not to enter?
After brief consideration, Sieg decided to go in, though he'd need to be cautious about his approach.
From his spatial ring, Sieg retrieved various items, including a compact reconnaissance drone and a wilderness navigation device.
All Devon Corporation products, quality absolutely guaranteed. They could withstand full-power attacks from Pokémon around level 20.
Their advantage lay in their small size and capability for nighttime reconnaissance.
Sieg had Murkrow stand guard nearby while he focused entirely on operating the equipment. Though the drone wasn't difficult to control, it required concentrated attention.
"The Electric-type energy in here really is dense. No wonder it attracts so many Electric Pokémon to nest here."
Sieg walked through the abandoned power plant's deteriorating corridors. Rusted steel walls, exposed rebar and concrete, all recording the passage of time.
This place had once been a steel giant generating massive power. Now it had deteriorated to this sorry state.
Nothing remained but decay and desolation.
"Clang~"
Occasionally, a Pokémon would make some noise.
"Murkrow, Tailwind, then Wing Attack."
Hearing its trainer's command, Murkrow was enveloped by gentle breezes, its speed instantly increasing. Black wings glowing with white light struck directly at that white-black figure.
"Emo~ Emo~"
Hit by the attack, Emolga slammed into the nearby steel wall, crying out in pain.
This time, Sieg wouldn't give it another chance to escape. He immediately commanded: "Umbreon, Dark Pulse!"
Umbreon gathered a wave pulsing with dark energy, launching it directly at the Emolga on the ground.
"Boom!"
With a small explosion, Emolga instantly lost consciousness. Sieg seized the moment to throw a Great Ball.
"Ding~"
Watching the successful capture, Sieg's mood improved slightly. He had to admit, Emolga really was quite adorable.
Especially those electric sacs on either side of its cheeks.
The black skin from Emolga's head down its back looked like it was wearing a hooded cape, with a zigzag pattern above its face.
Most eye-catching were its yellow wing membranes, like wings connecting to its three-fingered arms, resembling a cape.
As Sieg continued operating the drone to explore deeper into the power plant's core, a small shadow appearing on the screen caught his attention.
"Is that... a Shiny Pichu?"