Though the Whirl Cup mainly attracts Water-type Trainers, Volkner—the Electric-type Elite Four member—has captured none other than the Lord of the Sea, Kyogre. So who's to say he isn't a master of Water-types too?
With that thought in mind, Lucius messaged Dietmar.
His reply took Dietmar by surprise.
After all, ever since Volkner inexplicably became the director of Hive, Dietmar had been sending him emails daily—none of which had ever been answered. This was the first time Volkner responded. Unprecedented.
Dietmar wasted no time and immediately relayed Volkner's interest to the tournament organizers.
Although the Whirl Cup is held officially once every three years, it's still considered a small, regional event. Normally, the guest list only includes locally-renowned Water-type specialists. It's rare for even a single Elite Four member to show up—so securing Volkner was a major coup for the organizers.
They were quick to launch a media campaign centered on his appearance.
After all, the Whirl Islands region thrives on tourism. The more attendees and participants, the greater the local economic return.
Naturally, as a high-profile guest, Lucius wasn't expected to be present during the preliminaries. His appearance during the later, critical stages would suffice.
Over the next two weeks, Lucius consolidated Hive's operations across Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn, clearly delineating the roles of each regional division. His goal was to ensure there would be no internal conflict and that all resources would serve Hive's grand vision with maximum efficiency.
At the same time, the League had begun mobilizing forces.
It seemed that Goodshow had developed a method to distinguish between infected and non-infected individuals. A large-scale task force was dispatched to Unova.
Leading the charge was none other than the Galar Champion and Mustard's protégé—Leon. At his side was Wallace, the Gym Leader of Sootopolis City, whose strength rivaled even Champion-level Trainers.
Their team included Pryce, the Ice-type Gym Leader of Mahogany Town; Spenser (宇康), the Palace Maven of Hoenn's Battle Frontier; and Lucian, the Psychic-type Elite Four member from Sinnoh. They were joined by Marshal, Unova's Fighting-type Elite Four, and Grimsley, the Dark-type Elite Four, who would serve as field commander. Together with local Gym Leaders and law enforcement, they were set to initiate an operation against Team Plasma.
From Lucius's perspective, this mobilization felt excessive for simply taking down a criminal organization.
Even though Team Plasma had embedded itself within Unova—the most technologically advanced region—their strength still fell short of Team Rocket at its peak.
Yet here the League was, deploying not one but two Champion-class Trainers, alongside no fewer than five Elite Four-level operatives. The scale seemed disproportionate.
The choice of Pryce, Spenser, and Lucian was particularly curious...
Had Charles Goodshow intentionally drawn top-tier operatives from Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh? Could there be a hidden agenda?
Beyond observing League movements, Lucius had also dispatched personnel from Brandon's faction to the Crystal Cave to begin mining the crystalline resources buried there.
Not for crafting jewelry—but to research how to store and release energy through crystals.
Should this technology be realized, it could usher in a technological revolution. If costs could be contained, it might even replace traditional underground energy sources—comparable in potential to Infinity Energy.
During this time, Brandon himself traveled to Snowpoint City, a place perpetually covered in snow. Accompanied by the Legendary Titans—Regice, Registeel, and Regirock—he attempted to uncover a way into the lowest levels of the Snowpoint Temple.
This ancient structure, older even than the city itself, extended far underground. Each layer was guarded by increasingly complex puzzles. Fortunately, this was Brandon's area of expertise.
...
Seven Island – Team Rocket Base.
A low hum buzzed in the sky as a gaseous sphere descended rapidly, landing atop the Rocket base's central tower.
The sphere dissipated, revealing the tall, imposing figure of Giovanni and his Beedrill, its stingers glinting with menace.
Gone was his usual sharp-suited elegance. His clothes were caked in grime—he had narrowly escaped an ambush from Lorelei, Agatha, and Bruno, three of the Kanto Elite Four.
"Boss!" Matori, having spotted his arrival via surveillance, rushed out to greet him. "It's a relief to see you back safely."
Giovanni gave a nod. "Where's Silver?"
"Young Master is in the base," she replied.
After recent events, Silver's identity was no longer a secret within Team Rocket—especially among the higher-ups like Matori.
In the heart of the command center, Giovanni inserted the data he had retrieved from various Hive installations in Kanto into the main console.
This wasn't a rage-fueled raid. Giovanni had a mission: to uncover the truth about Hive.
Team Rocket had been defeated. But how had they been defeated? Why so suddenly and completely?
These questions haunted Giovanni.
Ever since losing his Gym Leader position and with Silph Co. severed, Team Rocket's intelligence network had crumbled. Hive's internal information security was near-impenetrable, and leaks were virtually nonexistent. All Giovanni had to rely on was public news coverage.
And he knew better than to trust headlines.
So he took matters into his own hands—personally executing an aggressive data-gathering operation.
And it had paid off.
Now on the screen, critical keywords flashed before him:
Virus... Umbrella Pharmaceutical Company... Protein Enhancement Trials... Legendary Pokémon Cloning Project…
Each revelation hit like a blow.
Giovanni knew now: Hive wasn't just another criminal syndicate. Something far more dangerous was at play.
"Father, you're back..."
Silently, Silver appeared behind him and handed him a glass of water.
"Mm..."
Although he was puzzled as to how Silver had entered the secret command room, his lingering guilt toward his son prevented him from voicing it. Instead, he took the glass and drank quietly.
"You're looking at Hive intel," Silver noted, glancing at the screen before turning to Giovanni. "I actually have a much more detailed file, Father—would you like it?"
"A detailed file?"
Giovanni's brows furrowed. His instincts told him something was off.
"Yeah. The Hive Leader gave it to me personally," Silver nodded. "I'll give it to you after you finish your drink."
...
Soon, the preliminary rounds of the Whirl Cup had concluded, and the top 64 Trainers had been announced.
Dietmar had sent a message—
It was time to be there.
Since he'd already decided to attend, Lucius didn't waste another moment.
The Whirl Islands are located along Route 41, between Johto's mainland and Cianwood City. They consist of the four largest islands—Red Rock Isle, Silver Rock Isle, Yellow Rock Isle, and Blue Point Isle—along with several scattered smaller ones.
Because whirlpools constantly churn around the islands, only Trainers who know how to use Whirlpool can safely pass through, earning the area its infamous name.
For generations, there had been legends that Lugia, the Guardian of the Seas, slumbers deep beneath the Whirl Islands in an oceanic cavern. But from Anabel's memories, Lucius knew the truth—that beneath the waves lay the ruins of an ancient palace.
Of course, the legend of the Sea Guardian had long been commercialized into a tourist attraction. Locals sold trinkets, charms, and memorabilia themed around the mythical deity.
Yet recently, the Whirl Islands' posters and ads weren't about Lugia at all.
Instead, the spotlight had shifted to another mythic figure—
The man who commands the Ocean Emperor.
The Hive Leader.
A member of Kanto's Elite Four.
A special guest of the Whirl Cup—Volkner.
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