Cynthia knew full well that Archie was a formidable opponent. His Sharpedo and Crawdaunt had even steamrolled her team once before.
But against her current squad, now fully matured and battle-hardened, he wasn't unbeatable!
Time ticked away, second by second.
After multiple attempts, Cynthia relied on superior strategy and strength to steadily suppress Archie, ultimately defeating him!
"Damn it... you little brat, to think you've gotten this strong..." Archie knelt on one knee, gasping for breath, his face twisted with frustration. "
But this isn't over! For the glory of the boundless ocean! I will find a way to control Kyogre!"
After his dramatic declaration, he staggered to his feet, leapt onto a small submarine parked nearby, and fled the base in disarray.
Cynthia didn't move her character to pursue. Or rather, she didn't have the chance.
Her mind was completely consumed by what she had just witnessed.
She stood her character still, replaying in her head the moment that Pokémon called "Kyogre" burst from the water.
That cataclysmic power, that colossal body like a mountain, that presence that seemed to command the very seas themselves...
She realized this was undoubtedly a legendary Pokémon she had never seen before, nor read about in any records.
Team Aqua's insane plan centered on this being called "Kyogre"!
Its uncontrolled escape likely meant even greater trouble was about to descend on the Hoenn region in the game.
While she was still reeling in shock and contemplation, the Navigator system in the game rang out urgently once more.
"Beep beep beep"
Cynthia opened the communication. It was the director of the Weather Institute again, but his voice was even more panicked than before:
"Strawberry Ice Cream!
This is bad!
We just detected that Kyogre's energy signature vanished from the Seafloor Cavern, but... but Mount Chimney!
There's an even stronger energy wave coming from Mount Chimney, completely opposite in nature!
The temperature across the entire Mount Chimney region is rising rapidly, volcanic activity has become abnormally active!
It's almost like... please go to the base of Mount Chimney immediately and check the situation! Hurry!"
Mount Chimney? Energy waves?
Cynthia's heart lurched.
Things here weren't even resolved yet, and now there's a new crisis?
No choice. She immediately maneuvered her character, used Dive to surface and return to the sea, then summoned Pelipper and used Fly to rush to the destination.
Through the sky, the screen rapidly shifted scenes.
In the blink of an eye, her character traveled from the azure coast of Mossdeep City to the base of Mount Chimney, located in the center of the Hoenn continent and surrounded by red rocks.
However, contrary to the Institute's description of abnormal activity, Mount Chimney's base looked remarkably calm at the moment.
The scorching air distorted the view. A few Geodude and Slugma moved sluggishly between the rocks. Aside from feeling hotter than usual, nothing seemed particularly wrong.
Cynthia couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Where was this supposed energy source?
She moved her character back and forth around the mountain base, carefully checking every corner, but found nothing.
There was no sign of Team Magma, nor any obvious entrance or anomaly like the Seafloor Cavern.
Yet beneath this calm surface, Cynthia sensed undercurrents stirring.
This eerie tranquility was likely just the calm before the storm.
With no immediate leads, Cynthia simply exited the game, leaning back slightly in her chair.
On the screen, that overly peaceful scene at Mount Chimney's base lingered in her mind, forming a stark contrast with the earth-shattering spectacle at the Seafloor Cavern.
"Kyogre..." she whispered the name, her brow furrowing slightly.
That overwhelming power that seemed capable of shaking the entire ocean, that ancient and majestic form, was definitely no ordinary legendary Pokémon. It was probably among the most powerful ones.
What concerned her more was Archie's fanatical slogan: "Bring endless oceans to this world."
It sounded like the ravings of an extremist organization, but combined with Kyogre's demonstrated power to alter natural environments, it was more than just empty rhetoric.
She had a nagging feeling that she'd seen this name somewhere before.
Not in the game, but in the ancient, fragmented texts she'd encountered as an archaeologist.
A strong intuition compelled her: she had to check, right now.
With that thought, Cynthia hesitated no longer. She stood up, straightened her clothes, grabbed Garchomp's Poké Ball, and walked straight out of the villa.
Mount Coronet, as the heart of the Sinnoh region, concealed many secrets unknown to the world.
Cynthia didn't use any Flying-type Pokémon. Instead, she followed a trail partially covered by snow, one rarely traveled, heading deeper into the mountain range.
She passed through a pine forest shrouded in icy mist, and suddenly the view opened up before her.
Before her eyes stood an ancient tree of unimaginable size!
Its trunk was as massive as a cliff face, its branches and leaves so lush they seemed to hold up a corner of the sky itself.
This was a special tree known only to a select few within the Sinnoh League, codenamed the "Tree of Knowledge." A secret library was housed within this colossal tree.
Cynthia approached the giant tree. There was what appeared to be a natural fold in the bark. She reached out and gently pressed a specific spot.
A faint light flickered, and a camouflaged door slid open silently, revealing a deep passage within, emanating a subtle woody fragrance. The passage was somewhat dim, illuminated only by soft white light from gems embedded in the walls.
Cynthia clearly knew this place well. She strode forward quickly. Before long, a shadow ahead twisted, and a purple, rotund figure slowly materialized, hovering in midair with an eerie smile on its face. A pair of red eyes stood out strikingly in the dimness.
A terrifying, powerful aura burst forth instantly, then quickly subsided.
It was a Gengar!
It was the guardian of this ancient library, having spent countless years here.
It was also an old acquaintance of Cynthia's.
No one knew the true extent of its strength, but every single person who had tried to break in here had disappeared without a trace.
Even the first time Cynthia encountered this Gengar, she had felt immense pressure. And at that time, she was already a Champion.
[Kekekekeke...]
Gengar let out its signature creepy laugh, circling around Cynthia once before tilting its large head.
[Well, well, if it isn't our little Cynthia? What brings you to this old geezer's territory today? Did you run into something even you can't handle?]
Cynthia was long accustomed to Gengar's attitude, even finding it somewhat endearing.
She smiled faintly.
"it's been a while. I have indeed encountered something... that caught my attention. I'd like to look up some records about legendary Pokémon, specifically ones related to the ocean."
"The ocean?" Gengar rubbed its round belly, putting on a thoughtful expression.
"Hmm... Sinnoh's legends are all about time and space. The ocean... isn't usually our theme. Looking for any particular name?"
"Kyogre." Cynthia immediately spoke the word clearly.
"Kyo... gre?" Gengar repeated, and the playful look on its face faded somewhat.
A flash of recollection passed through its red eyes. "That name... I think I might actually remember it.
Feels like I saw it in some old tome half-eaten by bugs... Follow me, little one. Let's see how lucky you are."
With that, Gengar turned and floated deeper into the library. Cynthia followed close behind.
The interior of the library was far more vast than it appeared from outside.
Massive bookshelves stretched upward like cliff walls, disappearing into the darkness above.
The air was thick with the mingled scent of paper, ink, and time itself.
Countless ancient scrolls, parchment books, and stone tablets were neatly archived here.
Cynthia knew that many of these documents dated back even further than the history of the Sinnoh League itself.
Gengar led Cynthia through row after row of towering shelves, finally stopping in a relatively secluded corner covered with a thin layer of dust.
The scrolls in this area looked exceptionally old, most made from some kind of plant fiber.
"Right, it should be around here somewhere."
Gengar gestured in a circle with its finger.
"All these are miscellaneous records of ancient legends from other regions. Hardly anyone comes to look at them anymore. They're practically forgotten.
Dig around and see what you can find.
I'm going to catch some shut-eye... maintaining this dashing form is exhausting, keke..." As soon as it finished speaking, its figure gradually faded, melting into the shadows cast by the shelves and vanishing from sight.
Cynthia shrugged helplessly and began her search alone.
She carefully leafed through the scrolls, her movements gentle but her gaze focused.
Most of the texts here contained fragmented myths or vague descriptions of various legendary Pokémon.
She'd been here before, but honestly, this place hadn't been much help in her research on legendary Pokémon. The information here was just too abstract.
Time passed slowly. Just as she was beginning to doubt her intuition, at the bottom of an inconspicuous box made of some dark wood, she suddenly discovered a rolled-up piece of parchment.
The edges of the parchment were somewhat damaged, its color yellowed with age, but the patterns and text on it were miraculously well-preserved.
Cynthia carefully unrolled it, and the next moment, what she saw made her freeze!
The parchment depicted, in ancient yet vivid strokes, a stunning scene: a vast ocean dominated most of the image, waves churning, massive swells towering.
At the center of the ocean stood a massive blue figure with enormous pectoral fins, none other than the Kyogre she'd seen in the game!
Unlike in the game, the Kyogre in this painting appeared even more majestic, more divine. Tremendous energy swirled around it, as if it were the very embodiment of the ocean itself.
Below the image were several lines of blurred ancient script.
Drawing on her deep scholarly knowledge, Cynthia could barely make out the general meaning:
"...Incarnation of the ocean, Kyogre... Its wrath brings turbulent seas, its breath brings torrential rains... Clashes with the creator of the land, waves swallow mountains, expanding the endless domain of the sea..."
"Expanding the endless domain of the sea..." Cynthia murmured the last line, and it felt like lightning struck through her mind!
Archie's fanatical words: "Bring endless oceans to this world"!
Team Aqua's goal in the game!
And in the Seafloor Cavern, Kyogre's terrifying power to alter the weather!
Every clue connected in that moment.
Cynthia's hand tightened slightly around the scroll.
Her earlier suspicions were confirmed, but her mood grew even heavier.
Team Aqua's plan wasn't just some ordinary scheme.
They were trying to recreate the scenes from ancient legends, using Kyogre's power to literally have the ocean cover the entire earth!
This was no longer a regional crisis.
If they succeeded, the geographical layout and ecological balance of the entire world would be completely overturned.
It would be a catastrophic disaster sweeping across all regions!
She finally fully understood just how dramatic the main storyline of Pokémon Emerald really was.
This wasn't just a Trainer's adventure. It was a challenge where the protagonist had to stop the world from being destroyed.
Cynthia took a deep breath, carefully rolled the parchment back up, and returned it to the wooden box.
She decided she had to return to the game immediately. The anomaly at Mount Chimney was likely related to Kyogre's awakening, or Team Magma was plotting something as well. Either way, she had to check it out.
Just as Cynthia placed the parchment back in the box and prepared to turn and leave, the shadows behind her writhed, and Gengar's rotund figure silently materialized once more.
[Kekekeke...]
Gengar laughed, its red eyes glancing at the box Cynthia had just closed.
[Our little Cynthia, why are you leaving so soon after finding what you need? In such a hurry? Is that the... Kyogre you were looking for?]
Cynthia paused mid-step, nodded, her tone carrying a hint of urgency she couldn't quite conceal. "Yes, I found it. But the situation might be dangerous. I need to get back right away."
[Get back?]
Gengar tilted its large head, looking puzzled. It floated in front of Cynthia.
[Back where? What big trouble happened in the outside world?
Don't tell me some fool actually dared cause trouble in the Sinnoh region and wants to flood us with seawater?]
Caught off guard by Gengar's question, Cynthia froze for a moment, then realized what had happened.
A helpless, wry smile crossed her face. She suddenly became aware that she'd been completely immersed in the urgency brought on by the game's plot, unconsciously treating the crisis unfolding in Hoenn as an immediate real-world threat.
The impact of witnessing Kyogre's might firsthand and decoding ancient prophecies had left her momentarily confused about the line between virtual and reality.
"No, it's not the real world..." Cynthia took a light breath, trying to explain. "It's... in a very special place, but not reality."
Gengar looked at Cynthia struggling to find the right words, its curiosity piqued even more.
It circled around her, pressing further.
[A special place? What's really going on? Come on, tell me. Maybe this old geezer can help. Though honestly, I'd rather be sleeping...]
Facing this familiar and powerful senior, Cynthia knew there was no point in hiding anything.
Besides, Gengar was incredibly knowledgeable; maybe it really could offer some insight.
She organized her thoughts and explained as concisely as possible: "The specific mechanism is hard for me to explain clearly, but you could understand it as me personally 'witnessing' a group calling themselves Team Aqua trying to find and control that legendary Pokémon named Kyogre.
Their goal, just like recorded in this ancient text, is to use Kyogre's power to expand the ocean and attempt to have the entire world swallowed by the sea."
[Hahahaha!]
Upon hearing this, Gengar didn't look worried at all. Instead, it burst into laughter, flipping a somersault in midair.
[Let the ocean swallow the world?
People these days have such interesting ideas, huh? But those legendary Pokémon, like dusty old relics, have been gone for who knows how many years.
They'd have to find it first!]
Cynthia shook her head, her expression serious. "No, Senior, I believe the legendary Pokémon may not have disappeared. Just recently, in the underground ruins, I personally saw Regirock, the Rock Peak Pokémon. If Regirock can appear, then this Kyogre..."
At the mention of "Regirock," the playful expression on Gengar's face instantly faded considerably, and its aura began to stir.
It rubbed its smooth chin, a glimmer of seriousness flashing in its red eyes.
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones