Across the region from the shores of Slateport, Max, Brock, and Bonnie were on their way up Mt. Chimney, carefully navigating the treacherous path. As they approached the mouth of the volcano, the temperature around them only seemed to continue to climb.
"Almost there," Max noted. Bonnie and Brock agreed and they all continued to climb, determined to reach the top and find out what was going on. Once they reached the peak, Max hoisted himself up towards the rimmed mouth of the volcano, with Brock following suit. Max extended a helping hand to Bonnie, who blushed a little but accepted his assistance.
"Doing okay?" Max asked.
"Y-Yeah." Bonnie stammered.
"Good." he nodded.
"Max look over there," Brock whispered, pointing to a nearby platform where a small crowd of people worked on a mysterious machine. Their outfits had been altered from the way they appeared years ago, but they were still identifiable as Team Magma without a doubt. "Team Magma..."
"One of the two evil organizations?" Bonnie asked.
"Yeah." Max nodded before offering a suggestion, "Let's try to get closer." Nodding in agreement, the trio began sneaking towards the machine, finding cover behind a nearby ridge. All three of them peeked out as much as they dared from behind their hiding spot, trying to gather any information they could.
"Looks like the device is trying to superheat the lava," Brock observed.
"But why? What does that do for them?" Max pondered.
"Could it involve having something to do with Groudon?" Bonnie speculated.
"I'm sure it does. That's all they were ever thinking about." Max agreed.
"But they can't control him without his orb..." Brock added.
"We need to let Steven know about-" Max was about to suggest informing Steven when disaster struck. The rock under Bonnie crumbled, sending her tumbling down and landing near Team Magma.
"Ack!" Bonnie yelped as she found herself in an unexpected predicament. The Magma Grunt, alarmed by the intrusion, quickly responded.
"What the? Intruders!" he alerted the others as he released two Mightyena. The Pokémon appeared on the field in a flash of light and growled menacingly at Bonnie. Bonnie, quick on her feet, commanded her Dedenne from her purse.
"Dedenne! Thunder Shock!" The Electric-type Pokémon hopped out of her bag, firing a Thunder Shock at the Mightyena.
"Dodge and grab her!" The Magma Grunt ordered. One Mightyena successfully dodged the attack, grabbing Bonnie's shirt in his teeth. The Grunt commanded the other Mightyena, "Slash now!" The second Mightyena swung his claws into Dedenne, causing the Electric-type to cry out in pain.
"Help!" Bonnie struggled to free herself, panicking.
"Back off!" Max yelled as he took charge. "Sceptile!" He jumped down and threw a Pokéball, releasing his Sceptile.
"Scep!"
"Sceptile! Leaf Blade!" Max commanded. Sceptile moved with incredible speed, slashing with the glowing blades on his arms at the Mightyena that held Bonnie, causing him to release her. Seizing on the opportunity, Bonnie quickly scurried away as Brock jumped down as well to help Max provide some cover.
"Croagunk! Use Brick Break!" he ordered as he tossed Croagunk's pokéball. Croagunk leapt from the light of his pokeball and charged at the second Mightyena, striking it with a powerful Brick Break.
"Shadow Claw!" The Magma Grunt retaliated. The first Mightyena charged at Sceptile, slashing him with Shadow Claw. Sceptile was fast enough to brace, however, reducing the damage as he skid backwards from the hit.
"Hang tough! Quick Attack, go!" Max shouted. Sceptile responded by zooming ahead with Quick Attack.
"Use Poison Jab!" Brock added. Croagunk charged at the second Mightyena, striking him with a Poison Jab at the same time Sceptile hit the other one with Quick Attack. Both Mightyena were overwhelmed by the coordinated attacks, fainting on the spot. The Magma Grunt, frustrated, recalled both Pokémon.
"Tsk! Retreat now!" he grumbled. The Magma members quickly retreated, leaving Max, Brock, and Bonnie with a moment of reprieve. Bonnie carefully approached her Dedenne, offering soothing words and gentle strokes to reassure the Electric-type Pokémon. Max watched over her, a mixture of relief and concern evident in his expression.
"Are you alright?" Max inquired, his eyes showing genuine concern. Bonnie looked up at him and offered a smile.
"I'm fine, thanks to you," she replied. Max returned the smile, a sense of comfort washing over him.
"I'm glad," he said softly. Brock, not losing sight of the gravity of the situation, took a moment to examine the machine that Team Magma had been using before.
"Wait what's this?" he wondered, pulling an unusually colored stone from the machine's core. Max and Bonnie ran over and looked at the object in his hand curiously.
"A rock?" Bonnie wondered.
"Sure doesn't look like any normal rock I've ever seen," Max confirmed.
"It must have some kind of connection if they were using it on the volcano." Brock deduced.
"Yeah, but we stopped them right?" Bonnie reminded him.
"Still, that was way too close. And it's clear at least that Team Magma is active again." Brock said with a cautious tone as he slipped the rock into his bag for safe keeping.
"But is Team Aqua active again as well?" Bonnie posed the question, concern etched on her face. Max contemplated the thought, realizing the potential consequences if both Team Magma and Team Aqua were indeed back in action.
"If they are, then we're in big trouble," he remarked solemnly.
Meanwhile, back on Mossdeep Island, Steven walked into the Mosdeep Space Center with Clemont beside him, the two looking around for any kind of anomaly or suspicious group that could be lurking. However, the museum and its patrons seemed completely normal and calm.
"Looks pretty calm here right now…" Steven commented.
"Sure does…" Clemont agreed.
"Even if they were here before it doesn't seem like they are now...I wonder why that is." the Champion wondered aloud. "Perhaps Professor Cozmo will allow us to take a look at the security footage to see what they've been up to around here."
"Professor Cozmo?"
"He's one of the head scientists here. He'd know if something unusual has been going on recently." Steven explained.
"Sounds like just the person to talk to." the blonde agreed.
"Alright. This way." Steven said as he headed towards a staircase in the back. Clemont followed him, but just when they reached the stairs an alarm started going off on the second floor, startling everyone in the building. "What in the world?!"
"What is that?!" Clemont yelled, trying to be heard over the deafening noise.
"We have to find out!" Steven answered before running upstairs. Clemont followed him, running as well and they both quickly arrived at the lab on the second floor. "Professor Cozmo what's going on?!"
"Steven?! We were just about to call you! Our satellite probes have picked up something! Something big!" exclaimed Professor Cozmo, his voice filled with urgency. Without hesitation, Steven and Clemont joined the professor at the control panels, their eyes fixated on the images and data streaming in. The room hummed with tension as the colossal magnitude of the situation unfolded before them.
"Show me!" demanded Steven, his typically composed demeanor giving way to a mix of concern and gravity. Clemont, panting heavily from the rush, joined the investigation. The screens displayed a celestial threat of unprecedented scale—a colossal meteor hurtling towards the region. "A meteor...?" Steven muttered, his eyes widening with realization.
"The biggest we've ever detected." Professor Cozmo confirmed their worst fears.
"Oh boy... we're in trouble." Clemont sighed deeply, recognizing the severity of the situation. Steven, his mind already in crisis-management mode, thought as quickly and clearly as he could.
"We have to get in touch with our teams right away." he declared. Clemont nodded in agreement. The urgency of the situation prompted them to act swiftly, their focus shifting from the earlier concerns of Team Aqua and Team Magma to the imminent threat from the heavens. Together, they began coordinating efforts to gather information, mobilize resources, and formulate a plan to address the impending disaster. The fate of Hoenn hung in the balance, with a meteor of unparalleled magnitude hurtling towards their world.
May's PokeNav suddenly rang, drawing her attention. Answering the call, she heard Steven's voice, his urgency cutting through the air. Ash looked at May with curiosity, wondering about the sudden development.
"May, can you hear me?" Steven's voice resonated through the device.
"Loud and clear, Steven," May replied, her tone conveying a mix of surprise and concern.
"Are you all alright?"
"We're fine, Steven," Ash added, offering reassurance.
"Minus the fact that Team Aqua is here and attacked us." Serena piped up.
"They were after something from Captain Stern," May added.
"Wait one second. I'm going to have Brock's team join the call as well." Steven halted their story as he dialed Brock's Pokegear, joining everyone in a conference-style call.
"Brock here," Brock said, answering his Pokégear.
"Can everyone hear everyone else?" Steven asked everyone to confirm.
"Good on my end." May nodded.
"Same here." Brock agreed,
"Alright good. What did your teams find?"
"Like May and I said, we found Team Aqua here looking for something from Captain Stern," Serena explained again.
"And my team found Team Magma superheating the lava of Mt Chimney." the Pokemon Doctor added.
"So both teams are active again... not good," Brock remarked. Clemont, who had been silent for a moment, finally spoke up, shifting the focus to the impending meteor.
"But Steven and I just discovered another problem..."
"What problem?" Bonnie wondered.
"There's…a meteor coming. Heading right for Hoenn." Steven said with a heavy tone in his voice, which caused everyone in both groups to gasp in shock.
"A what?!" May demanded.
"How big?!" Max shouted over her.
"Big enough to destroy Hoenn…possibly even the world…" Steven explained.
"We have to stop it!" Ash asserted.
"Calm down everyone." Steven requested.
"But how are we going to deal with it?!" Bonnie gulped.
"Clemont and I will stay here at the Space Center and work with the scientists on a plan to stop the meteor. I need you all to take the lead on stopping Team Aqua and Magma in the meantime." the Hoenn Champion explained.
"Will do." Ash nodded.
"Just leave it to us." Brock agreed.
"Good. Everyone keep in touch and stay safe. I'll call back when we have more news." Steven promised.
"Understood." everyone said together. With that, May hung up her phone and looked at Serena and Ash.
"Guess we're on our own for a while," she commented.
"Yeah. But what should we do?" Serena asked.
"Well, since Team Aqua is who we ran into we should see if we can track them down," May suggested.
"Right. I guess the first step would be finding a hideout. Or some kind of base." Ash continued May's thought.
"Hmm...a Team Aqua base…" May wondered aloud.
"By their team name, it would sound like they would have their base underwater or somewhere near water." Serena pointed out.
"Hm...probably." May acknowledged before looking at Ash. "What about Lilycove City? Slateport City might be too much of a tourist hotspot for a base. But Lilycove City is also a port town."
"Sounds ideal for them to do. Good thinking May." Ash nodded, smiling at her.
"Thanks." May smiled back as she hugged him. Ash hugged her back with a wide smile and Serena watched from the side and glared at them, feeling like they ignored her. The two broke their embrace shortly afterwards and May smiled.
"Let's get back to the port and book a ship right away," she suggested.
"Right." Ash agreed.
"Stay safe Captain Stern," May added, wishing the older man well.
"Thank you. You kids do the same," he replied.
"Will do Captain," Ash promised. With that, May headed back down the stairs and Ash followed her down. But behind them, Serena, standing on the fringes of their connection, felt a pang of frustration, as if she was being overlooked. The unspoken tension among the trio added another layer of complexity to their mission, as they navigated both interpersonal dynamics and the looming threats that awaited them.
Meanwhile, back at Mt. Chimney, as the other group contemplated their next move, Max voiced the pressing question on everyone's mind.
"So how do we find Team Magma again?" he inquired, his gaze shifting towards Brock for guidance.
"If they're working to get to Groudon again, they probably aren't far from here," Brock responded.
"So, would they have their base inside the volcano?" Bonnie wondered.
"Obvious, but effective if you're right." Max acknowledged the logic in her suggestion. A soft smile adorned Bonnie's face, a hint of blush coloring her cheeks. The camaraderie between them was evident, even in the face of potential danger.
"Most likely, then it would be back down the mountain," Brock reasoned. Bonnie sighed, anticipating the challenging descent.
"So, climbing back down the mountain it is then," she mumbled.
"Unfortunately..." Brock chuckled, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Don't worry. I think I can speed things up," he added before he tossed a pokeball. "Steelix let's go!"
"Steelix!" his Iron Snake roared as he popped out of the tiny capsule.
"Good thinking, Brock!" Max commended as he and Bonnie eagerly climbed onto Steelix. Brock followed and sat himself atop Steelix's head.
"Let's move Steelix!" As Steelix initiated its descent down the mountain, everyone held on tightly, the wind whipping through their hair as Steelix easily made his way through the rugged and rough terrain. Brock steered Steelix down the mountain for several minutes until a gleam on the ground caught his eye. "Steelix, stop!"
"Lix?" Halting at Brock's command, Steelix allowed him to dismount and investigate the object that had captured his attention. He held up a logo-shaped pin with a curious look.
"A Team Magma emblem," Brock revealed, confirming their proximity to the nefarious group.
"Does that mean we're close?" Bonnie pondered.
"Closer than we think," Brock replied, pressing the emblem between his fingers. This action suddenly triggered a mechanism, causing a nearby cave entrance to rumble open.
"Over there!" Max exclaimed.
"A secret passage?" Bonnie wondered.
"Let's check it out." Max wasted no time and leaped down into the cave, prompting Brock to express his gratitude to Steelix before recalling it. Bonnie followed suit, and the trio ventured into the concealed depths of the cave, guided by the promise of uncovering Team Magma's activities.
Back on Mossdeep Island, Clemont and Steven found themselves grappling with the immense challenge of mitigating the impending meteor catastrophe. As they exchanged ideas on potential strategies, the daunting reality set in - the sheer size of the meteor rendered conventional methods futile.
"That thing is gigantic... any attack or weaponry we could send up there in time would barely make a dent," Steven lamented, frustration evident in his voice. Clemont racked his brain for a solution, but the enormity of the task left him feeling helpless.
"Maybe there's a powerful Pokémon that can destroy it…?" he tried to offer.
"Most Pokémon can't even survive in space, much less also have the power to stop something that big." Steven sighed, shaking his head. As they grappled with the dire situation, a mysterious presence revealed itself. A young woman with short dark hair, a figure seemingly concealed among the ceiling beams, suddenly descended with a smirk. Before the bewildered duo could react, she deftly snatched Steven's Mega Stickpin right off his jacket.
"Thank you very much," she declared, her nonchalant demeanor adding to the confusion.
"What the?!" Steven gasped. Clemont, astounded by the sudden intrusion, questioned her loudly.
"Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" Clemont demanded. Dismissive of their inquiries, the woman simply responded with a cryptic tone.
"Hmm. Well, I'm afraid both questions are above your paygrade, Champion. But don't worry. It's not important to you anyway."
"Give back his Mega Stone!" Clemont demanded, pointing out her theft of Steven's Stickpin.
"Sorry no. Besides I can put it to much better use." Zinnia asserted, unbothered. With a snap of her fingers, Salamence, a formidable Dragon-type Pokémon, suddenly crashed through a nearby wall with a resounding roar.
"What the?!" Steven exclaimed, taken aback by the sudden appearance. The woman hopped onto Salamence, addressing a Whismur that was already riding the Dragon-type Pokémon.
"Hi, my sweet little Aster. Ready to go?" she asked the little purple Pokemon.
"Whis!" The Whismur responded with enthusiasm.
"Bye-bye. Thanks again." The strange woman bid them farewell with a sly smile. Salamence took flight, disappearing along the horizon.
"Get back here, you thief!" Clemont shouted in frustration, stopping just short of running out of the hole in the wall Salamence had made. Steven, still processing the bizarre encounter, rushed to the hole in the wall, only to witness their escape into the distance.
"As if we didn't have enough problems already..." he grumbled.
"But why did steal your Mega Stone?" Clemont wondered.
"Just another mystery on the pile…" Steven sighed. The theft of the Mega Stickpin added yet another layer of mystery to their already complex predicament.
To be Continued...