"What is this...?"
The Team Magma members were stunned.
The Pokémon standing in front of them was one they had never seen before. Could it be some incredibly rare species?
Looking past the creature, there was no trainer in sight. Did that mean it was wild?
Just as the squad exchanged glances, eager to be the first to capture such a rare find, their captain stared at the Pokémon. Confusion turned to contemplation, then to sudden realization. His face went pale.
"This is bad! It's Deoxys!! Enemy attack!!!"
As a captain, he knew far more than the ordinary members. Although his guard unit rarely left the base and hadn't participated in the battle against Natsui last time, he had heard the incident discussed endlessly within the team.
He had even watched the footage brought back by the survivors. While Natsui's strength was shocking, the image of Deoxys had burned itself into his memory.
After the retreat, rumors had swirled through the base that Natsui had captured Deoxys without much trouble.
Seeing the alien Pokémon now, the connection didn't click immediately—but after a split second of hesitation, the memories came flooding back.
"What!?"
The other members didn't know what a "Deoxys" was, but they understood the shout of "Enemy attack!"
Stunned for a moment, their expressions changed, and they all reached for the Poké Balls at their waists.
Right then, Deoxys attacked.
It didn't even need to change forms. It simply gathered energy at its chest, forming an orb that it fired directly into their midst. The blast detonated, knocking the entire squad out cold before they could release a single Pokémon.
WEE-OO WEE-OO!
The alarm wailed through the entire base.
Chaos erupted instantly. The guard teams rushed to the exits in formation, preparing to intercept the intruder, while non-combat personnel panicked and packed their belongings, ready to flee.
A secret base relied on secrecy. Once exposed, it was finished. Even if they repelled the intruder, this location could never be used again.
Amidst the chaos, Natsui stepped out from behind a tree, flanked by Gardevoir and Scizor, and walked toward the tunnel entrance.
He didn't need to do anything. Deoxys alone was enough to tear through Team Magma's defenses and blow the main gate wide open.
Team Magma's guards rushed out wave after wave, charging at Deoxys as if their lives didn't matter. Their Pokémon launched desperate attacks, but against Deoxys's overwhelming power, they were wiped out in seconds.
Deoxys advanced at a slow, deliberate pace. In its wake, it left only unconscious bodies, defeated Pokémon, and the smoking ruins of the facility.
The news of the breach reached Maxie quickly.
Found at last?
Though surprised by the speed of the counterattack, Maxie wasn't entirely shocked.
By now, the ecstasy of obtaining the Red Orb had faded, replaced by cold calculation. He was back in control.
In an instant, he made his decision.
The base had to be abandoned.
It was a pity, but with the Orb in hand, the facility no longer mattered.
Once he controlled Groudon, he could rebuild as many bases as he wanted. Compared to the strategic value of the Primal Beast, what was this loss?
He turned to an aide. "Prep the submarine immediately. Evacuate all non-combat personnel. Back up what data you can, and destroy the rest."
"Yes, sir!"
...
"Sector 1 breached!"
"Sector 2 lost!!"
"The intruder has reached Sector 3! Engaging now!!"
"Agh...!"
"He's too strong... we can't hold him..."
"Fall back! Fall back!!"
"Sector 3 is gone! He's heading for Sector 4!!"
Team Magma's comms were a mess of screaming orders, shouts, and explosions. The static made it impossible to hear anything clearly.
But one thing was certain: the intruder was unstoppable, cutting a straight path to the heart of the base.
Shing! Shing!
Scizor used X-Scissor. The heavy blast door in front of it was sliced into four distinct pieces, collapsing under its own weight.
As the debris settled, Natsui stepped into the deepest part of the facility.
Unlike his initial entry, he now had Blaziken, Metagross, and Eevee out as well. Partly to give them combat experience, and partly to watch his back against flankers.
Deoxys acted as the tip of the spear, clearing the path ahead and crushing frontal resistance. No one could stop it. Meanwhile, Natsui's team cleaned up stragglers and secured the perimeter against counterattacks.
With this formation, Natsui swept through the first three sectors with ease.
However, upon reaching the core, the complex layout slowed him down. Having never been here before, he wasn't sure where to go next.
He wanted to find Maxie, but there wasn't even a shadow of a Commander in sight. Obviously, they knew they couldn't win and were avoiding him.
Suddenly, Gengar phased through a wall and appeared in front of him.
The ghost flashed an 'OK' sign. "Done. I sneaked into the control room and cut the power and comms lines. They probably don't even know why their screens went black."
"Good work." Natsui nodded. That was one less threat to worry about. "Do you know where Maxie is hiding?"
Gengar scratched its head. "I heard them talking in the control room. Maxie headed for an underground dock—looks like he's escaping by submarine!"
A hidden dock. Of course.
If he had known earlier, he could have breached from the sea and cut off their retreat. Now, they might slip away.
But it wasn't too late. He just had to catch them before they launched—or shortly after.
"Do you know the way?"
"No. But I know roughly which sector the entrance is in!"
"Lead the way!"
With Gengar guiding him, Natsui changed course, breaking toward the underground harbor entrance.
Unlike the methodical advance earlier, Natsui picked up the pace. Time was tight.
Just to be safe, he took out his phone and messaged Shelly in Sootopolis City, telling her to bring the submarine for support.
He could feel the resistance stiffening. The closer he got to the escape route, the more desperate the enemy became.
This confirmed he was going the right way. Team Magma was making their last stand.
Unfortunately for them, resistance was futile. In the face of Deoxys, every defense crumbled.
...
Team Magma Underground Harbor.
A massive orange submarine sat silently in the dock.
People often assumed Team Magma stuck to volcanoes and caves, questioning why they would need a submarine.
But as a major organization in Hoenn, rivaling Team Aqua, their resources were vast. They had helicopters too, though they rarely used them due to their high profile.
This submarine was no simple transport.
Its design was aggressive—orange plating and a structure modeled after a Crawdaunt. The bow featured a massive drill, screaming destructive potential.
Maxie, expressionless, led Courtney, Tabitha, and dozens of elites through the heavy floodgates and onto the platform.
A crew member ran up to meet him.
"Boss, the sub is ready. We can launch on your command!"
Maxie nodded and looked at his officers. "Get on board."
"Understood, Boss! Everyone, move out!" Tabitha barked, leading the troops up the gangway.
Courtney moved to follow, but Maxie stopped her.
"Wait."
Courtney turned, blinking.
Maxie looked at her, his voice low. "You stay here."
Courtney froze.
Before she could speak, Maxie continued. "He'll be here any minute. We can't let him pursue us. Someone needs to stall him to buy time for the next phase."
"But I... I can't stop him..."
"Then delay him." Maxie tossed a remote controller to her. "You've dealt with him longer than anyone. I assume you can handle this?"
Courtney caught the device. She recognized it instantly: the base's self-destruct remote. One press, and the entire facility would be consumed by the blast. No one inside would survive.
He wants me to die with him?
Am I being... discarded?
She looked up at Maxie. His eyes were calm—empty of pity or regret.
She understood. This was punishment for her failures.
The botched operations, the failure to spot Natsui on Mt. Pyre... her incompetence had backed them into this corner.
After a few seconds of silence, Courtney nodded.
"I understand. Rest assured... I won't let him leave alive."
Hearing her answer, Maxie clasped his hands behind his back and walked past her, ascending the gangway without looking back.
Before he entered the hatch, Courtney's voice drifted from the shore.
"Leader..." She looked up at him, her voice devoid of fear, filled instead with a strange anticipation. "I look forward to the progress of humanity. Please... change the world."
Maxie paused. He turned one last time, looking down at her.
"Everything will proceed exactly as I have planned. Farewell."
With that, Maxie stepped inside. The heavy hatch hissed shut, sealing him away and separating them into two different worlds.
BOOM!
Explosions echoed from the tunnel. The fighting was getting closer. The intruder would be here any second.
Courtney stood there, watching the submarine's engines hum to life. It submerged slowly, slipping beneath the dark water.
Just as the ripples began to settle, a violent blast tore through the harbor entrance!
Thick smoke billowed in, and Deoxys floated through the haze. Behind it, flanked by his team, Natsui stormed in.
Scanning the harbor through the smoke and firelight, Natsui looked for Maxie.
But the dock was empty, save for Courtney standing alone at the water's edge.
He glanced at the water—the last ripples faded.
Too late?
Natsui walked toward her. "Where's Maxie?"
Courtney didn't seem to hear him. She stared blankly at the red alarm lights strobing on the walls, muttering to herself.
"The red warning lights... they're beautiful. I can see it... the beautiful scenery of the dream coming true!"
Hmm?
Is she sick?
Why is she talking nonsense?
Natsui frowned. Courtney's eyes were brightening with a disturbing intensity, a twisted smile creeping across her face.
Beneath that stoic exterior, there was a hidden vein of madness.
She usually looked normal—so was she actually unhinged?
Suddenly, Courtney's expression shifted again. Her eyes snapped wide, filled with horror, as if she were witnessing a nightmare.
Uncontrollable Groudon... destruction and rage... even the Leader... dead at its hands...
What is this?
Why... why does it end like that?
Before she could process the horrific vision that had just flashed through her mind, reality snapped back. She saw Deoxys hovering right in front of her face.
Only then did she truly realize that Natsui was standing there.
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