Hearing Eleanor's voice, Jacob shifted his gaze toward her.
He hadn't spoken much with her in a while, but it was plain to see that exhaustion had settled into her face. She looked worn down, and her figure had thinned noticeably. Even the light makeup she wore couldn't hide how poorly she was doing.
"What is it?" Jacob asked.
"The Giant Laboratory recently took on a number of new hires," Eleanor said, keeping her words brief. "Some of them have questionable backgrounds. We've already flagged two — here's their information." She set the file down. "I strongly recommend you make the Laboratory's security a priority."
Jacob nodded. The Giant Laboratory's security was, without question, the most important matter on his list.
Under normal circumstances, a Giant Laboratory with official ties would fall under the protection of the Pokémon Association. But Jacob's Laboratory operated independently, and he had no intention of getting too deeply involved with the Association. That meant security was entirely his responsibility.
"I'll handle it," Jacob said, his brow furrowing slightly as he thought it through. "As for those two — don't move on them yet. Keep them under watch and make sure they can't get anywhere near the core research. Especially the Artificial Pokémon project."
"Understood." A note of tiredness lingered in Eleanor's voice. "Jacob, I'd suggest you deal with this sooner rather than later. These things tend to get worse the longer you leave them."
"I know." Jacob nodded. He already had a plan forming in the back of his mind — one that involved expanding the detective agency he ran and folding security services into it. It would give the Giant Laboratory proper protection while also providing legitimate cover identities for the senior members of Team Rocket.
"Anything else?" he asked. "If not, that's all for today."
After the meeting, Eleanor's heels clicked a steady rhythm down the hallway as she made her way out.
Once she was gone, Sylvia rose from her seat and walked over to Jacob.
"Jacob," she said, "that matter you asked me about — the ancient history research — it's been taken care of."
Sylvia had Western heritage, and it showed in everything about her: a tall, striking figure, sharp blue eyes, a high-bridged nose, and golden hair that caught the light. Among the researchers at the Giant Laboratory, she was easily the most talked-about. The staff had been known to joke in private that if Sylvia ever appeared in one of those old adventure novels, she'd be the kind of rare and gifted heroine that every story seemed to revolve around.
If she hadn't been Jacob's personal assistant, she would have had no shortage of admirers.
"Did you find anything useful?" Jacob asked. He had asked Sylvia a few days ago to quietly consult experts in ancient history to help decipher a particular passage. He hadn't expected results this soon.
"I reached out to several professors in private," Sylvia said. "They all came back with the same answer."
"There are only two known ancient ruins in Frosthollow Province. The first is the Gold Ruins, west of Heavenly City."
"The second is the Sun Kingdom Ancient Ruins in Ancient City."
"Whichever location you're looking for, it's almost certainly one of these two. And the more likely of the two is the Sun Kingdom Ruins in Ancient City."
Jacob went still for a moment.
That simple?
The answer had caught him completely off guard. If the location was this straightforward to narrow down, then why had the Qi Family never managed to find the Dragon Spiral Tower Secret Realm?
Then the beginning of the passage came back to him:
Only those bearing a Light Stone or a Dark Stone, or those chosen by the Legendary Dragon, may open the Dragon Spiral Tower Secret Realm.
That was it. Finding the location was never the hard part. The real challenge was getting hold of the Dark Stone or the Light Stone — or earning the recognition of the Legendary Dragon. The Qi Family had likely combed through every ruin in Frosthollow Province long ago. But without a Dark Stone or Light Stone, the entrance to the Dragon Spiral Tower had simply never opened for them.
"The Gold Ruins... the Sun Kingdom Ruins."
The more Jacob turned it over in his mind, the more it made sense. He could feel the excitement building in his chest, and before long it was impossible to sit still.
"I'm heading to them right away," he said. "Sylvia, you and the others take care of things here while I'm gone."
"By yourself?" Sylvia looked at him, a flicker of eagerness in her eyes. "Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, I'll go alone." Jacob shook his head. What he might face inside the Dragon Spiral Tower Secret Realm was almost certainly a Pokémon on the level of Zekrom. Sylvia was capable, but this wasn't something she could help with.
A brief look of disappointment crossed her face before she quickly composed herself. "All right. Please be careful."
After leaving the Giant Laboratory, Jacob made two quick calls — one to Nina, one to Julia — gave them a short explanation of where he was headed, and set off for Frosthollow Province.
His first destination was the Gold Ruins, west of Heavenly City.
The Gold Ruins were a well-known attraction in the area. A large number of ancient artifacts had been unearthed from the site over the years, and many were on display in the local museum. Jacob walked through the entire museum and made two full circuits of the ruins themselves, but the Dark Stone in his bag gave no reaction whatsoever. No Secret Realm appeared. That settled it — the Dragon Spiral Tower wasn't here.
His next stop would have to be the Sun Kingdom Ancient Ruins in Ancient City.
The following morning, Jacob was up before sunrise and on his way to Ancient City.
The Sun Kingdom Ancient Ruins were, by most accounts, the largest, oldest, and most culturally significant ancient site ever discovered in the southwest region. Scholars had long regarded them as being among the most historically and artistically valuable ruins anywhere in the country. If the Dragon Spiral Tower Secret Realm existed anywhere, this was the most likely place.
Jacob paid for his entry ticket and stepped inside.
He had barely made it through the gate when he felt it — a faint electric current pulsing from his waist.
A tingle ran through him. It was the Dark Stone, reacting.
His heart jumped. He drew a slow breath, his pulse quickening, eyes bright with barely contained excitement.
The Dragon Spiral Tower was really here.
"Boom!"
And then, without warning, a bolt of golden lightning split the sky and slammed into the ground nearby with a thunderous crack.
Screams rang out across the ruins. Tourists scrambled in every direction, startled by the sudden strike.
"Everyone, please stay calm!"
"Lightning is a natural occurrence — there's no need to panic!"
"The buildings here are equipped with lightning rods. As long as no one runs out into the open, you're all perfectly safe!"
"Boom!"
Another bolt. Another wave of screams. In an instant, lightning was flashing across the entire sky, thunder rolling in wave after wave, sparks scattering across the ground.
It was as though the first strike had been a signal. One by one, bolt after bolt came crashing down, shaking the earth beneath everyone's feet, the noise building into something that seemed to fill the whole world.
Then the Dark Stone flared.
A burst of brilliant light erupted from the bag at Jacob's side, cutting through the storm and drawing every eye toward him.
In that single moment, the dark clouds broke apart. Sunlight poured through.
Jacob and the Dark Stone vanished from where they stood — leaving behind only a silver, swirling gate: the entrance to the Secret Realm.
The ruins fell into stunned silence for half a breath. Then the crowd erupted.
A Secret Realm. A Secret Realm had opened in the Sun Kingdom Ruins.
The news would not stay quiet for long.