Good grief.
Chen Shi had thought that as the League's youngest Senior Investigator, Lance would be highly professional.
Turns out—
he was only professional at torture.
As for interrogation?
Not even a clue.
He beat the man half to death—
and after all that—
hadn't even asked a single real question.
At the side, Lorelei seized the chance and said in a mocking tone:
"So this is the League's youngest Senior Investigator?"
"How impressive~"
Steven Stone, Leon, and Cynthia all wore strange expressions.
Even Dragonite looked at its trainer with visible disappointment.
Lance, meanwhile, wished he could dig a hole and bury himself on the spot.
Only now did he understand what social death really meant.
He'd rather be killed.
Chen Shi shook his head with a faint smile, stepped forward, and asked:
"Is this all the Team Magma members here? Where are the rest?"
From the moment he entered—
he had already noticed something off.
If this was a gathering point—
then the numbers were far too small.
Just over a dozen people.
Even with an executive like Tabitha present—
it still didn't add up.
The key now—
was locating their main force.
Tabitha panted heavily, then answered:
"This is all we have here. The rest… should be at the other volcano."
Chen Shi nodded slightly.
That matched his expectations.
After all, Leon had mentioned earlier—
a large group attacking a Torkoal colony in the other volcano.
Then Chen Shi continued:
"How many of you entered this secret realm in total?"
Tabitha hurried to reply:
"Our leader planned this for a long time… and brought almost all elite members."
"Nearly a hundred people."
Chen Shi frowned slightly.
He already knew—
Team Magma elites were trainers with Elite-level Pokémon.
Above them were squad leaders and captains—
Gym-level and pseudo-Elite Four level.
And then—
executives like Tabitha.
"So your main force is all at the other volcano?"
Tabitha nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, all of them are there."
"Then why split up? Wouldn't it be better to stay together?"
Tabitha shook his head.
"I don't know. It was the leader's order."
"He said… it might be here."
"So we were told to guard this place."
Lance immediately pressed:
"What is 'it'? What exactly are you after?"
Tabitha shook his head frantically.
"I really don't know! The leader only said we're looking for a Pokémon."
"A Pokémon that can fulfill our ideal."
"But he never told us what it is."
"What is your ideal?" Chen Shi asked calmly.
Tabitha fell silent for a moment.
Then—
his eyes burned with fanaticism.
"Our ideal… is to create a world of land."
"To expand living space for humans and land-based Pokémon!"
Lance froze—
then exploded in anger:
"Madmen! You're all mad!"
"Have you thought about what happens to all the Pokémon in the ocean?!"
"And how could such a ridiculous ideal ever be achieved?!"
At those words—
Tabitha, who had been subdued—
suddenly shouted back:
"How is it impossible?!"
"Our leader said—once we find that Pokémon—our ideal will become reality!"
Lance replied coldly:
"That's absolutely impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible…"
Chen Shi's quiet voice cut through the air.
Everyone froze.
Tabitha burst into wild laughter.
"HAHAHAHA!! I knew it! I knew it!!"
"See? Even your own side admits it's possible!"
"We will succeed!"
"A world without oceans will be born!!"
At this moment—
he looked completely insane.
Dragonite stepped forward—
and knocked him unconscious with a single slap.
Lance turned sharply toward Chen Shi.
"Chen Shi, how can you say that?"
"That kind of ridiculous ideal is impossible!"
Leon also frowned.
"Yeah… why would you say something like that?"
Even Diantha, Caitlin, and Lorelei looked puzzled.
Only Steven, Cynthia, and Phoebe—
looked serious.
Chen Shi smiled faintly.
"What? You don't believe it?"
"Of course not," Lance replied, staring at him.
"…Don't tell me you've been brainwashed?"
Chen Shi ignored him.
At that moment—
Steven suddenly spoke:
"Chen Shi isn't wrong."
"This ideal… actually can be achieved."
Cynthia and Phoebe nodded solemnly.
The others were stunned.
If it were only Chen Shi—
maybe he was mistaken.
But now—
three people agreed.
This wasn't a joke anymore.
Chen Shi looked around and said slowly:
"You're not from Hoenn, so it's normal you don't know."
"In Hoenn's legends… there's a terrifying legendary Pokémon."
"Groudon."
"The god of land."
"It's said to have created the continents."
He paused—
then continued:
"If Team Magma finds Groudon… and controls it…"
"What do you think will happen?"
Everyone felt a chill crawl up their spine.
If that were true—
then this so-called "ideal"—
wasn't a joke.
It was a real possibility.
Of course—
there were conditions.
The legend had to be real.
Groudon had to truly possess that power.
And—
Team Magma would have to control it.
Lance still couldn't accept it.
"But how is that possible?"
"Even if Groudon is real—why would it obey them?"
Chen Shi nodded.
"You're right."
"But don't focus on whether they can control it."
"Focus on something else."
"In Hoenn's legends…"
"Groudon has a mortal enemy."
"A god of the sea."
"When one awakens—"
"the other will also awaken."
"And they will clash."
Lance's pupils shrank violently.
"…Kyogre," he whispered, completing the thought.
"If Groudon awakens—"
"then the god of the sea will awaken as well!"
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon → [email protected]/lucarioTL (replace @ with a)