Chapter 295: Stalker
~Third POV~
[Hoenn Region, Route 111 – Desert Area, Desert Ruins]
Deep within the scorching embrace of Route 111's desert, lay the hidden base of Team Magma, burrowed eerily beneath the ancient stones of the Desert Ruins. The subterranean chamber, lit by the stark glow of makeshift lamps, hummed with a tense energy.
Maxie, the leader, a man of precise movements and chilling intellect, stood before a large holographic map of the Hoenn region, his piercing gaze fixed on the anomaly of Mt. Chimney. Holograms flickered, data scrolled across screens, and the low hum of machinery provided a sinister backdrop to their operations.
Tabitha, his large frame often a bundle of nervous energy, stood before Maxie, the stoic and calculating leader of Team Magma. Maxie, with his sharp features and piercing gaze, surveyed his subordinate with an unwavering intensity.
Tabitha began explaining his report, his voice a low rumble, "Maxie, sir… The operation at Mt. Chimney… it was, well... it was halted, Maxie. Our efforts to awaken the volcano were… interrupted."
Maxie's brow furrowed, a silent storm gathered in his eyes as he said, "Details, Tabitha. I require precise information, not vague pronouncements."
Tabitha visibly gulped. With a perpetually grim-faced expression, he cleared his throat, adjusting his hoodie as he continued, "Yes, sir. It was Sapphire, the daughter of Professor Birch. And the Gym Leader, Flannery. But… there was another. A trainer, sir. Azure Sky. He seemed to be highly skilled, coordinated with them to disrupt Team Aqua's plans."
A strange mix of emotions flickered across Maxie's face. Relief, a fleeting, almost imperceptible easing of tension, that the full destructive power of Mt. Chimney hadn't been unleashed.
But quickly, frustration coiled in his gut as he muttered coldly, "Azure Sky. That name again. This 'Indigo Champion' is proving to be a persistent nuisance."
He repeated the name with a bitter taste on his tongue. He had heard it before, too many times from his Admins.
Blaise, sharp-featured and focused, hunched over a complex array of circuits worked on the Scanner as he said bluntly, "The Scanner is nearly optimized, Leader. We've modified its algorithms. It will detect the ancient energies with far greater precision now that we took it from the Slateport Police Station. Although it would be tough to get it operational soon."
Maxie nodded, his gaze unwavering. Courtney, known for her detached demeanor and unsettlingly precise movements, stepped forward as she said, "Sigh… I'm sick of waiting. I'm going to search every place I can think of for that Orb… Is that okay with you, boss?"
As she prepared to leave, Maxie stopped her as he said calmly, "Do as you like! But before you depart, Courtney. Share your memories with us before you go."
*Snap*
Before Courtney leaves, Maxie has her use the lighter to show him images of what had happened at the Abandoned Ship. With a click, Courtney activated the lighter, and a series of crisp holographic images flickered above its flame: the decaying hull of the Abandoned Ship, signs of forced entry, broken equipment, and faint scorch marks.
Then it revealed to her and Tabitha a battle with Azure, which was a difficult battle, eventually leading to they're defeat. She explained her eyes already holding a different internal image, "A failed attempt to salvage the scanner. Along with failed attempts to defeat him, sir."
He studied the images, his mind racing through possibilities and implications. Courtney watched the display with an unreadable expression, a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips.
She understood Maxie's message: learn from past failures, exploit rival misfortunes. Maxie studied the images, a thoughtful hum escaping him as he answered, "Very well. Proceed, Courtney. Time is of the essence."
With a final, silent nod, she turned and left the confines of the base, her footsteps echoing softly as she made her way into the searing desert, her mission clear. As Courtney departed the base using her Swellow, Maxie's own resolve hardened.
Once Courtney was gone, Maxie decided it was time for him to leave as well. He had his own inquiries to make, his own presence to exert.
He reached for his Rotom Phone, then paused, almost forgetting a crucial detail. He picked it up; a call was already queued.
He spoke into the device, his voice calm but authoritative, "Zinnia… What is the news regarding the attack at Lilycove City?"
Zinnia, a Team Magma Admin specializing in info gathering and stealth, was rarely seen but always heard. Her network of informants was vast, her ability to sift through information uncanny, unaware of the teams she's playing them for her own goals.
Zinnia's voice, devoid of inflection, came through the phone, crisp and clear despite the desert's remoteness as she reported, "Maxie. Team Aqua's base in Lilycove City has been destroyed. I managed to observe the aftermath undercover. The local citizens are in a state of shock, the news spreading like wildfire."
Maxie's eyes narrowed as he muttered, "Destroyed, you say? By whom?"
Zinnia continued, her tone revealing a hint of something akin to professional admiration and a bit of frustration, "Leader Maxie… My undercover investigation confirms it was the work of a single individual. And through my deeper sources… it was Azure Sky. The Indigo Champion. The same individual who intervened at Mt. Chimney, I presume."
Maxie's frown deepened. The name, echoing again, grated on his nerves even as a dark seed of admiration began to sprout as he thought, 'This Champion is proving to be an exceptionally persistent thorn in my side.'
This wasn't merely a nuisance; he was becoming a strategic obstacle. Maxie recalled the reports from his other Admins – Blaise, Courtney, and Tabitha. They had all, individually, dealt with him before.
He had heard the reports from Tabitha, Blaise, and Courtney. Azure had thwarted their efforts to secure the Scanner from the Abandoned Ship, which was later confirmed by Zinnia it be stationed in Slateport Police Station – though they eventually obtained it through a more aggressive assault, it had put them behind schedule.
And then there was the hit squad, his Admin's lead. The memory made Maxie almost chuckle. His Admins, in their frustration, had sent their specialized an ambush attack intending on taking him down.
But, upon their return, they had told tales of being used as 'training dummies', their Pokémon dispatched with cold, surgical precision. Azure was honing his Pokémon's skills and treating the seasoned Magma operatives and Grunts with a dismissive, almost playful contempt.
Maxie had been furious at the waste of resources, but also… intrigued. He felt a perverse satisfaction now.
Maxie slowly, almost imperceptibly, began to chuckle. A low, dry sound that held no humor, only a grim appreciation for the chaos Azure Sky wrought as he thought bitterly, 'A formidable opponent, indeed.'
He could almost feel Archie's frustration, the hotheaded Team Aqua leader undoubtedly tearing his hair out over the very same individual. Azure Sky was a disruptive force of nature, a rogue element that seemed to delight in meddling with both Team Magma's and Team Aqua's grand designs.
Regaining his composure, he mused aloud, a rare, dry laugh escaping him, "So, Archie is feeling the sting of this Champion as well, is he?"
His rival, the leader of Team Aqua, must be experiencing a similar, maddening frustration. It was a small, cold comfort in the grand scheme of things as he said coldly, "Very well, Zinnia. Keep me informed. I, too, have business in Lilycove City."
Maxie switched off the call, his mind already formulating new strategies, new ways to contend with this emergent force. Lilycove City.
It seemed he had business there as well, a new potential wrinkle in his carefully laid plans, or perhaps, a new opportunity to exploit the chaos. Maxie turned and walked out of the Desert Ruins, his silhouette quickly swallowed by the shimmering heat haze.
/////
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Route 111 – Desert Area]
Out in the unforgiving desert, Courtney has her Swellow use Fly, the ground blurring beneath them. The sun beat down, but she barely noticed.
Her mind was replaying the images from her lighter, focusing on a specific frame: Azure Sky, his eyes sharp, his stance unwavering, a quiet intensity radiating from him even in a fleeting mental projection.
She reached into her pocket, not for her lighter this time, but for a small, laminated photograph. It was a candid shot, taken secretly, of Azure during one of his Kanto League victories, receiving his trophy.
His expression was one of profound satisfaction, a subtle, confident smile gracing his lips. Courtney's own lips curved into a slow, private smile, a peculiar, almost predatory gleam in her eyes.
She traced the outline of his face in the photo with her thumb. She whispered, her voice a low murmur carried away by the wind, "Azure… You are a catalyst. A beautiful, dangerous force."
Her lips curled into a faint, private smile. Her eyes, usually cold, held a peculiar, feverish glow. She whispered, the name a soft caress on her tongue, "Azure… Oh, you would be so beautiful… engulfed in flames."
Her vision was not one of destruction, not entirely. It was of a controlled inferno, a majestic blaze consuming everything around him, yet leaving him, the powerful core, untouched but illuminated, defined by the raw, untamed power she envisioned.
A man of such strength, of such formidable will, would truly be magnificent bathed in the glorious, purifying essence of fire. It was her own twisted sense of aesthetic, a dark appreciation for raw power and the spectacle of controlling his chaos.
Her smile widened, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon, imagining a world consumed by fire, and at its heart, a figure bathed in orange and red, magnificent in his struggle. She mused, her voice imbued with a strange, possessive reverence, "To see such strength, such unwavering calm… engulfed in true, magnificent flame. To watch that exquisite control shatter, that composed expression twisted by the searing heat of glorious destruction… yes. That would be a beauty beyond compare. A beauty I intend to witness. And perhaps, even create."
Courtney's twisted sense of aesthetics found its ultimate muse in Azure Sky, and she eagerly awaited the day she could set the stage for his fiery masterpiece. A faint blush crept across her cheeks at the intensity of her fantasy as she thought perversely, 'Such a powerful, brilliant Trainer, burning and yet unburnt, a phoenix in the making…'
She shook her head, dismissing the momentary distraction, though the image lingered in her head as she mused to herself with a faint blush, with a slow, unsettling intensity spread across her lips, "How… beautiful you would be, engulfed in flames. A true masterpiece of destruction. You are a storm, an inferno of raw power."
Her gaze drifted back to the photo, her smile widening into something truly twisted. She tucked the photo away, her steps quickening, a dark, fiery obsession now burning in her cold, analytical heart.
Her destination was Verdanturf Town. News had reached her of the ongoing tunneling project for Rusturf Tunnel, a convenient choke point, a natural place for subtle surveillance.
She had already dispatched a few Grunts to the area, disguised as construction workers, awaiting her arrival. The Champion was in Hoenn, and whether he desired it or not, Azure Sky was now inextricably woven into Team Magma's grand design…
And, perhaps, into Courtney's own. The hunt for the Orb was just the beginning.
/////
[Hoenn Region, Meanwhile, Verdanturf Town]
Azure, however, was blissfully unaware of the dark fantasies and determined machinations swirling around him. He had just arrived in Verdanturf Town, Gardevoir's Teleport having deposited them with customary grace following Ruby's Psychic Tracker.
As he took in the tranquil scenery, a sudden sneeze, sharp and unexpected, jolted him. A fleeting chill, like an icy finger tracing his spine, followed.
*Shiver*
Pikachu nudged its leg, a concerned chirp escaping its lips. Eevee let out a questioning whine, gazing at Azure, "Bui? (You okay, Azure?)"
Azure looked around, a faint frown creasing his brow. He mused aloud, a hint of confusion in his voice, "Did someone just… call my name?"
He shook his head, dismissing the odd sensation he felt. The allure of Verdanturf Town, with its promise of peaceful exploration, beckoned.
Pikachu chittered excitedly at a group of wild Skitty, and Eevee playfully chased a butterfly. Azure simply smiled, appreciating the quiet moments before the inevitable storm.
He grinned, a genuine, unburdened smile that warmed the hearts of his loyal partners as he said excitedly, "Come on, guys. Let's enjoy this. Verdanturf has plenty to offer."
As they ventured deeper into the town, the gentle hum of everyday life was a soothing balm. Azure remained oblivious to the unsettling gaze of Courtney, who was closing in, her mind consumed by a dangerous fascination, a perverse fantasy that painted him in hues of fire and danger.
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A/N: Reach the goal of 100 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!