The communicator's glow threw harsh light across Lance's features. His brow creased, deeply, unmistakably.
Cynthia watched. Her own expression? Just as heavy.
She lifted a hand and swept a loose strand of golden hair back behind her ear. Those images from before still rattled around in her skull, refusing to settle.
"Mm. I get it." Her voice came steady through the speaker, but underneath that composure lurked something contemplative, almost troubled.
"That dark Pokémon. That fortress of a starship. When I first laid eyes on them, I felt exactly what you're feeling right now.
They've torn apart everything we assumed about what Pokémon can do. About what technology should be capable of."
"That dark Pokémon?" Lance caught it immediately, the telling detail.
"Sounds like you... have some idea what it is? And that ship, with the 'P' insignia, never seen anything remotely like it."
"No. I don't recognize it either."
Cynthia shook her head, her gaze hardening like she could pierce straight through the screen and stare down that chaotic sky from the game all over again.
"Same as those Ultra Beasts we encountered before, I'd guess. Something from... elsewhere. But this thing? Clearly operating on a whole different level of raw power."
"As for the starship and that emblem..." A pause. Her tone dipped lower. "The fortress...
I went digging through Sinnoh's secret archives when I got back. Every myth, every ancient manuscript we have on file. Came up empty.
Probably not any organization that's on our radar, but here's what I know for certain: if they ever showed up in our world, they'd make Team Rocket look like amateurs."
"Yeah..." Lance's voice carried a thread of something like resignation. "In-game, Team Magma and Team Aqua nearly ripped Hoenn apart chasing Groudon and Kyogre.
But now, stacked against this? That whole conflict feels... quaint.
What do you think, if any of this actually happened here, in reality, could we even..."
He let the question hang, unfinished. But Cynthia understood.
Those criminal syndicates they'd spent years monitoring so carefully, their threat assessment had just plummeted.
Compared to a force that could casually command unknown Legendaries and possessed starships capable of interstellar travel?
A wave of helplessness crashed over Lance as he spoke.
Should Kanto redirect its defenses away from Team Rocket remnants toward this seemingly tranquil night sky?
Or, honestly, would it even matter if they did? Against power like that?
Cynthia seemed to grasp exactly where his head was at.
That crushing level of strength, even filtered through a screen, was suffocating. Less like an enemy you could strategize against. More like a natural catastrophe.
"I think that's precisely the point." She kept her voice measured. Cynthia always became this way during crises, transformed into someone else entirely, someone cooler, sharper.
"Power that incomprehensible, possibly exceeding even our absolute limits... conventional defenses become meaningless.
We don't know where they came from. What they want. When, or if, they'll return.
One priority. That's all we have: grow stronger. Use every resource available. And right now, that means the game."
Experience against Pokémon and unknown threats. Breakthroughs that might translate to reality.
Only genuine power could serve as a foundation against the unknown.
The League's standard forces... clearly wouldn't cut it anymore.
Silence stretched between both ends of the call after she finished. Just the faint crackle of static filling the gap.
After a beat, Lance tried to lighten things up, even a little.
Setting aside their grim discussion, curiosity colored his voice: "Let's table this for now.
Speaking of which, how'd it feel, seeing Rayquaza in person? The actual Sky Dragon. I know you've been hunting for any trace of him forever."
The shift clearly caught Cynthia off-guard. She hesitated.
Something wistful flickered through her golden eyes, then, unexpectedly, she laughed. Soft, genuine.
"Incredible." Her voice turned gentle yet resolute, threaded with wonder and satisfaction. "I... finally saw him again.
The undisputed ruler of the skies. Single-handedly driving back two Legendaries.
That kind of power it's so far beyond anything the old texts could capture. Just... a living myth."
Lance couldn't help sighing, a mixture of jealousy and frustration over his own storyline bleeding through.
"Yeah... Unfortunately, my version ended with him and that dark beast from the Ultra Wormhole both getting snatched by the starship.
When that beam locked on, even Rayquaza couldn't fight it. Who knows if the game'll let us mount some rescue mission later? The whole thing gives me a headache just thinking about it..."
"Captured?"
Cynthia went still, surprise flashing across her features.
"Your Rayquaza... was taken by the ship? On my end, after he dealt with the dark creature, he vanished into the upper atmosphere. Only that monster got captured."
"Hold on, that's not how yours played out?" Lance sat up straighter, instantly catching the discrepancy.
They launched into rapid comparison, dissecting every storyline detail.
When Cynthia mentioned using the Gracidea flower from her inventory at the critical moment, instantly clearing Rayquaza's exhaustion and injuries, prompting his decisive strike at the Ultra Wormhole's vulnerability, Lance thought about his own empty item slots. That gut-wrenching cutscene.
For a second, he didn't know quite how to respond.
Seriously, you had something that useful and didn't mention it sooner?
But he'd only think that. Not say it aloud.
"I see... Never even encountered that flower. Must've missed it somewhere." Lance pressed his lips together.
The sophistication of the game's branching design struck him anew.
"On my end, Rayquaza fought until he was basically spent. Then that tractor beam yanked him up along with everything else.
Different items in your inventory actually produced completely different branches... This game keeps getting wilder.
Whatever's driving it, it blows my mind more every single day."
Cynthia nodded, expression serious.
"If that's the case, any new discoveries I make, any intel on the starship or Rayquaza's whereabouts, I'll pass it along immediately. More information can only help us prepare."
"Appreciate it."
Lance accepted the offer, then shifted gears, tone sharpening again.
"On another note, this game's influence is exploding. After what happened before, I'd bet every trainer worth their salt worldwide has gotten their hands on a copy.
Elite Four members, Champions, everyone's jumped in. Even the ones outside our group chat."
"Competition for the rankings is only going to intensify.
Cynthia, you're comfortable at number one on the progress board right now.
Think you can hold it? The people chasing you aren't exactly lightweights.
Word in the zone chat is Steven's practically living inside the game these days."
A knowing smile spread across Cynthia's face at the question, the confidence and poise of a Champion.
She didn't answer directly. Instead: "What about you? Think you can catch up to me... or stay ahead of whoever's nipping at your heels?
Caitlin, for instance? I have a feeling she'll be taking serious interest in this game very soon."
Lance paused. Then smiled himself, brimming with confidence.
"We're all Champions. You really think I'm any worse than the rest?"
"Anyway... let's each play to our strengths. Honestly, I'm looking forward to... whatever other surprises this game has waiting. Or maybe I should say shocks."
"Alright. Later."
Cynthia's farewell ended the call. The screen went dark.
Lance reclined in his chair, gazing out at Kanto's glittering nightscape, all bright lights and peaceful stillness.
But that tension from the Team Magma and Team Aqua arc had morphed into something larger now, a vast and shapeless sense of crisis paired with a burning hunger to grow stronger.
Some things... had just become far more important.
---
Meanwhile, a villa in Cerulean City.
Kairos stretched hard, exhaling a long breath of relief.
After a morning of concentrated mental labor, he'd finally nailed down the framework and key nodes for all of Dark Phantom's post-game storyline content, straight through to challenging the Hoenn League.
Dense scripts and event markers cluttered his screen.
"Good thing it's all set in Hoenn." Kairos rotated his stiff neck, eyeing his progress with satisfaction.
The regional setting for both games was identical, after all.
Emerald's maps, Pokémon distribution, and even certain storyline segments are all directly transferable.
Just needed some detail adjustments, dialogue tweaks, and atmospheric enhancements, then the system could handle the 3D conversion.
Efficiency more than doubled. Saved him a mountain of foundational worldbuilding.
Without that shortcut, no way he could've pushed Dark Phantom's storyline all the way to the Fire-type Gym in just two days.
But he also understood perfectly well that this game's true essence wouldn't reveal itself until the first playthrough ended, when players believed they'd reached a satisfying conclusion after defeating the Champion.
That's when the real show began.
Hidden explorations involving parallel worlds, inverted identities, interconnected storylines, the reason "Dark Phantom" had earned its name and reputation.
"Next priority: the late-game content. That's the main event. The emotional payload." He muttered to himself.
Honestly, the more he considered it, the smarter that decision to recruit those programmers from Dream Factory seemed.
As games accumulated, his workload would only grow. Not every project would be like Dark Phantom, conveniently borrowing assets from its predecessor.
"Let me push a bit further..."
Just as he was debating whether to use that earlier module for adding hidden easter eggs to Dark Phantom, a prominent system notification materialized in his vision, accompanied by a cheerful chime:
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Special Player "Lance's" emotional threshold has been upgraded to LV3!]
Kairos's eyes lit up immediately.
Knew it'd work!
Rayquaza, the most iconic Dragon-type Legendary, appeared at the critical moment, demonstrating absolute power that crushed two gods... for Lance, the Dragon Master, utterly devoted to Dragon-type strength, the impact was obvious.
If the threshold hadn't risen? Now that would've been weird.
"Wonder if Iono's threshold can break through after watching this segment..." Kairos rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Logically, Rayquaza's dramatic entrance should've left a strong impression on any player.
But for another threshold upgrade, it seemed to require a "professional match" situation, like Cynthia's and Lance's cases.
Cynthia was obsessed with mythology. Lance was devoted to Dragon-type power. Their core traits had been precisely triggered.
But Iono... what was her deepest characteristic, exactly?
Viewer engagement?
Electric-type Pokémon...?
Honestly, Kairos couldn't quite pin down what made that Electric-type Gym Leader and streamer tick.
If this storyline segment wasn't enough, he'd need to observe more carefully going forward.
As his thoughts churned, reward notifications for Lance's threshold breakthrough started cascading!
[Ding! Detected that Special Player "Lance's" emotional threshold has been upgraded to LV3. Congratulations, Host, on receiving your upgrade rewards!]
[Reward 1: Emotion Points x5000!]
[Reward 2: S-Rank System Item "Storyline Branch Key" x1!]
[Reward 3: Unlocked a special character ability related to Player "Lance's" core trait: "Dragon's Majesty" (S+)!]
Three orbs of light materialized before Kairos's eyes.
But his burning gaze locked firmly onto the final orb, the one radiating a dark golden sheen, with what looked like a dragon's silhouette swirling around it.
The S+ ability orb. He selected it immediately!
Golden notifications bloomed!
---
[Special Ability: Dragon's Majesty] (S+)
[Description: Born from profound resonance with the primal life force of Dragon-types and the acknowledgment of a sovereign will.
Grants the holder majesty and influence akin to a Legendary Dragon God, capable of intimidating, guiding, and even forcibly commanding Dragon-type Pokémon.]
[Effects:
Dragon Sovereignty: Possess extremely potent natural intimidation and affinity toward Dragon-type Pokémon. Wild Dragon-types' aggression toward you is drastically reduced; capture difficulty lowers significantly. Loyalty and bond growth speed with captured Dragon-types is doubled. Mental synchronization with Dragon-type Pokémon greatly enhanced.
Pressure Domain: Actively release an invisible draconic pressure field. All non-Dragon-type Pokémon within range (including opponents') suffer attribute suppression, potentially experiencing battle hesitation or flinching based on the power gap. Also produces mild mental intimidation on Dragon-types.
Ancient Dragon's Power: Greatly amplifies your strength, speed, reflexes, and endurance. Allows you to faintly sense the presence and emotional fluctuations of nearby Dragon-type Pokémon.
Emotional Resonance: Emotion points gained from Dragon-type Pokémon (including Legendary-tier) increased by 1000%. When discovering or guiding Dragon-types to display great power or achieve evolution at key moments, there is an extremely low chance of receiving additional special rewards.]
---
"Dragon's Majesty, huh?"
Kairos murmured the name as warm, surging power suddenly flooded into his body, subtly transforming his physique, even faintly altering his presence.
The effects honestly exceeded every expectation. Dragon affinity. An active intimidation field. Personal enhancement. Ten times the point yield...
Lance, my man. You really hooked me up.
Kairos smiled, flexing his wrist with satisfaction. He felt charged, the strength coursing through him now incomparably greater than before.
Hmm... maybe he should test this on something?
Just how close was he now to becoming a Superhuman?