A white silk thread shot out like a bolt of lightning, wrapping precisely around Ekans head!
Before Ekans could even react, its vision was blocked by the thread, its body losing balance as it thrashed around wildly.
"What?!" Jessie cried out in shock.
Koffing moved to help, drifting over, only to be caught by another thread from Caterpie that wrapped around its body.
"Caterpie!"
Caterpie yanked hard, sending Koffing crashing straight into Ekans. The two massive Pokémon tumbled together in a heap.
Meowth saw things going south and charged in with its claws, trying to land a sneak attack.
Caterpie spun around and fired another thread, wrapping it around Meowth's foot and leaving it dangling upside down in midair.
All three of Team Rocket's Pokémon were subdued in an instant, and as their enormous bodies toppled over, they landed squarely on Jessie and James, who had no time to get out of the way.
"Aaagh! They're so heavy!"
"Someone help!"
Jessie, pinned under Ekans, couldn't move an inch. She let out a wail: "How could we lose to a Caterpie?!" James struggled beneath Koffing: "Curse you..."
At that moment, Pikachu had already managed to shake the mud off its face.
"Pikachu!"
Ash called out.
Pikachu understood immediately. A blinding flash of electricity crackled through the air.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous explosion, Team Rocket went blasting off again, disappearing into the horizon like a shooting star.
"What a horrible feeeeling!"
The voices faded and faded, until there was silence.
In the livestream chat, everyone had been holding their breath since moments ago.
Now, they finally exhaled.
[Holy crap! Caterpie is insane!!]
[I'm crying, nobody believed in you, and yet you came through the most!]
[Who says Bug-types are weak? Caterpie is the GOAT!]
[Y'all were grossed out by it earlier, how's that crow taste?]
The battle was over.
The battlefield fell quiet again.
Ash ran over and scooped Caterpie into his arms, so excited he could barely get the words out: "You were incredible, Caterpie! You're amazing!"
Then, something unexpected happened.
Caterpie's body suddenly began to emit a soft white glow, which shifted into a brilliant, rainbow-colored radiance.
"This, this is..."
Both Ash and Misty froze.
Before their eyes, Caterpie's body began to change within the light. Its soft worm-like form started to harden, its shape shifting and transforming.
The light grew brighter and brighter, illuminating everything around it.
"Is this... evolution?!"
Misty gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
Seconds later, the light faded.
The little green Caterpie was gone. In its place stood a creature with a massive, hard shell and vivid green eyes.
Metapod!
"Caterpie evolved! It became a Metapod!"
Ash stared at the Metapod before him, eyes shining with excitement. It was the first time he had ever witnessed a Pokémon evolve with his own eyes.
"Metapod, I'm counting on you from here on out!"
Pikachu, still sporting a not-quite-clean ring of black mud around one eye, hopped over to offer its congratulations: "Pika pika!"
Misty, who had always been terrified of bugs, found herself staring at the hard-shelled Metapod, and for once, she didn't scream.
She stepped closer, peeked at it carefully, and muttered quietly:
"...This, this one isn't so bad, actually..."
The chat filled with warm, affectionate reactions.
[It evolved! So that's what evolution looks like?]
[Called it! I knew it could change!]
[Metapod looks so solid, that defense stat must be off the charts.]
[Misty's attitude shift is so real, a hard shell is definitely easier to deal with than a squishy worm.]
[Since it's a cocoon now, a butterfly is next.]
[Congrats Caterpie, one step closer to flying free!]
Dan the Demon King watched the scene unfold and smiled with quiet satisfaction.
"That was a good episode," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Type matchups, villain debut, an underdog victory, and an evolution. A lot going on, but the pacing was spot on."
"And especially that little monologue from Caterpie before the final burst, the emotional buildup was really well done."
"Man, this show is just good."
Just as he finished his thought, those familiar words appeared on screen again.
[To be continued...]
Even if everyone still wanted more, this time nobody had a meltdown like before, because they all knew the next episode would come eventually, and it would be just as good.
[Production team, you legends!]
[What's Misty's Pokémon called again, I kind of forgot.]
[Is Pidgeotto evolving next episode? I'm so hyped!]
[Can Pikachu even evolve?]
Dan the Demon King looked at the chat and shrugged.
"These questions you're all asking... I want to know too."
"Just wondering when Episode Four is going to drop."
Meanwhile, at Mt. Coronet.
Morning sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting the floor in a faint golden hue.
Cynthia stood by the window, a warm cup of black coffee cradled in her hands, her gaze drifting toward the vast blue sky in the distance.
The weather today was almost unfairly beautiful, one of those rare, perfect days in Sinnoh.
Garchomp behind her seemed to sense its Trainer's thoughts and stood quietly at her side.
"You're right, it's a lovely view," Cynthia said softly, taking a small sip.
"But if that crisis in the Ghost World hadn't been resolved, if that rift between worlds hadn't been sealed... we wouldn't get to enjoy weather like this."
The weight of it pressed on her.
The Ghost World incident had reminded her, once again, of her own limits. Even with everything she had, there were still things beyond her reach.
Garchomp blinked, as if genuinely pondering this, then gently rubbed the top of its head against the back of her hand, as if to say: don't think too hard about it.
Cynthia smiled faintly and finished the rest of her coffee in one go.
The languid ease she'd carried a moment ago vanished entirely, replaced by the sharpness and composure that came with being Sinnoh's Champion.
"Alright, enough heavy thoughts. It's a new day, time to keep moving forward."
She walked over to her desk, opened her streaming software with practiced ease, adjusted the camera, and clicked that familiar green icon: Emerald. As the stream went live, the chat erupted like a wave that had been held back for far too long.
[Good morning, Lady Cynthia!]
[Finally, you're live! Yesterday that streamer next door had an Turtonator that was absolutely cursed, I couldn't stop laughing.]
[What are you playing today? Still New Game Plus?]
[My queen drinking coffee is the most beautiful thing, so this is what Champion life looks like?]
Looking at the flood of greetings, Cynthia smiled gently.
"Good morning, everyone. Nice weather today."
"Let's continue New Game Plus."
No one in the chat had any idea what kind of battle she had just fought through in the Ghost World.
The game had already finished loading. Cynthia opened the team screen.
After long hours of grinding at the Battle Frontier, her team had been completely transformed.
Every Pokémon was above level 80, their EV spreads painstakingly cultivated, and her bag was stocked with a mountain of Max Revives, Full Restores, and rare held items. It was nothing short of lavish.
Her team was more than ready for the challenges of New Game Plus.
As she sorted through her bag, Cynthia mentally reviewed where the story had left off.
Based on the hints from before, the New Game Plus story seemed to begin in Petalburg City.
She recalled that at the start of New Game Plus, Professor Birch had specifically asked her to head to Petalburg, suggesting something there was waiting for her.
She guided her character out the door, hopped on the Bike, and set off toward Petalburg at full speed.
[It's starting! New Game Plus story!]
[Sitting back and watching her steamroll everything.]
[Don't get too comfortable though. Iono got wrecked in her New Game Plus run, and Emerald NG+ is supposedly brutal too.]
Petalburg City.
The moment Cynthia arrived, a familiar figure came stumbling toward her in a panic.
It was Wally, her neighbor from near the Petalburg Gym.
His face was flushed, his forehead slick with sweat. Whatever had just happened to him, it wasn't small.
"Something terrible happened, Strawberry Sundae!" Wally grabbed her character's arm, voice rushed.
"Just now, people from Team Magma attacked me! They stole my bag and ran deeper into the city! Quick, you have to stop them!"
Cynthia raised an eyebrow.
Team Magma?
That evil organization from the first playthrough, the ones who tried to expand the landmass? Weren't they already disbanded?
Without overthinking it, she immediately took control and gave chase.
In a secluded corner of Petalburg, several figures in red uniforms were huddled together, clearly searching for something. When they saw Cynthia approaching, they spun around, eyes sharp and hostile.
"Another meddler?" one of them sneered. "If you're looking to get hurt, don't blame us!"
The battle began instantly.
Against grunts like these, Cynthia didn't even need to think. She sent out one of her aces directly: Dracovish. A flash of red light, and there it was, ancient and fierce beneath its armored bones, eyes gleaming with predatory intensity.
One hit. Done.
The battle ended cleanly, Dracovish didn't take so much as a scratch.
"Hmph, Champion or not, it doesn't matter!" one of the grunts snarled, clutching his wounds as he backed away. "We need those meteorite shards, it's for the cause! Don't think you can stop us!"
With that, they fled.
Just then, Cynthia's PokéNav started ringing.
On the other end was the serious, measured voice of Devon Corporation's president, Mr. Stone.
"Strawberry Sundae, thank you for driving off Team Magma. But I have urgent news. According to our monitoring systems, a massive meteorite is heading straight for Hoenn. If it isn't stopped, the entire world could face catastrophe."
Cynthia paused for a moment.
"We need the meteorite shards and the legendary power to stop it," Mr. Stone continued. "There's a lead on the shards at the Granite Cave near Dewford Town. Please, you have to go check it out."
She hung up. The chat was already buzzing.
[Wait, saving the world right out of the gate? Didn't we just do this in the first playthrough?]
[A meteorite?]
[Speaking of which, that Devon Scope earlier was so useful. The team came together so fast in the early game because of it.]
[Honestly, whoever thought up the Exp. Share deserves a medal, I actually love that thing.]
"Dewford Town," Cynthia murmured to herself, guiding her character to board the ship heading that way.
As the vessel cut through the waves, Cynthia watched the scenery blur past the window, her eyes going slightly distant.
A meteorite. The ultimate power.
Those words had clearly touched something buried deep in her memory.
"I suppose this is the opening chapter of New Game Plus," she said softly. It was addressed to the chat, technically, but it sounded more like she was steadying herself. "A meteorite, of all things."
Her expression shifted, just barely, as if something had surfaced in her mind, but she didn't elaborate. She simply brought her focus back to the screen.
Dewford Town. The Granite Cave.
The cave was damp and shadowed, water droplets trickling down the rocky walls with quiet, rhythmic echoes.
Cynthia guided her character carefully deeper inside, and soon, in the farthest reaches of the cave, a silhouette came into view.
A girl in black, dragon-themed clothing. Her long dark hair drifted behind her, and her eyes held a resolve and urgency that seemed far beyond her years. Sensing Cynthia's approach, the girl spun around sharply, her gaze cutting like a blade.
"So you're the new Champion?"
"I'm Zinnia. Child of the Lorekeeper."
Zinnia's voice was cold and clear. "Perfect timing. I'll be taking those meteorite shards and that bracelet."
Before Cynthia could react, Zinnia moved.
A notification flashed across the screen.
[The Mega Bracelet has been taken!]
"Only I can summon Rayquaza. Only I can save this world!"
Zinnia clutched the bracelet, her eyes alight with a desperate, almost fanatical intensity.
"You so-called Champions don't understand what it actually costs!"
She left behind nothing but a small, unassuming shard of meteorite, then turned and walked away without looking back.
[Obtained: Small Meteorite Shard]
Cynthia stared at the now-empty bracelet slot, momentarily stunned. The chat absolutely exploded.
[Are you kidding me? She just ROBBED you?!]
[The Mega Evolution is gone?! My Mega Sceptile!!]
[Who even IS this girl? She just shows up and starts stealing things?]
[Honestly, classic Emerald. Too bad you can't fight her yet, otherwise one Victini would be more than enough to send her flying, no Mega needed.]
Cynthia looked at the screen and shook her head with a wry smile.
As frustrating as it was to have something taken from her, she had noticed the slight tremor in Zinnia's shoulders, the urgency written across her face. Whatever this girl was after, it wasn't simple greed. There was something else driving her.
Emerald was a 2D pixel game, but these kinds of details had always been rendered with care. It felt deliberate.
Right then, another call came through from Mr. Stone.
"Strawberry Sundae, if you've got the meteorite shard, head to the Meteor Falls Technology Center immediately! We need to track the meteorite's trajectory!"
Fallarbor Town. The Meteor Falls Technology Center.
This was Hoenn's most technologically advanced facility, massive radar dishes fixed permanently toward the sky.
The moment Cynthia stepped through the doors, the tension in the air hit her immediately.
۞۞۞۞
~ Push the story forward with your Power Stones