Maxie stood in silence, his face a blank canvas. No anger, no hatred, just a faint frown that hinted at deep thought. It almost looked as if he was in the middle of an emotional recovery, like he was working through the sting of defeat.
"Well, well, well," he muttered to himself, the words barely audible. As he grabbed his Pokeballs to recall his defeated Pokemon, he seemed to be reflecting on something far deeper than just the battle at hand. The Meteorite, the source of his plan, had turned out to be useless.
In truth, it wasn't the Meteorite's fault—it was never about the Meteorite itself, or even about Groudon. The problem was more fundamental. Maxie had never found Groudon in the first place. His whole quest had been a farce, and he'd wasted hours of his life trying to tap into the power of a meteorite that just wouldn't cooperate. He glanced back at the battlefield, realizing it was all for nothing. He'd been spinning his wheels, going nowhere.
"I need to actually find Groudon first," Maxie muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. He turned his back on the scene and strode toward the ladder descending from the hovering helicopter above.
With a swift motion, Maxie grabbed the rungs of the ladder and started climbing. As he did, he couldn't resist casting one last glance back at his opponent, John, who stood victorious, a slight smile on his face.
"We'll meet again, John. Next time, I'll come with the King of the Earth. You'll regret not joining us today. You'll regret making an enemy of Team Magma," Maxie called out, his voice full of bitter promise. The helicopter's engines roared as it began to ascend, carrying Maxie into the sky, leaving John behind.
Meanwhile, Archie stood watching from his perch on a rocky outcrop, his arms crossed in silent amusement. He had been a witness to the entire exchange, and the sight of Maxie's failure was almost too good to be true. His old rival, beaten by a young, relatively inexperienced Pokemon trainer. Archie couldn't help but grin. There was a certain satisfaction in seeing the once-mighty Maxie humbled, and he couldn't help but feel that, for once, the world was in balance.
Archie felt a surge of victory as he watched John stand there, victorious. To see Maxie knocked down a peg, especially by a trainer who didn't yet fully understand his potential—it was a moment he wouldn't forget. It was like savoring a perfect bite of hot stew, slowly, with a smile on your face. No need to rush, just enjoy it.
As the helicopter carrying Maxie faded into the distance, John's Gardevoir was already preparing to act. "Gardevoir, Confusion!" John ordered, his voice filled with quiet determination.
Gardevoir's psychic energy flared to life, sending a wave of mental force toward the helicopter. But before the attack could hit its mark, a swarm of Honchkrows appeared out of nowhere, their dark wings flapping in unison as they blocked Gardevoir's Confusion with a flurry of feathers. John watched, helpless, as Maxie's escape began. There was no point in chasing—he wasn't interested in playing that game. He had a bigger question on his mind.
Had his interference actually changed the course of events? If he had done nothing, would Maxie have succeeded in his plot? John couldn't say for sure, but the thought lingered in his mind as the helicopter disappeared into the sky.
Once the chopper was a mere dot in the distance, a notification popped up in front of John, cutting through his thoughts.
[Dungeon "Volcano Project" (completed), the rewards are as follows:]
Random Advanced Pokemon Items
Random MEGA Evolution Stones (Special rewards for completing it for the first time)
Meteorite (Special rewards for completing it for the first time) ]
John blinked, surprised at the sheer number of rewards. No time to dwell on it—he bent down, grabbing the four items that materialized out of thin air. The first thing he picked up was a small, glowing piece of Charcoal, faint golden sparks dancing across its surface. Next, there was a dark brown TM—he could tell it was for a Fighting-type move, though he couldn't yet guess which one. The third item was a Meteorite, smooth and heavy, with a bumpy surface that gave it an odd, otherworldly feel. And last but not least, a small, translucent glass bead containing swirling colors—dark green and pink, mixed in a way that almost seemed to shift with the light.
Without hesitation, John stuffed all four items into his backpack and, with a flash of light, was teleported back to his dorm room.
Now that he was back, he wasted no time pulling out his Gameboy. One by one, he examined the items. The first thing that caught his eye was the MEGA Evolution Stone. A Venusaur MEGA Stone, to be exact. John's brow furrowed. It wasn't exactly what he needed for his current lineup. Sure, Venusaur was a solid choice in certain situations, but it wasn't a Pokemon he was particularly keen on training. Still, the MEGA Evolution Stone itself was valuable. If he didn't use it, he could always trade it away for something more fitting in the future. Besides, Venusaur's final evolution had a unique appeal, and who knew? He might find himself building a team around it eventually.
Next, he turned his attention to the Focus Blast skill TM. The move boasted a powerful 120 base damage and had a 10% chance of lowering the target's Special Defense. It was a strong Fighting-type move with impressive potential—though, like most powerful moves, it had a downside: Focus Blast had a low accuracy rate. That wasn't a big deal in the real world, where skill and control mattered more than the game's mechanics. The question now was whether he had the right Pokemon to make use of it.
Then, John examined the Bolt Strike Charcoal. This was a treasure. It boosted the power of Fire-type moves by 40%, and on top of that, it added an electric charge to Fire-type moves, with a chance to paralyze the target. The synergy with his Blaziken was obvious. With this item, he'd be able to hit harder and potentially cripple his enemies with paralysis. A perfect fit.
Finally, John turned his attention to the Meteorite. It had a strange, vague description—"Meteorite from beyond." He had no idea what it was supposed to mean, but he'd hang onto it for now. Perhaps a trip to the Battle Arena would shed some light on its significance.
With all the new items in his possession, John couldn't help but smile. These rewards were a game-changer. Whether he decided to use them right away or save them for later, he knew they would help him grow stronger and prepare for the challenges ahead.