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After the call ended, on the other side of the connection, an elderly figure stood silently in front of the phone. The woman appeared to be in her sixties, but despite her advanced age, she radiated an unmistakable vitality and strength. Anyone who approached her could feel an invisible aura of power and authority emanating from her presence.
She wore a traditional purple dress and leaned on an ornate walking cane, but these accessories did nothing to diminish the sense that this was someone not to be underestimated. In the entire Kanto Region, there were very few people who could speak to Professor Oak in such a dismissive tone, which clearly indicated that this elderly woman held an extraordinary position.
This was Agatha, one of the most formidable trainers in the entire Kanto Region and a member of the prestigious Elite Four. She was simultaneously the eldest among the Elite Four members, yet despite her advanced years, her strength remained truly unfathomable. Her expertise lay in the mysterious and often unsettling world of Ghost-type Pokemon, making her a particularly intimidating opponent for most challengers.
Because of her continued presence and success, Agatha had become an inspiration to many older trainers throughout the region. Her example proved that even at an advanced age, those who possessed the will and determination could still aspire to become top-tier trainers. Age, in her case, was merely a number rather than a limitation.
Under normal circumstances, even Elite Four members and regional champions maintained a respectful attitude when dealing with Professor Oak, given his reputation and contributions to Pokemon research. However, Agatha's sharp tone and hostile demeanor toward the professor stemmed from more than just their similar ages or long acquaintance.
From their conversation, it was evident that their relationship had been strained for quite some time. The truth was that they had experienced some unpleasant conflicts during their younger years. While these disagreements hadn't developed into deep-seated hatred, Agatha had never been able to completely let go of whatever had transpired between them in the past.
After several long moments of contemplation, Agatha exhaled slowly and deeply. In truth, she had never intended to simply stand by and ignore the situation Professor Oak had described. However, seeing his face on the screen had instinctively triggered her anger and resentment. She had always been someone who couldn't easily hide her true feelings, and her immediate reaction to Professor Oak was no exception.
Now that she had calmed down and had time to process the information properly, she decided to take action. After collecting her thoughts, she placed another phone call.
A figure soon materialized on the phone screen - a young man with distinctive red hair wearing a flowing cape. The individual before her was far from ordinary; this was Lance, the current leader of the Kanto Region Elite Four. He held the prestigious title of Dragon Master and simultaneously served as the champion of the Johto Region Elite Four, making him a legendary figure throughout both regions.
"Granny Agatha, it's been quite a while since we last spoke!" Lance seemed genuinely surprised to receive a call from the elderly Elite Four member.
Looking at the screen, it was obvious that Lance's current location wasn't near a traditional landline phone, which meant that Agatha had called his private mobile number. This detail suggested the serious nature of her call, as she wouldn't use his personal contact information for trivial matters.
Although the Elite Four members were all well-acquainted with each other, they typically operated independently with minimal regular contact. Under normal circumstances, they were only summoned together when the Pokemon League had specific missions or important matters that required their collective attention.
Despite being the leader of the Elite Four and technically outranking her, Lance maintained a respectful and polite demeanor when speaking with Agatha. After all, someone of Agatha's stature had witnessed numerous rotations of Elite Four members throughout her extended career. Although Lance had managed to surpass her in terms of hierarchical position when he was younger, he continued to show proper respect for her experience and achievements.
Moreover, while Agatha was known for her difficult personality, she had never been the type to abuse her seniority or demand special treatment simply because of her age.
"Indeed! You appear to be quite busy these days," Agatha observed with a slight nod, easily reading Lance's current situation from his appearance and surroundings.
"That's certainly true," Lance replied with a good-natured smile, despite the obvious fatigue in his eyes. "Team Rocket has been extraordinarily active throughout both the Kanto and Johto Regions recently, so I've been constantly on the move trying to track their operations."
Even though he was clearly exhausted from his demanding schedule, Lance didn't voice any complaints about his responsibilities.
"I assume you didn't call me today just for casual conversation," Lance continued, recognizing the unusual nature of Agatha's contact.
Since such calls were extremely rare, Lance suspected that something significant must have occurred to prompt Agatha to reach out to him directly.
It was worth noting that although Agatha remained an active member of the Elite Four, the Pokemon League tried to avoid burdening her with too many demanding assignments due to her advanced age. While she was still formidable and maintained her characteristic refusal to acknowledge any limitations, she was generally considered the most relaxed among the current Elite Four members in terms of active duty assignments.
"Professor Oak contacted me earlier today," Agatha stated directly.
Lance paused momentarily upon hearing this revelation. Despite his relative youth compared to the other Elite Four members, everyone within their professional circle was aware of the complicated history between Agatha and Professor Oak. The details of their past conflicts weren't widely discussed, but the tension between them was well-known among their peers.
Lance found it particularly strange that Agatha would mention receiving a call from Professor Oak, as she typically avoided discussing anything related to their relationship. This suggested that the call must have involved matters of considerable importance beyond their personal issues.
"Professor Oak called you? What was the nature of his request?" Lance inquired carefully.
"The matter involves Team Rocket," Agatha replied with a serious expression.
"Team Rocket? Have they actually been bold enough to target Professor Oak directly?" Lance's frown deepened as he processed this information.
Team Rocket had been conducting Pokemon theft operations throughout the region during this period, causing widespread concern and panic among trainers and civilians alike. Their activities had become increasingly brazen and frequent, making them a top priority for law enforcement.
Professor Oak's laboratory and ranch housed numerous Pokemon belonging to trainers from across the region, making it a potentially valuable target for Team Rocket's operations. The thought of them attacking such an important facility was deeply troubling.
"No, they haven't been quite that audacious yet," Agatha clarified, shaking her head slightly.
"Then what exactly happened?" Lance pressed for more details.
"According to Professor Oak, a rookie trainer from Pallet Town has been captured by Team Rocket operatives. However, the circumstances suggest that this wasn't the work of ordinary Team Rocket members - these appear to be higher-ranking operatives with a specific agenda."
Agatha relayed the information she had gathered from Professor Oak's explanation, emphasizing that the Team Rocket members responsible for Ash's capture were clearly not typical grunts operating independently.
"A rookie trainer? What possible reason could Team Rocket have for capturing an inexperienced trainer?" Lance was genuinely puzzled by this development.
Such an action seemed completely contrary to Team Rocket's usual methods and objectives. If they wanted to eliminate someone who was interfering with their operations, their typical approach would be to defeat the person directly in battle, or in extreme cases, eliminate them entirely. Capturing and holding a rookie trainer seemed both unusual and unnecessarily complicated for their purposes.
"The situation appears to be connected to their attempts to capture the Three Legendary Birds," Agatha explained, gently stroking the Poke Ball embedded in the head of her walking cane as she spoke. Her voice took on a particularly ominous tone as she continued.
"Professor Oak mentioned that this young trainer previously encountered Zapdos in the Power Plant. During that incident, Team Rocket was apparently attempting to capture the legendary Pokemon, but their operation was disrupted by this trainer's intervention."
"Whether this represents their second encounter or if Team Rocket has been specifically targeting this trainer for revenge remains unclear at this point."
Upon hearing this explanation, Lance's expression changed dramatically. The mention of the Three Legendary Birds immediately captured his full attention, as this was precisely the subject of his current investigations. His eyes reflected both concern and determination as he processed this new information.
The Three Legendary Birds case had been consuming much of his time and resources recently. Team Rocket had been causing significant disruptions throughout various locations in their attempts to capture these legendary Pokemon, and Lance had been working tirelessly to track their movements and prevent their success. Unfortunately, despite his dedicated efforts, he had made frustratingly little progress in stopping their operations or predicting their next moves.
This new information about a trainer who had previously interfered with their Zapdos capture attempt could potentially provide the breakthrough he had been seeking in his investigation.