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"Seeking revenge? From what I know about Team Rocket, they won't engage in such meaningless activities. There must be other reasons behind their actions!"
The old saying that your enemy knows you best rings true. Having battled against each other countless times as adversaries, Lance understands Team Rocket's behavioral patterns very well.
Seeking revenge is a thankless endeavor for them. Unless there's something they want from this young man, they wouldn't waste valuable time and resources hunting down a person just for vengeance.
Take the Zapdos incident as a perfect example. Although the boy managed to stop their operation, the most they would typically do is retreat and devise another strategy to capture their target. They wouldn't waste precious time pursuing that boy for personal grudges.
"Professor Oak mentioned that this child is that person's son, but I'm still uncertain whether Team Rocket knows the true identity of that child," Agatha said after a moment of contemplative silence, looking at Lance with a serious expression.
Upon hearing this revelation, Lance's expression shifted noticeably.
That person... He seemed to understand the unspoken reference, maintaining a tacit agreement not to voice the name aloud. Although the name wasn't spoken, he knew exactly who Granny Agatha was referring to.
This was a person who existed only in legends, someone he had been fortunate enough to encounter once during his childhood, but who had never been seen again in all these years that followed.
"Are you concerned that Team Rocket captured the child because they discovered his true identity?" Lance asked thoughtfully.
"Not necessarily. Perhaps it's due to other reasons entirely, or maybe it's just an unfortunate coincidence," Granny Agatha replied uncertainly.
She had only recently learned from Professor Oak that the legendary person's child had begun traveling as a Pokemon Trainer. Team Rocket should have no logical reason to know about this connection.
So everything could simply be a coincidence. Perhaps something else occurred before the kid was taken away that drew their attention.
"Regardless of the circumstances, I cannot simply stand by and ignore this matter," Lance declared firmly.
"During this recent period, Team Rocket has been systematically capturing the Three Legendary Birds. It appears they're planning some significant operation. They previously caused major disruptions at the Seafoam Islands, and if I'm not mistaken, Articuno has already fallen into their hands."
"If this current situation is also connected, perhaps they're now pursuing the other two legendary Pokemon!"
Lance didn't realize at this moment that Zapdos had failed to maintain its freedom after escaping from the power plant and had also fallen into Team Rocket's clutches.
Ash was equally unaware that Articuno had been captured. In other words, only the final member of the trio, Moltres, remained uncaptured by Team Rocket's forces.
"Then which legendary Pokemon do you believe they're currently targeting?" Granny Agatha considered this possibility seriously and inquired.
"Where exactly was the child taken?" Lance asked strategically.
"Neon Town!" came the immediate response.
"Neon Town? If Zapdos's current whereabouts remain unknown, their target may have shifted to Moltres. If they're indeed pursuing Moltres, there's only one logical location where it would seek refuge."
Hearing Granny Agatha's response, Lance began analyzing the situation deeply.
When a Pokemon sustains injuries, it instinctively seeks an environment suitable for healing and recovery. If the target is indeed Moltres, and assuming it hasn't been captured yet, the most likely destination would be the volcanic region of Cinnabar Island.
That location provides the perfect sanctuary for Moltres to hide and recover, utilizing the natural fire-type energy present in the volcanic environment. If Team Rocket's strategy involves capturing someone first before hunting down Moltres, they would undoubtedly proceed to Cinnabar Island. Additionally, Neon Town's proximity to Cinnabar Island makes this theory even more plausible.
So even if they don't immediately head to Cinnabar Island, investigating there seems to be the only viable option for uncovering the truth.
"Cinnabar Island!" Granny Agatha murmured thoughtfully after listening to Lance's comprehensive analysis, considering this distinct possibility.
"At present, this appears to be our most logical lead. If we begin our investigation from the location where the child was abducted, we should be able to discover traces of their activities."
"Very well, I'll head to Cinnabar Island immediately. It happens that I need to speak with Blaine anyway, so I'll ask him if he has any knowledge about Team Rocket's ultimate purpose in capturing the Three Legendary Birds."
Granny Agatha was known for her decisive nature. Once she established a clear objective, she refused to waste any additional time on deliberation.
Although she maintained a somewhat distant relationship with Professor Oak, she genuinely cared about young Trainers and their welfare.
Regardless of whether this boy was that legendary person's child or not, as long as he possessed the qualities of a Trainer with unwavering beliefs and determination, she held optimistic views about his potential. She was especially impressed that someone so young dared to stand against Team Rocket's operations. Despite her apparent indifference toward Professor Oak, she actually harbored deep admiration for such courage.
"Understood, I'll handle my end of the investigation. I'll be there as soon as possible!" Lance confirmed.
Lance was currently conducting other investigations, but he had no intention of remaining passive regarding this critical matter. There were numerous compelling reasons why he couldn't simply stand aside and ignore the situation.
"Excellent! Let's proceed with this plan for now!"
After reaching their agreement, Granny Agatha ended the phone conversation without additional pleasantries. Lance didn't take offense at her abrupt manner, as he understood Granny Agatha's characteristic communication style perfectly well.
Cinnabar Island
"I wonder what's happening with Ash right now," Green murmured with concern.
On the other side of the region, at the Cinnabar Island Pokemon Center, Green methodically packed her belongings. She collected her Pokemon that had been restored to perfect condition and completed her preparations before deciding to contact Professor Oak once again.
At that precise moment, a bald elderly man wearing a casual shirt, sunglasses, and sporting a distinctive white beard entered the Pokemon Center. Upon entering, he immediately noticed Green's presence.
"Oh? It's Green! What an unexpected coincidence!" the man called out cheerfully.
"Blaine!" Green turned toward the familiar voice and offered a respectful bow in greeting.
The man addressing her was Blaine, the renowned Gym Leader of Cinnabar Gym on Cinnabar Island. He specialized in Fire-type Pokemon and was widely recognized as one of the most formidable Gym Leaders throughout the entire Kanto Region. He also possessed a mysterious and largely unknown past.
"Haven't you departed yet? Which gym are you planning to challenge next in your journey?" Blaine inquired with genuine interest.
Blaine initiated the conversation primarily because, among the numerous Trainers who had challenged his gym, Green had left a particularly memorable impression on him. He recognized her as a young Trainer with exceptional potential and looked forward to witnessing her future development and achievements.
Especially when observing Green, he experienced an inexplicable sense of familiarity and warmth in his heart. Perhaps this feeling stemmed from the fact that this young woman's character reminded him so strongly of his beloved late granddaughter!
"I haven't decided yet," Green replied with a slight shake of her head after considering his question.
"Hmm? You appear to have something weighing on your mind. Is there anything I might be able to help you with?"
Perhaps motivated by his affection for his late granddaughter's memory, Blaine found himself subconsciously concerned when he noticed that Green seemed troubled by some unspoken worry.
"Huh?" Green appeared slightly surprised by his observation. She found it somewhat strange yet touching that this gym leader showed such particular concern for her wellbeing and emotional state.