"He won't get away with stealing valuable information!" Wattson hissed, his earlier joviality replaced by a determined glare. He pulled out a small electronic whistle and blew a high-pitched, inaudible frequency.
Instantly, the ambient hum of the facility changed. The scattered Magnemite and Electrike units that had been lurking near the entrance began to converge, floating silently down the main corridor toward the Documentation Room.
"Torchic, you're the spearhead!" I commanded, releasing my starter. "Aim for his feet! Flamethrower!"
Torchic, fueled by its new move, let out a powerful stream of fire. The intense flame illuminated the dark hallway and shot straight into the Documentation Room.
The man in the blue jumpsuit reacted instantly, shouting in surprise. He dropped his scanner and jumped back, narrowly avoiding the heat.
"Now, Magnemite, Thunder Shock! Electrike, Tackle!" Wattson roared.
The wild Pokémon, responding to Wattson's familiar frequency and recognizing the intruder who had been disrupting their home, unleashed a coordinated assault. The Magnemite units zipped forward, firing small electric bolts, while the Electrike slammed into the man's legs.
The man cried out as the electricity hit, momentarily paralyzing his muscles. He stumbled and fell backward over a stack of old files.
"Mawile, get in there! Iron Head to pin his arm!"
Mawile rushed into the room, using its heavy, metallic head to pin the man's arm against the floor. Before he could recover or reach for a Poké Ball (if he even had one), Wattson and I rushed in. We quickly secured his hands and feet with heavy-duty rope we found in an unused utility cart.
"That's enough shock for one day," Wattson muttered, recalling the wild Pokémon. "Good work, Stephen. You and your Torchic have excellent coordination."
We dragged the unconscious man into the main corridor, away from the flammable documents. After a few tense minutes, he began to stir. His eyes fluttered open, blinking against the dim emergency lights.
"Who... what happened?" he mumbled.
"You're trespassing and stealing confidential data from a protected site," Wattson stated sternly, towering over him. "Start talking. Who sent you?"
The man struggled against the ropes, fear replacing his confusion. "I... I didn't want to! They made me!"
He confessed that he was a freelance data analyst hired under duress. "They wore red clothes... like uniforms. They paid me a large sum, but their attitude was menacing—half-threat, half-bribe. They demanded I get the original structural data for New Mauville's power core."
"Red uniforms..." Wattson's eyes darkened. "That confirms my suspicion. Team Magma."
Wattson knelt beside the bound man, his voice low and serious as he addressed me.
"Team Magma is a dangerous extremist group, Stephen. Their goal is radical environmental transformation: they want to expand the landmass of Hoenn by reviving the Legendary Pokémon, Groudon ."
"Their methods are simple: they believe land and rock are superior to water, and they dismiss any consequences in pursuit of their goal. They are ruthless, operating outside the law with absolutely no morality or empathy. They see the destruction of ecosystems like this as a necessary step for their grand plan."
"We believe they were attempting to use New Mauville's power source—or its blueprints—to aid in their future operations, possibly to power an external device or manipulate tectonic stability."
Wattson stood up, his gaze intense. "The Team Magma organization suffered a significant failure and went dormant after their previous attempt to awaken Groudon. Most people believe they disbanded. However, fanatics don't just disappear. There are always remnants—hardcore members who still tend to fulfill that ambitious and unrealistic dream."
He placed a hand on my shoulder, a genuine warning in his voice. "Be careful, Stephen. They don't care about your Gym Badges or your good intentions. If they think you're in their way, they will remove you. If they're operating this far west in Hoenn, you need to be prepared for another confrontation."
Wattson used his communicator to call Officer Jenny and Watt, arranging for the analyst's secure transfer and the documentation's recovery. The Gym Leader's jovial nature was completely absent; the threat of Team Magma had cast a heavy shadow over the city.
The warning resonated deep within me. This wasn't a simple training journey anymore. This was a conflict.
Wattson finished the call, snapping his communicator shut. Officer Jenny was already en route to the New Mauville entrance with a security detail. He then turned his full attention to the bound analyst.
"You're lucky, young man," Wattson said to the now conscious intruder. "You only suffered a minor shock. But what you did—trespassing and aiding an extremist organization—is a felony. You'll be dealing with Officer Jenny and the League authorities now."
Wattson and I waited until the heavy clank of the approaching security detail echoed in the tunnel. When they arrived, Wattson handed over the analyst, the recovered data scanner, and the broken chains, providing a full report on the intrusion and the suspected involvement of Team Magma.
"Thank you for your assistance, Stephen," Officer Jenny said, giving me a salute. "Your quick thinking helped us dismantle this operation cleanly."
Once the security team had taken custody of the analyst and sealed the New Mauville entrance, Wattson and I walked back toward the city center, leaving the oppressive, charged atmosphere behind.
"That felt good, Stephen," Wattson sighed, a return of his usual demeanor. "It's unsettling to know those fanatics are active again, but we stopped their operation here."
He looked at me, his eyes sharp. "You've earned your third badge, you've faced down corporate espionage, and you've got a growing team of smart Pokémon, including that brilliant strategist, Sableye. You're ready for the next level."
"Where should I head next, Wattson?" I asked. "I was planning to continue toward the coast, maybe to Slateport or Dewford."
"The coast is full of Team Aqua activity, and Dewford is a tough Gym for a young team," Wattson advised. "No. You need to focus on building raw power and defensive resilience against a new type. You need to face the challenges of the land."
Wattson pulled out a small map of Hoenn and tapped his finger on a central, mountainous location.
"Your next challenge lies deep in the mountains, southwest of here: Lavaridge Town."
"Lavaridge Gym is run by Flannery, a Fire-type specialist. You have Torchic, yes, but she uses powerful, defensive Fire-types like Torkoal and Slugma. She forces you to rely on strategy, not just type-matching. It will test the Flamethrower you just learned and force you to get creative."
"And more importantly," Wattson added, his voice serious, "Lavaridge is right at the base of Mt. Chimney—a place of great geological and legendary importance. If Team Magma is truly ramping up their activities, that area is a prime target for them. You'll be right in the thick of the action."
"Lavaridge Town," I repeated, feeling the pull of the mountains and the heat of the next challenge. "I'll go there."
"Good. Now, a long journey awaits!" Wattson clapped me on the shoulder, his cheerful energy completely restored. "Go give Flannery a shock for me!"