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Red alarm lights flashed on and off around headquarters.
With Sceptile’s Leaf Blade, another door was cut down, and the door exploded into flames and smoke. A young boy with a white hat and Sceptile ran through the entrance.
While Sceptile took down another enemy Pokemon, Golbat, and the two ran their way past another of Team Magma’s corridors, Tabitha was watching the surveillance footage. He, Team Magma Leader Maxie, and an entourage of grunts were on the way to Submarine Explorer 1.
“Heh hah hah!” Said Tabitha. “An intruder has broken through Sector 1. I’ve been informed that he’s entered Sector 2.”
Informed of the news, Maxie’s expression was stern. Courtney was in his sights at the port, and Maxie addressed her.
“Courtney.”
“So you’re off, to make your dream a reality,” she said. Courtney, a mastermind of Team Magma’s submarine hijacking, knew that the time was coming.
“Yes,” he replied.
Then Maxie yelled, addressing his team.
“Listen up! Team Magma will be leaving for the Seafloor Cavern.”
“Got that grunts?” Tabitha smirked. “Get to it!”
“Yes sir!” The team said, saluting.
One by one, the grunts ran up the ramp and onto the submarine.
Courtney was walking up as well since her duty with the submarine mission was complete, but Maxie said, “Wait.”
She turned. “Huh?”
“Courtney,” he ordered, “you are to remain right here.”
Gasping, her eyes turned wide from the news. Did Maxie believe she was no use to Team Magma anymore?
Simultaneously, Sceptile fired up Leaf Blade again on an attacking Mightyena and struck in to the ground, unnerving the two grunts standing behind their Pokemon.
“The intruder will be arriving here very soon,” Maxie continued. “I want you to make certain he doesn’t get one step beyond this point.”
She smiled in relief at her leader’s orders. “I understand, Leader Maxie sir.” As always, he never underestimated the power of his subordinates’s strength.
Another door was blasted through with Leaf Blade, and from the smoke, the boy and Sceptile were moving towards them quickly.
“The intruder has moved beyond Sector 4,” a grunt announced overhead.
“Leader Maxie, c’mon,” Tabitha said, guiding Maxie through the door of the submarine. “Let’s get this underway.” However, before Maxie made a step into the submarine, he turned his head back to Courtney.
Courtney stood on the other side of the loading dock.
“I look forward to it,” she said. “Mankind’s new future.”
He assured her, “After this mission is over, we’ll met again.” Then he disappeared through the door. Tabitha hopped through the doorway and the door closed.
“Please change the world, Leader Maxie,” Courtney said, bidding him farewell.
Inside the submarine, the internal systems were powering on. A grunt flipped a grey switch. “Propulsion system, all good to go.”
A grunt typing on a blue screen said, “All communication links are open. Transceiver status is currently five by five.”
“Radar system is a go,” said a woman in the main control room. Tabitha and Maxie were there monitoring the ship. Tabitha looked ahead and Maxie’s chair turned forward.
“Forward drill controls: system is a go!”
Tabitha turned his head down to face Maxie. “Leader Maxie, sir, we’re all clear to launch!” He boasted.
“Start the engines,” Maxie commanded.
Cylindrical sliding doors opened and unleashed rushing water, filling the sitting tub of surrounding water for the floating submarine.
Courtney turned her attention to admire the blinking lights. “Pretty. The red siren. I can see it. A vision of a world changing.”
In Courtney’s eyes, fire and magma splattered over the mountains of Hoenn from Groudon’s destruction, and rocks tumbled from its body.
Her Leader Maxie, Tabitha, and the grunts came running from the submarine to admire Groudon.
Groudon towered over Maxie’s crew. Groudon’s mouth began to build up ball of energy. The energy released from Groudon’s mouth and wiped through the Hoenn’s islands and oceans in a beam of light. They exploded, and Groudon released another, aiming this time heading towards Maxie and his team in a yellow blinding light. Their screams were muffled by the rocks breaking off from the beam.
Courtney opened her eyes. The sound of rushing water died down. The reserves for the submarine were full. But her mind was still in Groudon’s wake and Maxie’s team. The images were so surreal…
“What was…” She looked at her hand. “…that vision?”
Pattering footsteps grew louder.
She turned her head to the left. “Hmmm?”
The boy and Sceptile approached her.
Putting the vision aside, she giggled. “I knew you would come. Too bad though. It’s all over now. The submarine has been upgraded.”
She gazed at the ship’s front. “Look at that drill!” She mentioned proudly. “With that, even the seal on the Seafloor Cavern is in for a walloping!”
The submarine’s propellers sped up, and slowly the submarine moved forward.
“There’s more work for me to do. I’m going to have to stop you,” she warned him. “But now I just want to…” Behind her back, she took out a Poké Ball, and she giggled again. “Engage you and see what happens!”
She threw the Poké Ball, and from the Poké Ball’s blue light, her Camerupt roared and stood up energetically on its hind legs.
“I want to…analyze you!” Courtney said, smiling widely. Then she laughed, covering her hands over her mouth.
How could she have been so delirious? ‘What if’ or ‘what will happen’ wasn’t a factor in Team Magma’s plans. An option where Team Magma failed was a one-in-a millionth of a chance. Because Team Magma’s reality was the only choice for a human-centered world.
If the only thing between her and realizing Team Magma’s dream was an insistent boy, the future ahead of them would be a whole lot brighter.