Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect-Chapter 199: Team Bases

Using Surf on Route 122, John made his way to the entrance of the volcano.

Mt. Pyre was divided into two sections: the outer area and the interior. The inside functioned much like the Bell Tower John had visited earlier, serving as a solemn resting place for fallen Pokemon. Tombstones were scattered throughout, with mourners and trainers alike paying their respects. Ghost-type Pokemon roamed the area, mainly Shuppet and Duskull.

Outside, however, the landscape was more diverse. Many wild Pokemon could be found here, including the rare Vulpix. But John wasn't interested in catching anything at the moment. He had one goal: ascending the volcano and discovering what awaited him inside.

Stepping into the cavernous base of the volcano, John expected a dungeon prompt—but nothing appeared. That was odd. He pressed forward, only to be blocked by three Team Aqua grunts.

"Out of the way," John muttered, sending out his Pokemon.

The battle was over in seconds. The Aqua grunts' Pokemon barely scratched LV 40, making them no challenge at all. He bulldozed through them effortlessly.

Finally, John came face to face with Archie.

But instead of engaging him in battle, the Team Aqua leader smirked and stepped back, holding up a gleaming Red Orb.

"Team Magma may have gotten here first, but I got what I wanted," Archie said with a grin. "Watch closely—the creator of the sea is about to awaken!"

Laughing maniacally, he turned and left with his underlings, disappearing into the depths of the volcano.

John sat there for a moment, gripping his Gameboy. He had been expecting a real fight. Instead, Archie had just delivered his villainous monologue and run off. All that effort, only for the plot to push forward without him.

"Seriously? That's it?" John sighed. "I could've skipped Lilycove and come straight here."

Just then, an old man approached him. The elder was one of the volcano's guardians, tasked with watching over the sacred orbs.

"Team Magma was here first, weren't they?" the old man said. "They left in such a hurry, they forgot something important."

He handed John a badge marked with the insignia of Team Magma.

John recognized it immediately. "Wait, isn't this the key to their hideout?"

If he hadn't played Emerald before, he might've been stuck. There was no clear prompt on what to do next. He had initially wanted to challenge the next Gym, but the path from Lilycove to Mossdeep City was still blocked by Team Aqua's forces.

(He still remembered the first time he played and got stuck here for ages without checking a guide.)

But now he knew. The Magma Emblem in his hands was the key to unlocking Team Magma's base.

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"Their hideout should be a dungeon," John mused, flipping the emblem in his fingers.

He used Fly to reach Lavaridge Town and then made his way up Mt. Chimney. Sure enough, as he approached the mountainside, the ground trembled. A large rock shifted aside, revealing a hidden passageway.

A notification flashed on the screen.

[Would you like to enter the dungeon "Team Magma Base"? (First-time completion grants special rewards.)]

[Recommended LV: 80]

John's eyes widened. "LV 80? That's insane. You expect me to grind all the way up Victory Road first?"

This level requirement was even higher than the Rocket Hideout back in Kanto. If the game was suggesting a level that high, it meant the boss inside—Maxie—was at full strength. There would be no easy wins against him.

That made sense, though. Maxie was no mere grunt. He was the leader of one of Hoenn's two biggest crime syndicates. If he wasn't stronger than an average Gym Leader, how would he have managed to keep his organization afloat in a region filled with powerful trainers?

And if Maxie was at full power, then his subordinates wouldn't be weak either. His top lieutenants, Tabitha and Courtney, probably had Pokemon around LV 70.

John shook his head. "Yeah, no thanks. I'll check out Team Aqua's base first."

He used Fly once more, this time heading to Slateport City. As soon as he arrived, another cutscene triggered. A submarine had been stolen from the shipyard—Team Aqua's doing. Their goal was clear: dive deep into the ocean to find Kyogre and use the Red Orb to awaken it.

With the plot advancing, John flew back to Lilycove City. As expected, the blockade preventing access to Mossdeep was now gone. The Team Aqua grunts and the trio of Wailmer blocking the waterway had disappeared. He could now proceed to the next Gym.

But before heading out, he noticed something. The entrance to Team Aqua's base was now open, and just like with Team Magma's hideout, a prompt appeared.

[Would you like to enter the dungeon "Team Aqua Base"? (First-time completion grants special rewards.)]

[Recommended LV: 80]

John groaned. Another high-level dungeon.

"So Archie's at full strength too, huh?" he muttered.

It was clear what the game wanted him to do: finish all the Gyms, reach Elite Four-level strength, and only then take on these villainous teams properly.

"The Master Ball isn't going to be easy to get," John sighed.

Back in the old days, there was a famous bug that allowed players to duplicate the Master Ball, effectively breaking the game. But the developers had long since patched that out. There were no exploits this time—he would have to earn his legendary Pokemon the hard way.

Still, even if he had the Master Ball right now, he wouldn't waste it on something like Zapdos. No, a Master Ball was meant for something truly game-changing. If he played his cards right, he could use it to capture Rayquaza later on.

Thinking ahead, John considered his long-term strategy. He had learned from his recent trip to Johto that different regions had different protagonists. Even if he moved between regions, the main story wouldn't always revolve around him.

And while other versions of the game might hand out Master Balls through dialogue events, there was no guarantee he'd get another one here. If this was his only chance, he had to be careful.