The volcano's low rumble was the only dominant sound on Cinnabar Island. Inside the temporary command center, the air seemed like solidified volcanic magma, heavy and scorching, pressing down until it was hard to breathe. On the holographic map, the red dot representing Moltres pulsed like a beating heart. Each flash signaled a violent eruption of energy and tugged at the nerves of every senior Pokémon League official present. Streams of data refreshed across the screens like waterfalls, while the technicians' keystrokes and overlapping reports wove together into a tense symphony.
Ye Li stood at the edge of this chaos. The standard white researcher's uniform issued by the Pokémon League made him look like a scholar detached from the affair. The energy shackles around his ankles, flickering with faint electric light, were the silent declaration of his true identity-a closely guarded "special consultant," or rather, a prisoner worth a fortune.
He chose precisely the right moment, in the gap between the delivery of two casualty reports, to break the command center's recurring rhythm of tension with a tone that mingled exhaustion with a major discovery.
"Champion Lance," he said, his voice quiet but carrying clearly through all the noise and drawing everyone's attention. "I've been analyzing the patterns of volcanic energy dissipation and found some unusual resonant frequencies. Their source isn't Cinnabar Island itself."
On the communications screen, Champion Lance's sharply defined face grew even more solemn. His Dragon-type pressure bore down on them even through the signal. "Go on."
"Working backward from the energy-wave attenuation model, I identified two abnormal concentrations of energy." Ye Li raised his hand and brought up another holographic map of the Kanto Region, precisely marking two points of light. "One is deep within the Seafoam Islands to the southeast. Its energy frequency exhibits signs