Logan accepted the USB drive without ceremony and said,

“…Thank you very much. There’s a saying—with great power comes great responsibility. The safety of the Hoenn region concerns me as well. After all, modern civilization’s economy has long since become globalized. If Hoenn were to suffer a catastrophic disaster, people in other regions wouldn’t be able to live peacefully either.”

Hearing Logan’s words, Norman let out a sigh.

“…That kind of perspective is something I can’t compare to. No wonder the Chairman told me to cooperate with you fully. If it weren’t for my son, I probably wouldn’t have gotten involved in this matter at all. Compared to solving a world-level crisis, I’d rather stay home and watch my son grow up. For Rayquaza’s sake, I’ve barely returned home in the past five years—my relationship with my son has even grown distant.”

Whether it was because he acknowledged Logan’s strength, or because he was moved by his words, Norman treated this young man—who wasn’t much older than his own son—as an equal.

“Then, Mr. Norman,” Logan asked at the right moment,

“how much do you know about the Draconids?”

From the information he had gathered so far, Logan was already certain that the “Dragon God” worshipped by the Draconids was none other than Rayquaza.

He also had a strong intuition—if he wanted to find Rayquaza and claim its power, there was no way around the Draconids.

Norman crossed his arms and closed his eyes, thinking carefully before answering.

“…The Draconids have been one of my primary investigation targets. I first went to Dragon’s Den in Blackthorn City, hoping to gather information from the Dragon Clan there—but even the Dragon Clan didn’t know anything about them.”

At this point, Norman glanced at Logan before continuing,

“…Later, based on their name, I suspected the Draconids might be connected to Meteor Falls. That place is a gathering ground for wild Dragon-type Pokémon, and many Dragon-type Trainers go there to train.”

“…I investigated Meteor Falls thoroughly, but found no trace of the Draconids. Still, I believe there is a connection. If you ever have time, Champion, you might want to check it out yourself. Perhaps you’ll discover something I missed.”

“Meteor Falls…”

Logan nodded slowly. “I’ll remember that.”

With that, Logan felt there was nothing more he needed from this place. Together with Norman, he shut down the power and walked out.

“This institute was built solely for the Green Orb. After the orb was lost, the facility lost its purpose. Research into the Green Orb was already sufficient—while the League still doesn’t fully understand how the ancient civilization created it, the technology to complete it has already been mastered.”

“To prevent further waste of resources, the League abandoned the institute.”

Standing amid the desolate ruins, Norman spoke plainly, without sentiment—simply stating facts.

“I heard from the Chairman that your schedule is very tight, Champion. I won’t delay you any further. As per my agreement with the League, I’ll continue searching for information related to Rayquaza for another year. After that, I’ll return to Hoenn and become the Gym Leader of Petalburg City.”

“If I discover any new leads, I’ll pass them to you through the League.”

The meaning behind his words was clear—Norman was ready to take his leave.

Logan had already obtained more than enough information here. Although he hadn’t gotten his hands on the most important item—the Green Orb—he wasn’t overly disappointed.

If Rayquaza were that easy to find, it wouldn’t be a Legendary Pokémon.

“You’ve worked hard, Mr. Norman,” Logan said with a warm smile.

“I’m heading to Sootopolis City next. When you have time, you should go home and spend more time with your wife and child. Letting relationships grow cold wouldn’t be good.”

Outwardly smiling, Logan secretly grumbled to himself—hopefully he gives his son a proper beating when he gets home.

If not for that kid’s mistake, Logan would already have the Green Orb in hand.

Despite never having seen it, Logan had long since regarded the Green Orb as his own.

“Safe travels, Champion of Kanto,” Norman said.

“Safe travels, Mr. Norman.”

The two shook hands, each summoning their long-distance transport Pokémon and departing in opposite directions.

The half-day delay at the Johto institute was well within Logan’s plans. He ordered Garchomp to circle briefly over Blackthorn City, ignoring the disturbance his sudden arrival caused.

Before the Blackthorn Gym Leader could even come out to investigate, Logan was already flying off in another direction.

Compared to traveling from Kanto to Johto, the journey from Johto to Hoenn was far longer.

Even at Garchomp’s supersonic speed, it took nearly two hours.

Golden light gradually shifted into deep crimson. Clouds burned red as they reflected the setting sun, mirroring across the shimmering sea. Mist rose faintly from the land, seabirds cried along the shore—

By the time Logan arrived at Sootopolis City, dusk had fallen.

Sootopolis City stood apart from the Hoenn mainland. The only way to reach it was by ship or aircraft—there was no land route connecting it to the continent.

The city itself was a massive, terraced settlement built inside a volcanic crater.

Legend had it that long ago, an underwater volcano erupted and slowly rose above the sea, forming land. Rainwater collected within the crater, forming a lake. Discovering the mild climate, people settled there.

Then, a thousand years ago, a massive meteor struck, tearing open the volcano further. With the expanded space, Sootopolis City was finally established.

Upon arriving, Logan didn’t immediately search for the Eon Flute.

Instead, he stayed overnight at the Pokémon Center, resting properly before beginning his investigation the next day.

All he had was a lead—no precise location.

If the flute was somewhere easily accessible, that would be ideal.

But if it had been buried deep underground long ago… even demolishing the entire city might not reveal it.

Over the next two days, Logan visited museum curators and local historians, asking them to identify symbols and inscriptions he had transcribed from ancient texts.

He had expected to become stuck in a long investigation—

Yet to his surprise, he quickly found a location that matched the ancient records.

“Judging by these patterns and motifs, they resemble the ruins inside a cave north of Sootopolis City,” an elderly historian said.

“That cave is known as the Cave of Origin. I was once granted permission to enter it in my youth. You can go verify it yourself.”

“…However, the Cave of Origin has a guardian. A very old family in Sootopolis has protected it for generations. Entry requires their approval. Coincidentally, the current guardian is Sootopolis City’s Gym Leader.”

“If you plan to go, you should visit him. Truth be told, there’s nothing particularly special inside—just murals depicting Sootopolis’s formation.”

Logan thanked the historian and left immediately.

As for visiting the Gym Leader?

That idea never even crossed Logan’s mind.

He didn’t want to waste time—and he didn’t believe anyone could stop him.

If the Sootopolis Gym Leader dared stand in his way, Logan wouldn’t mind teaching him a lesson.

Even if that Gym Leader had recently fought the current Hoenn Champion Steven Stone to a draw, Logan didn’t care.

He had already crushed the Unova Champion Alder.

He only hoped the Sootopolis Gym Leader was smart enough to understand that.

——————–

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