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Use Surf on Route 122 to reach the base of the Mt. Pyre.
Mt. Pyre is divided into two areas: interior and exterior.
Inside functions similarly to the Bell Tower that Chris visited before. It houses numerous tombstones and serves as a memorial for Trainers to bury their beloved Pokémon. Ghost-Type Pokémon like Shuppet and Duskull haunt the area.
Outside, many Pokémon can be encountered, including the rare Vulpix. However, Chris showed no interest in catching them and proceeded directly into the depths of Sending Mt. Pyre.
"Why isn't there a dungeon prompt?" Chris wondered aloud.
As he climbed further, three members of Team Aqua blocked the path.
He engaged them in battle. Their Pokémon, barely reaching level 40, were no match for Chris, who defeated them in mere seconds.
After defeating the three grunts, Chris finally encountered Archie.
But Archie had no intention of fighting.
[Archie: Although the Team Magma group arrived before me, I managed to obtain what I needed. Behold! The creator of the seas is about to awaken!]
Archie laughed maniacally before retreating with a Blue Orb and his subordinates.
Chris stared at his handheld in disbelief. "That was it? I thought this was a dungeon!" he said, feeling his effort wasted. "Had I known, I wouldn't have detoured to Lilycove City."
After Archie left, an elderly man guarding the orbs approached Chris.
[Old Man: Was Team Magma here first? They left in such a hurry that they forgot this.]
The old man handed Chris a badge engraved with the emblem of Team Magma.
For a player unfamiliar with the game mechanics, this could be confusing. Chris speculated it might lead to Team Magma's base. Using Fly, he traveled to Lavaridge Town and then ascended Mt. Chimney.
On the mountainside, a cutscene triggered. The badge caused a huge rock to shift, revealing a hidden passage.
Chris entered and was immediately greeted with a message:
[Do you want to enter the dungeon "Team Magma Base"? (Special rewards available on first completion)]
[Recommended level: 80]
"It's a dungeon after all! But level 80? That's absurd!" Chris exclaimed. "Do they expect me to clear Victory Road before attempting this?"
Chris surmised that Maxie, the leader of Team Magma, would be at his peak strength. This would make it impossible to win with a team of level 40-50 Pokémon. If Maxie and his Executives, Tabitha and Courtney, were indeed that strong, the challenge would surpass that of most Gym Leaders.
"This might even involve a rampaging Groudon," Chris theorized, speculating that it could be at level 100!
He concluded that taking on the dungeon required much stronger preparation, hinting at the epic battles ahead in his journey.
Chris decided to hold off on entering the base for now—he still had to deal with the base of Team Aqua.
He used Fly to travel to Slateport City and headed straight for the shipyard.
Upon arriving, a plot cutscene was triggered. The submarine equipped for Dive had been stolen, with Archie and his men orchestrating the heist. Their goal was clear: to dive deep into the ocean, find Kyogre, and use the recently acquired orb to control the legendary Pokémon.
Next, Chris flew back to Lilycove City.
The Team Aqua grunts, along with the three Wailmer blocking the route to Mossdeep City, had vanished, allowing Chris to progress. However, he wasn't in a hurry to leave.
He noticed that the gate to Team Aqua's base was now accessible. When Chris approached, a familiar prompt appeared:
[Yes/No to enter the dungeon "Team Aqua Base" (the first time you complete it, you can get special rewards)]
[Dungeon recommended entry level: 80]
"A level 80 dungeon... Archie must be just as strong as Maxie," Chris muttered.
"It seems the game really wants me to finish all the Gyms and possibly even reach Elite Four-level strength before tackling these bases," he sighed.
Obtaining the Master Ball wasn't going to be easy.
Chris had initially thought there might be an exploitable glitch to obtain the Master Ball early, but the developers had anticipated this and ramped up the difficulty, leaving no room for shortcuts. Without the Master Ball, capturing a legendary Pokémon would be significantly more challenging.
Even if he managed to acquire the Master Ball now, Chris knew he wouldn't use it immediately. Capturing legendary Pokémon such as Zapdos in the Power Plant could elevate his team to Elite Four or Champion-level strength. However, if the Power Plant were to spawn a Pokémon like Zekrom instead, it would be even more tempting.
Still, Chris thought it would be more worthwhile to save the Master Ball for a specific moment later in the Emerald storyline—when he could secure Rayquaza at the Sky Pillar.
Having traveled to the Johto Region before, Chris had realized that crossing into other Regions meant no other protagonist would step in to take his place. Moreover, Master Balls in other versions of the game were often handed out by key characters, and the odds of obtaining another one were slim.
If there truly was only one Master Ball in this journey, Chris wasn't about to waste it on third-tier legendaries like Zapdos. Even second-tier legendaries weren't worth it compared to first-tier legends like Kyogre, Groudon, or Rayquaza.
Looking toward Mossdeep City, Chris knew he had only one path forward. He would have to proceed carefully and prepare for whatever awaited him.