On the azure surface of the ocean, Anabel stood on the deck of a Coast Guard vessel, scanning the horizon with binoculars.
Moments later, a shark-shaped submarine breached the surface and sped toward them.
Lowering the binoculars, she turned and shouted to her crew. "They're here! Prepare the hoist!"
Needless to say, the approaching vessel was the one occupied by Natsui and Shelly.
As for how Natsui had persuaded Shelly to change course and rendezvous with Anabel—an International Police agent—one could only say he had used rather forceful methods. It was a stark reminder to Shelly of who exactly held the dominant position in their current partnership.
The submarine slowed, coming to a complete stop alongside the Coast Guard ship.
The well-trained crew moved efficiently, securing the submarine with cables and hoisting it out of the water.
As the sub rose, Natsui looked out the viewport. Far in the distance, he could just make out the shapes of Archie and Matt's submarines, holding their position. They dared not approach.
It seemed that although Archie had lost his composure, he hadn't lost his survival instinct. Confronting a heavily armed Coast Guard vessel head-on was a line even he wouldn't cross.
Compared to Team Rocket, you guys still lack that reckless spark, Natsui mused.
However...
Although they had shaken off Archie's pursuit, the crisis wasn't over.
Natsui shifted his gaze toward the horizon. There, a much larger threat loomed.
Even though Archie failed to capture Kyogre or force it into Primal Reversion, he had succeeded in angering it. Upon awakening, the Sea Basin Pokémon had left its cavern and unleashed a terrifying whirlpool upon the region.
The sea is ruthless, and so is its avatar.
Perhaps Kyogre wasn't targeting anyone specifically. Perhaps this was just the natural consequence of its awakening—a splash in the pond, so to speak. Or perhaps it intended to teach these insolent humans a lesson. Regardless of the intent, the whirlpool was a reality.
And it was massive.
Its range was extensive, encompassing the entire archipelago and the surrounding waters. The suction force was immense, dragging everything toward the center. Small islands on the periphery were already being swamped, low-lying areas completely submerged.
In an instant, the topography of the region was being rewritten. Wild Water-type Pokémon, powerless to resist the current, were swept away like debris.
Fortunately, Kyogre had not undergone Primal Reversion. This meant the sea level rise wasn't as catastrophic as Shelly had predicted. If it had been Primal Kyogre... the consequences would be unimaginable.
Clang.
The submarine settled onto the deck. Natsui opened the hatch and climbed out, jumping lightly onto the metal plating of the ship.
Anabel, who had stepped forward to greet him, froze when she saw his attire.
"Why are you dressed like a Team Aqua grunt?"
"This? Just to make the infiltration easier."
As he spoke, he turned to help Misty out of the hatch. When Shelly finally emerged, looking hesitant, Anabel's hand instinctively went to her Poké Balls.
"Don't be nervous!" Natsui raised a hand to stop her. "She's defected. She's not an enemy."
"Defected!?"
Anabel looked at him as if he were joking.
Who is Shelly?
She was the brains of Team Aqua, second only to Archie himself!
How could someone like her be convinced to defect so easily!?
Anabel found the situation hard to believe. Yet, there Shelly stood, unresisting, right in front of her.
What is going on? Did Natsui somehow dismantle Team Aqua from the inside?
Just as she was about to order her subordinates to take Shelly into custody, Natsui stepped in front of the Team Aqua Admin.
Seeing her intention, Natsui shook his head. "Sorry, I still have use for her. I can't hand her over to you just yet."
Although phrased politely, the message was clear: I am protecting her.
Anabel was taken aback by Natsui's firmness. If anyone else had dared to speak to an International Police agent like that—protecting a known criminal, no less—they would be facing serious consequences.
But with Natsui, things were different.
Not only because of his strength as a trainer, but because of the long-standing cooperation between him and the International Police. From Looker to herself, Natsui had been an invaluable ally. She wasn't willing to jeopardize that relationship over one defector.
"You misunderstand," Anabel said with a light chuckle, diffusing the tension. "We just want to ask her a few questions, not throw her in a cell. Besides, if she has defected, we need to register her status. Otherwise, she'll remain a wanted criminal, which is disadvantageous for everyone."
Natsui nodded, appreciating her flexibility. "I understand. Thank you. But as I said, I need her with me for now. At least until this matter is completely resolved."
"Is that so..."
Anabel didn't press the issue. The woman had already defected; interrogating her now or later made little difference.
While Natsui and Anabel talked, Shelly stood quietly to the side, saying nothing. It was as if they were discussing the fate of an object rather than a high-ranking criminal.
If any Team Aqua members saw this, their jaws would drop. The fierce, independent Admin Shelly, docile and obedient? It was unheard of.
Shelly stared out at the raging whirlpool in the distance, trying to process the events of the last ten minutes.
Back in the submarine, when she had initially refused to change course, Natsui had revealed a side of himself she hadn't expected.
It wasn't the crude, explosive anger of Archie. It was a cold, absolute authority that brooked no argument.
It was domineering. Elegant, yet terrifying.
In that moment, she realized that in certain aspects, this man was far more dangerous than Archie.
And she had to admit... as a woman who had risen through the ranks of a criminal organization where strength was law, a part of her instinctively submitted to superior power. Her mind had gone blank, and she had obeyed him without question.
Thinking about it now, it felt like she had been completely dominated by him.
...
The Coast Guard ship moved to pursue Archie and Matt's submarines.
However, the villains had dived deep, vanishing into the abyss. Once again, Archie had slipped through their fingers.
Returning empty-handed, Anabel turned her attention back to the giant whirlpool.
Although Kyogre had departed, the vortex continued to churn.
Fortunately, Natsui had alerted Anabel before the operation began, giving her time to issue warnings to all ships in the area. While there would be property damage, loss of life should be minimal.
While Anabel coordinated the relief efforts, Natsui, Misty, and Shelly stood by the guardrail, watching the maelstrom.
Shelly, who had been silent for a long time, glanced at Natsui. "Are you just going to watch? Don't you have a Suicune? Calming a whirlpool like this should be easy for you, right?"
"Act?" Natsui shook his head. "Why do you think I would intervene?"
Shelly looked at him, puzzled. "Is that a serious question? We... I investigated you. You've been cooperating with the authorities for years. Kanto, Johto, now Hoenn... you've stopped countless disasters. Isn't being a hero what you do?"
"No, you're mistaken," Natsui chuckled. "Most of the time, I only act because someone asks me to. In the rare instances I act on my own—like today—it's because the alternative is catastrophe. If Primal Kyogre had awakened, all of Hoenn would have suffered. That would have affected me, so I had to stop it. But look at this."
He gestured to the whirlpool.
"The danger is localized. It might cause some flooding in Sootopolis, but human society can handle this. It's not a world-ending threat."
Shelly stared at the whirlpool, absorbing his words.
He was right. Unlike the cataclysm she had predicted at the Weather Institute, this was manageable.
"I see. So you aren't a bleeding-heart saint after all."
"Saints are people with too much sympathy," Natsui narrowed his eyes. "I consider that a flaw. At best, I'm just a 'little bit' sympathetic."
...
After raging for more than two hours, the giant whirlpool finally subsided.
Anabel's ship patrolled the perimeter the entire time, ready to rescue any stranded sailors, but fortunately, no distress signals came.
After bidding farewell to Anabel, Natsui, Misty, and Shelly returned to the submarine.
For Natsui, stopping Archie's ambition was a victory in itself. Gaining a valuable ally like Shelly was just a bonus.
And she was an ally now.
Shelly had nowhere else to go. Natsui knew it was only a matter of time before she formally joined him. A woman of her talents wouldn't be content living a quiet, civilian life. Unless she joined another criminal syndicate—unlikely, given her betrayal—Natsui was her only option.
The submarine navigated the deep sea, returning safely to the hidden dock in Sootopolis City. Archie did not reappear.
It was strange, but logical. Since he couldn't retrieve the Blue Orb, Archie's priority would be tracking Kyogre before it vanished into the ocean depths again. If he lost the trail now, he might have to wait another ten years.
For Archie, abandoning the pursuit was a painful but necessary choice.
Sootopolis City – Team Aqua Secret Warehouse
The submarine broke the surface, returning to their starting point.
Stepping onto the solid concrete of the dock, Natsui voiced the doubt in his mind.
"You brought us back here... aren't you afraid Archie set an ambush?"
"Don't worry," Shelly said calmly. "I built this place. I maintain it. No one else knows about it—not the other Admins, not even Archie. The man doesn't even know how many grunts are on his payroll; do you really think he knows about my private safehouse?"
Natsui nodded. It made sense. This was Shelly's personal sanctuary.
If she were still in Team Aqua, it would be a Team Aqua asset. But now that she was a rogue agent, it was simply a ghost base that only she could access.
Shelly reached into her pocket and pulled out the Blue Orb, offering it to Natsui.
Even now, the orb glowed with an internal light, casting colorful reflections on the warehouse walls.
Natsui glanced at it but didn't take it. "You keep it."
"What!?" Shelly stared at him in shock. "Keep it? Aren't you going to return it to Mt. Pyre?"
"If Archie stole it once, he can steal it again. Sending it back there just puts it back on the menu for him."
"Then why give it to me? Aren't you afraid I'll take it and run?"
"Where would you run?" Natsui scoffed. "Back to Archie? Besides, look at it. That thing is like a lighthouse battery with infinite energy. You can't turn it off. If I carry that around, I'll be a walking beacon. It attracts too much attention."
"So you're dumping it on me?"
"Of course," Natsui looked her in the eye. "This incident proved you're trustworthy. At least when it comes to major decisions of right and wrong, you have a conscience. Since you were the one who led me to Archie, it feels right that you should be the one to guard it."
Silent for a long moment, Shelly withdrew her hand, clutching the orb to her chest as if accepting a heavy burden.
"So... what should I do with it?"
"Just hold onto it for now," Natsui sighed deeply. "This isn't over. Don't forget, there's a Red Orb out there that can awaken another super-ancient Pokémon. A day might come when we have no choice but to use this one to keep that other Pokémon in check."
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