"No one steals from Team Plasma and lives!"
"I don't care if you run to the ends of the earth, I will find you and tear you into ten thousand pieces!"
Colress spat the words through gritted teeth, his fury burning white-hot at being betrayed by the assistant he had trusted most.
"We've scoured the entire vessel, and the League's female spy is nowhere to be found," Yamamoto reported, his expression grim. "I'm certain she's in the containment chamber. Kiyoma must be a League agent too. It's the only explanation."
Yamamoto scratched his head, looking puzzled. "What I don't understand is why they'd trap themselves in that room. It's a dead end—practically waiting to be caught like rats in a jar."
"Likely they thought they could make off with Zeraora as a bonus prize," Colress snarled. "Or perhaps they realized we'd cast a dragnet over the entire ship and had nowhere else to turn. That brat got greedy. Stealing the rare treasures from my lab wasn't enough; he had to go for the Mythical. Now that he's inside that room, he's a bird in a cage."
"The problem is the room's systems were tampered with. We're completely blind as to what's happening inside," Yamamoto sighed helplessly.
This was the most severe security breach since Team Plasma's inception. Under Ghetsis's inevitable rage, Yamamoto knew his career—and possibly his life—was on the line.
Inside the chamber, Torracat's searing flames had finally breached the hull. Torrents of seawater were gushing into the room.
"Return, Torracat. You've done well."
Feng Che recalled his partner just as the water filled the space to the ceiling. He immediately boarded the submarine and piloted it through the jagged molten gap, sinking into the dark depths of the ocean.
As I thought, Plasma's defenses are focused on the surface. They have almost no patrols monitoring the underside of the hull, Feng Che thought with relief as he accelerated away from the vessel.
"What in the world...?" Yamamoto gasped.
He and Colress finally reached the containment doors, only to see thin jets of seawater spraying through the door seals under high pressure.
"Sir! The surveillance feed in the chamber has been restored. Look at this!" An assistant handed Yamamoto a tablet.
The screen showed a room completely submerged, with a massive, gaping hole torn through the floor.
"Dammit! They cut their way out through the bottom of the ship!"
"We can't open the door yet; the pressure would flood the deck. We have to make emergency landfall!" Colress barked. "Get the Seismitoad to the breach immediately! Use Ice Beam to seal the hole! We've been compromised—full speed to the nearest port!"
Colress gripped the railing until his knuckles turned white. "Kiyoma... I don't care who you really are. I will never let you go!"
Deep beneath the waves, the submarine was making rapid progress. Suddenly, a warning klaxon blared through the cockpit.
Great. Low on power.
The sub had a recharge port for Electric-type Pokémon, but Feng Che's only Electric asset was an un-tamed Zeraora and an unhatched egg.
I need to find land. Fast.
A quick radar sweep revealed a small, uninhabited island nearby. Maplewood Island was a minor stopover for migrating Pokémon, lush with berry trees and home to various avian species.
The sub breached the surface just as the morning sun began to pierce through the clouds. The sea was calm, as if the ocean itself was still shaking off sleep.
"Submarines... low capacity, constant recharging. I really should have checked the battery before the long haul," Feng Che grumbled as he stepped onto the sand. He looked at the unconscious Caitlin, who was still sleeping soundly.
"Must be nice, sleeping through an international escape."
"Duosion, lift her up. We need to find a place to rest," Feng Che said to the floating cell-Pokémon.
Duosion—which had evolved from Caitlin's Solosis during the voyage thanks to the mental medicine Feng Che provided—used its psychic power to levitate the girl. Caitlin looked peaceful in her sleep, her long lashes fluttering slightly, a faint pink hue on her flawless cheeks.
Suddenly, her brow furrowed and her body shivered. Feng Che realized she was entering the peak of a psychic backlash. He quickly administered a high-grade mental restorative.
Pokémon: Duosion Potential: Epic (Deep Green) Level: 48 Evaluation: Caitlin's second-string ace. Strong potential and a versatile move pool.
As long as Feng Che didn't act against Caitlin's interests, the Duosion was willing to follow his lead.
They ventured into the lush forest. The air was thick with the scent of fermenting berries—the tropical heat had caused fallen fruit to rot, creating a faint, alcoholic aroma.
In a clearing stood a massive, withered tree. Curiously, no other Pokémon were near it. The scent of "wine" was strongest here.
A Farfetch'd suddenly landed in the clearing, carrying a stalk of leek. It had gathered a pile of berries and was now glaring at its surroundings with a sharp, predatory gaze. Other wild Pokémon fled the moment they caught its eye.
The Farfetch'd looked at Feng Che and Duosion warily.
[Farfetch'd: That human's Pokémon looks tough. As long as they don't touch my brew, I'll let them live. Touch my wine, and I'll end you.]
The bird used its massive leek—nearly a meter long—to crush the berries into a pulp. It then pulled a wooden plug from a hole in the dead tree and stuffed the mash inside. Almost immediately, a rich, heady aroma wafted out.
A connoisseur, I see, Feng Che thought. And it's a Galarian Farfetch'd.
This variant was more muscular than its Kanto kin, with darker feathers, a sharper gaze, and a massive leek it carried like a greatsword.
Pokémon: Galarian Farfetch'd Potential: Epic (Deep Green) Level: 42 Type: Fighting Status: Brewing Evaluation: This is a freak of nature that gets stronger when it drinks. The more intoxicated it is, the higher its combat power rises. An eccentric specimen worth training.