In the forest on the outskirts of Mossdeep City, the air was as thick as undissolved syrup.
The salty smell of the sea breeze, mixed with the earthy scent of forest humus, forced its way into everyone's nostrils.
A group of people walked hurriedly, their footsteps on the thick fallen leaves creating a rustling sound that broke the forest's original silence.
Leading the way was an Old Hunter with dark skin. The stock of the shotgun in his hand had been polished to a shine from years of use.
He turned his head, his wrinkled face full of resentment, and complained in a raspy voice:
"Lords Trainers, you have no idea. For the past few days, the Pokémon in the woods have been running out like they've gone mad! I've guarded this forest my whole life, and I've never seen anything like it."
He pointed to an empty, massive tree canopy with deep sorrow.
"See that? That used to be the nest of a Pidgey Family, with at least a hundred of them. Now, not even a single feather can be seen! They've all run away, all scared off!"
Ariel followed behind, remaining silent.
He knew exactly why, of course; the culprit was currently resting inside the Poké Ball on his waist.
But his current persona was that of a righteous League Trainer, so he could only follow along and put on an expression of shared indignation.
That said, the auras of Steven and Cynthia were truly different.
They simply walked quietly without unnecessary words, yet they naturally became the core of the group.
The surrounding residents seemed to have found their pillars of support, and their original fear and panic settled significantly.
"Ahead, just up ahead!"
The Old Hunter suddenly lowered his body and pointed into the depths hidden by the trees.
Following the direction of his finger, several swaying figures could be seen. The eye-catching blue uniforms they wore were particularly jarring against the green background.
It was definitely Team Aqua.
The weight in Ariel's heart finally lifted.
The blame was now firmly pinned on them.
Just as the residents were filled with righteous indignation and prepared to rush forward to confront them, Cynthia suddenly stopped.
She stood there quietly, her brilliant blonde hair shimmering under the dappled shadows of the trees like gold from a myth.
She turned around, the hem of her black trench coat drawing a sharp arc.
Her gaze swept over every resident present; her eyes were calm, yet they carried a weight that made it impossible to look her in the eye.
"This is far enough."
Her voice was very soft, like a breeze brushing through leaves, but the content of her words allowed no rebuttal.
"The upcoming battle is not something you can intervene in. For your safety and the safety of your Pokémon, please leave immediately."
There was no persuasion or negotiation, just the most direct announcement.
These words were spoken quite bluntly, and several hot-headed young residents immediately showed looks of defiance.
We brought you here, and now you're driving us away?
"But..."
"There are no buts."
Steven stepped forward at the right moment, adjusting his glasses. The lenses reflected a calm light.
He didn't have an overwhelming aura like Cynthia; instead, he seemed more like a rigorous scholar.
He raised his wrist, glanced at the PokéNav on it, and began to talk nonsense with a straight face:
"There is a strong abnormal reaction of Thunder Wave in this vicinity. Team Aqua must have set up a large-scale interference device here. The energy fields of ordinary Pokémon will be severely disturbed, potentially even causing permanent damage."
He paused and added,
"Our Pokémon have undergone special training and can resist this interference."
One played the bad cop, while the other played the good cop.
One used momentum to pressure them, while the other used scientific reasoning to dissuade them.
The residents looked at each other.
They might not understand Thunder Waves, but Steven's professional demeanor and Cynthia's unquestionable attitude made them lose their temper completely.
The composure of a financial conglomerate's successor was not something that could be faked.
Ordinary people would naturally feel awe when facing such beings.
"Then... then we'll leave this to you three Lords!"
The Old Hunter was the first to speak, bowing deeply to the three of them.
The others followed suit, their defiance long replaced by worry and expectation.
They chattered a few words of caution and then, under the evacuation of several League staff members, retreated like a receding tide.
Soon, silence returned to the forest, leaving only Ariel, Steven, and Cynthia.
Ariel watched the seamless cooperation between the two and laughed inwardly.
These two guys were both masters of putting on an act.
Abnormal Thunder Waves? How come he didn't feel anything?
The excuse they found was truly fresh and refined.
However, it was super effective.
"Alright, the residents are gone."
Cynthia turned back toward the depths of the forest, her golden eyes no longer holding any gentleness, only cold sharpness.
"Now, it's time to handle business."
Steven also dropped his scholarly appearance, his deep blue eyes showing a hard, ore-like quality.
"Let's finish this quickly. I'm still thinking about the Space Center in Mossdeep City."
Ariel shrugged in agreement.
The three no longer hid themselves, quickening their pace as they walked straight toward the Team Aqua base.
Passing through the last patch of bushes, the scene before them suddenly opened up.
It was a forest clearing that had been forcibly cleared. The soil was churned into a mess, and over a dozen large trees had been crudely cut down, leaving bare stumps.
In the center of the clearing, a massive, ugly-looking metal instrument was humming.
Several thick pipes, like the tentacles of a monster, were buried deep underground, while the other end was connected to a large water storage tank.
On the instrument's dashboard, various indicator lights flashed wildly, emitting a piercing buzz.
Dozens of Team Aqua Grunts in blue uniforms were as busy as worker ants.
Some were debugging the instrument, while others were on guard duty. Each had a Poké Ball hanging from their waist, and several fierce-looking Pokémon stood beside them.
Mightyena, Carvanha, Muk... they were all common but highly aggressive Pokémon.
In the air, the smell of sea salt and humus had been replaced by the strong scent of machine oil and ozone, which was nauseating.
"Are they extracting groundwater?"
Steven's frown deepened.
"Mossdeep City's underground water veins connect to deep caverns. Doing this will destroy the ecological balance of the entire region."
"Their goal has never been balance."
Cynthia's voice was as cold as ice.
Ariel's gaze fell upon the group of Team Aqua Grunts.
A bunch of small fry.
The leader seemed to be a squad leader, standing with hands on hips, shouting orders at his subordinates.
Just then, a Team Aqua member on lookout finally spotted the three uninvited guests.
"Who's there!"
He gave a loud shout, and all the Team Aqua members turned their heads in unison.
When they saw that there were only three people and they were all very young, cruel smiles appeared on their faces.
"Heh, some brats who don't value their lives."
The squad leader walked over with a sneer, cracking his knuckles with a series of pops.
"Are you lost? Your big brothers here can send you on your way."
The Mightyena beside him bared their teeth in cooperation, their throats emitting low growls, and thick saliva dripped from their dark mouths.
The atmosphere was on the verge of exploding.
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