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No matter the species, a mother's instincts always took over when strangers gathered near her child and Lugia was no exception.
Standing on the shore, Kai felt a sudden pull in his thoughts. Ever since being chosen as the Sea Hero, he'd been granted a special blessing an ability to faintly sense the emotions of water-type Pokémon.
He took a slow breath and reached out, focusing on the towering presence before him.
Even though Lugia was technically a Psychic/Flying-type, years of living beneath the sea had cloaked her in oceanic resonance. Kai could feel it: a deep, guarded mistrust… and wariness.
Silver, by contrast, exuded lightness and joy—his emotions far easier to read.
But that was all.
This so-called "blessing" didn't exactly give Kai a psychic hotline. He had to concentrate to even feel anything, and the emotions were vague at best nothing more than a sense of atmosphere.
Worse still, Lugia suddenly looked directly at him.
Caught red-handed.
Kai flinched slightly and glanced away, clearing his throat. Yeah… maybe don't try to peek into a Legendary's thoughts again.
Fortunately, Silver had just swum to his mother's side, and her attention shifted.
The mother and child brushed wings, their silver forms side by side a majestic sight marred only by the elder's palpable hostility.
Without a word, Lugia turned and launched into the sea, Silver paddling behind her.
But before he dove, Silver turned and lifted one wing, giving a farewell wave to Kai, Shu, and the others.
"…Silver…" Misty murmured, stepping toward the water. Ash, Erika, and Ritchie followed, their eyes full of sorrow.
They hadn't spent long with the baby Lugia but they'd grown attached fast. Letting go wasn't easy.
But this goodbye was inevitable.
Silver had to return to his world. And by the time he came back to visit Shu, the others would be gone, traveling again, chasing their own journeys.
They might never meet again.
The group stood in silence, watching the two Lugia vanish into the waves. Ripples faded. Stillness returned.
Kai stepped forward and lightly rapped Ash and Misty on the head.
"Alright, snap out of it. They're gone. You're not summoning them back just by staring at the sea."
Misty blinked, brushing away the wet corners of her eyes. "But… weren't we here to protect them? Letting them leave like this… is that okay?"
Kai sighed. "Putting a child back into the arms of their mother is the best protection we can offer. And once they're back in the ocean, Team Rocket won't be able to track them easily."
He softened his tone. "Don't dwell on it too much. Life's long. If you're meant to see Silver again… you will."
"…I hope you're right," Misty whispered.
The mood lingered heavy until a familiar splash broke the tension.
Poliwhirl surfaced from the ocean, bubbling excitedly.
Ash immediately leaned forward. "Did it find the Rocket base!?"
Poliwhirl nodded, ribbiting rapidly. Only problem?
No one could understand a word.
Misty groaned. "Gengar, translation, please."
Gengar popped out of her shadow with an exaggerated yawn. "Your frog's noisy. Talked forever without getting to the point. But yeah he found it."
Misty frowned. "Where is it?"
Gengar floated up, crossing his arms. "Underwater. Close by."
"Underwater!?" Ash echoed.
The group exchanged startled glances.
They'd assumed the base was on another island not hidden beneath the sea.
Kai narrowed his eyes. Underwater operations were risky. Not just because of wild Pokémon, but currents, seaweed, pressure, and limited oxygen, it all added up.
Still, he shook it off. "No time to waste. If we know where it is, we move."
Ritchie hesitated. "How? We can't just dive in."
"First, we find a boat," Kai said. "That'll get us closer without exhausting our Pokémon."
Shu perked up. "I have one! I docked it under that tree over there!"
They followed Shu to the edge of the woods where a rope-tied speedboat waited, bobbing gently.
"You rowed this yourself?" Erika asked, surprised.
Shu scratched his head. "Well, I grew up on the sea. Driving a boat's no big deal."
As they climbed aboard, Misty leaned toward Ash and whispered, "Okay, I take it back he's kinda cool."
With everyone settled, Shu untied the boat and hopped into the driver's seat. "So, straight to the base?"
Kai shook his head. "No, we stop at Whirl Island's port first. If that base is really underwater, we'll need diving gear. And I'm not risking another 'S.S. Anne' repeat."
Ash shuddered, remembering the infamous sunken cruise ship incident. "Yeah… let's avoid that."
And with that, the boat sped off toward the mainland toward their next battle, deeper below the waves.
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