Tapu Lele's eyes filled with surprise and relief.
That's wonderful!
"Then I'll need you to guide us to the entrance of Brooklet Hill."
"No problem!"
Rather than calling it an entrance, it was more accurate to say it was just an area where the fog seemed impossible to navigate through.
Roy looked at the path Tapu Lele was leading them along, and there was absolutely nothing visible ahead.
Tapu Lele scratched her head, appearing somewhat embarrassed.
"..."
It really is here, though I know it seems rather unreliable...
Just a little unreliable? Roy thought sarcastically to himself.
"Alright, let's proceed then."
Time was of the essence, and both Roy and Tapu Lele understood this, so they stopped debating.
The moment Roy stepped one foot into the mist, he felt the scenery around him completely transform.
Even with just a single step forward, when he turned his head back, he could no longer see Tapu Lele or Blissey at all.
"Crack!"
Something's wrong!
Mimikyu, who was serving as their early warning system, was the first to raise the alarm, and Lucario naturally heightened his vigilance.
Salamence obediently returned to his Poke Ball. His large size made him unsuitable for the current situation.
Blastoise silently greeted his teammate: Hey there, brother! We meet again!
Salamence remained silent in response.
"Stay alert. The environment has changed."
After walking a short distance based on his mental map, Roy noticed the humidity in the air had clearly changed.
The air had originally carried the fresh fragrance of grass and trees, but at some point—perhaps after turning a corner—the damp smell of moss slowly began to spread.
Roy was particularly sensitive to such scents, so he could immediately perceive the change in their surroundings.
Mimikyu crouched on Roy's shoulder, not daring to move even half a step away, fearing that once separated from Roy, she wouldn't be able to find him again.
Lucario felt the same way.
As they continued forward, the fog became visibly thicker to the naked eye.
If the mist on Poni Island was like thin gauze, then the mist on this island was like silk fabric, and the atmosphere at Brooklet Hill was like a permeable wall.
"What could it be? What Pokemon can emit such powerful mist?"
Various white vapor attacks and skill moves flashed through Roy's mind.
But a Pokemon capable of producing such dense fog would have to be at least a Legendary Pokemon, if not a deity-level being.
If that were truly the case, it seemed pointless for them to venture inside—the power gap would be too vast.
But Caroline was still trapped in there. Roy gritted his teeth with determination.
"I can only take this one step at a time."
Roy had received considerable help from Caroline's father in the past, and now that his daughter was in danger with only Roy able to enter, there was no way he could abandon her.
No, wait—Caroline is incredibly powerful. She must be fine.
Roy shook his head, trying not to think negatively.
"Splash—"
Roy's foot landed in water, and the jolt helped clear his mind considerably.
"Be careful. We should be at the water's edge now."
Upon hearing this, Lucario silently pulled Roy back several steps.
Going any further without knowing what lay ahead would be reckless.
Mimikyu also looked anxious. She hadn't sensed any dangerous presence from the ground itself.
That meant there was a strong possibility that whatever threat existed was in the water.
"Crack!"
Be careful of what's in the water!
Roy acknowledged the warning, but there was no immediate way to investigate what lurked beneath the surface.
For one thing, there was far too much fog. If Roy hadn't just stepped into the water, they might not have even realized they'd reached the waterline.
For another, when facing the unknown, Roy would never allow his Pokemon partners to take unnecessary risks.
A smart trainer didn't just charge forward blindly.
"Cough, cough..."
Roy, Lucario, and Mimikyu were all startled by the voice that suddenly emerged.
Lucario even had faint blue-white lightning crackling around one of his fists.
Roy was the first to recognize that the voice sounded very familiar, and he quickly stopped Lucario's Thunder Punch.
Through his Aura power, although Lucario didn't release his Thunder Punch, he didn't dispel it either. The energy in his fist continued accumulating, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
"Is that... Roy?"
The voice in those two sentences was hoarse, but carried the cool detachment that Roy was very familiar with.
The moment he heard the voice, an expressionless face appeared in his mind.
"Caroline?"
"It's me. Ahem..."
"How are you doing?"
Roy took two steps in the direction of the sound, and his feet touched water again, so he stepped back.
"I'm... fine."
"Where are you exactly? Why does it sound like you're in the water?"
Roy was puzzled. Could this Psychic-type specialist actually have the ability to walk on water?
"Yes... I'm currently in the water."
After Roy confirmed Caroline's position, he disregarded the water at his feet and thought about heading over to see what was happening.
Since Caroline didn't sound like she was in good condition but could still remain in the water, it proved there probably wasn't any immediate danger there.
Roy tested the water with his foot and walked forward without hesitation.
But after Caroline heard the splashing sounds, she became somewhat agitated and stopped Roy.
"Don't come any closer!"
Roy halted instinctively.
"Get back to shore!"
Although Roy didn't understand what was happening, he took two steps backward and temporarily returned to shore.
The instant he returned to solid ground, Roy seemed to sense a burst of complex emotions through his Aura power—unwillingness, regret, annoyance, and other tangled feelings.
It felt as if multiple emotions that couldn't possibly be expressed by a single person simultaneously were all converging at once.
The thought made Roy's skin crawl for a moment.
Roy looked down at his feet, but all he could see was mist.
If he remembered correctly, he had only made contact with the water just now, so what were these emotions being transmitted through his Aura power?
The moment Mimikyu had entered the water, she felt as if she were being stared at by countless eyes filled with negative emotions all at once.
Mimikyu had never encountered such hostile, aggressive gazes before.
At one particular moment, she even felt her life was being threatened.
Mimikyu had been stunned, and when she snapped back to awareness, Roy was already standing on the shore with his shoes soaked.
"Ka-Ka-Ka!"
There's definitely something in the water! Don't go down there!
Roy sensed the violent fluctuation in Mimikyu's emotions and patted her head to offer comfort.
Smelling the familiar scent, Mimikyu felt considerably more at ease.
The electrical current in Lucario's hand was buzzing continuously, and now it sounded even more intense and agitated.
Lucario took several steps forward. One hand roughly located the water's edge, while his other fist suddenly plunged into the water.