Time flew by, and the Ocean Festival arrived as scheduled.
The entire Slateport City was immersed in the carnival of the festival, with the main venue set on the vast sandy beach by the sea.
The salty sea breeze brushed past, carrying the aroma of grilled skewers and desserts; waves lapped against the shore, intertwining with the clamor of voices and noisy music to compose a melody unique to summer.
On the beach, Trainers dressed in cool summer attire gathered in small groups, while their pokémon played and frolicked nearby.
A few children chased a Marill drifting with the tide, while flocks of Wingull circled in the sky, letting out clear, sharp cries from time to time.
Jiang Han wore a pair of beach shorts and a casual T-shirt, looking out of place among the jubilant tourists surrounding him.
He ignored the wonderful performances and instead walked alone to the underside of a pier extending into the sea; it was relatively secluded here, with damp shadows blocking out most of the noise.
Leaning against a rough bridge pier, he took out his pokédex and dialed Laic's number.
"Any movement from Team Aqua?"
Laic's voice came through the pokédex, sounding a bit distorted with a hint of static noise.
Jiang Han's gaze swept over the lively crowd in the distance, his voice kept very low: "They've been too quiet these past few days, no movement at all."
"The more it's like this, the more abnormal it is." Laic's voice grew heavy. "The Ocean Festival is their best opportunity; with so many people, it's the perfect time to strike. Keep observing; they won't be able to hold back."
"Okay."
Jiang Han gave a concise response and hung up the call.
He put away the pokédex but did not leave immediately.
He knew that such a large-scale celebration was exactly the breeding ground for shadows.
He was like a hunter lurking in the darkness, patiently waiting for the prey to reveal its tracks.
Sure enough, before long, a figure broke into his line of sight.
It was a man wearing a blue bandana on his head and matching shorts, a very conspicuous outfit.
He didn't blend into the reveling crowd; instead, like a startled mouse, he moved sneakily along the shadows at the edge of the beach, his eyes darting around, scanning his surroundings warily from time to time.
Jiang Han's gaze instantly turned cold.
This outfit was standard for a Team Aqua grunt; it was as if he was afraid people wouldn't know he was a villain.
He followed quietly, his footsteps light, making no sound under the cover of the noisy ambient environment.
The Team Aqua member seemed to want to buy some takoyaki, but after hesitating at the stall for a long time, he finally gave up and turned toward a more secluded corner.
Now!
Jiang Han seized an opportunity, darting out like a leopard and closing in rapidly from behind the man.
The other party seemed to sense something and was about to turn around when Jiang Han landed a precise hand-chop to the back of his neck.
"Ugh!"
The man didn't even groan; his eyes rolled back, and he slumped down limply.
Jiang Han caught him in stride and dragged him into the deeper shadows under the pier, the movements fluid and seamless without attracting anyone's attention.
He roughly threw the man onto the sand and then waited with his arms crossed, composed.
A few minutes later, the man slowly woke up. He shook his groggy head and, upon opening his eyes, saw an expressionless young man looking down at him.
"You... who are you? What do you want!" The man was both startled and furious, struggling to crawl up.
"Tell me, what is Team Aqua planning for the Ocean Festival?"
Jiang Han's voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" the man said stubbornly. "If you dare touch me, Team Aqua won't let you off!"
Jiang Han didn't bother wasting words and simply snapped his fingers.
The Inkay floating beside him understood immediately; the light-emitting organs on its head began to flash irregularly, alternating between light and dark, emitting a strange and captivating glow.
The man's gaze was instantly drawn to the light. He tried to struggle at first, but soon his eyes became dull and vacant, his eyelids feeling as heavy as lead.
"Hypnosis."
Jiang Han gave the command softly.
Whether it was an Inkay or its evolution, Malamar, their use of Hypnosis was extremely sophisticated.
And Jiang Han's Inkay had relied on Hypnosis to constantly lull pokémon into Druddigon's mouth.
Its mastery of the skill had already reached perfection.
Dealing with a grunt with such weak willpower was as easy as pie.
In less than ten seconds, the Team Aqua member's body relaxed completely, his eyes hollow, falling entirely into a hypnotized state.
"Now, you can speak," Jiang Han spoke again, his tone still flat. "What is your mission?"
The man's lips moved, and in an emotionless, mechanical tone, he replied: "Create... chaos... create chaos at the Ocean Festival..."
"How specifically? What is the target?"
"I don't know... the superiors only told us to cause a riot where the crowd is thickest to Attract everyone's attention."
"And after that? Where is the meeting point after the mission is complete?" Jiang Han pressed further; this was the key.
"Route 103... the waterfall... there's a direct path... to the sea..."
The waterfall on Route 103?
Jiang Han's mind began to race.
Creating chaos at the Ocean Festival to Attract everyone's attention, then retreating through a hidden waterway... a feint!
Their target wasn't the Ocean Festival itself at all!
A bold idea instantly took shape in Jiang Han's mind.
The chaos was a facade to cover their true actions. What was there in Slateport City recently that was worth such a major effort from an evil organization?
There was only one answer.
Those weather rocks in the Ocean Science Museum!
Jiang Han's breath hitched slightly.
He remembered that massive Damp Rock named the "heart of the tides."
Team Aqua, an organization dedicated to expanding the ocean's surface area, would inevitably covet such a treasure that could enhance weather abilities.
Their target was the "heart of the tides"!
Jiang Han's heart began to race, but not from nervousness—from excitement.
An uncontrollable surge of excitement welled up from the bottom of his heart.
Team Aqua's target was the heart of the tides, while his own target was that gritty rock that could help Sandile master Sandstorm!
Their goals didn't conflict; in fact... Team Aqua's actions could create the perfect opportunity for him!
As long as the museum fell into chaos and the security forces were drawn away by Team Aqua's main force, wouldn't he have the chance to fish in troubled waters and secretly make off with a gritty rock?
This was simply a godsend!
The corners of Jiang Han's mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, a calculating light flickering in his eyes.
He glanced at the unlucky fellow still in a hypnotic state on the ground, a plan already formed in his mind.
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