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Archie was the first to spot the Indigo Orb among the rubble.
Better yet, it lay closer to him than to anyone else, Just a few steps, and it would be his again.
A savage grin spread across his face as he strode forward and bent down to grab it but the moment his fingers brushed the surface, the orb suddenly lifted into the air.
"What?!"
He looked up in shock.
A shadow flickered, and a Gengar materialized midair, clutching the orb in both hands.
"Hehehe! Shiny treasure's mine!" Gengar cackled as it floated back toward Kai.
"Damn it!!"
Archie roared in fury and hurled a Poké Ball.
A Muk burst forth in front of Kai.
Before Kai even registered what Pokémon had appeared, a suffocating stench slammed into him. His eyes watered instantly from the acrid fumes.
He coughed several times before finally focusing on the sludge-like Pokémon.
There had always been a rumor among Trainers: the stronger the odor a Muk emitted, the stronger it was. No scientific proof supported that theory but right now, Kai was starting to believe it.
Archie's Muk was, without question, the foulest-smelling one he had ever encountered.
"Muk! Sludge Bomb!"
Muk dug into its own amorphous body and flung a mass of purple sludge toward Kai.
Gengar countered immediately, launching Shadow Balls that detonated midair. The impact scattered foul liquid and debris in all directions like toxic rain.
Using the distraction, Kai retreated several steps.
Archie was about to press the attack—
Suddenly, a deep, whale-like cry reverberated through the cavern.
Kyogre had awakened.
The clash of Pokémon had disturbed its slumber. The moment its eyes opened, it saw intruders defiling its domain.
Whether from territorial fury or irritation at being disturbed, it reacted with immediate wrath.
Without even unleashing a move, it merely shifted its massive body—
—and the entire cavern shook violently.
This ancient legendary Pokémon the embodiment of the sea had been roused.
Stalactites rained from the ceiling in terrifying numbers. No one could fully evade the barrage.
A massive rock plummeted toward Kai.
In the critical moment, Gengar floated above him and took the blow directly.
Stones crashed down everywhere. Misty and Shelly were caught in the falling debris as well, but Gardevoir shielded them effortlessly with psychic barriers.
As for Archie and his elite Grunts Kai had no time to worry about them.
Another massive rock struck Gengar. This time, the impact was too heavy. It groaned and the Indigo Orb slipped from its grasp.
The orb tumbled across the ground—
—and rolled directly to Shelly's feet.
She reacted instantly, scooping it up.
The tremors ceased.
Kyogre, having made its warning clear, turned and submerged back into the glowing pool, vanishing into the depths.
Kyogre
"NO!!"
Archie's scream echoed in despair as Kyogre disappeared. He whirled around, eyes blazing with murderous fury.
"This is all your fault! Give me the orb!!"
He looked utterly disheveled now—bruised from falling debris, his bandana missing—but still uninjured enough to continue.
"I'm sorry…" Shelly stepped back, her voice firm despite the pain in her expression. "I can't let you drag Team Aqua or all of Hoenn into ruin."
"Traitor!!"
Archie commanded his Pokémon to charge.
Seeing Shelly hesitate again, still trying to reason with him, Kai didn't waste another second. He grabbed her wrist.
"Misty—move!"
Under the cover of their Pokémon, the three of them sprinted toward the exit.
It wasn't that Kai couldn't attempt to arrest Archie here.
Two critical factors stopped him.
First—Shelly's state of mind. Despite being labeled a traitor, she still refused to fight back against Team Aqua. If Kai tried to capture Archie now, she might turn against him out of lingering loyalty.
Second, this was a fragile cavern deep underground. If Archie grew desperate and collapsed the cave intentionally, everyone would be buried alive.
Low probability but not impossible.
Kyogre was gone. The Indigo Orb was secured.
Retreat was the only logical choice.
They raced back to where the submarine was docked.
The guard left behind stared in confusion as the trio rushed past him, recalled their Pokémon, and dove into the vessel without explanation.
Moments later, Archie and his elite Grunts arrived.
"Where's Shelly?!" Archie barked.
"She… she already left in the submarine."
"What?! Why didn't you stop her?!"
The Grunt blinked, utterly baffled.
Archie didn't bother listening further. He stormed into his own submarine.
Only afterward did the guard learn from the elites that Shelly had "betrayed" Team Aqua.
He stood there stunned.
He simply couldn't believe it.
Archie ordered pursuit—and contacted Matt immediately.
When the call connected, Matt's eager voice came through.
"Boss! Have you taken control of Kyogre?"
Archie exploded.
"Intercept that traitor! Don't let her escape!"
"Traitor? What are you talking about?!"
"Shelly betrayed us! She brought Kai to me—and stole the Indigo Orb!!"
Shock filled the line—but Matt reacted quickly. Regardless of doubts, interception came first.
Soon, three submarines were in motion.
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Inside the narrow underwater tunnel, Shelly piloted at maximum speed.
Though they had prevented Archie's plan, her thoughts were in turmoil.
How had she become the traitor?
Kai didn't even need to see her face to sense her distraction.
"If you keep drifting off like that," he said calmly, "Archie will catch us in no time."
She stiffened—and accelerated sharply.
But Archie's submarine was already closing in. Its searchlights illuminated their stern.
The communication console lit up.
Shelly hesitated—then answered.
Archie's furious voice filled the cabin.
"You dare betray Team Aqua?! I'll tear you apart!"
"I didn't—listen to me—"
The line went dead.
Kai sighed. "You can't reason with someone who's lost control. Besides, isn't this cleaner? They've expelled you. You don't have to follow them anymore."
"I'm not a traitor! This is your fault!"
"My fault?" Kai shot back. "Without me, Kyogre would have undergone Primal Reversion already. So tell me—would you prefer being called a traitor, or watching the world drown?"
She had no answer.
Eventually, they burst out of the cavern tunnel—
Only to nearly collide with another submarine waiting outside.
Matt.
Shelly swerved just in time.
The chase continued across the open sea.
"They'll pursue us to the ends of the earth," Kai muttered. "Do these subs have weapons?"
"Harpoons and two torpedoes," Shelly replied. "Forward launch only."
"Unfortunate. Same model as theirs, I assume?"
She nodded.
"For what it's worth," she added coldly, "I'm the best pilot Team Aqua has. They won't catch me."
Just then, Kai's phone rang.
It was Anabel.
Anabel
He answered immediately.
"Thank goodness," Anabel exhaled. "I've arrived in the surrounding waters with the Marine Police. What's your position?"
Perfect timing.
Kai quickly exchanged coordinates and explained the situation.
When he told Shelly about the incoming police support, she remained unimpressed.
"You think I need police protection?" she scoffed. "We're Team Aqua."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you expelled? Right now, you're not Team Aqua. You're on your own."
She fell silent.
"…Even so," she finally snapped, eyes hard with resolve, "I don't need anyone's help. Even if they blow this submarine apart I'll still shake them off myself."
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
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