Beneath the deep sea.
This was an abandoned Seafloor Cavern, artificially excavated and reinforced to become a secret base for Team Aqua.
Waterproof searchlights hung on the cave walls, their dim yellow light only illuminating a few steps ahead.
The air was thick with a heavy briny scent, so damp it felt like water could be wrung from it.
The ventilation shafts wheezed and rattled like the heavy breathing of an old man.
Water droplets fell from the tips of stalactites, hitting the uneven rocky ground with a monotonous drip.
Shelly and Matt knelt side-by-side on the cold rock floor. The chill from their knees seeped into their very bones, yet neither dared to move.
Shelly's hair wasn't fully dry yet; several damp strands clung to her cheeks, making her look quite disheveled.
She kept her head down, her eyes fixed on a puddle on the ground that reflected her face.
Matt's burly frame was hunched over, his thick arms propping him up on the ground as the veins on the backs of his hands bulged.
Usually the loudest one, he was now deliberately suppressing even his breathing, terrified of making the slightest sound.
Directly in front of them sat a wide metal desk. Behind it sat a man.
Archie.
Leader of Team Aqua.
He wasn't wearing his signature uniform, only a deep blue overcoat, and he was toying with a conch-shaped metal lighter in his hand.
The lighter's lid clicked open and shut with a crisp sound.
In the hollow cave, the sound was amplified endlessly, grating on Shelly and Matt's nerves.
Matt had just finished reporting the situation.
He stammered through the details of the failed encirclement, the death of Shelly's main Pokémon, the severe injury to Sharpedo, and how they had ultimately let that brat escape.
Once the report was finished, they were met with a long silence.
Click.
The lighter lid closed.
Archie stopped what he was doing and tossed the lighter onto the desk. The metal collided with the surface, making a harsh scraping sound.
"Two Executives."
Archie spoke, his voice raspy and devoid of emotion.
"Toyed with by a mere brat?"
Matt swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"Boss, there's something strange about that kid. His Pokémon..."
Bang!
Archie slammed a fist onto the metal desk. A visible fist-shaped dent appeared, and documents scattered everywhere.
"Useless!"
Archie stood up, his towering shadow looming over the two kneeling figures.
"Shelly, you pride yourself on being calculating. Matt, you've always boasted of your strength. Between the two of you, you couldn't even handle a wet-behind-the-ears brat? Not only did you fail to kill him, but you lost your main Pokémon and let him walk away scot-free?"
Shelly lowered her head even further, her nails digging into her palms.
She wanted to argue, to say that Pokémon was absurdly strong, to say the intelligence was wrong.
But she knew that in front of Shelly, failure was failure, and any excuse was a death wish.
Matt shuddered even more, pressing his forehead against the cold ground, not daring to utter a single word.
Archie stared at the two on the ground, his chest heaving a few times.
He closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
What's done is done; dwelling on it wouldn't change the facts.
"Get up."
Archie sat back in his chair, his tone softening slightly.
Shelly and Matt rose as if granted a divine pardon, pushing themselves off the ground.
Shelly's legs were numb from kneeling so long, and she swayed for a moment before steadying herself.
Archie looked at Shelly, his gaze falling on the empty Poké Ball belt at her waist.
"Two of your main Pokémon are dead, and Sharpedo is severely injured."
Archie opened a drawer, took out a red-and-white Poké Ball, and placed it on the desk.
The surface of the Poké Ball reflected the dim yellow light.
"Take it."
Archie pushed the Poké Ball toward the edge of the desk.
Shelly froze, staring at the Poké Ball without reaching out.
"Boss, I've made such a huge mistake. I'm not worthy of receiving your Pokémon."
Shelly lowered her head, her voice raspy.
She had expected severe punishment, even preparing herself for a demotion, never imagining Shelly would reward her with a Pokémon.
Archie frowned, his patience exhausted.
"I said take it, so take it! Stop wasting time!"
He grabbed the Poké Ball and threw it directly at Shelly.
Shelly scrambled to catch it. The Poké Ball felt cool to the touch, yet heavy.
"Peak Quasi-Elite."
Archie leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands in front of him.
"Train it well, and don't let it die again."
Shelly gripped the Poké Ball tightly, her eyes reddening. Her knees buckled as she knelt once more.
"Thank you, Boss! Shelly will not hesitate to die for you!"
Archie waved his hand, cutting off her vow of loyalty.
"The next mission concerns the resurrection of Kyogre. Put away your complacency and sharpen your focus. The plan must not fail."
"Understood!"
Shelly and Matt answered in unison, their voices loud and clear.
The two exited the leader's office and walked through the damp, narrow corridor.
The noise from the ventilation shafts was still loud.
Matt walked ahead, letting out a long breath and wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with a thick arm.
He stopped and nudged Shelly with his elbow.
"Shelly, that was incredible. I thought we were dead meat this time. Not only did the Boss not punish us, but he gave you such a treasure."
Matt looked at the Poké Ball in Shelly's hand, his eyes full of envy.
Shelly tucked the Poké Ball into a slot on her belt, her movements gentle as if afraid of damaging it.
"The Boss has always been generous to his subordinates."
Shelly smoothed her messy hair, regaining her usual cold elegance.
"Because of that, we have to pull off this mission perfectly, even if it costs us our lives."
Matt grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
"Of course. But, Shelly..."
Matt scratched the back of his head, his expression falling.
"What if that brat shows up to interfere again? His methods are really quite bizarre."
Shelly stopped in her tracks.
The wall lights in the corridor flickered.
Shelly looked down at her newly acquired Poké Ball, her fingers tracing its smooth surface.
Old and new grudges surged in her heart. Two of her main Pokémon had died at that boy's hands, years of hard work destroyed in an instant.
This debt would be paid in blood.
She looked up toward the depths of the corridor and scoffed.
"Interfere again?"
Shelly gritted her teeth, each word squeezed out from between them.
"Then we'll make him leave his life behind. He'll have hell to pay!"
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