Latias was clearly at a complete loss.
Latios, however, heard Lin Feng's words and hesitated for a moment. But seeing his sister already flying ahead, and remembering the terrifying Pokémon he had glimpsed earlier, he suppressed his doubts and followed behind.
Soon, they arrived at the pool where the Soul Dew had originally been kept.
There, Lin Feng saw Canon's grandfather, Ben Gray.
The rushing wind from their descent had already blown away most of the confusion and anxiety on the old man's face. But the moment he looked up and saw both Latios and Latias together, he froze once again.
"Latias?"
Lin Feng was wearing the white robe he had brought from the Kanto region, along with the Alolan Ninetales mask.
He had changed into this outfit while passing through the Distortion World.
Beside him, Gardevoir had already Mega Evolved.
He had little choice. His reputation in the Donghua Region had grown considerably, and he didn't want his identity to cause unnecessary trouble here.
Since the outfit from his previous trip still fit perfectly, he simply wore it again.
[Who are you?]
Ben Gray stared at Lin Feng in confusion.
[I'm... Latias's employer, I suppose. In any case, I'm here to help her recover the Soul Dew. Can you tell me exactly what happened?]
Lin Feng never opened his mouth.
Instead, he transmitted his thoughts directly through Aura.
The message reached both Ben Gray and Latios simultaneously.
Using Aura to communicate wasn't just for style. It concealed his real voice.
More importantly, it helped preserve an air of mystery.
The instant the voice echoed inside their minds, the already curious Latios became even more shocked.
Ben Gray glanced at Latios, realizing it hadn't spoken, then looked toward Latias, whose face was filled with urgency and worry.
Without further hesitation, he explained.
"There were two young women. They brought an Ariados and an Espeon with them. They broke in here and stole the Soul Dew."
"They said they wanted to use its power to control all of Alto Mare."
"They also kidnapped Canon. They said that if we wanted her back... we'd have to surrender..."
At that point, Ben Gray glanced toward Latios and Latias.
"They want Latios and Latias to help them control the Soul Dew's power."
"But I know that if someone with evil intentions tries to wield the Soul Dew, they'll suffer its backlash."
[Where exactly are they?]
Lin Feng interrupted him before he could continue.
That was the only information that mattered.
His Aura could scan the surroundings, but Alto Mare was a large city. Even with Gardevoir's help, searching every corner would still take time.
"They went to..."
Before Ben Gray could finish speaking, Lin Feng acted.
Using psychic power, he gently lifted Ben Gray onto Latios's back.
"Forget explaining."
"Just lead the way."
He immediately instructed Latias to fly forward.
Inside the Alto Mare Museum...
Sanna and Rion had already placed the Soul Dew into the city's defense mechanism.
One of them even climbed into the control seat.
Yet nothing happened.
After climbing back out, Rion sighed in frustration.
"It looks like we still need Latios and Latias."
Sanna nodded.
"We don't have another choice."
"After all, they're the true guardians of this city."
Rion frowned thoughtfully.
"But that Latios is stronger than we expected."
Sanna fell silent as well.
They had successfully stolen the Soul Dew.
Capturing Latios, however, had proven far more difficult.
Even with thermal imaging goggles, they couldn't keep track of it.
Thinking back, perhaps they should have stormed the Underground Garden first and stolen the Soul Dew right in front of Latios.
If they had done that...
Perhaps it never would have escaped.
Rion suddenly laughed.
She glanced toward Canon, who remained tied up nearby.
"Still, it doesn't matter."
"We've already captured someone who knows everything about the Soul Dew."
"And we already told that old man where we'd be."
"Latios and Latias will come to us on their own."
"Latios is difficult to catch..."
"But Latias should be much weaker."
"We'll just focus on capturing her instead."
Alto Mare was surrounded by water.
Transportation wasn't especially convenient, and the city's defensive forces weren't particularly strong.
They had plenty of time to wait.
Meanwhile...
The evening sky gradually darkened.
The setting sun bathed Alto Mare in crimson light, painting the canals with shimmering scarlet reflections.
The entire city resembled a beautiful oil painting.
Two figures streaked across the sky before stopping overhead.
[That's the museum!]
Riding on Latios's back, Ben Gray pointed toward the building.
But he couldn't hide his worry.
After returning earlier, Latios had told him that he had been at a disadvantage while fighting the thieves' Pokémon.
That meant their opponents were anything but ordinary.
Could this mysterious man who claimed to be Latias's employer really recover the Soul Dew?
Could his granddaughter return safely?
Ben Gray couldn't help worrying.
[Found them.]
Gardevoir, it's your turn.
Bring Canon out, along with the crystal they're carrying.
Lin Feng had already located Canon through his Aura.
The thief sisters had practically no defenses against psychic detection.
Even so, Lin Feng remained cautious.
His first priority was rescuing Canon.
The elegant Gardevoir, dressed in her black gown, gave a gentle nod.
Since she now possessed Aura as well, she had already sensed that the girl below looked exactly like the human form Latias often disguised herself as.
The next instant...
Her figure vanished.
Inside the museum...
The sisters checked the time.
They were about to eat something while continuing to wait for Latios and Latias.
Then...
A black silhouette suddenly appeared before them.
Powerful psychic energy instantly bound their bodies in place.
The Soul Dew floated effortlessly into the newcomer's hand.
"G... Gardevoir?"
Everything happened so quickly that neither sister reacted until Gardevoir had already reached Canon.
The next second...
She disappeared again.
High above the city...
Gardevoir reappeared beside Lin Feng.
Canon and the Soul Dew were safely with her.
"Well done, Gardevoir!"
Although Lin Feng had expected this outcome given Gardevoir's overwhelming strength, he still praised her sincerely.
Naturally, he spoke through Aura once more.
"Gardevoir~"
Gardevoir blinked in surprise before revealing a warm, gentle smile.
Nearby...
Latios and Ben Gray simply stared in stunned silence.
"...That's it?"
"...It's already over?"
------------------------------
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