After a brief moment of silence, a solemn expression appeared on Maya's beautiful face.
"Mr. Lucas, you must be a member of Team Rocket, am I right?" Maya asked Lucas in a soft voice.
Hearing this, Ilene glanced at Maya with surprise. She had never mentioned this matter to her.
After all, Ilene knew that, ever since the S.S. Anne incident and the Celadon affair, the reputation of Team Rocket in the eyes of the people of Kanto and Johto was truly abysmal.
Even before those incidents, Team Rocket had always been regarded as an evil organization, hunted down and wanted by the Indigo League.
So of course, Ilene would never reveal Lucas's true identity to Maya.
"So, Miss Maya already knew?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. From Ilene's expression, he could tell this had nothing to do with her.
"After all… the aura of the legendary is far too strong upon you. I could sense it clearly," Maya replied with a faint smile. From the very first time she met him, she had already felt that Lucas was different.
Not only because he was a gifted individual with special abilities, but because he carried the weight of legends upon his shoulders!
As the Sea Priestess of the Whirl Islands, Maya had the ability to sense the breath of the legendary.
Of course, the real reason she knew was that she also had ties with the Pokémon League…
Lucas's information was no secret within the League's upper echelon. The fact that the strongest executive of Team Rocket was the "White Dragon Trainer" had already spread among the higher circles. As the most respected figure of the Whirl Islands, Maya naturally knew as well.
"As expected of Priestess Maya. So then, do you plan to hand over my information to the League?"
"Truly admirable—you know I am with Team Rocket, and yet you still continued to host me all this time."
Lucas's smile was half playful, half unreadable.
But Maya's heart couldn't help but tighten slightly.
After all, no matter what, facing a legendary trainer aligned with an evil organization—especially when he himself acknowledged his identity—there were very few people who could remain calm.
Even if this man's fiancée was her close friend, that could not erase the faint tension quietly rising in Maya's chest.
"Mr. Lucas, please don't misunderstand. The struggle between Team Rocket and the Indigo League is not something the Whirl Islands plan to involve ourselves in."
Maya tried her best to steady her emotions, forcing a gentle smile as she spoke.
She had known Lucas's identity from the very beginning, but she did not wish to provoke his hostility.
Team Rocket might be evil, but it was the League's responsibility to confront them, not hers nor the Whirl Islands'.
If they were to earn the enmity of Team Rocket, could the Whirl Islands still hope for peace?
A legendary trainer was not someone they could afford to offend.
Maya had understood this from the very start.
Ilene too was looking on nervously. On one side stood her fiancé, and on the other her closest friend—she did not want the two of them to fall into conflict.
"So, what does Miss Maya mean by this?" Lucas asked with a light chuckle.
Of course he knew Maya bore no hostility. Otherwise, there was no reason for her to suddenly state his identity so openly.
"Mr. Lucas, you wish to obtain information on Lugia. I can provide that to you. But in return, I hope you can help me with something as well."
Maya spoke earnestly. Though she had been raised from childhood to revere Lugia, the Guardian of the Seas, that reverence was still for a distant and intangible legend. In truth, she had never once laid eyes on Lugia herself.
Besides, all she intended to do was share information about Lugia. Whether Lucas could actually find it would be his problem, not hers.
"A trade, then? Miss Maya, making deals with Team Rocket—how bold of you."
Lucas raised his brows slightly, eyeing her with surprise.
She was clearly aligned with the League, yet she was voluntarily proposing to trade with him.
"If Champion Lance or Elite Lorelei were to find out, your Whirl Islands wouldn't be able to shoulder the consequences." Lucas said with amused interest.
"But they won't ever know." Maya shook her head. She too had heard of how much Lance and Lorelei despised Team Rocket.
"Go on then, what is it you want my help with?"
Lucas did not drag things out. Straightforwardly, he asked Maya.
Compared to information about Lugia, helping Maya with a small matter was hardly anything to him.
Besides, although Maya held the most prestigious position in the Whirl Islands, she was, in truth, a bit of a recluse. Even if she had problems, they couldn't possibly be anything serious.
And even if they were—so what? For Lucas, there was no such thing as trouble!
"It's like this. Near Whirl Island, some of the local residents have reported sightings of… your Team Rocket's activity there. Apparently, they've been stealing food from passing trainers…"
Maya spoke helplessly. Yes—what she wanted was for Lucas to drive those Team Rocket members away.
Lucas: "..."
Green, Marnie, and Ilene all froze at her words.
"Good grief! Getting Team Rocket to deal with Team Rocket—Maya, you really are something else! As expected of a priestess!"
Once she snapped out of her daze, Green gave Maya a big thumbs-up, her face full of admiration.
She couldn't help but exclaim: impressive, truly impressive!
To deal with the notorious, cruel, and infamous Team Rocket—then naturally you send in Team Rocket themselves!
That logic was crystal clear.
"My identity may not make it appropriate, but for this kind of thing, shouldn't you be calling in the local Jennys instead?"
Lucas looked at Maya with some curiosity.
For him, this was nothing at all. As an executive of Team Rocket, all it would take was a single order for the members stationed there to pack up and leave.
But why ask him? Why not simply report it to the League?
After all, there were plenty of Officer Jennys within the Whirl Islands.
"I did already report it to Officer Jenny. She even led her team to search the area. But for some reason, they couldn't find a single trace of Team Rocket."
"But this has been going on for nearly half a month now. It's certain that those members are still operating around Whirl Islands Archipelago."
Maya sighed with clear frustration. And what puzzled her most was that those Rocket members were stealing only food.
Because of this, the islanders of Whirl Islands were too scared to even step outside, living in constant fear.
"This isn't difficult. I'll issue the order to have the Team Rocket members in that area withdraw."
Lucas raised an eyebrow and, after a moment's thought, replied casually.
Team Rocket near Whirl Island…
He narrowed his eyes. If his memory of the original anime was correct, Ash's encounter with Lugia and its child had also taken place near Whirl Island.
And indeed, there was a Rocket base there—not run by any executive, but by one of Team Rocket's research doctors and his squad.
That base was extremely well-hidden, built directly beneath the ocean.
"Then, Miss Maya, now it's time for you to tell me what you know, isn't it?" Lucas asked, turning his gaze back to her.
"Of course." Maya nodded without hesitation.
"Mr. Lucas, if you've looked into it, you must already know—Lugia was once the Guardian of our Whirl Islands. It once bestowed blessings upon the islanders who devoted themselves to its worship, granting them a mysterious power."
"And those people… were my ancestors."
Her eyes fell on the Sea Spirit Scepter resting at her side. The azure gemstone at its head shimmered faintly with a radiant glow.
"But in truth, the so-called blessing did not grant us any extraordinary abilities. It merely made our senses far sharper than ordinary people's, especially our sensitivity to auras and presences."
Maya smiled faintly as she continued. Strictly speaking, it was nothing so special.
Lugia had only heightened their senses, its true intention being to help them perceive danger more keenly.
"Later, because of territorial disputes, war broke out on the islands. Lugia, disheartened by the people of the Whirl Island, descended lightning and shattered the island into four pieces. Then it disappeared, never to show itself again."
"But Lugia did not truly abandon us. It still dwells within this vast ocean even now."
"There are often stories of people in peril at sea being rescued by a mysterious Pokémon. I believe that Pokémon is Lugia."
Her eyes gleamed softly. This was her reasoning for believing Lugia still resided in the waters of the Whirl Islands. But in truth, there was another reason as well.
"Because of my inherited ability, I am extremely sensitive to the auras of Pokémon. Perhaps from being constantly near the Sea Soul Gem, even the vast ocean cannot block my perception."
"Once, near Silver Rock Isle, I felt a presence—boundless and serene. A life form at the same level as the one that resides within you, Mr. Lucas. Perhaps… that is what you are searching for."
Maya's gaze met Lucas's as she spoke with a smile.
Back then, she had already suspected it was Lugia. Now, she was nearly certain.
"I see…"
Lucas pondered her words. He could tell Maya was not lying.
"If that's the case, and it really might be Lugia, why didn't you go searching for it yourself, Maya?"
Green voiced the question in her heart. Clearly, the priestess of the Whirl Islands revered Lugia as her divine guardian.
So, if she had already sensed it, why not go and seek it out?
"Even if I found it—what meaning would it have?" Maya's lips curled into a bitter smile as she shook her head lightly.
"Lugia left because it was disappointed in our people. Do you know of the history of Ecruteak City?"
She sighed softly.
"The story of the Burned Tower and the Bell Tower—I've heard some of it," Lucas replied, already guessing what she meant.
"The Burned Tower was once called the Brass Tower. The Brass Tower and Bell Tower were the resting places of Lugia and Ho-oh. But the people of that time… they disappointed both of them deeply."
"Both legendaries left Ecruteak. Lugia came to the Whirl Islands and became our guardian. But history repeated itself. And because of brutal wars, Lugia grew even more furious and disheartened."
Maya's tone carried a sigh. Ho-oh and Lugia had always longed for humans and Pokémon to truly understand one another.
But reality had shown them disappointment time and again.
So now, even if she could sense Lugia's existence—what face could she show Lugia?
It was, after all, her own ancestors who had driven Lugia away with their betrayal.
"…Forgive me, I may have lost my composure."
The atmosphere had grown heavy. Maya quickly gathered herself and offered an apologetic smile to the group.
"Think nothing of it. Miss Maya, you are truly a worthy leader," Lucas replied with a light laugh, not stingy with his praise.
Though still young, her heart and mind were remarkably mature. She was doing her utmost to maintain peace in the Whirl Islands.
"Mr. Lucas flatters me."
Maya smiled gracefully, bowing her head slightly with courtesy and respect.
Even though Lucas was a Rocket member, she did not think it impossible to maintain cordial ties with him.
In her view, with so many legends under his command, Lucas's future was destined to be extraordinary.
Even if Team Rocket fell, he would not lose his place. That was inevitable.
"Silver Rock Isle… if I recall correctly, it isn't far from Red Rock Isle either."
Lucas remembered the map of the Whirl Islands Archipelago. Yes, Silver Rock Isle was indeed close to Red Rock Isle.
And if it really was like in the anime, Lugia's mother searching for food for her child could very well have strayed near Silver Rock.
Time passed, and evening arrived.
As night fell, Lucas and his companions stayed in Maya's temple for the night.
The crescent moon shone in the starry sky, its light glimmering across the rippling surface of the sea.
Wearing a robe, Lucas stepped out onto the balcony. After some thought, he pulled out his phone and dialed.
"What do you want this time?" A gloomy, irritated voice came through the line.
It was Carr.
"Vicious has already been dealt with. Carr, don't you think you owe me some gratitude?" Lucas said playfully.
"So fast?" Carr's stunned voice rang out.
Damn—was Lucas really that quick?
He knew Lucas was absurdly strong, but this efficiency was beyond belief.
"Ahem… Vicious was just a minor character. Even without you, I could have handled him soon enough."
But almost immediately, Carr realized how that sounded. After a quick cough, he spoke again with annoyance.
In truth, Vicious had been his subordinate. Giovanni had assigned Vicious to work under him.
Now that Vicious had betrayed them, as the superior officer, Carr couldn't escape responsibility. In that sense, Lucas really had done him a favor.
Otherwise, if Vicious remained at large for too long, Giovanni would surely hold Carr accountable.
But the shorty was far too prideful to admit this. After all, Lucas had already embarrassed him far too many times!
"Fine, fine. Whatever you say, shorty. Now tell me, are there Rocket members stationed in the Whirl Islands?" Lucas asked directly, not bothering to argue further.
"The Whirl Islands? If I'm not mistaken, that's where Dr. Namba is leading a small unit… wai—hold it right there!"
Carr frowned slightly, recalling the details aloud. But halfway through, he suddenly realized something, his face twisting with rage.
"Bastard! Lucas, you bastard! Who are you calling shorty?! Your whole family are shorties!"
His roar echoed through the underground base in Goldenrod City.
But his furious warcry received no reply. Looking down, he saw the call had already been cut.
A moment later, the phone in his hand was smashed to pieces.
"AAAAHHHHHHH!"
"Master Carr, please lower your voice just a little… if you shout like this, the higher-ups will surely notice… ahhh—"
Bang!
The command room doors burst open as a Rocket member peeked in, face pale with fear, only to be met with a glare that could kill.
But before he even finished speaking, a thick stack of documents came crashing down directly onto his face.
"I am not short! Aaaahhhh!"
Carr's furious roar echoed once again.
Out in the hallway, Sird calmly and expressionlessly stuffed two cotton balls into her ears.
No big deal—she was already used to it.
(End of Chapter)