Any wild Pokémon, especially a mother, will be very wary of humans appearing near their child. It was even more unavoidable with a group of strangers.
Looking at this God of the Sea, a thought suddenly struck Natsui. He remembered the blessing he had received after becoming the Sea Hero. He quickly held his breath and concentrated, trying to use that newly acquired ability to probe Lugia's heart.
Miraculously, even though Lugia wasn't a Water-type Pokémon, perhaps because it lived in the water year-round, Natsui could actually vaguely sense its current emotions!
It was a feeling full of vigilance and some hostility.
In contrast, Silver's mood at this moment was undoubtedly light and joyful, and it was much easier for Natsui to sense.
But other than that, he discovered nothing else!
It could only be said that this method of perceiving emotions could easily be discerned from a target's facial expression, without any need to peer into their heart.
Moreover, this wasn't a passive skill that allowed him to instantly feel their emotions just by standing next to them. Natsui had to actively concentrate to sense anything!
Sigh, no matter how you look at it, this is still pretty useless...
Before Natsui could pull back his gaze, Lugia seemed to sense something and looked up at him.
As their eyes met, Natsui let out a light cough and subconsciously averted his gaze.
This little act of peeking into someone's heart always came with a strange sense of embarrassment when discovered.
It seemed that in the future, it would be best to use this ability as little as possible on Pokémon of Lugia's level. It was fine with ordinary Pokémon, but when probing a Pokémon like Lugia, there was a high probability of being discovered. And if that discovery led to a misunderstanding, it would really not be worth it!
Fortunately, Silver had reached its mother's side by this time, which distracted Lugia and made it stop staring at Natsui.
The two Lugia nestled together, looking so warm and tender. Of course, it would have been better without the mother Lugia's strong hostility.
Led by its mother, Silver leaped into the water, apparently ready to leave with her.
But before swimming away, it turned back and waved a wing at Shuichi and Natsui's group, as a farewell before parting.
"Silver..."
Ash, Misty, and Ritchie couldn't help but take a few steps forward, their faces full of reluctance.
It was clear that although they hadn't spent much time together, they had all grown very fond of Silver and were unwilling to part with it so soon.
Unfortunately, Silver's departure was inevitable and could not be changed by their will.
Although it might still come back to play with Shuichi from time to time, by then, they would have long since left this place. This parting might very well be the last time they would ever see each other.
The group stood by the sea, watching the two Lugia, one large and one small, dive deep into the water until they completely disappeared.
Seeing them still staring blankly at the ripples on the sea, Natsui couldn't help but tap Ash and Misty on the head.
"Alright, stop looking. It's gone. No matter how much you stare, it won't come back now."
Misty rubbed her slightly teary eyes and murmured, "Wasn't our purpose here to protect them? Is it really okay to let it leave just like that?"
Natsui sighed. "Sending the child back to its mother is the greatest protection. And as long as they hide in the vast ocean, even Team Rocket won't be able to find them."
After saying that, seeing Misty's expression was still a bit downcast, he tried to console her. "Don't overthink it. Both you and Silver have long roads ahead. If you're fated to, I believe you'll have a chance to meet again in the future!"
"Sigh, I hope so..."
Without Silver, the atmosphere was no longer as cheerful as before, and no one was in high spirits to talk. Fortunately, not long after, Misty's Poliwhirl suddenly popped its head out of the sea.
Ash asked impatiently, "Well? Did you find the Team Rocket base?"
Poliwhirl nodded and then started croaking non-stop. But since no one could understand it, they had to ask Gengar to help translate.
Gengar listened for a long while and then said to Misty with a frown, "Why is this Poliwhirl of yours so noisy and long-winded? It keeps mixing in 'kero kero' sounds and took forever to get to the point."
After saying that, seeing Misty's dark expression, it finally translated, "It did find the Team Rocket base, and it's on the seabed not far from here."
"The seabed!?"
Ash and the others looked at each other. They had thought the base would be built on some small island, but they never expected it to be hidden in the sea!
Hearing that the base was underwater, Natsui also felt it would be a bit tricky.
The conditions on the seabed were too complex. Not only were there ferocious and dangerous Pokémon lurking in the darkness, but they also had to be mindful of currents and seaweed. Moreover, to operate underwater for an extended period, they would need professional diving equipment.
Seeing that everyone was silent, he cleared his throat. "Everyone, cheer up. Finding the base is a good thing. Since the target is confirmed to be in the sea, let's not delay any longer. Let's get going!"
Ritchie hesitated for a moment. "How are we going to get there?"
"Let's find a boat first. A boat will save a lot of energy."
Hearing the word "boat," Shuichi quickly said, "I have a boat! It's under the trees back there!"
Led by Shuichi, they walked a few steps towards the beach on the other side and came to a small grove. Sure enough, in the distance, they saw a small boat tied to a large tree with a rope.
Only then did Natsui and the others realize that every time Shuichi came to this island to play, he had piloted the boat here himself, braving the wind and waves!
When they got closer, they had originally thought it was some kind of wooden rowboat, but they were surprised to find that it was actually a speedboat!
Misty immediately looked at Shuichi with new respect. "Huh? You know how to drive a speedboat!?"
"Hehe..." Shuichi rubbed his nose, a bit shy. "It's not that hard. After all, I've lived by the sea since I was little. Handling a boat like this is a piece of cake for me!"
By this time, everyone had rested for a while. Not only had their Pokémon's injuries been treated, but they had also recovered most of their stamina. So, they didn't delay any longer and got on the boat.
While untying the rope, Shuichi asked, "Where are we going now? Are we heading straight for the Team Rocket base?"
Natsui shook his head. "Let's go to the town on Oki Island first. Since the base is underwater, we need to make some preparations."
Diving equipment was of the utmost importance and could not be taken lightly.
Hearing him say that, Ash, Misty, and Brock all nodded in agreement.
At the same time, they couldn't help but think of their shipwreck experience on the S.S. Anne back in Kanto. The situation now was similar; both were underwater, with the constant risk of being trapped. They did not want to experience something like that a second time!
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