As night fell, Dragonite carried Natsui and the two women through the dark sky, eventually descending onto an unnamed stretch of coastline somewhere on Hoenn's mainland.
From the moment Kyogre disappeared into the sea, they'd left that small island behind as well. After more than an hour of nonstop flight, they finally returned to solid ground.
Shelly was the first to hop off Dragonite's back. Once Natsui and Courtney landed beside her, Natsui patted his Pokémon—who was panting heavily—and praised it sincerely.
"You did great. You really pushed yourself this time."
This trip had drained Dragonite to the bone. From the battle at Mt. Pyre, to locating Team Magma's base, to racing from there to the remote island—only to fight again—and then flying all the way back to the mainland… it had been an exhausting loop of combat and travel. With only scraps of rest in between, even a Pokémon with Dragonite's stamina was starting to struggle.
But they hadn't had a choice. Not long ago, Team Magma's and Team Aqua's submarines had both sunk—and even Shelly's own sub had been pulverized by the enormous shockwaves of Precipice Blades and Origin Pulse. Flying was the only way back.
Dragonite beamed and gave Natsui a confident thumbs-up. It was exhausted, but being able to help its Trainer so much clearly made it happy.
Shelly dropped onto a nearby rock and rubbed at her numb backside.
"So," she asked, "what do we do next?"
Even though the immediate crisis had been forced back, she understood perfectly: just as Natsui had said, as long as Maxie and Archie were still alive, their obsession with the two ancient Legendary Pokémon would never truly die.
Natsui looked at the two women, thinking for a moment before speaking.
"Next… we keep a close watch on their movements. Groudon and Kyogre are secondary issues. The real danger is those two—Archie and Maxie. If we can figure out their next move—no matter what it is—we can intervene before things spiral out of control."
"That's easier said than done…" Shelly sighed. "There are only three of us. Trying to monitor them in the middle of the ocean is impossible."
Courtney lowered her head and stayed quiet, clearly weighing the problem as well.
"It's not as complicated as you're making it," Natsui said, sounding almost unbothered. "Groudon and Kyogre are unpredictable and hard to track, but we don't need to track them. We only need to keep Archie and Maxie under surveillance."
Shelly's expression sharpened, as if she'd guessed where he was going.
"…You mean?"
"I'm fairly sure they're alive," Natsui said evenly, "and I'm fairly sure the Orbs will end up back in their hands. So we plan for the worst. But whether it's Archie or Maxie, if they want to control—or capture—Groudon or Kyogre, even with an Orb, they can't do it with just personal strength. They'll need manpower. A lot of it."
He gestured toward the inland darkness.
"So we don't chase the Legendaries. We watch the bases. If there's a sudden mobilization—grunts moving, supplies shifting, teams redeploying—we'll know where they're headed."
"…That's way more efficient," Shelly said, eyes brightening as she nodded. "If we watch the grunts, we can infer the leadership's plan. And if we get enough detail, we can reconstruct Archie's or Maxie's steps almost perfectly."
She glanced at Natsui and gave a soft laugh.
"You're sharp, coming up with that so quickly."
Courtney also stared at Natsui, her gaze almost burning.
Most people—after stopping Maxie's plot or driving off Kyogre—would be celebrating, at least privately. But Natsui showed no trace of triumph. Instead, he was already thinking ahead, brow faintly furrowed, preparing for the worst and laying down countermeasures before his enemies could move again.
No wonder he'd accomplished what he had. Just that level of composure and resolve put him beyond ordinary Trainers.
Of course, Courtney's "filter" was doing a lot of work.
Was Natsui truly that exceptional? Maybe he was—maybe he wasn't. But since the beginning of his journey, he'd dealt with incidents most people wouldn't face in a lifetime. And after the day he traded the Orb for her, Courtney had fully defected to his side. From that moment on, everything about him looked admirable and worthy of respect. In her mind, she couldn't help polishing him into someone even more "perfect."
The filter effect in full force.
Natsui had no idea what was going through her head. He only felt that her gaze was oddly familiar, like he'd seen it somewhere before.
Meeting their eyes, he spoke in a measured tone.
"Even so, the next part has to be entrusted to the two of you."
Shelly had already pieced it together and couldn't help laughing.
"So you want us to handle it."
"Exactly. And it has to be you," Natsui said with a quiet sigh. "When it comes to Team Aqua and Team Magma, no one understands them better—or is more suited to this—than you two. You both know where their other nearby bases are hidden, right?"
"Naturally," Shelly said, a hint of pride creeping into her voice. "Team Aqua's layouts and safehouses are burned into my memory. I may have left, but it's only been a few days. Even if they wanted to relocate, that can't happen overnight. Finding the nearest hidden base will be easy."
Time was strange like that. It could carry a person from resistance and pain to calm acceptance, reshaping their inner world almost completely.
No wonder people said time was the best medicine: no matter how deep the wound, eventually everything found closure.
The Shelly of now had clearly accepted her new identity and her new life. She still thought about Team Aqua sometimes, but she already saw herself as an outsider—able to look back with a steadier, less tangled heart.
Natsui nodded, then turned to Courtney.
She didn't hesitate.
"I can do the same," she said. "A lot of Team Magma members don't even know I've left yet. If I handle it carefully, I can turn some of them—make them my eyes and ears."
"If you can do that, then so can I," Shelly said at once, flicking a cool glance toward Courtney. "There are plenty of people in Team Aqua who used to follow me. If I reach out, they'll help me track Archie's movements in secret."
Even though both women had left their organizations and were now operating under Natsui's influence, a strong wariness still lingered between them.
That was hardly surprising. Before Natsui entered the picture, they'd clashed for years—oil and water, fire and sea. Even if they wanted to bury the hostility, it wasn't something that disappeared overnight. The only reason they looked civil now was because Natsui stood between them. Without him, they'd likely split within minutes.
"Then it's settled," Natsui said, deciding quickly. "You'll both find people who can be persuaded. They don't need to defect—just monitor Maxie and Archie's actions. The moment you hear anything, you report to me immediately."
"Understood," Shelly replied. Then she asked, "We're doing what you say, but what about you? What are you going to do?"
"Me?" Natsui shook his head. "Saving the world is a hobby. My main job is challenging Gyms and aiming for the League. I'm continuing my journey."
"You've got plenty of leisure," Shelly said, folding her arms and giving him a sidelong look. "At this rate, won't we end up being your subordinates?"
"I can't help it if you choose to see it that way," Natsui said, meeting her gaze with a faint smile. "If you don't like it, you're free to stop right here—and let Archie control Kyogre. Let the whole world deal with the consequences."
Shelly opened her mouth as if to argue, but no words came. She turned her head away and refused to meet his eyes.
Seeing her back down, Natsui spoke frankly.
"Don't worry. What I'm doing next isn't easy either. With my current strength, I'm still not quite enough to stop Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre—especially if there's any chance we end up facing Rayquaza. Only Deoxys can truly operate safely in a battle at that level. There's still too much uncertainty."
He exhaled.
"That's why I'm going to look for helpers."
"Oh?" Courtney's curiosity sparked. "Who are you looking for? Do you already have a new capture target?"
Shelly also glanced over, interested despite herself.
"There are two," Natsui said without hesitation. "One is extremely strong and promised to help me if I ever ran into trouble. But it's in Kanto. The distance is too great—we don't have time."
Anyone who understood the situation could guess who he meant. Unfortunately, as he said, a round trip would take too long.
"And the other?" Courtney asked.
"As for the other…" Natsui tilted his head up, watching starlight scattered across the night sky, and let out a quiet sigh. "The other can only be found by going to Sky Pillar—chasing a slim possibility."
"Sky Pillar!?" Courtney froze, then remembered the place. It was said that Rayquaza lived at its very top.
Shelly couldn't help cutting in.
"You know where Sky Pillar is? As far as I know, it's a legend. The stories have been around for years, but no one's ever actually found it."
Natsui shrugged.
"Then I'll ask the Draconids. They've guarded it for generations. And it just so happens I have a connection with one of them."
…
Guided by the starlight overhead, Natsui headed alone toward Lilycove City.
First, he needed to reunite with Misty. After that, he would set out in search of Sky Pillar. Shelly and Courtney, after the brief rest, had already split up to carry out their respective tasks. If everything went smoothly, information about Archie and Maxie would reach him soon.
A sea breeze brushed his skin, and Natsui tightened his clothes. After being thrown around for so long, he was hungry and exhausted. And, to be honest, it had been a long time since he'd traveled alone like this. In a strange way, the feeling was almost nostalgic.
Thankfully, the coast where they'd landed wasn't far from Lilycove. He didn't need to call Dragonite again. After only half an hour on foot, he could already see the brightly lit, sprawling metropolis in the distance.
By 9:00 PM, Natsui finally pushed open the doors of the Lilycove City Pokémon Center.
Misty and Phoebe—who'd received word earlier—were waiting anxiously in the cafeteria. The moment they saw him, both stood up.
To Natsui's surprise, Ash, May, Brock, and Max were there too.
"Natsui-nii! You're finally back!"
Misty rushed over first. Up close, she could see how rough he looked—clothes wrinkled, hair a mess. She didn't need an explanation to know he'd been through a lot.
Without hesitation, she moved to his side and began straightening his clothes, even plucking a small seashell from where it had caught behind him.
Natsui patted her head, then nodded to Phoebe, who looked like she wanted to speak but was holding herself back. After that, he looked at Ash and the others with surprise.
"What are you guys doing here?"
Ash scratched the back of his head.
"We came with May so she can enter the Lilycove Contest. We didn't expect to run into Misty, and she told us what was going on. So… how did it go, Natsui-nii? Did everything work out?"
"Let's sit first," Natsui said, dropping onto the sofa at the dining table. Leaning back, he felt so tired his bones seemed ready to fall apart. He glanced around the cafeteria—no one else was there.
"Is there still food? I'm starving."
"I'll ask Nurse Joy to make you dinner!" Misty said immediately, striding to the counter.
At that moment, the way she fussed over him was so attentive that anyone who didn't know the situation would've assumed she was his girlfriend—or his little sister.
Natsui nodded and took the warm water May handed him, soothing his dry, scratchy throat. Only then did he begin recounting what happened after he left Mt. Pyre.
He omitted everything involving Courtney and Shelly, saying only that while pursuing Maxie, he was attacked by Team Aqua—and then witnessed the massive clash between Groudon and Kyogre. In the aftermath of that battle, both Orbs were lost.
Even though she'd braced herself for bad news, Phoebe still couldn't help letting out a quiet sigh.
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