A Pokémon they didn't recognize, yet one that officially existed in the Pokédex.
At that moment, regardless of whether Porygon was considered cute or ugly, the curiosity of every Trainer present was piqued. They crowded forward, eager to get a glimpse of the mysterious creature's true form.
The Trainer who had earlier shouted "Pory-dog" quickly vanished into the crowd, clearly too embarrassed to show his face again for fear of being mocked by the others.
Seeing the growing interest, Kashiwagi realized this was a golden opportunity to promote Porygon. He gently tugged on Dr. Akihabara's sleeve.
The Doctor caught his drift immediately. With a face full of excitement, he raised his hand high.
"Everyo—"
"Doctor, so this is where you were."
Before Dr. Akihabara could release the grand speech brewing in his heart, his opening words were abruptly cut off. A group of people pushed through the dense crowd and appeared before him.
Leading them was Shelly, a high-ranking member of the "Neo Team Aqua," wearing a faint, knowing smile.
The onlookers, sensing that this group meant trouble, quickly began to scatter.
"Please come back with us. You still have unfinished work, don't you?" She waved her hand, and two Aqua Grunts immediately stepped forward to flank Dr. Akihabara.
Kashiwagi looked at them, then at the flustered Doctor. He couldn't help but wonder if Neo Team Aqua had truly reformed at all.
Why are they still so overbearing?
He shared a glance with Chansey, then spotted some patrol officers in the distance. He was just about to do something to draw their attention when—
"Please come back with us!"
With a loud shout, the two Grunts flanking the Doctor performed a synchronized, ninety-degree bow. The sudden, formal pressure made Dr. Akihabara look incredibly awkward. He scrambled to grab his VR headset, clearly intending to bolt.
Shelly, however, was well-acquainted with his escapist tendencies. She waved her hand again, sending two more Grunts forward.
Surrounded on all four sides, Dr. Akihabara had nowhere to run. He stood there helplessly, trapped by four men maintaining their deep bows, unsure of which way to even step.
Kashiwagi: "...What the heck?"
"Ah! It's the kid who helped us catch the thief!"
A voice rang out from behind Shelly.
Kashiwagi looked over and recognized the speaker—it was the same Aqua Grunt he had nearly mistaken for a criminal earlier that afternoon.
Hearing her subordinate's words, Shelly turned her gaze toward Kashiwagi, who was still standing next to the Doctor. "Well, what a coincidence. In that case, young man, do you happen to be free right now?"
"Uh, yes, I am."
"Then come along with us. Repaying kindness is a core principle of Neo Team Aqua! And Dr. Akihabara, it really is time for you to return."
Faced with Shelly's persistence and seeing the crowd of onlookers already dispersing, Dr. Akihabara covered his face in exasperation.
"Ugh! Fine, fine! I'll go back with you! It's always like this! Every time I start promoting Porygon, something goes wrong!"
Kashiwagi sighed, looking at the now-empty square and then at the somewhat bewildered Porygon at his feet.
"Is this just fate?"
"Pah-ree~"
Porygon let out a strange cry, looking entirely confused.
"I'll explain it to you when we have more time." Kashiwagi returned Porygon to its Poké Ball.
...
Under the escort of the Neo Team Aqua members, Kashiwagi and Dr. Akihabara arrived at a massive building that looked exactly like a high-tech research institute.
The moment they stepped through the doors, the Doctor's aura shifted completely. He began firing off questions to the researchers passing by and making snap decisions on technical queries they raised.
A true air of leadership radiated from him. Kashiwagi found himself looking at the Doctor in a new light.
Shelly, walking beside him, said with a smile,
"Aside from being a bit eccentric and constantly running off to sell people on Porygon, the Doctor actually has quite a lot of personal charisma."
"...Clearly."
Kashiwagi nodded, then couldn't help but ask,
"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is the project you're researching?"
"A marine ecological protection system. It monitors water quality across various regions to identify and eliminate pollution. You know, if human waste is dumped carelessly, it can form an entire new continent in the middle of the ocean!"
Shelly spoke with mounting passion.
"But a continent made of trash and sewage only destroys the sea, causing damage that is nearly impossible to reverse. We must do everything in our power to stop this. Not just for the Pokémon, but for humanity itself."
"That makes sense."
Kashiwagi genuinely agreed with her.
At its core, if Team Aqua didn't go to extremes—like trying to use Super-Ancient Pokémon to expand the world's oceans—they were essentially just a marine conservation group.
Seeing Kashiwagi's sincere expression, Shelly couldn't help but ask,
"I don't suppose you'd be interested in joining our cause? Honestly, as long as our ideals align, we don't care about your background..."
"I'm sorry, but I already belong to an organization."
Kashiwagi politely interrupted her.
"You're already in one?" Shelly blinked, surprised.
"The Orre Region Rainbow Organization. You might not have heard of it; our goals aren't quite as vast as yours," Kashiwagi told her with a smile.
"But there's no doubt that the people there are truly great."
The Rainbow Organization wasn't something that needed to stay in the shadows. On the contrary, it was something he could speak about proudly in the light of day.
As expected, Shelly hadn't heard of it and didn't know how to respond, though she felt a twinge of regret at failing to recruit him.
The report from her two subordinates had been full of praise for his strength. While Neo Team Aqua didn't strictly need more "muscle" these days, bringing in a promising young Trainer was never a bad idea.
A shame...
"Please, follow me. I'll show you around the place."
Shelly hadn't entirely given up hope, thinking a tour might change his mind.
Over the next hour, Kashiwagi toured the entire Marine Research Institute. He learned that Archie, the leader of Neo Team Aqua, was currently required to perform frequent community service due to his past actions.
In the anime timeline, Team Aqua's crimes were relatively minor. After Groudon and Kyogre woke up, they mostly just brawled at sea without causing massive civilian casualties.
This was likely the reason Archie wasn't rotting in a prison cell.
The partnership between Neo Team Aqua and Dr. Akihabara was a matter of pure chance.
The Doctor had long ago handed over the management of the Pokémon Storage System to others, focusing all his energy on restoring his old "Human Transporter" and promoting Porygon.
Unfortunately, due to various factors, no one was willing to partner with him or provide funding, leaving the Doctor in a state of constant gloom.
It was during a promotional tour for a TV program in Hoenn that he met Neo Team Aqua. He needed their financial backing; they needed his brilliant mind. It was a perfect match.
"The only problem is that Dr. Akihabara cares a bit too much about his Porygon,"
Shelly said, handing Kashiwagi a cup of coffee.
"He keeps saying that if Porygon doesn't evolve soon, it'll eventually be completely replaced by Rotom. I don't really get why he hates Rotom so much."
"Thank you."
Kashiwagi took the coffee.
He, however, wasn't surprised by the Doctor's line of thinking.
Both were Pokémon capable of living within digital networks, but Rotom—with its ability to change forms—was vastly more versatile in practical applications than Porygon.
It was obvious that the creators favored Rotom as well, designing a myriad of appliances for it to possess—eventually even turning the Pokédex and the phone into "Rotom-dexes" and "Rotom Phones."
How could Dr. Akihabara not be furious?
Hey! My Porygon is a digital lifeform too, you know!