Why would an underwater cave that clearly existed suddenly vanish?
Based on Kashiwagi's current knowledge, perhaps only Secret Power—the move that allows one to carve out a Secret Base in rock faces—could explain such a strange phenomenon.
Alternatively, it could be a Mirage Spot...
In the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire games, these were special locations discovered only while soaring through the sky with Latias or Latios.
They weren't always present, much like the original Mirage Island.
On the screen, the mini-sub floated motionless after surfacing. After waiting for a while without anyone coming to recover it, Yanagihara checked other files and discovered that the surfacing command hadn't actually come from the mothership.
When the sub was rammed by the Sharpedo, its internal components were damaged. This caused the Porygon to misinterpret the return signal, and the network link subsequently cut out.
As it bobbed near Sea Mauville, its strange, alien appearance immediately drew the curious gazes of local Wingull.
One particularly bold bird flew down and began pecking at the hull, seemingly trying to dismantle the sub to see what was inside.
Feeling under attack, the Porygon shifted into an offensive mode—emitting high-frequency sound waves to drive the wild Wingull away.
Much like Milotic's ability to repel Gyarados, these sonic waves were highly effective, and the Wingull scattered instantly.
Unfortunately, their pecking had already caused additional damage to the sub. Combined with the previous structural failure, the camera feed suddenly grew blurry.
In a haze, black smoke began to curl up from the sub's outer casing. The camera feed cut to total darkness.
Though there were ten minutes left in the file, Kashiwagi could guess the rest of the story.
This was likely the countdown to the explosion.
The audio recording device seemed to fail as well, leaving only a long trail of static.
Yanagihara fast-forwarded through the rest. There was nothing more until a final "pop" echoed at the very end—the sound of the sub self-destructing.
"Looks like that's all for the footage."
He began pulling up other data files, reviewing them one by one.
Kashiwagi couldn't make heads or tails of the raw data, so he waited for an explanation.
A short while later, Yanagihara closed all the windows.
"Well... it seems Neo Team Aqua is indeed searching for Lugia with intent."
"Why do you think the underwater cave disappeared?"
Kashiwagi seized the chance to ask.
Regrettably, Yanagihara shook his head.
"I'm sorry, I can't give you a definitive answer. There are too many unsolved mysteries surrounding Legendary Pokémon. A lowly International Police officer like me isn't going to uncover them through a single video."
"I see..."
Kashiwagi couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
Yanagihara pulled the chip from the machine, walked back to the disassembled black box, and slotted it back in. He reassembled the cubes and recharged it. The dented, uneven box was back to its original state.
The officer placed the black box in front of Kashiwagi.
"It's exactly as it was when you brought it in. I've wiped all traces of our access. You can return it to them without worry."
"Return it?" Kashiwagi was confused.
"You're not keeping it as evidence?"
"I've made a backup. Besides, this isn't evidence of a crime,"
Yanagihara laughed.
"As I said, even if we prove Neo Team Aqua is looking for Lugia, what does that prove? Even if they caught it, as long as they haven't committed any illegal acts, we have no grounds to interfere."
"Besides, you're looking for Lugia too, aren't you? Wes told me: 'To bring the greenery back to Orre, the leader of Team Rainbow, Kashiwagi, has decided to follow the Lugia's footsteps.' Did I get that right?"
Kashiwagi's face immediately twisted into an expression of sheer awkwardness.
That sounds like
"To save their school, these girls decided to become idols"!
What on earth is Yamamino up to?
"Something... like that. Because of some past mistakes, the Lugia that used to live in Orre left. I want to try and convince it to return," he muttered.
Yanagihara replied, "Well, if Neo Team Aqua is looking for Lugia to protect the environment, doesn't that make you two competitors?"
"Uh, if that's the case, then yes."
Kashiwagi gripped the black box, suddenly feeling a bit embarased.
Since everyone was after Lugia, why was he the "good guy" while Neo Team Aqua was the "bad guy"?
It felt a bit like he was trying to smear his rivals underhandedly.
But truthfully, he had no intention of forcibly binding Lugia; he just wanted to give it a soft nudge and walk away if it refused.
Neo Team Aqua, however, had a criminal record...
Why do I feel like I'm the one in the wrong the more I think about this?
"Hahaha."
Yanagihara, seemingly reading his mind, offered some comfort.
"Being cautious is a good thing. It's understandable not to trust an organization with a criminal past. But personally, I'd suggest looking on the bright side."
"Think about it: Dr. Akihabara is involved. He must know the inside story."
"Core members not knowing the master plan only happens in movies. If you have questions about what Neo Team Aqua is up to, why not just ask him?"
Having reached that point, Kashiwagi stopped overthinking it.
"Thank you for your help."
Yanagihara waved it off, saying it was just part of the job.
With the help of the bearded man, Kashiwagi returned to the Pokémon Center.
...
By now, the beach bonfire party had ended. The streets were deserted, and the Pokémon Center was half-closed, with only the emergency side door left open.
Inside, Kashiwagi saw a Blissey dozing off at the front desk.
He couldn't help but clear his throat.
"Ha... Happy?"
Blissey jolted awake. Seeing a Trainer, she assumed a Pokémon was injured and hurried to wake Nurse Joy.
"No, wait!"
Kashiwagi stopped her quickly.
"I just wanted to wake you up. You looked like you were about to fall over."
Blissey adjusted her nurse's cap and gave him a slightly speechless look.
"..."
She patted his arm in thanks.
"Happy~"
She had intended to pat his shoulder, but the young man was 180cm tall, and Blissey's arms were too short to reach.
Kashiwagi gave her a thumbs-up and quietly headed upstairs.
Back in his room, he finally let his guard down.
He dropped his bag and collapsed onto the bed, holding the black box up toward the ceiling.
Should he give it back?
From the footage, Neo Team Aqua had already received the data before the link was severed.
In other words, if their goal was Lugia, the physical box held no value for them.
But for Dr. Akihabara, it was different. The raw data of the mini-sub was both a memento of his work and a collection of experience for building future Porygon-integrated devices.
I'll return it.
And while I'm at it, I'll ask the Doctor about Neo Team Aqua.
He made his decision.