The Flying Taxi circled repeatedly above Wyndon, the night not yet over. The city, now modern and bright, was already glowing with streetlights and building lamps.
Rose had originally planned to visit the League headquarters to check on the Champion Cup venue setup and such, but now he was no longer in the mood.
He directed Corviknight to fly back toward the Rose Tower and walked briskly into the lobby, heading straight for the elevator.
Ding!
When it stopped at the fifth floor, Rose stepped out, moving quickly through the corridor, past several closed laboratory doors where research was underway, until he reached the central lab belonging to Oleana.
The lab was alive with movement. The doors were wide open, and even from a distance, he could see researchers hurrying around, arms full of papers.
Just as he reached the entrance, Oleana's voice came from inside.
"Investigate! Continue investigating all active communication devices in Hulbury tonight! Find that unidentified signal as fast as possible… Chairman Rose, you're here."
Leaning against the doorway, he smiled faintly at her. After glancing around at the busy researchers, he walked out with Oleana into the empty corridor outside.
"Chairman Rose, is there something you need?" she asked quietly.
According to the man's habit and schedule, he should have been at the League overseeing the next event preparations. His sudden appearance here could only mean something serious had happened.
"Hmm..." Rose unconsciously reached up to fiddle with the hair at his temples, then spoke slowly, "That Shiro..."
Oleana replied immediately, "We've been watching him closely. Any move he makes, at any time or place, our field agents report it instantly."
She paused. Seeing Rose remain silent, she continued, "He must have a way to contact the outside. I suspect he has a private communicator not made by our company. He previously contacted Professor Rowan about a cruise ship, which Peony later confirmed was a hoax. Another similar message came in just now, and I fear it's another trick..."
"But you still have to intercept and verify it, right?" Rose said.
"Yes." Oleana nodded slightly. The dark circles under her eyes looked heavier than before. She clearly hadn't slept much in days.
The smile on Rose's face faded. He knew how hard she'd been working and didn't want to trouble her any further.
Very few people actually knew the truth about Shiro possessing both the Sword and Shield and the Unown. Even those assigned to monitor him had no idea why. Outwardly, he was still listed as a company trainer with several recorded merits.
By normal standards, the spoils he gained from missions didn't have to be handed over since the company hadn't specified otherwise. For now, they were using vague reasons to justify keeping him under surveillance, and no one found it suspicious yet. But if they suddenly arrested him without explanation, it might cause unrest among the other people under them.
Still, there was no choice anymore.
"He must be captured within ten days," Rose said firmly.
Oleana froze for a moment, then nodded without question. "Understood."
As she turned back to the lab, Rose composed himself and quietly left the floor.
* * *
Midnight.
Off the coast of Hulbury, the sea was calm and still. Only the sound of waves brushing against the shore mixed with the faint voices of fishermen, who had risen in the night to catch small, wild Pokémon along the beach.
Farther out, about ten nautical miles from the town, a strange black creature floated quietly on the open sea. Around it drifted a white Dynamax Band and a Poké Ball containing a Wailord. The Pokémon was none other than Unown A.
It lazily turned the band with its psychic power, recalling the activation process it had observed before.
'Hmm... first, release the Pokémon.'
With a flick of psychic force, the Poké Ball was thrown onto the sea's surface.
A red light flashed in the dark, standing out against the night. With a deep hum, the water swelled as Wailord appeared, floating motionless.
Since its capture, Wailord had tried many times to escape, but the trainers who caught it quickly proved how meaningless that was. No matter how far it swam, it couldn't escape that tiny red-and-white sphere.
With a simple wave of a human hand, it would be pulled back inside.
At first, it struggled and raged, but eventually it grew numb. For the sake of a few scraps of food, it had given up trying. Many Pokémon were the same; being trained to mechanically and numbly obey human commands was a common occurrence.
In the sky above, Unown A fiddled with the Dynamax Band, turning the white wristband over and over to examine it thoroughly before using its psychic power to press the button on it.
'I think... it works like this…'
The band began to glow with brilliant blue fluorescent light.
The surrounding sea began to shake violently, bubbling like boiling water. Waves of Dynamax energy ranging from orange-yellow to deep red shot straight over from the direction of Hulbury's underground, twisting together into a blazing spiral of light at the seafloor.
A strange force rushed into Wailord's body. Its head went blank, dazed by the surge. Even the tiny Wishiwashi schools drifting past its mouth were ignored.
What was happening?
As confusion struck, its body began to swell uncontrollably. The ocean trembled as its massive form grew larger and heavier, sinking lower into the depths. Sensing intense danger, the Krabby and Kingler that had been swimming around the seafloor all fled into the distance.
'Eh?!'
Unown A stared as Wailord's massive body ballooned rapidly, growing beyond even its small island-like size. The glow intensified, waves roared, and the Pokémon approached closer and closer to Hulbury's coast.
It was growing far too fast.
Unown A quickly used psychic power to control the band again, cutting off the connection between the Dynamax energy and Wailord.
In an instant, the swelling stopped. The strange energy drained from its body, leaving the giant Pokémon somewhat weak and unsteady.
'Not bad. At least it works.' Unown A wiped away nonexistent sweat. Once Wailord shrank to its original size, it pulled the creature back into its Poké Ball. If it hadn't stopped, Wailord might have brushed the edge of Hulbury itself.
After confirming the band worked, Unown A vanished.
Meanwhile, back on the shore, fishing boats had been pushed inland by the sudden swell and now sat stranded on the sand. Confused fishermen stood on deck, unsure what had just happened.
The beach was scattered with Krabby and Wishiwashi left behind by the receding tide. Those were two of the most popular seafoods in the region, sure to sell well by morning.
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