Wailord itself could hardly believe it.
While it was still drawing in seawater, its body inexplicably began to grow larger once again.
Its massive form became like a colossal floating island, forcibly squeezing the nearby Galar coastline into something resembling small hills.
The Dynamaxed Wailord stretched across the sea between Hulbury and Wyndon, as if it had become a natural barrier separating the two waters. Many fishing boats that had departed from Hulbury were violently swept away by the waves, scattered in the distance like tiny grains of rice drifting on the surface.
Shiro glanced at the psychic-red glow that was already spreading across nearly half the sky and barked sharply.
"Mesprit, Teleport!"
He vanished from the spot once again.
At the same moment, far away, the pink-and-purple Galarian Articuno also used Teleport, reappearing atop Dynamaxed Wailord with Sordward on its back and Bronzong and Peony following behind.
"Where is he?!" Sordward roared, unable to restrain himself. The sword-shaped golden hair atop his head swayed violently as he shouted.
Peony spread his hands helplessly, glanced at the chaos below, and replied, "The tracking device is in your hand…"
Sordward froze for a split second. He quickly pulled the device back out from his pocket. The glowing indicator clearly pointed north, toward the S.S. Anne.
"The device tracks both the communicator and the League Card," Peony reminded. "If both signals appear together, then there's a very high chance there's no problem."
When Peony finished speaking, Sordward snorted coldly.
"You deal with this Wailord. I'm going to catch him."
With that, Sordward vanished together with Articuno.
Left behind, Peony stared at the enormous Wailord below, which was still pushing toward the shoreline. He patted his slightly aching head.
How was he supposed to deal with this?
Even if Bronzong also Dynamaxed, there was no way it could move Wailord.
As for defeating Wailord outright, the commotion would be far worse. The destruction caused would probably be much more severe than Wailord simply ramming the coastline here.
After thinking it over carefully, Peony landed directly on top of Wailord's body and sat down to rest.
If waiting for the Dynamax energy to naturally disperse was the best option, then this could be considered "handling it." As for catching people, Sordward was already on it. That had nothing to do with him.
At most, he would casually scan the nearby sea and call it a day.
* * *
Meanwhile, Sordward arrived above the S.S. Anne.
This silver-white international cruise ship was slightly more low-key in appearance compared to the Royal Unova, but its facilities were all top-tier. Public Pokémon training fields, private training rooms, free high-quality Pokémon food…
"The S.S. Anne allows trainers to enjoy their journey while nurturing Pokémon and engaging in battles!"
The ship's broadcast system continued to spout meaningless promotional lines.
The bow of the S.S. Anne cut through the waves, steadily approaching the shore. Just as it began to turn around to leave, it was suddenly enveloped in a shimmering layer of pink light.
Not just the cruise ship, but nearly the entire stretch of sea between Wailord and this point was covered in psychic energy.
The pink-purple haze in the sky seemed to pour into the ocean. The waves abruptly stilled, and all Pokémon beneath the surface froze in place, completely unable to move.
Articuno glided gracefully through the air, easily using its psychic power to restrain the international cruise ship. It then expanded its psychic senses, searching through the entire vessel.
But aside from panicked crew members and a slightly terrified captain, there was nothing inside. Only the nonstop cruise advertisements echoed through the corridors.
"Where is he?" Sordward demanded of the Articuno beneath him.
Articuno made no sound and no physical movement. Instead, it directly transmitted everything it perceived into Sordward's mind.
Every cabin, every hallway, even the gaps between the carpet fibers showed no trace of Shiro.
Only on the deck, in a corner along the edge of the dark-brown flooring, lay a black Macro Cosmos communicator resting on top of a laptop. Beside it, a League Card hung loosely, as if discarded at random.
The surrounding sea also showed no sign of any human presence.
Galarian Articuno was both Psychic- and Flying-type. As long as there was any abnormal psychic fluctuation nearby, especially the use of Teleport, it would be able to sense it.
Yet there was still nothing.
Shiro could not have teleported directly into the open ocean.
Sordward's eyes snapped open. His expression twisted with rage, a deep sense of humiliation surging from being played like a fool.
"Shiro!"
He roared, wishing he could tear that country bumpkin into pieces and throw him into the sea to feed the fish.
Buzz!
The communicator in his pocket began vibrating nonstop.
Sordward yanked it out. When he saw Rose's name on the display, he immediately answered, shouting furiously.
"Rose! Are you feeding dogs in your tower? Where are your people? Find him now! There's no one on this ship. That brat is definitely still in Galar!"
"Please calm down," Rose replied evenly.
That calm tone only fueled Sordward's anger.
"Even if you have to turn Galar upside down, find that bastard for me!"
"We've already found him," Rose said flatly.
Sordward's words came to a sudden halt. His voice dropped several notches.
"You found him? Where is he now?"
"South of Wyndon, near the Northern Wild Area," Rose reported calmly. "A trainer with the same build as Shiro, riding a Corviknight, is fleeing south."
"South…" Sordward immediately understood.
The S.S. Anne had been a decoy. That Wailord was also meant to draw their attention away.
The real Shiro, along with the Unown, had already slipped south when they least expected it.
"Shiro likes to interfere with our tracking using misleading actions," Rose added. "He's wasted our time several times already. If you didn't find him by the sea, then the one heading south should be the real one."
"That's right!" Sordward shouted. "Stop him immediately. Do not let the Unown escape!"
After hanging up, Sordward waved his hand, signaling Articuno to move.
The one in the south was definitely Shiro.
That final Teleport had been a reverse move. Shiro went south, left Sordward's field of vision, then switched to flying on Corviknight without using Teleport again.
It had to be that way.
Still within Galar, only the Northern Wild Area. There was still time to catch him.
Sordward felt a rush of exhilaration at having solved the puzzle. Articuno immediately withdrew its psychic control over the S.S. Anne and the sea, carrying Sordward as they flew south once more.
Once Sordward vanished, the ocean resumed its movement. The S.S. Anne continued on its route, slowly sailing away from Galar.
* * *
Between Wyndon and Hulbury, Peony was still sitting atop Wailord's back. Bronzong was using its psychic power to search within Wailord's massive body.
"Nothing?" Peony asked lazily.
Bronzong swayed slightly, indicating it had found nothing.
Psychic power was poorly suited for long-distance ocean travel. Logically, Shiro should have been nearby. Yet Bronzong had checked the surrounding sea and Pokémon thoroughly, with no results.
"Is it Mesprit's power or something else? If he's not nearby, forget it."
Peony checked his communicator again and sighed helplessly.
"The Northern Wild Area… is Shiro really there?"
After that, he gestured to Bronzong.
"Let's go. We're heading to the Northern Wild Area too."
Bronzong trembled in understanding and carried Peony away with psychic power.
Moments later, the Dynamax energy inside Wailord slowly dissipated. The dark red and orange-red glow surrounding it faded completely. Wailord shrank back down into the sea, blankly blowing a few bubbles before turning and swimming away.
As it swam, its body transformed into red light and was recalled.
**
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