Chapter 441:
It was clear Latias was now completely out of ideas.
But hearing Kaede's words, Latios visibly hesitated. Seeing his sister had already taken him there, and remembering the Pokémon from earlier, despite his lingering worries, he followed.
Arriving at the pool where the Soul Dew had been kept, Kaede saw Bianca's grandfather, Lorenzo.
The sound of wings cutting through the air seemed to dispel some of the confusion and anxiety on the old man's face. But when he looked up at Latios and Latias in the sky, bewilderment returned. "Latias?"
Kaede wore the Alolan Ninetales mask and the white robe he had from his time in Kanto, changed into within the Distortion World.
Beside him, Gardevoir had Mega Evolved.
It couldn't be helped. His reputation in the Eastova region was growing, and for dealing with unsavory matters, he didn't want any trouble traced back there.
Since the disguise he bought last time was still usable, he might as well use it.
"This is...?" Lorenzo stared at Kaede, dumbfounded.
"I am Latias's... employer? In any case, I'm here to help Latias retrieve the Soul Dew. Can you tell me what happened?"
Kaede didn't speak aloud. Instead, he directly transmitted his thoughts via Aura, sending the message to both Lorenzo and Latios simultaneously.
Using Aura wasn't just for dramatic effect; it also helped disguise his voice. Of course, the main purpose was to maintain an air of mystery.
Hearing the voice in their minds, Latios, who was already curious about Kaede, was even more taken aback.
Lorenzo glanced at Latios, saw it made no objection, then looked at Latias, whose face was full of urgency and impatience.
He hesitated no longer and spoke directly.
"They were two women. They brought an Ariados and an Espeon, barged in here, and took the Soul Dew. According to them, they want to use the Soul Dew's power to control all of Alto Mare! They took Bianca too, saying that to save her, we must let..."
Here, Lorenzo glanced at Latios and Latias.
The women's meaning was that Latios and Latias had to help them control the Soul Dew's power!
But Lorenzo knew that an evil heart trying to control the Soul Dew would inevitably face its backlash!
"Which direction, specifically?"
Kaede didn't wait to hear more, cutting straight to the key point.
While he possessed Aura and could search the surroundings, Alto Mare was quite large. For him and Gardevoir to scan it thoroughly would likely take some time.
"In the..." Lorenzo's words hadn't fully left his mouth before Kaede interrupted him. Using Psychic power, Kaede lifted Lorenzo's body and placed him onto Latios's back.
"Never mind. You ride with Latios and point the way."
Then, he immediately had Latias fly outward.
....
Alto Mare Museum...
Annie and Oakley placed the Soul Dew into the defensive mechanism, even climbing in themselves, but the device remained completely inactive.
They climbed back out.
The younger sister, Oakley, said with some frustration, "Looks like we still need the power of Latios and Latias after all!"
The older sister, Annie, nodded. "It can't be helped. After all, they are this city's guardian deities."
Oakley pondered, "But that Latios seemed a bit stronger than we imagined."
Annie beside her also fell into thought.
They had found the Soul Dew, but capturing that Latios seemed somewhat difficult. Even using the thermal radiation goggles hadn't managed to trap it.
Come to think of it, they should have just stormed that underground garden and snatched the Soul Dew right in front of Latios. Then, Latios probably wouldn't have run.
Oakley suddenly chuckled again.
She glanced over at Bianca, who was tied up nearby.
"But it's fine, it's fine. Didn't we capture someone who knows about the Soul Dew? And we told the old man we'd be right here. Latios and Latias will come to us on their own."
"Latios is hard to catch, but Latias must be weaker. We'll just focus on catching her then."
Alto Mare, surrounded by water on all sides, had inconvenient transportation, and the town's security forces weren't exactly formidable.
They had plenty of time to wait.
Meanwhile, in the sky above...
Near dusk.
The setting sun cast its rays over Alto Mare. The water's surface reflected a faint reddish glow, making the entire city look like a world from an oil painting.
Two swift figures flashed through the air, coming to a halt above the location.
"That's the museum!!" Lorenzo, riding on Latios, pointed out the spot for Kaede, but he couldn't hide his concern.
Because Latios had told him upon returning that it had been at a disadvantage in the battle against those humans' Pokémon.
Meaning, those humans' Pokémon were not to be underestimated.
Could this person who claimed to be Latias's employer really retrieve the Soul Dew?
And could his granddaughter return safely?
Lorenzo was worried.
"Found them. Gardevoir, I leave it to you. Bring Bianca out, and the Soul Dew crystal in their possession."
By now, Kaede had already located Bianca's position using his Aura.
This pair of rogue sisters seemed completely unprepared.
Even so, Kaede didn't let his guard down. He planned to have Gardevoir rescue Bianca first.
Gardevoir, in her black dress, gave a soft acknowledgment.
If Kaede could sense it with his Aura, she, also possessing Aura, could naturally sense it too. Among the people below, one shared the exact appearance of Latias in her human form.
Her form flickered.
Down below, the sisters glanced at the time, planning to eat while waiting for Latios and Latias. But the next second, a dark figure abruptly appeared before them. Immediately, they felt the binding force of Psychic energy, and the Soul Dew flew into the figure's hand.
"Gar... Gardevoir?"
It happened too suddenly. They had no time to react at all. It wasn't until Gardevoir was already beside Bianca that they processed it.
But by then, Gardevoir had already reappeared in the sky, with both Bianca and the Soul Dew.
"Well done~, Gardevoir!!"
Seeing Gardevoir reappear with Bianca and the Soul Dew, even though he knew this outcome was expected given Gardevoir's strength, Kaede still offered praise.
Of course, again via Aura.
"Gardevoir? Gardevoir~"
Gardevoir paused for a moment, then a gentle smile appeared on her face.
However, this left Latios and Lorenzo completely stunned beside them.
Th-this... it's resolved? Just like that?