Chapter 655: Archie and Maxie

"It's Hearing Nimo and the others!"

On the back of the red Gyarados, the three of them, still immersed in the atmosphere of having survived a disaster, waved vigorously at Hearing Nimo and her companions.

These three were none other than Brock, May, and Max, who had departed from Mossdeep City not long ago and, as expected, had once again become entangled in an incident.

Only after confirming their identities did Paul look up, frowning; his attitude toward the trio was much better than his usual treatment of Ash. "How did you discover us? We were on the back of a Wailord."

Given the disparity in size, the three of them merely floating on the sea atop the Gyarados shouldn't have been able to see them at all.

Especially since, in order to hide, they had specifically found a piece of blue cloth similar in color to the Wailord's skin to cover themselves, achieving a camouflage effect.

As soon as this question was asked, both May and Max became somewhat speechless.

Their eyes shifted guiltily left and right; before they could think of an excuse, Brock, who had just been sitting on the back of the red Gyarados, had already vanished from sight.

Do not misunderstand; Brock had not accidentally fallen into the water.

He simply used his jaw-dropping physical agility to leap directly from the back of the red Gyarados onto the back of the Wailord, then dropped to one knee before a helpless Shizuka, flashing a set of white teeth and raising a smile full of charm (in his own opinion).

"Miss Shizuka, I have fallen in love with you at first sight once again!"

Everyone: "..."

Well, we were foolish to agonize over this problem.

Looking at Brock, who was independently praising the Nurse Joy of the Paldea region—a man possessing a special charm not found in Kanto, Johto, or Hoenn.

They finally understood.

With Brock's "older sister radar," finding people was trivial; even among Nurse Joys and Officer Junshas who appeared completely identical, he could detect subtle differences.

He was truly a divine being.

A moment later.

The group completed their exchange of information.

Originally, Hearing Nimo and the others only intended to ask where Ash had gone and whether this red Gyarados was a new Pokémon captured by one of them.

However, under Brock's explanation—after he had been depressed for a few seconds following rejection and then revived—they learned some even more outrageous information.

For instance, it was not just Team Aqua; Team Magma was also operating in the shadows.

Both factions were plotting to control the power of the super-ancient Pokémon and had sent spies against each other.

It was just that the spy sent by Team Aqua, Admin Shelly, was reported anonymously by an unknown source, and was captured before successfully liberating Kyogre, who was under Team Magma's control.

Consequently, the conflict between Team Magma and Team Aqua intensified; under the mutual attacks of these two evil organizations, they were forcibly separated from Ash and Pikachu due to an accident.

Ash and Pikachu remained on Team Magma's submarine, while they, after falling into the sea, were rescued by the suddenly appearing red Gyarados.

Brock stated firmly in a deep voice: "This Gyarados belongs to Mr. Lance; he must also be on Team Magma's submarine!"

Setting aside whether a wild Gyarados would actively save people, a Gyarados of such a rare color, in Brock's knowledge, was possessed by only one person: Mr. Lance.

He brought out the explanation of the Gyarados's origins that he had given to May and Max and recounted it once more to Hearing Nimo and the others.

The Lake of Rage, an ordinary Magikarp, Team Rocket's forced evolution experiment, and color residue distinct from shiny Pokémon.

Listening to Brock recount the tragic experiences of the red Gyarados, Hearing Nimo and the others, who lived in the relatively safe Paldea region, fell silent.

The looks in their eyes as they gazed at the red Gyarados gained some indescribable meaning.

The red Gyarados looked straight ahead, not feeling in the least offended, pitied, or regarded with compassion.

During the time since it was captured, under Lance's meticulous care, it had long since emerged from anger and hatred.

To the red Gyarados, these matters they discussed were like events concerning a strange, unrelated dragon.

It now knew only one thing.

—To fulfill the instruction Lance had left it before releasing it from its Poké Ball.

Save these children, and then go find him to regroup.

Lance had brought only himself and Senior Dragonite; it must hurry to protect him.

"Roar—"

Thinking of this, the Gyarados couldn't help but let out an urging cry.

Still chatting? What if they've already started fighting over there while you dawdle on the sea!

"..."

Brock and the other two also remembered Ash and Pikachu, whom they had left behind, and a sense of urgency appeared on their faces.

"Although Mr. Lance is there, we still must go find Ash!"

"Then I will go with you; one more person means one more share of strength!"

Having understood the current situation, Hearing Nimo immediately made up her mind to accompany them in landing on the island.

Although Paul and Shizuka wanted to stop her, they reasoned that since the famous Pokémon Ranger and Dragon Master, Lance, was also on the island, the police should already be aware of the situation here; at the very least, Lance himself represented the League's security agency.

Ultimately, they abandoned their plan to leave the signal-blocking area to notify Officer Miss Junsha of Mossdeep City. Instead, they chose to ask the Wailord to carry them, along with the red Gyarados and Brock's trio, to land on the island and rescue people!

On the other side, in the center of the uninhabited volcanic island named Mt. Chimney.

In the center of the temple altar, two groups of people stood in confrontation.

The air was filled with a thick "smell of gunpowder."

For both sides, who had been arguing for a long time, it would not be strange if they broke into a fierce fight at any moment.

The leaders of the two sides were, respectively, a middle-aged man with red-tipped hair wearing black-rimmed glasses, and a burly, bearded middle-aged man wearing a tight suit resembling a diving suit and a blue bandana.

The former was named Maxie, the leader of Team Magma.

The latter was named Archie, the leader of Team Aqua.

At this moment, each held an orb whose color scheme was completely different from their overall attire, neither yielding an inch in their verbal exchange.

Archie, holding the Crimson Orb, signaled with his eyes for his subordinates to bring forward a petite female member of Team Magma in uniform.

"Hmph, you proposed the trade, yet you still sent a spy over; I cannot see even a shred of sincerity in you."

Archie, who usually did not hesitate to display his generous side to the outside world, now revealed a sinister expression.

It was truly perilous!

If not for a recently recruited member of the Aqua Fleet discovering their movements, the captured Groudon would have regained its freedom.

It even forced them to risk detection by the Hoenn League, temporarily surfacing to inspect the submarine and the location where Groudon was imprisoned.

"Flare!?"

Upon seeing the person being escorted up, Maxie, who always held the Indigo Orb and remained calm and composed, subconsciously let out a cry of disbelief.

His gaze fixed firmly on the girl hiding her delicate face beneath a hood, head bowed low, and on Archie, an Aqua Fleet admin with a wrestler-like build, bare-chested and dark-skinned, who was escorting her.

Veins bulged on Maxie's forehead.

He could never have imagined that with Flare's abilities, she would fail her mission, expose herself, and even be captured.

But quickly, Maxie calmed down, giving his subordinate Tabitha a look with an expressionless face.

The other man nodded lightly, then walked to the rear and escorted up a mature woman with long hair and a curvaceous figure.

"Then what explanation do you have for this woman, Archie?"

Maxie asked lightly, his hands behind his back.

"Shelly!?"

This time, it was Archie who lost his composure.

Wasn't the person being escorted by that fatso Tabitha none other than their own Aqua Fleet admin, Shelly?

With Shelly's abilities, how could she possibly have been exposed and captured?

Thoughts almost identical to Maxie's surged through Archie's mind.

But unlike the taciturn Flare, Shelly suddenly lifted her head sharply, gritting her teeth as she shouted at Archie: "There is a traitor in the Aqua Fleet, my lord Archie!"

"My whereabouts were completely leaked; I hadn't even had time to act before I was captured by Team Magma—mmph mmph!!"

Before Shelly could finish speaking, the anxious Tabitha clamped a hand over her mouth.

She could only glare furiously at this man whom she usually wouldn't even deign to look at.

"... A traitor?"

Having obtained useful intelligence, Archie frowned; only a few people knew of Shelly's movements, so could someone have been turned by Maxie?

Though his mind raced with frantic thoughts, it did not stop Archie from verbally assaulting Maxie.

"You four-eyes! I knew your heart was filthy; you actually tried to turn my subordinates!"

"... Perhaps they harbored long-standing grievances, and since you are unpopular, they simply made the correct choice?"

Even though a hint of confusion appeared in Maxie's eyes hidden behind his lenses, it did not stop him from bluffing and posturing against Archie right there.

He was also puzzled as to who had specifically leaked Shelly's whereabouts to Team Magma, but in terms of results, the identity of that person did not matter.

What mattered was that they had captured Shelly before she could secretly release Kyogre; that alone was sufficient.

As for who exactly betrayed them... let Archie guess slowly!

Hostages, orbs, and the Legendary Pokémon they both craved.

Under the influence of unexpected factors, the situation in the anime plot where one side dominated had completely transformed into a stalemate where neither yielded, with conflict ready to escalate at any moment.

Mixed among the ranks of Team Magma, Lance, with his sharp and upright expression, also lowered his eyes.

He had been undercover within Team Magma for nearly half a month.

During this period, he had witnessed with his own eyes how Team Magma found a certain underwater cave in the Hoenn region, captured Kyogre while it was sleeping, and bound it.

He did not act immediately, because merely this much was not enough to completely thwart their ambitions.

Just this morning, first the Kanto junior he favored accidentally wandered into Team Magma's submarine, and then a spy was exposed, leaving him, who had been peacefully undercover and isolated from the world for half a month to gain Maxie's trust, somewhat helpless.

To be honest, he was also surprised as to where exactly Maxie had gotten the news; had he really dispatched an even deeper undercover agent?

Or could it be that there was also an undercover agent like himself within the Aqua Fleet?

Was it Interpol, or had the Pokémon Ranger Headquarters here in Hoenn, after commissioning him, dispatched other Pokémon Rangers as well?

Now both sides had entered an atmosphere of extreme tension; to be honest, immediately releasing Groudon and Kyogre should be the optimal choice under normal circumstances.

But Lance could not do that.

The Champion who commissioned him, a professional, to go undercover in Team Magma and requested him to monitor their movements, had personally said it was best not to let Groudon and Kyogre meet.

Because that would trigger an even more terrifying disaster.

From the very beginning, the optimal choice was to suppress both groups of people, then steadily return the two Ancient Pokémon, still bound and dormant, to the places where they originally slept.

—But even as an Elite Four member, Lance had no confidence that he could instantly suppress everyone present, let alone all the Team Magma and Aqua Fleet members scattered across the island.

Once anything was overlooked, and if the opponent happened to possess the method to release Groudon or Kyogre and chose to release them recklessly, the situation would become even more complex and chaotic.

Ash and Pikachu should be in no danger; although he is the leader of an evil organization, this Maxie is unexpectedly reasonable, or perhaps rather gentlemanly?

When the Team Magma grunts captured Ash and his companions, Lance was watching from the side.

Maxie not only hosted the four of them but also promised that as long as they waited obediently for Team Magma to achieve its goal, they would not be harmed, and subsequently, it might even be possible to let them leave.

This stood in stark contrast to their local specialty in Kanto and Johto, Team Rocket.

But thinking is one thing; when it truly came time to act, Lance would not show any mercy.

In his view, these people were ultimately criminals shaking the stability and peace of a region; arresting them for rehabilitation was their proper destiny.

Silently listening to both sides exchange meaningless banter, Lance waited for a suitable opportunity.

Fortunately, it was not long before this opportunity seemed to be arriving.

Mutually checking each other, with neither side willing to hand over the "goods" first, Team Magma and the Aqua Fleet finally erupted into conflict.

On Archie's side, the Aqua Fleet grunts behind him released their Pokémon one after another.

Apart from Carvanha and Sharpedo, which were difficult to maneuver on land, Corphish, Pelipper, and Walrein densely packed more than half of the temple altar.

Team Magma was not to be outdone; Mightyena, Slugma, and Zubat occupied the other end of the altar.

The battle situation was poised to ignite at any moment.

Adu also, relying on his rich experience, sniffed out a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

—While both sides were locked in fierce combat, he would directly snatch the Vermilion Orb and the Indigo Orb from Maxie and Archie's hands.

In this way, unable to control Groudon and Kyogre through the Orbs, neither side would choose to directly release the two ancient Pokémon, but would instead focus all their attention on him.

The only problem was that his success rate in executing this alone was not high.

Due to his undercover status, he had not brought his complete Dragon Corps with him.

His ace, Dragonite, and the newly captured Red Gyarados, which possessed considerable potential, constituted the entirety of the combat power he could keep hidden.

But in order to save Brock and the other two who had fallen into the water, he had dispatched Gyarados, so his current severe lack of combat power was one of the reasons his success rate was low.

As leaders of an evil organization that had wreaked havoc in the Hoenn region for so long, Maxie and Archie were by no means ordinary figures; the difficulty of snatching the Orbs from both of them simultaneously was imaginable.

Yet amidst all this clamor, Adu suddenly distinguished, among the many noises, the roar of his Gyarados coming from afar.

"It's back!?"

Adu's eyes, hidden beneath the hood of his Magma Team uniform, lit up as he carefully calculated.

Once Gyarados arrived, he should be able to attempt launching an attack on both Archie and Maxie simultaneously!

(End of Chapter)