----
"Let's skip the pleasantries," Maya said, her crimson lips parting as her tone suddenly shifted. "Besides celebrating your victory, there's another urgent matter I must ask your help with."
There it was.
Kai had a feeling this banquet wasn't purely a formality. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, Brock leaped to his feet and beat his chest like a drum.
"Maya, whatever it is, say the word! We'll crossfire and flood for you without hesitation!" His eyes sparkled with hearts as he leaned forward, brimming with enthusiasm. "Is this urgent request... to go on a romantic date with me?"
Everyone around the table was instantly silent.
Even Misty shuddered at the cringe of it all.
This guy...
He started off sounding reliable and then completely derailed into a full-blown hopeless flirt.
She gave Brock a hard shove away from the table, then turned to Maya with an apologetic look. "Please ignore him. His brain malfunctions around pretty women. So, what's the matter exactly?"
Maya didn't answer Misty. Her eyes shifted back to Kai the one person in the room she truly regarded as qualified.
Seeing her gaze, Kai responded, "Whatever it is, just say it. Something wrong?"
Maya hesitated only for a moment before replying seriously, "It's about the Sea Guardian…"
"…Lugia?"
She nodded. "We believe an evil organization is attempting to capture it."
"What!?" Ash shot up from his seat. "You mean there's another Lugia here too!?"
"Of course." Maya glanced his way, deciding there was no point hiding it. "There are multiple Sea Guardians across the world. The one we worship resides beneath the waters around the Whirl Islands."
Misty and Ash exchanged wide-eyed glances.
A living legend, lurking just offshore…?
Ash mumbled, "I thought Lugia was one-of-a-kind…"
Kai smiled knowingly. "Not exactly. Like the one we saw in the Orange Islands. Legendary Pokémon are rare, not singular. Even the Legendary Birds exist in multiple forms. Galar has its own variants."
"Exactly." Maya nodded. "And since the Sea Temple protects our Lugia, someone targeting it threatens the balance of the whole region."
Kai's brow furrowed. "Let me guess. That evil organization… is it Team Rocket?"
"Yes," Maya said grimly. "They've already begun making moves. We fear they're planning an attack soon."
Kai let out a breath. "Then leave it to us. We've crossed paths with Team Rocket enough times. You can count on us."
---
Later that night, around 9 PM, Kai lay in one of the Sea Temple's guest rooms, freshly washed and ready to sleep.
But his mind wandered.
Despite the luxury and peace, he couldn't help thinking about Maya. About the weight of responsibility she carried. Her family had been caretakers of this temple for generations. Someday, she'd pass that burden to her children too.
It was a life of tradition… and isolation.
Kai glanced up at the stars through his window and sighed.
Sacred job or not, it seemed like a golden cage.
As sleep slowly pulled at his thoughts, a shadow slipped through the wall like smoke.
Kai's eyelids fluttered open—he recognized the shape immediately.
"Back already, Gengar?"
The ghost Pokémon had vanished during the banquet, claiming he was "exploring." Now he floated casually toward Kai's bed.
"Hey, wake up," Gengar said. "I just saw Team Rocket sneaking around."
"Team Rocket!?" Kai shot upright, fully alert.
"Yeah. Three of them. Creeping around the temple like bad actors."
"Wait… three?"
Kai narrowed his eyes, then groaned.
"Let me guess—Jessie, James, and Meowth?"
"That's them," Gengar confirmed.
Kai flopped back down on his bed with a sigh. "Those three… sure, they wear the Rocket logo, but let's be honest, they're more comic relief than criminals."
Gengar tilted his head. "Still counts, doesn't it?"
Kai chuckled. "Maybe. But they're small fries. Ash and the others can handle them."
Even so, he paused, reconsidering. He pulled on his jacket.
"…Eh, I'm up anyway. Might as well take a look and see what those clowns are up to."
----
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