After Archie and the three admins of Team Aqua entered the Seafloor Cavern, Aoki and Drake also arrived.
Before leaving Team Aqua's ship, they sent a message to the Alliance, instructing them to approach the location and prepare for the worst.
Upon entering, Aoki and Drake immediately pursued Archie and the others.
By this time, Archie and his group had already penetrated deep into the Seafloor Cavern.
The environment here was not complex; compared to the countless tunnels beneath Meteor Falls, this place was straightforward.
The closer they got to the interior, the more abnormal Archie's state became. Shelly, who was trailing at the very end, also seemed off.
Everything happening now confirmed the prophecy Aoki had shown her.
Shelly was conflicted. Kyogre was indeed her lifelong pursuit and aspiration, but if it meant the extinction of all humans, including herself, she found it hard to accept.
She didn't know why, but once she started to believe the prophecy from her heart, her mindset and thoughts began to change.
Her obsession with Kyogre seemed less fervent.
Even now, she was wondering about Aoki's true identity and how he could predict these things.
It was as if Aoki could see through everything she thought, even grasping and infinitely amplifying the last shred of compassion in her heart.
In the past, even if thousands died, as long as she wasn't among them, she wouldn't care. But today, when Archie decided to detonate their Team Aqua ship base, taking thousands of Team Aqua members with it, a sense of pity surprisingly emerged in her heart?
Hadn't she completely abandoned such feelings when she joined Team Aqua and climbed from a low-ranking member to a top admin?
Shelly's heart was undergoing strange changes; the seeds Aoki had planted in her mind were taking root and sprouting.
Once she started to believe Aoki's words, this change would automatically begin.
Just as Lysandre began to believe Aoki's prophecy, they themselves wouldn't notice, only feeling that their truest inner selves had been unearthed.
In a daze, Shelly gradually separated from Archie and the others, unknowingly wandering into a side path.
For some reason, this side path was exceptionally damp, with puddles of water everywhere as her high heels splashed on the ground.
But when Shelly came to her senses and recovered from her confusion, she finally realized she had entered an open and familiar place.
Her eyes widened, an expression of disbelief on her face, as she gazed at the small lake in front of her, emitting a faint blue glow.
It was almost identical to the scene she had witnessed in her dream, the blue glow from the lake illuminating the entire cavern in blue.
Shelly stood rooted to the spot, unsure what to do for a moment.
However, upon seeing this scene, she became one hundred percent convinced that the dream was indeed the prophecy Aoki had spoken of.
Pitter-patter—pitter-patter—
As she hesitated, footsteps sounded behind her.
She spun around abruptly, seeing a jubilant Archie, followed by Matt and Courtney.
The blue glow cast a very eerie light on Archie's face, the blue strangely fitting his expression perfectly.
Archie walked up to Shelly, patted her somewhat stiff shoulder, and laughed, "Shelly, well done!"
Then he walked to the very front of the lake, preoccupied with his own thoughts.
He carefully took out a stone from his storage space, which also emitted a blue glow and displayed the "α" symbol.
Blue Orb!
Shelly's heart suddenly stirred, and her last shred of obsession made her ask the question again, "Leader, what is your purpose in awakening Kyogre?"
Archie turned around, his eyes glowing blue, and said to himself, "Of course, it's to conquer the oceans! As people who live in the sea, and Team Aqua, who sail freely on the seas, our goal is naturally to conquer the oceans!"
This time, Shelly's expression didn't relax. Instead, she stared intently at Archie, waiting for his next words.
Shelly didn't have to wait long. Archie's expression suddenly became extremely wild and distorted, and he roared, "Of course, as the future masters of the sea, the owners of all resources, any humans and Pokémon who pollute the sea and wantonly plunder its resources must receive their due punishment! They are not worthy of the right to live!
I will act on behalf of the sea and exercise its power!
At the cost of all land sinking, I will warn them!
The sea should be the true ruler of this world! All living beings only have the right to live if they obey the sea!
And I! I am the arbiter who will exercise power on behalf of the sea!!!"
Hearing these very familiar words, Shelly's body trembled slightly. The scene she had seen in her dream, where all land disappeared and all humans perished, flashed before her eyes.
The "four questions of death" resurfaced in her mind.
If—Kyogre had not been awakened!
If—Kyogre had not been found!
If—the Blue Orb had not been found!
If—I had not joined Team Aqua...
Suddenly, all of Shelly's inner conflicts were resolved in that instant!
If I had not joined Team Aqua!!!
At this moment, Archie had no mind to pay attention to the changes in his subordinates' expressions and mindsets.
He raised the Blue Orb in his hand and shouted loudly, "Awaken! ..."
"Stop it!! Archie!!!" Shelly's sudden outburst interrupted Archie's summoning. The Blue Orb in his hand trembled slightly, and the blue light that had just begun to gather receded.
"What did you say?!" Archie turned his head, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, staring intently at Shelly. If she couldn't give him a good reason today, this place would be her grave!
"I said! Stop! Archie! Do you want to wipe out all of humanity?" Shelly glared back at Archie without backing down, not showing the slightest hint of retreat, enunciating each word clearly and forcefully.
Then Shelly turned to Matt and Courtney and said, "You are all humans. Is a world without land, without other humans, what you wish to see?"
Hearing Shelly's question, Matt and Courtney both showed hesitation on their faces. As they were thinking of how to answer, they saw Archie throw out two Poké Balls. A Crawdaunt and a Sharpedo were already charging towards Shelly.
Archie had gone beyond anger.
"Salamence, Dragon Pulse!!"
Just as they were about to attack Shelly, a voice echoed from outside the cavern, followed by a purple energy wave that blasted both Sharpedo and Crawdaunt back.
"Although you are a Team Aqua admin, I still have to say, that was a good question!"
The newcomers were Drake and Aoki, who had finally arrived at the last minute!