"What I want to know is why Neo Team Aqua is searching for Lugia",
Kashiwagi said calmly.
"And whether Neo Team Aqua has continued the search since that undersea expedition—or if you've already captured it."
Dr. Akihabara didn't answer.
Instead, he countered with a question of his own.
"Are you a member of Team Magma?"
"No."
"International Police?"
"A Pokémon Ranger?"
"Neither."
"Then why are you asking?"
"If I said it was out of a strong sense of justice, would you believe me?"
"I see."
Dr. Akihabara nodded without hesitation, but before Kashiwagi could gauge his sincerity, the Doctor reached for the phone again.
Kashiwagi's brow furrowed.
"What are you doing now...?"
"I'll call Admin Shelly in to explain it to you. If I try to explain, I'll probably just make things more complicated."
It was clear that Dr. Akihabara placed immense trust in Shelly.
However, Kashiwagi wasn't ready for a face-to-face confrontation with a high-ranking executive of Neo Team Aqua just yet.
Even if his gut told him they weren't the "bad guys" anymore, if things went south, escaping a secret base would be a nightmare.
He reached out to cut the line again, but footsteps echoed from outside the office.
Knock, knock, knock.
"May I come in, you two?"
The voice was unmistakably Shelly's. Kashiwagi stood there, momentarily stunned.
Do these executives have nothing better to do?
She's far too free.
Or was the office bugged?
"Come in!" Dr. Akihabara called out.
Shelly opened the door with a beaming smile.
The moment she spotted Kashiwagi, she said,
"Ara Kashiwagi! I heard you arrived this morning. It was a failure on my part not to have my subordinates look after you properly."
Kashiwagi's heart skipped a beat.
What's with the hospitality?
Why is she being so warm?
He maintained a neutral expression and returned a polite smile.
"There's no need. You're being too kind."
"Not at all. Our organization has always held talented Coordinators like yourself in high regard."
Hearing this, Kashiwagi finally understood the source of her enthusiasm.
Dr. Akihabara looked between the two of them and chimed in,
"Miss Shelly, look at this!"
Shelly turned her gaze and immediately saw the battered black box on the desk.
"Oh my! The Data Recorder! Where did you find it?"
She walked over, looking genuinely thrilled—giving Kashiwagi a perfect window to quietly back toward the exit.
Unfortunately, Dr. Akihabara was far too blunt.
"Kashiwagi brought it. He's also curious about why we're looking for Lugia. He's worried you all might use it for something evil."
Shelly's head snapped toward Kashiwagi just as half of his body was out the door.
Kashiwagi reflexively prepared to bolt.
"Wait Boy! Give us a chance to sit down and talk!"
Shelly shouted, notably without the sound of a Poké Ball clicking open.
Kashiwagi stopped in his tracks.
He turned back to see Shelly holding the black box, her expression a mix of helplessness and a faint, lingering sadness.
"Is it just talk?" he asked.
"Yes just talk."
Shelly nodded firmly.
"Even in the past, we never went out of our way to cause physical harm to people. We are idealists, Kashiwagi, not murderers."
"Villains usually say something like that during their monologues,"
Kashiwagi quipped, but he stopped moving toward the exit.
Shelly breathed a sigh of relief.
She didn't bite at his comment, instead flashing a smile.
"Come, let's sit. It'll be easier for everyone."
Kashiwagi looked at Dr. Akihabara, who gave him a "you can trust her" look.
Between the Doctor's global reputation and his own prior deductions, Kashiwagi decided to step back into the office and face Shelly.
She spoke first.
"Since you know we're looking for Lugia, I assume you've already seen the contents of that black box?"
"Uh, I saw the video footage..."
Kashiwagi looked away awkwardly.
"Then this will be much simpler to explain."
Shelly didn't seem to care that their secrets had been pried into.
"Do you believe that Lugia—a legendary Pokémon with such deep roots in Johto's history—is a singular, unique entity? That it has no others of its kind?"
"I believe there are others," he answered.
"Good." Shelly nodded.
"Then what do you think the probability is of a native Lugia existing in Hoenn without leaving a single trace in our history or mythology?"
"That... seems unlikely."
"Exactly. Multiple Lugia exist, but Hoenn—having no myths regarding them—is not a natural habitat for the species."
Shelly continued,
"Assuming this Lugia is an outsider, why did it migrate to Hoenn? What happened in its original home? We are searching for Lugia because we want to understand these questions."
"...That's it?"
"'That's it'?" Shelly's expression turned stern.
"..."
"Kashiwagi, I must remind you—this is a very serious matter!
"Ordinary Pokémon don't just change their habitats on a whim, let alone a Guardian of the Seas like Lugia. Leaving a nest is a monumental event for any Pokémon! Their movements carry deep meaning. It could be a natural migratory pattern, but what if something went wrong in its original home? We cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to our mission to protect the ocean. Do you know that the sea is the cradle of—"
"I'm sorry! I misspoke! My fault, I'm reflecting!" Kashiwagi apologized quickly to prevent her from launching into a full-blown lecture.
Hearing this, he was about 80% convinced of Neo Team Aqua's "purity."
The remaining 20% was just healthy skepticism.
"In short, we may have done some foolish things in the past in our pursuit of expanding the sea. But now we understand that some powers aren't meant for humans to wield. Rather than control it, we should let it thrive naturally under our protection."
Shelly seemed a bit winded from her speech. She walked to the water cooler and poured two glasses.
"Unfortunately, since the micro-sub exploded, the undersea cavern where Lugia was resting has completely vanished. It has likely migrated somewhere else."
"It's already gone?" Kashiwagi couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.
Shelly noticed his reaction and looked surprised.
"Why... don't tell me you saw that short video and came to Dewford Town specifically to capture Lugia for yourself?"
"No, that's not it."
He shook his head and gave her a truncated version of his story—omitting certain details but explaining his connection to the Lugia of the Orre region.
Shelly was stunned.
"The Lugia of Orre?"
"I can't be sure," Kashiwagi admitted.
"Until I see it with my own eyes and communicate with it, there are no conclusions."
.
"You have a point... but wanting Lugia to return to Orre to protect you all... if I'm being honest, that might be a very difficult dream to realize."
Shelly sighed.
"Gaining the acknowledgement of a Legendary Pokémon is incredibly hard."
Then, before Kashiwagi could respond, Shelly made an offer:
"In that case, why not let Neo Team Aqua help you?"
"Huh?"