After finishing lunch, they didn't delay, heading straight for their destination to begin the search for Team Rocket's trail.
In fact, before Natsui had even arrived, Lorelei had already searched One Island by herself. Having found nothing, she was now setting her sights on the nearest island, Two Island.
However, because she didn't have any Flying-type Pokémon, they had to accommodate her by taking her speedboat, choosing to set off by sea.
The boat cut through the waves, but Natsui was in no mood to admire the scenery. He had a question that had been on his mind for a while, and seeing the next island getting closer, he couldn't hold it in any longer and finally asked.
"Miss Lorelei, since you're certain there's a Moltres here, why haven't you thought of catching it?"
While steering the speedboat, Lorelei glanced at him and said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Because I'm an Ice-type Pokémon master! Wouldn't catching a Fire-type Pokémon be beneath my status? Besides, not only does Moltres's type clash with mine, but it's also super effective against all of my Pokémon. So, why would I go looking for trouble and catch something so inconvenient!"
So that was the reason!
Natsui had thought she was acting as an unseen guardian, shouldering the responsibility of protecting her homeland's legend from being disturbed!
He never expected the reason to be so simple!
It seemed that, just like the other masters, while she had achieved fame and honor with her Ice-type Pokémon, it had also limited her from exploring other paths.
The waves were broken into spray by the speeding boat, the droplets landing on their faces.
After a journey of over ten minutes, their speedboat finally reached Two Island.
Two Island's official name was Friendship Island, so named because the two mountain peaks on the island were connected, resembling two brothers standing shoulder to shoulder.
After disembarking at the pier, Natsui noticed that the population on this island was slightly larger than on One Island, and it could be considered the commercial center of the Sevii Islands. On certain days, an open-air market would be held here, allowing the islanders to trade goods or sell local specialties to tourists from afar.
Unfortunately, today was not a market day, so the marketplace was empty, save for a few elderly women minding their stalls with bored expressions, selling some daily necessities.
After a few glances, Natsui looked away. However, he inadvertently noticed that in the distance, there was a newly opened Game Corner!
Given their past experience, this immediately raised Sabrina's suspicions.
"Is that Game Corner new? Could it also be a Team Rocket enterprise?"
However, Lorelei shook her head. "I had the same suspicion before, but I investigated its background, and it has no connection to Team Rocket. It has, however, attracted some motorcycle-riding biker gangs. If they're not dealt with, I think they'll cause other disturbances sooner or later!"
Biker gangs!?
This was quite a surprise to Sabrina.
She never thought that even on such a remote island, there would be biker gangs!
She really couldn't understand why, on such a small island that might not even have proper paved roads, these bored people still insisted on riding their motorcycles every day.
Are they competing to see who can drive into the sea first?
Putting those thoughts aside, since there were no suspicious targets here, they didn't linger and headed directly into the island's interior.
In truth, looking at all of Two Island, the place that Lorelei suspected the most, and the one most capable of hiding secrets, was Cape Brink. However, after a thorough search, they still found no trace of Team Rocket.
"It seems they aren't on Two Island either. Let's head to the next place."
Although they had wasted their energy, at least they had confirmed the safety of this area.
The only downside was that they had to go all the way back to the pier to take the speedboat to Three Island.
Three Island was also known as Kin Island and consisted of one large and one small island connected by a rope bridge that looked quite precarious.
However, when they arrived, they still found no sign of Team Rocket.
But the trip wasn't a total loss. On the small island, there was a lush Berry Forest filled with ripe, wild berries. Natsui released his Pokémon and let them eat to their heart's content.
By now, it was getting very late.
After searching for so long, everyone was exhausted. At Lorelei's enthusiastic invitation, they went to her home on Four Island.
Although most of the Pokémon world remained untouched by humans, maintaining a perfect ecological balance, just like on the Earth he knew, the more prosperous cities were, the more polluted they became by residential and industrial emissions, as if covered by a layer of frosted glass that made everything hazy.
Only on a remote island like this could one still enjoy a sky full of stars at this time of night.
Four Island, also known as Floe Island, could be considered the most unique among the Sevii Islands.
While the other islands all had a subtropical climate with little temperature variation, this one, influenced by a cold undersea current, had an extremely cold northeastern part.
Lorelei's house was built next to a small lake at the foot of a mountain on the east side. Although her parents were still alive, they couldn't stand the chill and didn't live with her, residing instead in another part of the island.
But even though she lived alone, her house was warmly decorated and kept neat and tidy. It was clear that outside of work, she was also a capable homemaker.
"Don't be shy, please come in."
Lorelei opened the door and went in first, with Sabrina following close behind. Just as Natsui was about to enter, he happened to notice a dark cave on the other side of the small lake, illuminated by the moonlight!
"What's that place over there?"
Hearing his question, Lorelei poked her head back out of the house. She followed the direction of Natsui's finger and smiled. "Oh, that place? It used to be just a small crack, but I later carved it out to its current size. The cave leads directly into the island's interior. It might not look like much, but inside it's a world of ice and snow, a whole different world. And the chill you're feeling now is mostly coming from in there!"
It had been a long time, so Natsui couldn't remember if such a cave existed in the games.
"So, are there a lot of Pokémon living inside?"
"Of course," Lorelei nodded. "I even go in there myself from time to time to train with my Pokémon."
Hearing this, an idea sparked in Natsui's mind, and he stopped the foot he was about to move.
"When was the last time you went in there?"
Lorelei thought for a moment, then asked, puzzled, "About half a month ago, I think. Why? Is there a problem?"
Natsui didn't answer her. Instead, he asked back, "We've searched the islands for so long without finding any clues about Team Rocket. Have you ever thought of checking inside the cave?"
Inside the cave!?
Hearing him say this, Lorelei was suddenly stunned.
Because this cave was right on her doorstep, and since no strangers ever entered it, she had never once had that thought. It could even be said that she had selectively forgotten about this place!
The most dangerous place is the safest place; she naturally understood this simple truth.
Could it be that Team Rocket is really hiding in there!?
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