Upon hearing Drake's words, Cain closed his eyes.
If the movement was coming from Team Aqua, then Archie must have Shelly with him. During their last encounter, Cain had planted a psychic seed in Shelly's mind; whenever he wished, he could sense her location.
Through that connection, he noticed that Shelly was still in motion—and at great speed. That could only mean one thing: they were still traveling in a submarine, searching for the place where Kyogre slept.
Cain could clearly perceive the emotional turbulence within Shelly. There was excitement and joy at being close to finding Kyogre, but also confusion about what might happen... and a growing distrust toward Archie.
Ever since Archie had obtained the Blue Orb, his personality—already arrogant—had become even more extreme, even irritable.
That made Shelly start to believe that the vision Cain had shown her wasn't an illusion, but a true prophecy.
Her heart was divided, uncertain which side to trust.
Drake noticed Cain with his eyes closed and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
Cain slowly opened his eyes. "In my last battle with Shelly from Team Aqua, I found an opportunity to leave a psychic mark on her. Now that we're close enough, I can faintly sense her position."
Upon hearing this, Drake's face brightened with joy, though it quickly turned more serious and thoughtful.
"What's the matter, Master?" Cain asked, puzzled.
Drake sighed. "If Team Aqua is operating underwater, we'll be at a disadvantage. Fighting beneath the sea doesn't favor us."
Cain nodded, understanding the difficulty, but soon replied with determination: "Master, even if they're experts of the sea, they're still human—they can't stay underwater for long. If we prepare well, it won't be a problem. Besides... have you forgotten what I'm capable of?"
As he said this, he extended his hand, and a psychic barrier materialized out of thin air, enveloping them both.
"Right, I'd forgotten about that." Drake smiled as he recalled.
"However," he continued in a more serious tone, "it's likely that only you and I will have to face Archie and his subordinates. I'm worried that the League reinforcements won't arrive in time. If battle breaks out, protect your life above all else. This time, we must capture Archie!"
A deep confidence shone in Drake's eyes.
Both he and Team Aqua were, in a sense, children of the sea—the difference being that Archie moved beneath the waves, while Drake sailed above them.
Whenever Team Aqua caused trouble, it was always Drake who resolved it.
"Let's go!" he said firmly. "Since you can confirm their position, we'll strike before they find Kyogre's resting place. We'll capture them all!"
Cain nodded.
Both left the Pokémon Center, where Officer Jenny and the other League investigators were waiting for instructions.
"Mr. Drake! Mr. Cain!" Officer Jenny saluted. "Is there anything we can do to assist?"
Drake nodded and said, "Officer Jenny, I need you to maintain order among the island's residents. Cain and I have located Team Aqua. There may be large-scale movement soon—make sure the population remains under control."
"Understood!" she replied firmly.
Drake released a Poké Ball, summoning his leading Salamence.
Time was of the essence, so both men mounted onto its back. With a powerful flap of its wings, the mighty Pokémon took to the skies, leaving a strong gust of wind in its wake.
Drake's Salamence was far stronger than Cain's; even without Mega Evolution or a Sky Plate fragment, its speed greatly surpassed it.
The wind roared against their faces, and Cain expanded the psychic barrier to shield them.
Seeing this, Drake couldn't help but laugh. "Sometimes I think being a psychic is the most useful ability anyone could have, no matter the situation."
He remembered that when he flew alone, he never dared sit so upright on his Salamence—the wind pressure was simply too strong.
"Psychic power is merely the ultimate condensation of a person's mental strength," Cain explained. "Master, you might also have the potential. I can test you later if you like. Though... developing psychic power is much harder than awakening it."
Drake waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. I don't have time for that. You're young—I'm just an old sailor."
Cain nodded, not pressing the matter.
In his opinion, Drake might indeed have a small chance of awakening psychic abilities, but his talent wouldn't be particularly high; without external aid or a fortunate encounter, he would likely never reach even the beginner level. It was better to invest his time in training his Pokémon—that could truly take him further.
His oldest companion, that leading Salamence, still had potential to climb another step. If it could reach level 90, it would enter the ranks of the world's absolute elite. Its perception and awareness in battle would transform completely.
After flying for about an hour at high speed, the leader Salamence finally caught up to Team Aqua's submarine.
"There's their submarine," Cain said after closing his eyes and sensing its presence. "They're still moving quickly. What should we do, Master?"
Drake thought for a few seconds.
"We're going down!"
Salamence dove straight toward the turbulent sea.
Cain reinforced the psychic barrier and nodded.
Drake understood the signal, returned his Salamence to its Poké Ball, and both plunged into the stormy ocean.
Cain released his Swampert, and Drake threw another Poké Ball, summoning his Gyarados. Though Gyarados wasn't one of his main Pokémon, as a sea captain, he had several well-trained Water-types.
Guided by their aquatic partners, the two advanced swiftly toward the submarine.
Thanks to a psychic technique Cain had learned from the Sacred Church, the submarine's radar couldn't detect them.
Despite the imposing appearances of Swampert and Gyarados, their size paled in comparison to the massive underwater vessel that served as Team Aqua's mobile base.
Drake's earlier concerns were unnecessary—in a structure that large, there was more than enough space to unleash their full strength.
Both men attached themselves to the submarine's hull, and Cain used his psychic power to open a sealed hatch.
In silence, they slipped inside.
Team Aqua would never have imagined that, as they sped through the deep sea, someone would infiltrate their submarine without leaving a single trace.
(End of chapter)