----
The group arrived at the edge of a quiet lake, hidden deep within the forested interior of the island.
Ritchie stepped forward, crouched by the water, and addressed the small boy standing nearby. "Hey there. Do you live around here?"
The boy glanced at them, guarded but curious. After a mont, he gave a small nod.
"I guess you could say that. I live on Blue Point Isle, but I co here to play a lot. Why?"
As he spoke, Kai's eyes sharpened. In the rippling water behind the boy, sothing dark slipped silently beneath the surface.
It vanished in an instant, but Kai caught it barely.
And the boy subtly stepped to the side, blocking their view of the water. It was deliberate. Whatever had just swum away… he didn't want them seeing it.
Because of the glare on the lake and the speed of the movent, Kai couldn't make out what it was. But he was sure of one thing it was a Pokémon.
Just then, he felt a nudge. He turned to see Erika beside him, giving him a knowing wink.
She'd seen it too.
Neither said anything aloud, but it was clear: they were on the sa page.
Then, predictably, Ash stepped forward and asked bluntly, "If you live around here, have you seen any mysterious Pokémon?"
The question was so abrupt that even Misty winced. The boy's face paled in alarm.
"N-No! There's nothing like that around here," the boy said quickly, his tone forced and his eyes evasive. A lie, clearly.
Now even Misty, Erika, Brock, and Ritchie were picking up on the awkwardness.
This kid definitely knew sothing.
But Ash, oblivious, pushed on. "Well, have you at least heard any rumors?"
Backed into a corner, the boy stamred, "I… I haven't heard anything!"
Trying to recover, he added quickly, "And even if there was sothing like that, don't you think soone would've caught it already? You really shouldn't trust those weird stories."
"Huh… I guess that makes sense," Ash said with a shrug.
Kai frowned slightly. The boy's overcompensation only made it more obvious sothing was going on.
Ash wasn't foolish just young, still learning to read between the lines. That wasn't his strength.
anwhile, Kai wracked his brain. Sothing about this felt connected to Lugia. The Whirl Islands… the lake… the secrecy. He couldn't recall exact details, but this boy was definitely important.
Kai stepped forward with a calm smile. "We've been talking this whole ti, but we still don't know your na."
Thinking he'd gotten away with it, the boy relaxed a little. "My na's Shu. And this is my Pokémon, Chinchou."
Kai's smile held steady. "Nice to et you, Shu. So… what about the Pokémon that swam away just now from behind you? Who was that?"
Shu froze. Even with the lake's cold water, sweat broke across his forehead.
"I—I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered. "You must've imagined it. It's just and Chinchou here."
But now the others knew sothing had slipped past them.
"Really?" Kai kept his voice light. "Because I saw it clearly. Right behind you. A Pokémon just swam off."
"There's nothing like that!" Shu snapped, growing flustered. "You must be seeing things!"
Then, almost as if panicking, he turned to swim away. "Ah—wait! I just rembered sothing I need to do! Gotta go!"
He was trying to escape.
As Shu paddled farther from shore, Kai called out, "Even if you don't say it… I already know. The Pokémon that left—it was Lugia, wasn't it?"
Shu stopped dead in the water.
He turned, staring at Kai. He opened his mouth to speak but no sound ca. He looked like he was about to deny it, but the words wouldn't form.
"There's no need to be afraid," Kai said gently. "We're not here to hurt it. We're here to protect it—from the people who want to capture it."
Shu hesitated. He was still just a kid seven, maybe eight. Too young to hide the honesty in his eyes.
"…Are you telling the truth?"
"I promise," Kai replied. Then he chuckled. "Oh, I never introduced myself, did I? I'm Kai. This year's Guardian of the Sea."
"Guardian of the Sea?!"
Shu's eyes widened like saucers.
To kids from the Whirl Islands, the Guardian of the Sea was more than a title it was a symbol of bravery and honor. To them, the Guardian was as admired as a Champion of the Pokémon League.
Not because they were naïve, but because the League didn't hold much sway here. No Champion had ever co from the Whirl Islands, and the Sea Shrine carried far more aning.
With this revelation, Shu's entire attitude shifted. Kai no longer looked suspicious he looked like a hero.
Shu swam eagerly back to the shore, staring at Kai with admiration, circling him like a rare Pokémon specin.
Once he'd cald down, Kai knelt beside him. "So… now that we're all being honest, think we can talk properly?"
He paused, smiling.
"Maybe even et Lugia?"
----
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