The speedboat sliced through the water at exhilarating speed, like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, closing the distance to their destination in minutes.
Onami Island was indeed very close to Pummelo Island; it took just over twenty minutes to reach its shores. As they approached, the surrounding winds and waves grew noticeably stronger.
Al demonstrated his excellent piloting skills, expertly navigating the speedboat through the choppy waters and finally docking it securely by the shore.
"Poliwrath, Ursaring, both of you come out and help drag this speedboat ashore!"
Since there was no proper dock at their landing spot, they had to muscle the boat onto the beach.
"Al, you stay here and guard the speedboat. Make sure it's safe," Kai said, laying out a quick plan. "We're going to the weather station over there and will be back soon."
"Okay, Boss, you can count on me!" Al replied confidently. "With me watching over it, there will be no problems."
Ivy had also actively participated, pushing the boat with all her might, her face flushed red from the exertion.
"Haha, Ivy, you need to exercise more!" Kai said to her with a grin. He grabbed two bottles of water from the speedboat's cooler and handed one to her. "For someone in scientific research, good health is the most important asset, after all!"
The Onami Island Weather Station was situated on an open plain. To cope with the variable weather of the Orange Archipelago and provide crucial information to ships, it required long-term meteorological observation. Normally, such a research station was staffed by only a few researchers, making it an exceptionally quiet and sparsely populated place.
However, as Kai and Ivy approached from the beach, they were surprised to find it unusually noisy.
"Something's wrong," Kai muttered. He had visited this place before when he was planning his first attempt to reach Tangelo Island and knew this wasn't normal.
As they drew closer, they could clearly hear a quarrel coming from inside.
"Baki! What exactly were you doing on duty last night? I've worked here for years, and this is the first time I've encountered something like this!" an angry voice roared.
"How should I know what happened?" another voice retorted. "I always stay in the duty room when I'm on night watch; there's no reason to be in the data collection room!"
"If that's the case, then why was someone able to waltz right into the data room? What's the point of having a duty room then?" the first voice shot back.
The argument grew more heated, their voices rising in volume.
"Researcher Baki, Researcher Larry, what's going on here?" Kai asked, stepping through the main entrance of the weather station.
"You are… Kai? Long time no see!" Baki looked at the figure at the door, his surprise quickly melting into a joyful smile. "Are you planning to go to Tangelo Island?"
Just then, Ivy walked in. When Baki saw a stranger enter, he clamped his mouth shut. The League strictly prohibited non-staff from entering Tangelo Island, and the fact that he and Larry had secretly provided Kai with meteorological data years ago was a clear violation of regulations.
Kai smiled and gestured to Ivy. "Allow me to introduce you. This is Professor Ivy, who just arrived at the Mikan Island Research Institute. She has official approval from the League for an investigation trip to Tangelo Island, and I've been hired as her bodyguard."
After speaking, he gave the two researchers a subtle wink.
"Professor Ivy, hello!" Larry, the head of the station, stepped forward enthusiastically to greet her. "I am Larry, and this is Baki, a researcher here."
"A pleasure to meet you," Ivy responded with a polite smile, acting as if she hadn't overheard a thing.
"You two seemed to be arguing just now," Kai said, getting straight to the point. "Did something happen?"
"Oh, don't get me started," Larry sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "The station is usually staffed by the two of us on rotation. Last night, it was Baki's turn. This morning, when I got up to take over, I found the door to the data room wide open. I went in and found the place in shambles. The data was a mess, several recording instruments were damaged, and a lot of information was lost."
"Data lost?" Kai's expression turned serious.
"Yes, and several machines are broken. I have no idea how I'm going to report this to the higher-ups." Larry sighed again. Weather stations like theirs received very little funding each year.
"Are you sure someone broke in? Could it have been a wild Pokémon that accidentally entered?" Ivy suggested.
"No, we found several muddy footprints inside the data room. They were left by a person wearing shoes," Larry replied grimly.
"Who would come all the way out here to do something like this?" Kai stroked his chin, thinking. He noticed all three pairs of eyes had shifted to him.
"Someone wants to go to Tangelo Island?" he guessed.
"It's very possible," Baki said quietly. "And they're probably not good guys, otherwise they could have just come to us for the data like you did."
"Alright, Baki, that's enough," Larry said, waving him away. "Go see which instruments can still be repaired."
Larry turned back to Kai and Ivy. "A new storm is forming at sea, but its center is north of Kumquat Island, so it will only have a moderate impact here. However, I still have some impression of yesterday's data. The storm around Tangelo Island is gradually strengthening. It's not a suitable time to fly in."
"It takes several hours to reach Tangelo Island by flying Pokémon from here," Kai reasoned. "If the break-in happened last night, they're probably already close to the island by now."
"Is there a chance by sea?" Ivy asked.
"Depends on their luck and their skill," Larry answered.
"In any case, we should contact Officer Jenny on Tangelo Island immediately," Kai decided. "Regardless of whether the intruder plans to land on the island, she needs to be warned."
"Researcher Larry, please contact her as soon as possible," Ivy urged. "We'll also depart immediately. Perhaps this person is still waiting for an opportunity in the outer sea area."
"Understood. I'll call Tangelo Island right away."
The station's facilities were old, but its communication devices were surprisingly top-of-the-line.
"This is the Onami Island Weather Station, Head Researcher Larry speaking," he said into the receiver. "Last night, unknown individuals broke into our station and stole meteorological data. We speculate they may be planning to enter the Tangelo Island sea area. Please maintain high vigilance and inform Officer Jenny of this matter immediately."
"Understood, message received," a calm voice replied from the other end. It was one of the island's Forest Rangers.
"Ivy, let's go," Kai said, already turning toward the door. "We need to get back to the speedboat and head out now."
***
(End of Chapter)
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