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  William and Shelly were once again back in the office, sitting face-to-face.

  He kept a neutral expression on his face as Shelly recounted the events that took place on Hutber Port.

  William paid attention—not just to her words, but to other little things. The way she no longer slouched in her chair or bit her lip in nervousness. The way her voice now projected a confidence he had never seen before, and the way she no longer cowered under his glare or prolonged periods of silence.

  She had changed—in that one day, she had changed a lot.

  It was the first time Shelly had impressed him—and he was not easily impressed.

  "You did well," William said at last. "Killing Proton was the correct idea. The last thing we need is any more tension with Team Rocket than we already have now."

  Despite the dirt he had on Giovanni, some things could be done covertly—in secret. The last thing he needed was pissing off Giovanni more than he already had.

  "The water park was also very smart. It's a way to keep the water environment safe as well as bring in a steady stream of revenue for the team."

  William nodded to his own words, liking the sound of them. Proton was dead—he really didn't like him—, they had a new source of revenue, but most importantly, his admin was now acting like an admin of Team Aqua.

  He got up from his chair and gave Shelly a pat on the shoulder. "Very well done, seriously," William said. "If I were a university professor, this would've been top marks." He joked.

  Shelly laughed.

  "Since you were the one who created this plan, I'll ask for your opinion. Who do you think we should send to watch over Nastina and the hotel's construction?"

  Shelly put a hand to her chin. She sat there for a good half a minute and thought the question over. Before, she would have rushed her answer. "It needs to be someone smart, loyal—someone able to intimidate Nastina regardless of my presence—or yours. How about Amber?" she asked.

  William nodded. "Amber is good. He's definitely loyal. Back when I returned from defeating Lance, I told him I only managed a stalemate with the Dragon Trainer. Later on, I told the whole crew I'd defeated him. He didn't go behind my back or try to undermine his boss. It's a small detail, but someone disloyal would've picked up on that and used it to their advantage. He's strong—probably the strongest member of our crew outside of the Admins and myself. He's got a stern personality and takes no bullshit. Yep, Amber is perfect."

  Shelly was impressing him more with each passing second. Before, he'd been deeply disappointed with her. Maybe it was because she was a far cry from the person he saw in the games—the fearless and devoted woman—, or maybe it was because he was used to dealing with hardened people who weren't afraid to get their hands dirty.

  Now, Shelly had gotten her hands dirty and was now everything he'd hoped she could be: smart, ruthless, calculating, loyal.

  "So what now?"

  "Hmm?"

  "Well, I'm like your admin, aren't I? Aren't you supposed to tell me your plans going forward?"

  William chuckled. "I suppose I am. Right now, we sit back and wait for the next big raid in Kanto or Johto. Remember—we're much farther away, so our ship raids need to be about quality over quantity."

  "So we just sit back and wait?"

  William stood up from his chair. "You and the team will. I've got other things to take care of. I'll be gone for a couple of days. In my place, you'll run Team Aqua."

  Instead of getting flustered or nervous, Shelly just nodded—like she'd been told to get her boss a cup of coffee.

  "As of right now, I'm sure the crew won't listen to you. But after what you did back there, I doubt you'll have much trouble getting them in line. Just…don't kill anyone."

  He paused.

  "Well, not without my permission anyway."

  "Where are you going?"

  "Careful," William whistled. "You might be an admin, but that doesn't mean I'm going to tell you absolutely everything. Some things are best kept secret. However, I do need to tell you some important things—so listen up."

  Like reading from a list, William proceeded to tell Shelly all of her duties as Team Aqua's temporary leader.

  1. Paperwork

  This includes finances, expenses, wages, letters, and more.

  2. Constant availability.

  Problems could arise at any time—a leader needs to be ready at all times. Be prepared to be woken up— at any time.

  3. Management of patrol routes

  Ships and Pokemon are constantly surveilling key areas for information. This needs to be consistently managed, and the information needs to be consistently processed by the leader.

  4. Management of Neptune Shipping

  Security guards—members of Team Aqua—relay information and updates on anything relevant. It is your job to read that information and do as you will with it.

  5. Organising events

  This includes training to make Team Aqua's Pokemon stronger, as well as recreational events to keep morale happy and loyalty secure.

  "You know, you could just delegate these tasks to other people, right?" Shelly said.

  "I don't trust other people—much less trust them to complete the task to a passable degree. And that isn't even half of the responsibilities I have," William replied, beginning to count his fingers as he listed off each extra responsibility. "I'm also responsible for managing raids, handing out wages, and going to the black market and selling our items. There's also other things I can't name off the top of my head. But, since I will only be gone for a couple of days, you luckily do not have to deal with that."

  William stood up, "Well, I best be going."

  "You're not going to tell them you're leaving? That you hand responsibility to me?"

  "And why would I do that?" William responded, visibly amused. "That would make things easier for you." He laughed. "Don't worry, I trust you to deal with it. I'll see you in a couple of days."

  William left the room, retrieving his phone from his pocket.

  "Hello. Today. Midnight? Got it. I'll see you there."

  He had a boat to catch.

  A dark blanket of night swept across the town of Fallarbor. It was a small and compact place, illuminated by nearby street lamps. As for the actual streets, they were completely empty. William strode through the desolate streets, breathing in the chilly air through his mask.

  The town was rather unremarkable—the only thing that gave it any form of uniqueness was the constant rain of ash falling from the sky. East of here was Mt Chimney, so when the wind blew west, it carried along with it sheets of ash.

  With an irritated drag of his hands across his clothes, he tried to get the ash off. Most of it flew into the wind, while the rest clung stubbornly to the fabric. More ash continued to fall on him. It was a fool's game to even try to keep his clothing clean—he would be here all night.

  William didn't know how anyone could even live here. He himself had only come out of convenience. His real destination lay further up north, at the coast of Hoenn. Fallarbor was simply the closest place to it.

  He looked up into the distance—toward the source of the ash: the volcano. The place seemed so familiar to him because of the games, despite never having visited there physically.

  He continued onwards, making his way to a more populated part of the town. By populated he meant workers, sweeping ash into their half-filled buckets in order to prevent the streets from building up. The sounds of rhythmic sweeping filled the area.

  There was a certain peace to it—the life people like these had. A life where every day was relatively the same, where you were certain you would live to see the next day.

  He shook his head, turning through an alleyway. That isn't the life I have. It will never be. William thought. Fate had other plans. Ever since that day when I made that promise to myself, I knew I couldn't go back. I knew I couldn't live a life like this. I knew my life would be one of struggle and survival. And that is exactly what I have done.

  No, he had accomplished more than just surviving. Now he was thriving. Now he was the one in control.

  William reached the outskirts of town, where civilization ended. He called upon Valkyrie as his ride, flying over the rocky mountains and rough terrain.

  He reached the coast. The waves—some of the roughest and most powerful he had ever seen—smashed against the shore, years of salt and sea slowly eating away at the region's edge. William put a hand into the water, feeling its strength— the way it pushed against his skin and involuntarily thrashed his hand like a flailing fish. Here, the waves were different—and further ahead, it was even worse.

  However, despite the waves—flying was much worse.

  It wasn't just the waves you needed to worry about up ahead. It was the fog. The further up you went, the thicker it was, and the thicker it was, the worse it got. They say the fog plays tricks on your mind, makes you hallucinate, makes you lose your sense of direction—and even your sense of self.

  It was a phenomenon that couldn't be explained. The government didn't try to explain it, and Team Aqua didn't try to solve it. The fog and the violent waves were located primarily between the small stretch of sea between Hoenn and Orre.

  If you wanted to cross, you needed to go by boat. Otherwise, the fog would consume you. While boats also faced the issue of the fog, it was far less potent further down. Even with the waves trying to topple you over, one could be trained to navigate through them.

  And William had found someone who could do just that. Someone who could bring him to his destination. Someone who could guide him to the region of Orre.

  William spotted the ship resting just up ahead, withstanding the powerful waves.

  Valkyrie cut through the air, its metallic body gleaming under the moonlight. It slowed down, and William dropped onto the deck, withdrawing Valkyrie.

  Dave was sitting on a wooden stool, snacking on some sunflower seeds. He was dressed in plain peasant-like clothing.

  "About damn time," Dave said, glancing at his watch. "How long do you wanna keep me waiting?"

  "Sorry. The trip took longer than expected," William replied.

  "You'll be paying the extra. As experienced as I am with these currents and this fog, it's still hazardous."

  William nodded, "That's fine. As long as you get me there in one piece."

  "I've done this trip dozens of times." Dave said, eyeing William up and down, "New look?". William had dressed differently from the Poseidon outfit he usually wore.

  "Something like that," William said, tugging at his coat. It still had remnants of ash on it. "It's a different climate over there. I heard it's a barren wasteland."

  "Indeed. And also a different type of government—or rather, a lack of government. I must admit, I was very surprised when you contacted me, wishing to go to Orre. I mean, what could you possibly want over there? It's a place crawling with vermin and criminals. It's not like the black market, where there's a truce of sorts between criminals. In that region, if you're not part of Cipher or Snagem, then you'll be hunted like a dog."

  "I have no problem with that. They're the ones that should be worried."

  "Ah, yes, the criminal mastermind who defeated Lance—that's the rumour spreading through the underground. I have to ask, did you really beat him?"

  William shook his head. "Stories are often exaggerated. It was a draw. I also had quite a few advantages that gave me the edge."

  "Hmm. Still, the fact that you managed to bring Lance to a draw…That man is next in line to be Champion. I'm sure no single trainer would give you problems in Orre. But you need to be careful. Criminals, of course, don't play by the rules." His voice dropped to a low whisper, like he was telling a secret no one else could know, "Rather than single battles, they much prefer double battles. Some crap about it being steeped in the region's history. You should expect double battles if you do end up fighting; however, you shouldn't expect to be fighting one person at a time. They'll gang up on you if they can."

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  "Again, that is no problem. Getting a trainer alone for ten minutes shouldn't be an issue."

  Dave chuckled, grabbing another handful of sunflower seeds and shoving them down his throat. He got up from his stool and finally got to work. The ship began to sail—further away from the coast of Hoenn and into the mysterious fog.

  "Whatever you say," Dave said, his back turned away from William as he adjusted the sail. "You know, you're quite an odd character. One day, you just show up out of nowhere. A strong trainer doesn't just randomly appear. But you—it's almost as if you didn't exist one moment, and the next, you did. After that, you join Team Aqua, and then you become an Admin after a few months, and then you challenge for Leader a couple of months after that. Tell me—scratch the curiosity of my old mind—how did you end up joining Team Aqua? Was it by chance? Did you plan it? How did someone who never existed join?"

  "It's a long story," William responded.

  Dave turned around, gesturing to the endless ocean, surrounded by mist. "We have plenty of time."

  The fog curled around the boat. He could have sworn he heard the sounds of mermaids and sirens and krackens out in the distance. Their cries synchronized into an orchestra of torture, which brought a sharp stinging pain to his ears.

  Was the sound real? Was the pain real? Dave seemed oblivious to it, or maybe he was just used to it.

  William looked up—he could no longer see the sky anymore, just the thick mist which caused people to lose their minds.

  He needed to distract himself.

  "Very well," William said. He leaned forward, "I suppose I should start with…"

  FLASHBACK

  William watched through squinted eyes as he saw the two ships collide. He knew they would be raiding this ship—he had been observing the team for months, collecting data and identifying patterns.

  Once he had a large enough sample of the ships Team Aqua typically raided, predicting when and where they would strike next was easy. They were predictable—too predictable. Fortunately, most of the region was too preoccupied, caught in a financial crisis, to care about a few pirates.

  When William joined the team—which would be happening very soon—he knew he'd need to implement changes to make them less predictable. Then they would never be caught.

  He watched as the members of Team Aqua boarded the targeted ship one by one. They tied up passengers, ripped jewelry from necks and wrists, and ventured below deck to steal crates of valuables, of anything they could get.

  It was clockwork.

  William himself watched from far away, sitting in a small dinghy—completely inconspicuous and out of sight.

  Then he saw it.

  Approaching from a distance was a ship with black sails, bearing the official emblem of the Hoenn Water Force. They had been the biggest thorn in Team Aqua's side thus far. Again, William would change that. Given the current lack of funding for them, they should never have been a problem in the first place.

  But remembering how Archie was in the games, William wasn't all too surprised.

  He turned back to his phone and unmuted it. "Yes, hello?" William asked in a high-pitched voice, whispering. "They're on the deck right now. I hear people shouting—please hurry, they're taking all of our stuff. I fear for my life."

  "Ma'am, we are approaching your vessel. We'll be there shortly," a voice on the other line replied.

  "Thank you."

  He hung up the phone.

  "Time to present myself as a savior," William muttered, smiling.

  Lochness stirred from beside him below the water, then pushed the boat forward. The boat travelled like it had a jet propulsion system, closing the distance in a short moment. Team Aqua was still too busy raiding the ship, taking in their haul, to notice the approaching ships—both his and the Hoenn Water Force.

  He threw a pokeball up into the air, grabbing onto Valkyrie's metal legs, who flew upwards with ease.

  Time to make an entrance.

  One moment, the ship was loud and chaotic, and the next—complete silence.

  William had appeared, Lochness—a towering monster—standing right beside him.

  William, of course, was in a disguise—not in a mask, which would make him even more conspicuous, but a carefully selected blend of wigs, contact lenses, and fake scars and spots in which no one would be able to connect him to his actual look.

  "I heard a commotion on my ship, so I thought I would come and help," William smirked. Some of the passengers—tied up and bound—rejoiced.

  Archie stood opposite, grinning and preparing for a battle. "Bring it, boy!" he shouted.

  William looked around, not at the members of Team Aqua, but at the passengers. Rich clothing, makeup, clear skin, fluffy language. These people had never gone through any form of hardship in their lives.

  He, on the other hand, had to crawl to get to where he was.

  "Lochness, use Hydro Pump!" he ordered.

  Energy began to build. The ship shifted slightly. Hands moved to Pokéballs. Postures tensed, ready for battle.

  However, when William pointed ahead of himself—not at the ship—everyone turned to look.

  The Hoenn Water Defense was right on their tail.

  And just then, Lochness jumped up from the water, gathering gallons of it in its mouth, and shot it forward—towards the other ship, towards the ship of the Hoenn Water Defense.

  The attack carved a hole straight through the ship at a downwards angle, smashing through floor by floor, and probably ending up damaging the hull, immediately rendering it damaged and useless. The ship slowed down, coming to a suspended halt.

  Everyone stared in disbelief.

  William turned around to the crew—to Archie. He gave a quick bow.

  "So where do I sign up?"

  The eeriness of the mist returned to the forefront of his mind as William finished his story. Luckily, the distance between Hoenn and Orre wasn't that large—he could already see the region up ahead. A brown, unremarkable-looking hunk of rock.

  "So that's what you did?" Dave laughed, his bellowing voice echoing through the mist. His eyes were set straight ahead."You set up a situation where you could show your strength and loyalty to Team Aqua before you even joined. A showcase, so to speak."

  William nodded. "I couldn't just join like any normal grunt; otherwise, I would have to prove myself like every other grunt. I needed to make an impression on Archie and the rest of the members—it would fast-track me towards the top."

  "I see, I see. Though I'm surprised you even told me this. Seems very intimate—telling me your exact plan on how you joined Team Aqua. The same thing happened with Neptune." He turned around, redirecting his attention to William. Looks like they were close enough. "Are you growing soft on me, Poseidon? Letting me in on all your little secrets?" He laughed casually, hand on his big fat stomach.

  "Well, there is a reason," William said coldly. His veins had turned into ice; the mist and the waves were now the least of his problems.

  "Oh? And what's that?" Dave asked, unaware of Williams' change in demeanor.

  William extended his hand, mimicking a gun with his fingers—pointing it straight at Dave. "Because you'll be buried with what I told you."

  "What?" Dave's smile vanished, his panicked footsteps echoing through the night.

  "Ah-ah-ah, no sudden movements. I've got an expert sniper trained on you at this very moment. He's on the ship. You just can't see him because of the fog. Any sudden movements or attempts to escape, and BAM! Dead."

  "Why?" Dave croaked out. He knew William wasn't one for jokes.

  William leaned back, laughing, "Why? Why do you think, Dave? I had you commission Neptune ships! You're one of the only people who know the connection between Team Aqua and Neptune. I mean, you're probably one of the only ones who knows my true identity. A man like you can connect the dots. Surely you must've seen me on the news?"

  "William…" Dave said quietly. It would have been an easy connection for him to make. Poseidon commissioned ships for Neptune, and William was the owner of Neptune. And just like Poseidon—William had appeared out of nowhere as well.

  William's mask came off, revealing his pale face and dark blue hair. The bone-chilling night air brushed against his flushed face. He ran a hand through his hot hair.

  "Correct. I knew as long as I kept giving you money for the ships, you'd stay quiet. You are a man of profit. But once we need no more ships—and the money runs out—and I'm no longer supplying you with profit, how long would it take before you start selling my secret for some money? How much is my identity worth to you? I tried to save you, Dave, I did—I invited you to the crew many times. Why couldn't you just accept? I'm afraid I can't risk it. So I'm going to kill you right now and bury you beneath the fog and the waves. Out here, no one will ever find you."

  Dave sighed, looking upwards and taking a deep, long breath into his lungs. Then his shoulders relaxed, his posture shrank, and the look in His eyes was one of acceptance of his circumstance.

  "There's dignity in knowing you will die and accepting it," William said, trying to make it better. He wasn't killing someone out of malice or revenge or anger—but one of necessity, to keep his identity hidden. This kill would bring him no joy.

  Dave ignored him, "What's your plan, William? Team Aqua, Neptune, Orre…what do you plan to do?"

  "You want to know it all, don't you?" William said, a faint smile forming.

  "I suppose it's a habit from the black market. Down there, information is everything." Dave replied.

  William cleared his throat, "Very well. I suppose I'll indulge you for a couple of minutes."

  "I'm going to rule Orre," he said simply. "Right now, the region is fractured—broken up. It's run by villain teams with divided personalities and motives. The people want to fight back, but they have no one to lead them—I will be that person. I will be Shade. Not Poseidon or William—Shade. It will be a long and hard process, but soon Orre will be mine. After that…well, what's the point in telling a dead man the future? Why don't you wait, watch from the ocean floor, and find out?"

  The words hung in the air.

  "You're delusional, William. I've seen ambitious people like you come and go—in the end, they just crash and burn like they always do. Their pride and ego become their downfall. No matter how big your ambition is, you'll never accomplish what you hope to—"

  William moved his thumb.

  Bond's shot followed.

  It pierced Dave's head—clean and true. He crashed onto the deck, sending the boat into a slight panic before it stabilized itself on the waters.

  William walked over to the body, a hole now in its skull. Bond stalked over from behind—finger still carrying remnants of water energy.

  "Shut up," William said, staring lifelessly at the corpse. "I've had people telling me that my whole life—and look where I am. I'm alive, and you're dead."

  A proper burial process followed. Team Aqua lived and died by the water—no matter if you died a traitor or a hero. However, although both were ultimately consumed by the sea, the burial process differed depending on what led to those circumstances.

  Traitors were thrown overboard alive, left to suffer and drown as iron chains restrained them, dragging them to the ocean's darkest depths. Their death was torturous and violent. Loyal members, by contrast, were given a proper send-off. Their sending off was peaceful and solemn.

  Dave had never been a part of Team Aqua, but he was a good man. William believed that. The possibility of betrayal had led him to pull the trigger, yes, but at the time of his death…Dave had done nothing wrong.

  He had died innocent.

  So William would bury him properly. It was the least he could do.

  First, he positioned Dave so he lay on his back, folding his hands together at his chest. It was the same way people in a casket were positioned. The ocean was their casket. Then he knelt beside him, scooping a handful of water from the sea and pouring it gently over the man's body.

  He placed a hand on Dave's chest, over his hands, and began to recite the ancient prayer:

  "Mother of the ocean and sea, today, an innocent soul joins you.

  Please welcome him with open arms,

  and accept him into your eternal embrace,

  where he will rest forever."

  When the prayer was finished, William stood. He bent down, back straight, lifting Dave's body with a grunt, and stepped to the edge of the ship.

  Then, with solemn silence, he laid him to rest in the ocean. Orre lay just ahead, ripe for the taking.