Meanwhile, the Magma Team warship was a hive of activity. Pungent Poison Gas filled every corner of the Ship Cabin, making it hard to breathe as the Magma Team members searching for the thief struggled to clear the gas from inside.
The dim lights flickered beneath the shroud of Poison Gas. Wearing makeshift Gas Masks, the members moved through the swirling haze as coughing rose and fell around them, echoing through the sealed Ship Cabin and making the atmosphere even more oppressive.
After the Poison Gas was finally vented from the Ship Cabin and the thief who had stolen the leader's Pokémon still had not been found, the Magma Team's three officers gathered together. After a grim discussion, they arrived at a suspicion.
Could the thief still be hiding among them?
They had long since sealed every passage on the ship. Since the thief had no way to leave, the only explanation for their failure to find him was that he had blended in with them.
With that thought, the officers immediately took action. They summoned every squad member and ordered them all to gather on the deck.
The sea wind howled past, making the members' uniforms flap loudly. The Magma Team officers swept their hawk-like gazes over the crowd, trying to determine who was missing or who had acted strangely recently.
When they asked who was absent, the man who had patrolled with Yu Hai instantly panicked. His face turned deathly pale, cold sweat beaded across his forehead, and his eyes showed a flicker of fear and alarm.
Yu Hai had already left, while his real partner had long since sunk into the sea. That meant there was clearly one person missing from the squad.
"Report, the partner who was patrolling with me is missing." He gritted his teeth