Azure sea, clear skies.
The faintly salty sea breeze brushed against Baimu's face like a soft, delicate veil.
He crouched on the beach, both hands filled with a plump, yielding sensation. Delight welled up from within and reached straight into his heart.
"Nice catch! Nice catch!"
"Tamā~"
"Tamā tamā!"
The blue-and-yellow spherical creatures responded in unison, their round bodies wriggling up and down like fuzzy rubber balls with excellent bounce.
No.
They were balls.
Spheal!
The gateway to the Cobalt Coastlands—Ginkgo Beach.
Large numbers of Spheal and Sealeo lived here. Occasionally, a fat Walrein would wriggle past, its deep cries ringing out without end.
Team Galactic's temporary base was still located at the exit of the mountain gorge, but it was nowhere near as lively as the Crimson Mirelands. Only a small number of Pokémon tamers remained behind to guard it.
The guards who did not recognize Baimu saw the Team Galactic insignia on his chest and assumed he was a newly joined companion. Not only did they refrain from questioning him closely, they even took the initiative to give him a crude map of the coast.
"If you can't swim, don't get too close to the sea. Many aquatic Pokémon are violent and will drag you in."
"Thanks!"
Baimu was immensely grateful. Before long, he was strolling along the beach where the waves surged, and then he stepped atop Aggron for a long-awaited round of Trump Card Surfing.
Now, that surfing session was over.
Returning in high spirits, he spotted some leisurely Spheal on the beach and could not resist reaching out to play with them.
The Spheal had been rather unwilling at first, but they quickly surrendered to his snack offensive and let him paw them from top to bottom as he pleased.
As for the Spheals' parents,