On the seabed not far from Lilycove City, a Deep-Sea Submarine bearing a distinctive harpoon-shaped emblem lay quietly hidden beneath a reef.
Meanwhile, waves of scanning pulses spread out in every direction. Only Team Aqua submarines equipped with the same technology could receive them; other devices could not even pick them up, let alone decipher them.
Not only that, these pulses could also drive away wild Pokémon.
"Captain, these are the recruits."
Xingye, another member of the STREAM-E Team, was also dressed in a sailor uniform. He addressed the cold-faced man beside him respectfully.
Behind him stood a group of Team Aqua recruits, their heads lowered submissively, their eyes full of curiosity and caution.
Shinhara, the STREAM-E Team's field captain, glanced at the scars on his wrist, a shadow crossing his eyes. They were a "souvenir" left by a talking Meowth, and one of the reasons he had been forced to flee back in disgrace.
His gaze slowly rose. "Ah, the usual procedure."
Snap!
Shinhara snapped his fingers.
Four E Team members immediately stepped forward inside the cramped cabin, each accompanied by a Crawdaunt.
The meter-tall red lobsters raised their cannon-like claws and aimed them at the recruits. Blue pulses gradually gathered within them.
"What is this?!"
"Mr. Xingye?"
Panic swept through the recruits, and fear quickly filled their eyes.
"You now have two choices. First, hand over your Poké Balls and submit to an inspection. Second..."
Shinhara pointed at the scenery beyond the cabin window. "Play a little underwater escape game."
Then Xingye smiled and added a remark that shattered the recruits' last defenses.
"Do you know why we're staying here? Because with one stab, we don't even have to find somewhere to dump the body. The Sharpedo outside leave nothing behind when they eat."
Rustle, rustle, rustle—