The speedboat raced across the sea, leaving two long wakes behind it.
Just as Shuichi had said, his handling really was excellent. The boat ran steadily, rarely pitching violently. He was clearly a seasoned speedboat driver.
Of course, the favorable weather deserved some credit too.
Compared with when they had come here before, both the sky and the sea were calm now, making it ideal weather for traveling and sparing them some of the jolting.
The sea breeze blew over them, and wild Pokémon occasionally leaped out of the water. But everyone's thoughts were on the coming operation, leaving them in no mood to talk, let alone admire the scenery on either side.
Brrrr...
The speedboat's motor droned on.
Before long, the speedboat stopped at the harbor of Chong Island's only town. After disembarking, Xia You and the others followed Shuichi straight into a dive supplies shop.
Despite its remote location, this coastal town had everything they needed.
Looking over the dazzling assortment of equipment, Xia You paid for a diving mask and a portable oxygen tank for each of them.
All of them could swim. Ash and Misty in particular were excellent swimmers and could hold their breath underwater for a long time. With their Pokémon helping too, they would hardly need any other equipment as long as they could keep breathing.
Still, to make communication easier, he also bought several writing boards designed for underwater communication and handed them out.
When it came time to pay, the shopkeeper, who knew Shuichi well, gave them a discount without compromising on quality. With Xia You's current finances, that little bit hardly mattered to him, but it still saved him a fair amount of money.
After saying goodbye to the shopkeeper, they left the shop. While they still had a signal