Giovanni's breathing grew somewhat rapid, but his mind was calmer than ever.
He looked at the silver deity hovering in the air. There was not a trace of fear in his heart; instead, a fierce desire to conquer surged within him.
This was what he wanted: power that stood above everything.
"Attention, all units."
Giovanni's voice traveled clearly through the internal communications system to every warship and every team member's ears.
"Maintain silence. Do not make any aggressive moves."
"Technical department, activate the highest-level energy analysis program immediately. Record every piece of data on Lugia for me."
Rather than retreating, he treated this confrontation with a deity as a perfect opportunity to collect data.
Elsewhere, Lorelei also recovered from her initial shock.
She immediately realized that this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
A perfect opportunity to use a deity's power to strike at Team Rocket.
"Lapras, get ready."
Lorelei kept her voice very low as she tried to establish a mental link with her most trusted partner.
She wanted to try communicating with the legendary sea god, to explain the Pokémon League's position and define Team Rocket as an evil force that disrupted the world's balance.
Yet Lugia showed no interest in either group of humans with their hidden agendas.
It did not even spare them another glance.
Its deep eyes, as vast as the ocean, slowly settled on the small altar at the center of the island.
On the insignificant figure holding a replica of the "Sea Flute," almost unable to move beneath the deity's overwhelming pressure.
Ye Li.
Lugia's gaze crossed the distance between them and met Ye Li's eyes precisely.
At that moment, Ye Li felt as though his soul had been pulled from his body.
He saw a boundless, deep-blue ocean.
He heard an ancient melody