If it was only about taking them away, he wouldn't have been so surprised, but those Gyarados had intelligence beyond his imagination, they even knew how to destroy the controllers on their heads.
Watching the monitor screen turn into black and white static, Vegapunk, wearing a tag with the number 2 on his chest, stroked his chin. His previously calm expression now showed a bit of interest, evident from the curve of his upturned lips.
He tapped carelessly on the keyboard in front of him, causing massive changes within the workspace, and outside defenses increased significantly as well.
Based on his past research on Gyarados, these creatures should hold grudges easily. In that case, they were likely to come back for revenge.
Vegapunk's hypothesis wasn't fundamentally wrong, but he underestimated the evolutionary potential of the creatures.
In the distant deep sea, the two Gyarados that regained their freedom let out angry roars, similar sounds had previously drawn in other Gyarados.
If it was only according to the Gyarados' instincts, they indeed would immediately retaliate, but these two didn't receive their companions' recognition and instead, one of their heads was thumped by a broad tail.
Through the murky seawater, a red Gyarados could be seen.
Since Arceus modified Magikarp, they had spread across the Four Seas. Within such a large population, there were some special individuals emerging among them, like the golden Magikarp.
Apart from the original gigantic Magikarp modified by Arceus, these Magikarp were all descendants, remembering only one command from Arceus: search, return, report.
Yet, this Magikarp seemed to have reverted to its ancestral type. Arceus's command had a deeper influence, and its individuality became unique. It was smarter than typical Gyarados and was a special one that had seen Arceus during a pilgrimage.
Facing such a unique Gyarados, Arceus also enhanced it, giving it an edge over others.
"Roar!"
Under the coercion of this red Gyarados, the other two obediently followed it away. This is the Gyarados tribe mentality: the powerful ones naturally lead. This red Gyarados was larger and stronger, thus able to command them.
Before leaving, it even left a pheromone belonging to the Gyarados tribe on the reefs of this sea area, warning other Gyarados to steer clear of this dangerous place. It also memorized the island's location, planning to report everything in the next pilgrimage.
Then another roar echoed, and this group of Gyarados completely vanished from the waters as their pilgrimage day approached.
As for whether Gyarados from other seas might be captured and brought here or mistake their way in, that's no longer its concern. Although smarter than others, that was almost its limit.
...
"Roar~ Roar~"
A period later, in the seas near Wano Kuni, with the last Gyarados diving into the water, this year's pilgrimage concluded, and Arceus received this piece of information.
"Queen, from the position of Wano Kuni, swim east for twelve days at the speed of Gyarados, then head south for a month, and mark that location."
"Lord Arceus, what is this?"
"It might be one of Vegapunk's research facilities. Haven't you heard? Although it's not necessary to take any action now, who knows in the future."
"No, I haven't. Even though we're in the same research team, we're only team members. That guy Vegapunk has the most secrets, and the current facility might even be provided by the World Government."
Queen didn't ask Arceus how he knew about this since he was already used to such matters. Though he's somewhat of a scientist, he's witnessed too many theological wonders.
Simply put, Pokemon, creatures that surpass biological logic, are mystical enough.
Meanwhile, Setsuna, who had entrusted Zou's trivial matters to Hichugiskhan, also returned from a new honeymoon trip with Zeraora.
They were already back in their new home in Kuri. The house wasn't very large but was cozy, while Perona also moved into the basement.
It wasn't that Setsuna and Zeraora mistreated her, but she simply liked the basement's environment, decorating it like a little princess's room.
[February 7th, 1508, Snow
Though married, I haven't felt that particular feeling mom talked about, maybe when we have children I'll understand, but raising Perona doesn't feel burdensome either.
Perhaps because she's not my own. But when will I have my own?
Hichugiskhan urges me to return once a month to officially take the position of Duke, but for now, I still don't want to. People's dreams surely change as they grow up.]
With more exposure, some people's dreams change, yet some hold steadfast. Setsuna couldn't say she completely didn't want to become a king, but felt she wasn't ready to bear such great responsibility yet.
[I miss the carefree days of childhood, but things now don't seem that bad...]
Glancing at Zeraora outside the window, Setsuna closed her notebook again. The habit of years of journaling had become second nature to her; few could keep it up. Even the Hundred Beasts Pirates would ask Setsuna for details about important matters they forgot.
Because flipping through her diary might reveal some details.
However, another event occurred this year: Nico Robin turned 16. At this age in the pirate world, it's akin to adulthood, and it was the time for her to leave as per the agreement.
According to the prior agreement, she would now leave Wano Kuni to explore some ruins and such. Her status wasn't registered with the World Government, nor was she a wanted pirate, so she was free to pursue these activities through normal channels.
Having experienced the world's dark sides since age 8, roaming among various forces, this was already a good life for her. She chose to set sail on her own volition. While she seemed inclined to transition into a Pokemon Professor, she's essentially still a history researcher.
Moreover, both the missing Poneglyph and Plates possibly sealed in some ruins needed a more professional person to handle them.
A few days ago, she talked to Yamato about this, but after that, Yamato seemed to vanish until today, when she was about to set sail, and saw the battered Yamato again.
"What... happened to you?"
"It's nothing, I went to ask my father for something. Come with me, I'll have Smeargle draw something for you."