Hannah fell silent after listening, clearly deep in thought.
"I understand now. Thank you."
Floyd and Rento both shook their heads, admitting they hadn't gathered anything useful.
Armin watched the three of them quietly.
His own Main Quest had already changed—
Expose five moles within Team Rocket.
And right now, standing in front of him…
Were three.
His fingers tapped lightly against the desk.
"You've made progress on your Main Quests?" he asked casually.
Hannah nodded honestly.
Floyd and Rento hesitated, their eyes flickering.
"Not yet."
Armin rolled his eyes.
"I suggest you finish them as soon as possible."
Floyd frowned. "What do you mean?"
Armin shook his head lightly.
"If I explain it, you might panic. Better not."
Rento snorted in disbelief.
But Floyd didn't press further.
He fell into thought.
Armin immediately showed them the door.
-----
Later that night, Armin lay in bed.
Mimikyu slept beside his pillow, breathing softly.
But Armin couldn't sleep.
Dr. Fuji's words echoed in his mind.
"I once took Amber to Vermilion City to see the sea… but it's all docks and cargo ships now."
Yet Amber had said she had never left the estate.
She didn't even know what the ocean looked like.
There were only two possibilities.
One—
Amber had lost her memory.
Two—
The girl wasn't the real Amber.
And then there was something else.
The fear in her eyes when she looked at Dr. Fuji.
From what Armin had seen, Dr. Fuji wasn't the type of father to physically abuse his daughter.
Unless—
During an episode, he couldn't distinguish friend from foe.
Armin couldn't make sense of it.
Tomorrow, he would probe Ariana for more information.
He shifted in bed, accidentally waking Mimikyu.
It let out a soft, drowsy murmur.
Armin's heart melted instantly.
He gently patted it.
"Go back to sleep."
-----
The next morning, Armin headed straight to Ariana's office.
She was eating breakfast when he arrived.
"This is the first time you've come to me voluntarily," she remarked, slightly surprised. "What happened? Did Dr. Fuji try to stab you?"
Armin twitched.
"Do you know the exact details about Dr. Fuji's daughter?"
Ariana raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Just curious. I want to know what kind of girl he keeps talking about."
She finished her seafood porridge, stood, and rummaged through a drawer.
Moments later, she tossed him a photograph.
Armin caught it.
The girl in the photo had long pale-blue hair and wore a white dress.
She stood on the deck of a cruise ship.
Behind her stretched endless blue sea and bright skies.
Wingull fluttered nearby, pecking at bread in her hand.
She was laughing.
Radiant.
"That's Amber," Ariana said lightly. "I met her before. Very cute child. But she died of illness two years ago."
Armin stared at the photo.
It was the same face.
Exactly the same.
"Where is she buried?" he asked quietly. "I'd like to visit."
Ariana eyed him suspiciously.
"If she weren't dead, I'd think you had questionable preferences."
Still, she gave him the address.
As he left, she reminded him:
"Be back before noon. Dr. Fuji will pick you up. And don't forget—tomorrow is the Dragon-type Pokémon Festival. We'll all be attending."
Armin glanced back.
"Since when does Team Rocket enjoy festivals?"
Ariana smiled faintly.
"We normally don't. This one's special."
She didn't elaborate.
She didn't need to.
Lance would be there.
And Team Rocket rarely missed opportunities.
Armin sighed internally.
Villains who stir up chaos at public events rarely end well.
He had no intention of ending up in a police station.
-----
Meanwhile—
At the estate.
Amber sat at the breakfast table with Dr. Fuji.
She hesitated, remembering what Armin had said about the ocean.
"Daddy… can I go see the sea someday? I've never seen it."
Dr. Fuji's knife clinked sharply against porcelain.
He looked up.
A smile stretched across his face.
"Of course—"
Then suddenly—
His expression darkened violently.
"Who told you that?!" he roared. "I already told you I took you to see the sea! How could you forget so quickly?!"
Amber's face drained of color.
His eyes grew harsh.
"Don't forget your identity. You're only a copy."
His pupils unfocused.
He staggered to his feet and grabbed her throat.
"No… you're not my Amber… my Amber is dead… who are you? WHO ARE YOU?!"
Amber's face turned red as her breathing faltered.
Just when she thought she would die—
He let go.
The forty-year-old man collapsed to the floor, hands covering his face.
"I'm sorry, Amber… I'm so sorry…"
Amber gasped for air.
"Daddy… who am I?"
She remembered her birth.
She had not come from a mother's womb.
She had awakened in green liquid.
The first thing she saw—
Was this man smiling tearfully.
"You are Amber. I am your father."
Dr. Fuji forced a smile.
"Don't say silly things. Of course you're my Amber."
He stood, silently cleaning the table.
Before leaving for work, he paused at the door.
"Rest well. I'll bring Brother Armin this afternoon."
After he left, Amber stood weakly.
She walked down the long hallway to the room Armin had seen before.
She released all the Pokémon from their Poké Balls.
Squirtle.
Bulbasaur.
Charmander.
They surrounded her quietly.
Amber picked up a Charmander and gently traced the black number on its tail.
She whispered softly—
"We're the same, aren't we?"
Her voice trembled.
The number read:
07
…
The ocean existed.
The memories did not.
And somewhere in Celadon City—
A grave waited.