Blastoise scratched his head and let out a cheerful laugh.
See? I told you I was a genius.
Roy watched his Pokémon celebrating and couldn't help but smile along.
Through his Aura powers, Roy sensed another Pokémon approaching. He turned to look in that direction.
A purple head emerged from the sea, followed by a massive purple shell rising from the water.
Roy's heart skipped a beat—for a moment, he thought Sharpedo had snuck back for revenge.
"I didn't expect it to be you," Roy said.
He crouched down by the water's edge to speak with Tapu Fini.
Tapu Fini kept half of its face submerged in the sea, creating bubbles that rose to the surface.
"B..."
I sensed the dominant aura from the battle and came to investigate.
"You felt that too? I'm sorry if we disturbed you," Roy said apologetically.
Roy figured that the intense battle between Blastoise and Sharpedo must have created disturbances in the ocean depths that reached Tapu Fini's territory.
Given Tapu Fini's reclusive nature, it was unusual for the guardian deity to deliberately surface just to say something.
Tapu Fini's calm blue eyes gazed at Roy, and it shook its head without expression.
Roy's thoughts drifted to Caroline for a moment. She must be training somewhere with her Pokémon in Alola's spiritual realm right now.
"Can I ask you for a favor?" Roy asked.
Seeing the rare appearance of Tapu Fini, Roy suddenly remembered his earlier training plans for Electivire.
Perhaps he could ask Tapu Fini for assistance?
Tapu Fini's face remained expressionless, but beneath the water's surface, its hands clasped together anxiously.
This human isn't going to ask for something strange, is he?
Would it be rude if I just left right now?
Should I go find Tapu Koko instead...
In an instant, Tapu Fini's anxious mind—plagued by social anxiety—raced through countless reasons to reject whatever Roy might ask.
Even though Roy hadn't actually made his request yet, Tapu Fini's hands were already clasped together nervously beneath the waves.
Through his Aura powers, Roy could sense the tension and resistance radiating from the guardian deity. The feelings caught him off guard.
It was an emotion he'd never encountered before in a Pokémon.
Every Pokémon Roy had met was either friendly toward him or openly hostile if they intended harm. There was never this uncomfortable middle ground.
So when such strong feelings of resistance reached him through his Aura, Roy found himself hesitating.
Tapu Fini's face showed absolutely no emotion, as if it was completely indifferent to whatever Roy might say next.
If not for his Aura powers, Roy would never have realized what the guardian deity was truly feeling.
An awkward silence hung in the air, but Tapu Fini didn't leave. It simply continued watching Roy quietly.
In fact, from a certain perspective, this reluctant lingering was itself a sign of Tapu Fini's good impression of Roy.
After all, if it were any other human, Tapu Fini probably wouldn't have surfaced at all.
Roy recalled what he knew about Tapu Fini from the anime. The guardian deity was known for being a gentle soul who disliked fighting.
Many humans had come to challenge the mist surrounding Tapu Fini's territory, seeking the special purifying water that could cleanse body and mind.
After driving away those humans, Tapu Fini must have felt some relief in its heart.
Roy let out a quiet sigh, realizing the difficult position he was in.
What he had wanted to ask—requesting that Tapu Fini help Electivire train through battle—was clearly inappropriate.
So Roy smiled warmly and decided to respect Tapu Fini's feelings.
"It's nothing important. I just wanted to say your eyes are beautiful."
Tapu Fini's hands moved quickly, and it dove directly into the deep sea without another word.
Roy was caught completely off guard by Tapu Fini's sudden departure. Seawater splashed up and soaked his face.
"Ah... I guess I upset it," Roy muttered.
But he didn't take it to heart. He figured he'd find an opportunity to properly apologize to Tapu Fini later.
Standing up and brushing the sand from his clothes, Roy returned to supervising his Pokémon's training.
He'd need to check on Solgaleo soon too. Ever since returning to Alola's spiritual realm, Roy had been incredibly busy.
Since they first met as Cosmog, he and Solgaleo had never been separated for such a long period of time.
Now that Roy's various responsibilities were finally getting organized, he had a bit more free time.
Maybe while his Pokémon were doing their daily training, he could spend some time playing with Solgaleo.
Meanwhile, in the deep ocean, a purple and blue figure descended rapidly through the water.
The sudden movement disturbed several lazy sea Pokémon that had been drifting peacefully with the current.
After recognizing that it was Tapu Fini, the disturbance sparked excited chatter among the water-type Pokémon.
Tentacruel: Isn't that our guardian deity? Where's it going in such a hurry?
Gorebyss: Something important must be happening!
Feebas: Everyone run! Malamar is coming back!
The peace-loving Pokémon scattered immediately, swimming away as fast as they could.
Thanks to Malamar's sudden attack, none of the fleeing Pokémon noticed that Tapu Fini's normally expressionless face was now flushed red.
Though even if they had looked, Tapu Fini's black-colored skin made it nearly impossible to see the blush anyway.
The guardian deity's purple and blue dorsal fin wobbled erratically, betraying its owner's inner turmoil.
Tapu Fini raised its right hand slightly. A blue light reflected in its eyes and gathered in the palm of its hand.
The deep seawater suddenly began churning as Tapu Fini raised its hand higher.
Currents that had been completely still on the ocean floor became violently turbulent in an instant.
At this moment, under the control of the sea's guardian deity, the ocean revealed its true ferocious nature.
This Malamar had chosen the worst possible time to attack. When it arrived, not only did Feebas's warning rob it of an easy meal, but now it faced something far worse.
By sheer misfortune, Malamar had appeared precisely when Tapu Fini desperately needed to release some pent-up emotions.
Before Malamar could react or even stop its pursuing charge, it felt its body become completely unresponsive.
Malamar: ?
What's happening?
Malamar spread its tentacles frantically. The green hair-like appendages on its head swayed uncontrollably.
Malamar couldn't even control the frequency of their movement anymore.
Malamar's body wasn't small by any means—its size was part of why it had gotten away with causing trouble for so long.
But now, caught in the ocean's powerful currents, Malamar's body instantly went rigid. It couldn't maintain its normal posture or change position at all.
Malamar tried desperately to control its tentacles, attempting to grab onto something—anything—for stability.
But the massive, violent currents kept pushing its body backward, away from anything it might use as an anchor.