The Team Aqua's branch they were dealing with wasn't on land but hidden near the sea. Yuga's team traveled through towns like Lavaridge and Fallarbor, eventually reaching the coastal area.
Following Arata Yuuto's description, Yuga's group quickly located an entrance near the waterfront, guarded by two soldiers wearing Team Aqua uniforms.
"How do we get in?" Liliana asked, frowning as she looked at the two guards by the entrance.
Yuga pondered for a moment before saying, "Leave it to me."
As Yuga spoke, a Gengar appeared by his side, and then he disappeared before everyone's eyes.
Witnessing Yuga vanish into thin air, both Liliana and Steven were greatly surprised.
Steven remarked, "Hey, are you still here?"
Yuga replied, "I'm right here!"
Steven clicked his tongue, "Such a miraculous ability. I've said it before; you should have joined our Procesutor Bureau. Your ability is incredibly convenient."
Steven had never seen Yuga's Gengar before and was intrigued by its unique ability, prompting his admiration.
Yuga said, "Let's not dwell on that. I'll go ahead; you two follow."
In no time, Liliana and Steven saw the two guards at the entrance slump over.
With a quick exchange of glances, Liliana and Steven led the other officers stealthily toward the entrance of the Team Aqua branch.
After incapacitating the guards, Yuga continued to advance deeper into the facility.
Upon careful observation, it was evident that this Team Aqua branch was built underwater. Beyond the entrance was a long underwater corridor, and from inside, one could see Water-type Pokémon swimming about.
From the construction of this branch, it was clear that Team Aqua had invested significant effort into it.
The security force within the branch was quite formidable. Yuga took care several guards to allow the others to sneak in unnoticed.
Yuga, thanks to his invisibility ability, didn't accompany the main group. Instead, he ventured deeper into the facility on his own.
The entrance to this branch was separate from the corridor leading further inside. After dealing with the guards who couldn't see him, the facility became eerily quiet.
However, this Team Aqua branch was equipped with many detection devices and alarms. Fortunately, Gengar was very sharp and alert, spotting them all.
Once they were inside, they entered a large door, and Steven's Metagross, with its superior processing power, opened it. This indicated how tight the security was here.
Upon entering the heart of the branch, Yuga separated from the main group, and the others disguised themselves as Team Aqua soldiers, each taking their own path.
Traveling together as a group would have made them too conspicuous and prone to exposure.
Yuga hadn't gone far when he encountered a burly man with a stubble beard, berating a Team Aqua soldier at a corner.
"So, you just abandoned your captain and slinked back?" The burly man's voice boomed, causing the trembling soldier to shiver.
"He acted recklessly on his own. It's not our fault!" The soldier murmured softly.
"You fool! Who gave you the courage to criticize your superior? And you dare to argue at a time !"
After the bearded man finished speaking, he raised his hand and slapped the soldier with a palm the size of a fan, smacking the soldier's face so hard that he saw stars. Stumbling, the soldier fell to the ground.
When the fallen soldier raised his head, one side of his face was swollen, the palm imprint visible in vivid red. Blood trickled from his mouth, and his eyes held a fierce and vengeful glare.
The bearded man, furious that the soldier didn't bow down, kicked him in the stomach, sending the soldier flying until he crashed into a wall. The impact left the soldier writhing on the ground, clutching his abdomen, enduring waves of excruciating pain. He eventually coughed up a considerable amount of blood, indicating the severity of his injuries.
This time, the soldier didn't dare to lift his head, keeping it buried in his chest as he writhed on the ground.
"If Yuuto doesn't return, none of you will escape punishment!" The bearded man declared before leaving, his tone cold.
Hearing the name "Yuuto," Yuga couldn't help but guess: Could this soldier be one of those who abandoned Arata Yuuto and fled?
Not long after the bearded man departed, a group of individuals emerged from somewhere, helping the injured soldier to his feet with concern.
"Mr. Nigra was truly excessive, resorting to such violence against you," one of them scolded the bearded man with gritted teeth.
Coughing and wincing due to the pain, the injured soldier weakly responded, "Cough... Cough... Please, don't say that. He's a superior, and we can't criticize him."
Although he spoke those words, his eyes burned with hatred.
"Enough, let's not talk about it! In the end, it's all Yuuto's fault. If he hadn't obstructed us, Takeshi would have become the captain, and we wouldn't be in this predicament today."
At this point, another person spoke indignantly.
These individuals angrily departed from Yuga's view.
Listening to their conversation, Yuga pieced together the sequence of events. These individuals were likely the ones who had abandoned Arata Yuuto. The person referred to as "Mr. Nigra" must be the superior mentioned by Arata Yuuto.
However, Yuga was puzzled as to why these individuals, who had failed their mission and returned days ago, were only now being held accountable by Mr. Nigra.
Unbeknownst to Yuga, Nigra had been away from the branch for the past few days, visiting headquarters. He had only recently learned about Arata Yuuto's arrest.
Nigra was the captain who had rescued Arata Yuuto all those years ago, and over the past decade, he had risen to a high-ranking position in Team Aqua. His influence and support had played a significant role in Arata Yuuto becoming the captain.
Yuga pondered for a moment and then followed in the direction Nigra had left.
As Nigra held such a prominent position within the branch, following him could potentially yield valuable information.
Yuga didn't go far before catching up to Nigra. At this point, Nigra was proceeding deeper into the Team Aqua branch.
The deeper they ventured, the tighter the security became. Along the way, Yuga encountered numerous Team Aqua members on patrol, but fortunately, his invisibility went unnoticed.
Yuga followed Nigra until they reached the innermost part of the branch.
Based on his observations along the way, Yuga realized that this Team Aqua branch was indeed a crucial location. The sheer number of troops stationed here, likely hundreds, indicated its significance. Such a massive force couldn't be justified for just ordinary location.