“Forget it, Ash! The contest is over!” Brock stepped in to stop the impulsive Ash, but his friend still looked ready to argue.

“You lose the moment you get hot-headed without thinking about the situation!” Gary mocked, though a hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes. He was frustrated that Ash still had such a short temper; how could he ever hope to keep up with him and Red?

Meanwhile, to get revenge for Old Man Pop’s success, Brutella had specifically repaired Team Rocket’s mechanical Gyarados. She ordered the trio to destroy the beauty pageant, promising them a huge reward. This way, she could effortlessly seize all of Old Man Pop’s savings.

“Leave the fake Gyarados to us. Everyone, please stay calm and don’t panic!” Ash picked up the microphone and said calmly, surprising Gary, who had been about to make a move himself.

“Let’s see what you’ve got, Ash,” Gary said with a smirk, deciding to witness firsthand how much his rival had grown.

“The missiles Team Rocket fired must be heat-seeking!” Brock deduced. Hearing this, Ash spun his hat around and threw out two Poké Balls. “Pidgeotto, Charmander! I choose you!”

Pidgeotto grabbed Charmander’s shoulder and flew swiftly toward the approaching missiles. Under Ash’s command, Charmander unleashed a torrent of fire. Engulfed by the flames, the missiles’ internal systems were destroyed, and they unexpectedly turned around, flying directly back at the mechanical Gyarados.

“Is this that scene again?!” the Team Rocket trio cried in unison.

To avoid being hit, they frantically maneuvered their machine and fled, coincidentally crashing right into Brutella’s restaurant. The resulting explosion destroyed her establishment, and the three of them, charred black, were sent blasting off again.

“What a terrible feeling!” they screamed as they vanished into a twinkle in the sky.

The beauty pageant ended perfectly. Ash and his friends bid farewell to Old Man Pop, who had repaid his debts and was now ready to travel the world and fulfill his dreams. Delia held the champion trophy from the pageant, as well as a commemorative photo of herself with her two sons, Red and Ash, and the Golden Pidgeot.

To prepare for the battle with the giant Tentacruel, Red temporarily accompanied Ash and his friends to their next destination. Delia and Professor Oak watched them leave from the shore.

“In the end, those two boys didn’t even look back,” Professor Oak sighed.

“It’s okay. This is fine. They all have their own journeys to take,” Delia said, looking fondly at the photo in her hand. “Besides, we already have a beautiful memory.”

The clear blue sky, the white clouds, the boundless sea—Red and his friends, having woken up late and missed the boat, could only watch helplessly as the connecting ship pulled away, leaving them stranded. This was Hutber Port, the only port with a ferry to the mainland.

Although Red had a habit of waking at six every morning, he had intentionally relaxed for a day to justify being late, allowing his Pokémon to rest and recuperate. They needed to be in peak condition to face the coming threat. Ash and his friends, not being in the same room, didn’t notice anything strange. Now, they had to wait patiently for three hours until the next ship arrived.

“Pikachu! Pika!” Just then, Pikachu pointed at the sea and cried out. A Horsea had appeared on the water’s surface.

“It’s a Horsea, how cute!” Misty said excitedly, her fondness for Water-type Pokémon showing.

“Alright, let’s check it out!” Ash immediately pulled out his Pokédex. “Horsea, the Dragon Pokémon. It lays thousands of eggs every spring, and the male Horsea is responsible for raising them. It’s a very rare Pokémon!”

“It looks like it’s injured!” Brock said, pointing.

The Horsea in the water cried pitifully. It had a nasty black eye and looked utterly miserable.

(Since this little guy has appeared, that means…)

Red stood silently to the side, watching. He had been waiting for this. Now he could begin to prepare for the upcoming battle with the super-giant Tentacruel.

The Horsea used its ink to draw patterns of Tentacool and Tentacruel on the sea, trying to warn Ash and his friends about what was going to happen. However, the group was so focused on the Horsea’s injuries that they couldn’t decipher the message.

Just as Misty was about to catch the Horsea to treat it, a ship exploded out on the water not far away. Crew members were forced to abandon the sinking vessel. Misty, eager to help, quickly sent out her Pokémon. Staryu, Starmie, and Goldeen swam vigorously forward to rescue those who had fallen into the water. Ash and Brock found a small boat and headed to the explosion site to help, while the Horsea hid in the shadows, silently watching them…

“P-paralyzed…” a rescued crew member stammered.

“Paralysis? It seems they were attacked by Pokémon in the water,” Red said leisurely.

His statement was quickly refuted by Misty. In her view, most Water-type Pokémon were kind and would not actively attack humans. Hearing this, the image of his own Blood-Red Gyarados inexplicably appeared in Red’s mind, but he didn’t argue. Misty wasn’t wrong. If humans hadn’t wantonly plundered the Tentacool’s habitat, they would not have attacked.

“Hurry… inform the president…”

Following the crew member’s guidance, Red and his companions left in a small boat. Deep underwater, several Tentacool lingered.

‘What should we do? That human in red seems to be a strong one,’ a seemingly older Tentacool communicated worriedly. Its experience made it sense the powerful aura emanating from Red.

‘So what? Humans are destroying our homes! We must retaliate!’ a young Tentacool pulsed angrily, showing no regret.

‘It’s a pity we didn’t find that Horsea who snitched. Otherwise, it would have to be severely punished!’ another added furiously. Their tribe’s plan for revenge couldn’t be exposed by that tattletale.

“I am the president! I heard you saved my employees. Thank you so much!”

Soon, the group arrived at a luxurious office. The person who appeared before them was the president of the development company—Brutella, the cousin of the one they had met in Porta Vista. This Brutella was even more extravagant than the last, surrounded by young male assistants.

“So, what do you want from us?” Red frowned.

“I want to build a tourist resort here that surpasses Porta Vista!” Brutella explained, gazing at the resort being constructed out on the water.

“Oh, that’s the one on the sea!” Misty reacted.

“Of course! That’s the biggest landmark! The super-luxurious sea hotel, Paradise Resort!” Brutella proudly began to boast. “The ace of aces is the honeymoon suite surrounded by the world’s most beautiful coral! But…” Her face turned gloomy. “Those annoying Tentacool keep obstructing my construction!”

“You took away their home, and you don’t allow them to retaliate?” Red scoffed. “According to League regulations, your offshore construction is an illegal expansion. Where did you get the nerve to build it?”

“This…” Brutella was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a knowledgeable young man. She quickly readjusted. “I only dared to build the resort after getting permission from the local mayor!”

(It seems this place being submerged is not entirely without reason…)

Red coldly pressed his hat down. No wonder they dared to build so extensively; they had permission from the local government. It seemed the entire town was corrupt.

“Because of those Tentacool, all the tourists have gone to Porta Vista! Why do such annoying things exist in the world!” Brutella complained.

“Tentacool are not annoying creatures!” Misty retorted, not allowing anyone to insult her beloved Water-type Pokémon.

“You guys… since you use Pokémon to save people, how about helping me drive away the Tentacool?” Brutella invited. “Of course, I won’t let you work for free. If you succeed, you can enjoy the world’s most luxurious dinners for a year, as much as you like, plus a million-dollar bonus and a year’s worth of hotel accommodation vouchers!”

She tried to tempt them but found no one was swayed. Instead, Ash just quipped, “That’s it? It’s not even as much as my big brother earns!”

***

(End of Chapter)

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