Ash’s group continued their journey.
That day, they arrived at the seaside as the sun was setting.
At that moment, Ash was facing off against a Krabby.
The salty sea breeze swept up fine sand, pulling thousands of golden-red threads through the light of the sunset.
The sturdy Krabby waved its large pincers.
Its shell looked like burning red copper beneath the afterglow, and its claws opened and closed with threatening clicking sounds.
“Butterfree, use Sleep Powder!” Ash called.
The moment his command fell, Butterfree flapped its wings, scattering fine pale-blue powder.
Krabby’s eyes slowly closed, and it collapsed onto the beach, fast asleep.
“Go, Poké Ball!”
The Poké Ball struck Krabby’s shell with perfect accuracy.
After sucking Krabby inside, the ball shook violently, its red indicator light flickering on and off.
After the third shake, the Poké Ball went still with a ding.
Ash picked up the slightly warm Poké Ball, rubbing his thumb over the sea salt crystals still clinging to its surface.
“Krabby, welcome aboard.
From now on, we’re partners!”
The sunset dyed the waves orange.
Misty brushed sand from her hair.
“Ash, it’s getting late.
We should find a place to rest.”
Her gaze swept over the darkening horizon, where a few fishing lights were beginning to glow in the distance.
Ash, however, looked toward a faint point of light at the top of a distant cliff.
The corner of his mouth lifted into a confident smile.
He raised his hand and pointed toward the white lighthouse piercing through the twilight.
“Look at that lighthouse.”
“A lighthouse?
What about it?” Misty followed his gesture and looked over.
The glass prism at the top of the lighthouse refracted tiny fragments of light, flickering between the rolling clouds.
“There’s a Pokémon researcher living in that lighthouse.
His name is Bill.” Ash slipped both hands into his pockets.
Recalling the past made his tone unconsciously lighter.
“I helped him solve some strange incidents at Mt.
Moon before, and we did research together.
We’re pretty familiar with each other.
Let’s stay with him for the night.”
The group walked forward beneath the last rays of the setting sun.
The night was as dark as ink, gradually swallowing the final trace of light on the horizon.
Ash, Misty, and Brock finally arrived at Bill’s lighthouse.
The sea wind howled against the outer walls, making a low, mournful sound.
Ash raised his hand and pressed the doorbell by the entrance.
The crisp ring echoed through the silent night.
“Who is it?” A young man’s voice came through the intercom.
“Mr.
Bill, it’s me, Ash,” Ash leaned closer to the intercom and answered loudly.
“Oh, Ash!” Bill’s surprised voice came through the speaker, his tone carrying a hint of pleasant shock.
“We’re traveling and happened to pass by.
Would it be all right if we bothered you for one night?” Ash asked politely.
“Of course.
Come in.” The moment he finished speaking, the door slowly opened with a creak.
The three entered the lighthouse.
It was pitch black inside, with only a vague figure visible in a distant seat.
Relying on his memory, Ash groped around and found the light switch.
With a snap, the lights turned on.
When everyone looked carefully, they could not help sucking in a breath.
Standing before them was a huge figure.
It was actually a Kabuto.
“That’s…” Misty’s eyes widened, her mouth falling open in surprise, her gaze full of disbelief.
“That looks like Kabuto, an extinct fossil Pokémon,” Brock said, his tone carrying a trace of doubt.
“No, that’s a Pokémon costume designed by Mr.
Bill,” Ash explained helplessly, shaking his head as the corner of his mouth twitched.
“Ash, stop explaining and come help me!
Kabuto’s arms are too short, and I can’t reach the release switch.
The switch is here!” Bill’s anxious voice came from inside the Kabuto costume, carrying both helplessness and a plea for rescue.
Ash quickly stepped forward, searched around the Kabuto suit, and pressed the button.
With a click, the Kabuto costume slowly opened, and a green-haired man appeared before them.
“Ah, I’m saved.” Bill let out a long breath, relief written all over his face.
Fine beads of sweat still clung to his forehead.
“I mean, Mr.
Bill, why are you always like this?” Ash spread his hands helplessly, his face caught between laughter and exasperation.
Bill rubbed his sore shoulders and led everyone to the round table inside the lighthouse.
Bill was just about to speak when his stomach gave an untimely growl.
Ash and Pikachu exchanged a look, then laughed at the same time.
“Now that you mention it, we haven’t eaten dinner yet,” Misty said, rubbing her stomach.
“Leave it to me!” Brock had already tied on an apron with practiced ease and headed toward the kitchen.
“Wow!
Seafood curry rice!” Misty leaned close to the pot, watching the thick sauce bubble as shrimp, scallops, and chunks of potato rolled inside.
Bill brought out his treasured shell cups and filled them with chilled coconut milk.
“As expected, Ash’s friends are all amazing!
Last time I tried cooking, I blew up the kitchen…”
His words were interrupted by the sudden ring of a timer.
Brock lifted the lid, and the aroma instantly filled the entire lighthouse.
Everyone sat together and enjoyed a wonderful meal.
…
After dinner, Misty rested her chin on her hand and asked curiously, “Dr.
Bill, I heard from Ash that you’re stationed at this lighthouse because of a very mysterious Pokémon.
What kind of Pokémon is it?”
Bill set down his shell cup.
The metal spoon touched the porcelain plate with a soft clink.
He looked out the window at the rolling mist, his lashes casting faint shadows beneath his eyes.
“Mm.
To be honest, I don’t know what kind of Pokémon it is either.”
“It happened one night when the fog was so thick that visibility was less than five meters.
I was returning to the lighthouse by speedboat when I suddenly heard a long, distant cry.” He paused, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing the rim of his cup.
“At first, I thought it was the sound of the sea.
But later, whenever it was foggy, that voice would always appear right on time.”
Brock pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the flickering candlelight.
That really is unusual.”
“Exactly.” Bill nodded, his throat moving slightly.
“Then, one stormy night, I glimpsed a figure through the telescope.
It looked like the outline of a Pokémon, but the instant the lightning faded, it disappeared.”
His voice suddenly softened.
“After that, I began recording the frequency of its cries and analyzing the sound wave patterns…”
He stood and pulled a notebook from the shelf.
Between densely packed formulas were rough sketches.
“Every time I heard that sound, I could feel…”
His fingertip traced one of the wave patterns.
“An indescribable loneliness.
As if it were trapped in this stretch of sea, unable to find its kind and unable to find its way.”
Misty asked, “So that’s why you stayed here?
You want to find it?”
“Yes.” Bill looked out at the stormy sea.
Ash nodded in understanding.
“Even if there’s only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, Mr.
Bill wants to tell it that, in this vast sea, there is someone willing to listen to its voice.”
…
At midnight, the sea wind rushed toward them, carrying a salty, fishy scent.
When Ash and the others climbed to the top of the lighthouse, thick fog had already wrapped the surface of the sea in layer upon layer like cotton.
Moonlight pierced the fog, casting a hazy glow across the deck.
Pikachu and Eevee curled uneasily on Ash’s shoulders.
“Oh, the fog has already rolled in?
Good.
Time to get to work!” Bill’s green hair was blown into a mess by the wind, but his eyes burned with excitement.
He darted into the control room.
Through the glass window, they could see him moving back and forth in front of a control panel covered in indicator lights.
Bzzzt—
A harsh current suddenly sounded, and the six giant speakers on the deck trembled at the same time.
Bill stared at the flashing data screen while humming an off-key tune.
Every now and then, he grabbed the intercom and shouted, “Ash!
Help me check the angle of speaker number three!”
Misty stood on tiptoe and looked out, noticing that the speaker’s mouth was aimed toward the densest area of fog over the sea.
Strange silver ripples appeared there from time to time.
“This is simulating the cry frequency of that mysterious Pokémon?” Brock asked, looking at the constantly changing spectrogram.
Without turning back, Bill gave him a thumbs-up.
“Exactly!
When I analyzed the sound waves last time, I discovered that foggy weather is when it’s most active!”
He suddenly slammed a red button, and a deafening long cry erupted from the speakers.
The sound was deep and ethereal, like a whale’s lament.
The speakers continued to emit the simulated cry of the mysterious Pokémon, echoing through the night sky.
But aside from stirring up layers of waves, there was no other movement.
Bill’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper.
Fine sweat beaded on his forehead, and his fingers tapped unconsciously against the control panel.
Misty and Brock looked out at the sea, their eyes filled with a mix of expectation and disappointment.
Ash, however, narrowed his eyes slightly.
A faint blue light flickered around him.
He had kept his Aura active the entire time.
He could clearly feel a powerful and unfamiliar Aura approaching from the depths of the fog.
At the same time, he also caught a familiar Aura fluctuation near the cliff.
It was the Team Rocket trio.
“As expected, they’re here to cause trouble again.” Ash gritted his teeth, displeasure flashing through his eyes.
He quickly took out a Poké Ball.
White light flashed, and Pidgeotto spread its wings and appeared, its sharp cry cutting through the night sky.
“Pidgeotto, go over there and drive away the people getting in the way.” Ash pointed toward the cliff.
“Pidgeot!”
Pidgeotto cried out, then flapped its wings fiercely and shot toward Team Rocket’s location like an arrow released from a bow.
It flew above Team Rocket’s heads and beat its wings violently, using Hurricane.
In an instant, a storm swept up sand, stones, and seawater, surging toward the trio.
“Ah!” Jessie cried out.
Before she could react, she was caught by the fierce wind and sent tumbling through the air.
James was blown all over the place, nearly losing his grip on the Poké Ball in his hand.
Meowth’s fur stood completely on end as he was blown into the air, screaming “Meow, meow!”
“This time, we’re done before we even got to appear!” Jessie shouted midair.
“How did this happen?” James was spun until he was dizzy and disoriented.
He finally managed to steady himself, only for sand and pebbles to get blown into his eyes.
“That rotten little twerp, meow!” Meowth could no longer tell east from west.
“What a nasty feeling, meow!” the three shouted in unison.
Immediately afterward, they were blown far away by the Hurricane and disappeared into the night.
After dealing with Team Rocket’s interference, Ash recalled Pidgeotto and turned his gaze back toward the sea.
The thick fog churned like rolling cotton stirred by an invisible giant hand.
That oppressive Aura made even the air ripple.
Ash’s Aura power trembled violently.
When he looked up, his pupils suddenly contracted.
On the surface of the sea, a massive shadow was slowly emerging through the curtain of fog.
Its enormous body seemed to distort even the moonlight, and the raging waves became tame wherever it passed.
“Rooooar—”
A mournful cry tore through the night sky.
The sound made Misty clutch her chest.
Bill’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the railing.
His telescope had long since locked onto the shadow, and his eyes behind the lenses were full of obsession.
“That’s it!
That voice perfectly matches the frequency I recorded!”
At that moment, the Poké Ball at Ash’s waist suddenly began shaking violently.
White light flashed, and Dratini shot out like a silver ribbon.
The blue scales around its neck glowed faintly, and its usually gentle vertical pupils now burned with a strange light.
“Dratini~”
It raised its head and let out a young cry, as if responding to that mysterious call.
Misty covered her mouth in surprise.
“Why is it…”
“It’s resonance.
Dratini might have some kind of connection to this mysterious Pokémon.” Before Ash could finish speaking, the shadow on the sea had already drawn close.
Ash suddenly spread his arms, and his Aura power turned into a protective shield that enveloped everyone.
The instant the black shadow broke through the water, towering waves charged toward them along with the salty sea wind.
The waves receded like wild horses breaking free, and the splashing water scattered into tiny silver beads in midair.
Before everyone’s eyes, the enormous figure finally revealed its true form.
Everyone could not help sucking in a breath.
Its massive body blocked out the sky, its scales shining beneath the moonlight.
With one gentle flap of its enormous wings, it stirred up a fierce wind that made everyone’s clothes snap loudly.
Its thick tail was like a giant pillar.
A casual sweep was enough to send ripples rolling across the sea.
Dragonite’s eyes were like a pair of huge lanterns, radiating both warmth and majesty.
It lowered its head and looked down at everyone.
The pressure from its enormous body made the air seem to freeze.
Dratini looked especially tiny before it, but still raised its head and cried out.
Bill’s eyes widened, and his voice trembled with excitement.
“This… this is a miracle!
There has never been any record of a Dragonite this enormous!”
Misty tightly gripped Ash’s arm, her eyes full of shock and awe.
“Ash, it…”
Ash took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and slowly stepped forward.
Aura flowed around him as he tried to convey friendly intent to Dragonite.
Dragonite seemed to feel his goodwill.
Its huge head tilted slightly, and it let out a low rumble, as if responding to Ash.
Ash closed his eyes, and his Aura power spread outward like ripples, trying to establish a deeper connection with the Dragonite before him.
Suddenly, a powerful emotion flooded into Ash’s mind like a tide.
It was endless loneliness and solitude.
Dragonite was like a lonely wanderer on this vast ocean, roaming alone through long years without companions and without a home.
Ash’s heart clenched hard.
He could truly feel the pain and longing deep within Dragonite’s heart.
“I understand how you feel,” Ash silently said in his heart, trying to soothe Dragonite with his own emotions.
He focused his mind and transmitted the coordinates of Dragonite Island to Dragonite through Aura.
It was a place filled with Dragonite, a place with its own kind, warmth, and companionship.
Dragonite trembled slightly.
A hint of confusion flashed through its majestic eyes, followed by surprise and expectation.
It seemed to have never imagined that somewhere in this vast sea, there was actually a home that belonged to it.
Dragonite raised its head and let out a long roar.
The sound shook even the lighthouse faintly.
It was the release of emotions it had suppressed for far too long.
Misty and Brock looked at Ash in surprise.
Although they did not understand what had happened between Ash and Dragonite, judging from Dragonite’s reaction, something miraculous had clearly occurred.
“Ash, what did you do?” Misty asked curiously.
Ash opened his eyes, a tired but relieved smile on his face.
“I told it where the island where Dragonite live is.
I think it should go there and be with its own kind.”
Dragonite lowered its head and gazed at Ash.
Its enormous eyes were full of gratitude, as though thousands of words were contained within them.
Then its gaze slowly shifted to Dratini beside Ash, and it slightly opened its mouth.
In an instant, a multicolored ball of energy shot out like a meteor, drawing a brilliant arc through the air before entering Dratini’s body.
“Dratini~!”
Dratini let out a low cry, its voice filled with excitement.
Immediately afterward, its body was enveloped in dazzling light, so bright that no one could look directly at it.
Ash and the others instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes.
Within the light, Dratini’s body began to change.
Its once-small body gradually grew longer and more graceful, its lines becoming smoother and more elegant.
As the light slowly faded, everyone was shocked to discover that Dratini had evolved.
Small feather-like wings had grown on both sides of its head, and when they gently fluttered, they stirred a soft breeze.
Except for its bright white belly, its entire body was covered in sapphire-like scales that shimmered beautifully under the moonlight.
Beneath its neck and at the end of its tail, three small blue orbs shone brilliantly, like gemstones carefully carved by nature.
“This is… Dragonair!” Brock’s eyes were full of wonder.
“Dratini evolved into Dragonair!
It must have been that energy from Dragonite that awakened its potential!”
Excitement shone in Misty’s eyes.
She clasped her hands tightly and could not help cheering.
“This is incredible!”
Ash opened the scanner.
[Pokémon: Dragonair]
[Gender: Female]
[Type: Dragon]
[Introduction: The Dragon Pokémon and the evolved form of Dratini.
It is said to be a sacred creature surrounded by an aura.
According to legend, it has the power to change the weather.]
[Base Stat Total: 420]
[Ability: Shed Skin — By shedding its skin, it may sometimes heal status conditions.]
[Hidden Ability: Marvel Scale — If it is affected by a status condition, Marvel Scale reacts and increases its Defense.]
[Current Strength: Late Gym Level]
[Potential: Champion Level]
[Moves: Wrap; Leer; Twister; Thunder Wave; Dragon Tail; Agility; Slam; Aqua Tail; Safeguard; Rest; Sleep Talk; Protect; Rain Dance; Dragon Dance; Extreme Speed; Outrage; Hyper Beam; Ice Beam; Blizzard; Breaking Swipe; Scale Shot; Dragon Pulse; Draco Meteor; Fire Blast; Flamethrower; Fire Spin; Giga Impact; Water Pulse; Surf; Hydro Pump; Sunny Day; Thunderbolt; Thunder]
[Status: Healthy]
Looking at the Dragonair before him, Ash felt a surge of relief.
He stepped forward and gently stroked Dragonair’s head.
“Dragonair~”
Dragonair affectionately rubbed against his palm and let out a soft cry.
After witnessing this, Dragonite gently nodded at Ash and the others once more.
Then it turned and walked toward the vast night sky.
Its figure gradually grew smaller beneath the moonlight before finally disappearing into the endless night.
…
When the first ray of dawn pierced the curtain of night and fell across the sparkling sea, Dragonite’s massive figure had already vanished beyond the horizon.
Ash looked in the direction Dragonite had left, silently wishing that it would find peace and happiness on Dragonite Island.
Bill stood beneath the lighthouse, his eyes carrying a trace of reluctance, but even more so, hope for Ash’s group.
“Thank you, Ash,” he said with a smile.
“You all allowed me to witness so many miraculous moments.”
Ash scratched his head and gave his signature smile.
“We should be the ones thanking you, Mr.
Bill.
Thanks for hosting us.”
After saying goodbye to Bill, Ash, Misty, and Brock set off on a new leg of their journey.
Morning sunlight fell over them, stretching their shadows long.
Following the winding coastline, they moved forward step by step, leaving trails of footprints in the sand.
Dragonair danced lightly through the air, occasionally lowering itself to nuzzle Ash’s shoulder with its head.
The sea breeze carried a faint salty scent and lifted their hair.
Under the glow of the rising sun, Ash, Misty, and Brock gradually disappeared into the distance.
And their story continued.