"Pika, pika!" Pikachu squeaked anxiously, its little body quivering, but the tumultuous rocking of the yacht made it nearly impossible for Ash to hear the urgency in its voice.
The waves grew fiercer with every passing second, slamming against the hull and forcing both Ash and Misty to cling desperately to the railings to avoid being thrown overboard.
"Why is there suddenly a hurricane?!" Misty shouted, tightening her grip as she held Togepi securely in her arms.
Though no rain had yet fallen, the dark skies above showed ominous signs. The thick gray clouds churned, and the wind howled louder with every passing moment.
It wasn't a normal storm; Togepi, always cheerful and full of life, now whimpered softly, its small body trembling as it buried itself in Misty's arms.
"Hold on! We're almost there!" Ash yelled over the roaring winds. Gritting his teeth, he struggled with the steering wheel, wrestling against the powerful waves that tossed the small yacht around as if it were a toy.
He pushed the vessel forward, hoping against hope that they could hold out long enough. Just thirty minutes. That's all they needed to reach Shamouti Island.
But as he strained to keep the wheel steady, a strange sensation swept through Ash's chest.
A force—powerful and otherworldly—seemed to stir deep within him, trying to communicate something, though its meaning was unclear.
Startled, Ash instinctively turned his eyes northwest, toward the horizon, where the thickening clouds obscured everything from view.
"What is this feeling…?" Ash murmured to himself. His brow furrowed as he recalled Pikachu's unusual behavior earlier. Pikachu had been trying desperately to tell him something.
"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu chirped again, its ears flicking anxiously as it scampered closer. This time, its eyes locked firmly on Ash's, its frantic expression conveying something far more serious than the mere discomfort of being tossed about on the ship.
Ash crouched slightly to meet his companion's desperate gaze. "You… you felt something, Pikachu? A powerful presence? And now it's weakening?" Ash pieced together the message, his expression shifting from confusion to alarm.
He stood up straight, now looking toward the spot where the storm seemed to be forming with more urgency than before.
Though obscured by clouds, Ash felt certain something immense and terrible lay there—something connected to the Legendary Birds.
At that moment, eyes glimmering like embers flared from the shadows near Ash.
Marshadow, the mythic Pokémon who had silently watched over Ash since their fates intertwined, stirred from its slumber.
Though it often remained dormant, detecting no immediate danger to Ash, the disturbance near Fire Island had jolted it awake.
Marshadow could feel it—a great imbalance radiating from Fire Island, a tremor within the natural order. The flame of a god was flickering. Moltres' energy had diminished significantly.
Yet, Marshadow refrained from acting. Its duty was clear: to protect Ash, not to intervene in matters involving the divine.
It cast a knowing glance at Ash, its gaze unreadable, before fading back into the shadows. Whatever calamity was gripping the seas belonged to the gods themselves to resolve.
Ash, unaware of Marshadow's fleeting presence, stood in deep thought. Could this storm truly be the result of Moltres? It couldn't be a coincidence.
The fiery bird, along with Articuno and Zapdos, controlled the delicate balance of the ocean currents, and any disturbance to that equilibrium could disrupt nature itself.
Reflecting on his past near-mystical experiences, from battling Mewtwo and Mew on New Island to countless encounters with legendary Pokémon,
Ash knew how fragile the balance between human ambition and the forces of nature could be.
His thoughts darkened. In those battles, he had fought alongside his Pokémon to save lives, often with great luck on his side.
But if something as powerful as the Legendary Birds was involved, would he have the power to make a difference this time?
"Can that crazy collector really have the strength to capture gods?" He clenched his fists as memories of the antagonist from the original timeline flooded his mind.
That man, Lawrence III, had suppressed the Legendary Birds and had nearly succeeded in capturing Lugia, the Sea Guardian.
Even though Ash knew how that story ended, doubt tugged at the corners of his mind. Would they prevail this time? Was it even possible to stop someone capable of that?
"No…" Ash said aloud, his voice firm as he stared at Pikachu nestled in his arms. "We can do this. I have to believe it's possible."
He took a deep breath and looked at Misty, Togepi, and the dark skies swirling above them. Ash from before—the boy in the original story—triumphed with far less.
And now, with Pikachu, Charizard, Snorlax, and even Marshadow at his side, Ash knew he was equipped to rise to the challenge, no matter how dire it was.
Unknown to Ash, the imbalance caused by Moltres' capture had already begun affecting the ocean's currents.
With Moltres' influence gone, the currents spiraled wildly, creating erratic weather patterns that began to ravage the Orange Islands.
Meteorological observatories scrambled to issue warnings about the unusual hurricane rains. Ships at sea were urged to seek immediate shelter, as the storm grew nearer and more violent.
Yet not all observed the chaos unfolding from the surface.
Deep beneath the ocean, a figure stirred. Far below the crashing waves and surging tides, Lugia, the Guardian of the Sea, stirred from its slumber.
The ocean deity, who held domain over the ancient and eternal seas, felt the relentless tremors cutting through the fabric of its home.
Lugia glided through the murky depths, its massive wings pulsing steadily as it moved to restore stability to the currents.
As it neared the source of the imbalance, Lugia's head rose, its silver-tipped feathers glistening as its elegant form twisted upward. Its eyes glowed with burning concern as it turned its gaze toward Fire Island.
"This disruption… it originates from Fire Island," Lugia whispered, its voice vibrating with restrained power, resonating through the currents. "What has happened to Moltres?"
The Legendary Birds—Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres—served as sentinels, their powers maintaining the delicate balance of the ocean.
While Lugia held dominion over the tides and seas, these three siblings governed the elemental forces necessary to keep everything in harmony.
If one faltered, chaos followed.
While Lugia moved cautiously, its presence was felt far and wide. Kyogre, the embodiment of the ocean itself, stirred briefly but ultimately dismissed the disturbance. It closed its eyes once more, choosing to slumber and not to interfere.
Manaphy, the "Prince of the Sea," felt the imbalance acutely. Its connection to all sea-dwelling creatures made it especially sensitive to the chaos unraveling nearby.
It longed to investigate, but its youthful powers were insufficient for the journey toward the Orange Islands.
From its distant waters, Manaphy could only watch in troubled silence, hoping that Lugia could contain the disaster.
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