stonecrandall Chapter 267 Whirlpool Islands
Chapter 267 Whirlpool Islands
Chapter 267 Whirlpool Islands
"However, yesterday Ayaka left in a hurry for some reason."
"They've already left."
It was such an unfortunate coincidence that Xiaozhi came today, while she left yesterday.
Actually, it wasn't a coincidence. According to Cai Dou's original plan, she was going to stay with A Si for a while longer.
After all, he was her senior brother, so there was no need to be too polite. But just yesterday, she accidentally saw the message from the gym's front desk that Ash had made an appointment to challenge the gym.
She immediately packed her things and left that very night.
There's nothing she can do; Bea can't face Ash with a normal mindset anymore. She still dreams about Ash's ferocious and strong shiny sea rat from time to time.
Then, when she wakes up in the morning, her face will be completely flushed.
Bea, whose mind has always been focused on training, finally experiences her blushing and heart-pounding puberty after meeting Ash.
If Bea saw Ash now, she would jump up immediately.
Bea knew she wouldn't be able to properly face Ash in the short term, so she quickly found an excuse to run away.
Unfortunately, Ash knew nothing about these things and just thought he was unlucky and didn't catch Little Gray.
They bid farewell to Ah Si and the others and boarded the ship bound for the Whirlpool Islands.
The crucial question: What should you do if you encounter a shipwreck at sea?
A: Serena doesn't know.
Because she's currently lying in Ash's arms and her mind is completely blank.
Ash and his two friends are currently sitting on Suicune's back, standing alone on the vast ocean.
Furthermore, they were surrounded by huge ocean currents and whirlpools, and they were trapped there.
At this moment, Serena suddenly felt that her first experience of traveling away from her mother might have been a little too exciting from the start.
"Ash, what should we do next?"
Ash, sitting upright with his eyes closed, simply made a shushing gesture, then looked deep in thought.
Because he didn't know either, and was waiting for Xiaoxia to decide on the direction to set off.
Xiaoxia, on the other hand, was using Xiaozhi's broad back as a desktop, opening up the map to find their current location.
"Seriously, if Ash hadn't said that you could encounter more Pokémon by driving the speedboat alone, we wouldn't have sunk here."
"What? You were excited and agreed when you heard about Water-type Pokémon, Xiaoxia. Now you're blaming me for everything."
Ash did make a slight mistake.
Because he was chasing a Pokémon that suddenly appeared, he steered the boat into the whirlpool, causing the speedboat to be torn in half by the whirlpool's suction.
but----
Okay, it's mainly Ash's responsibility.
However, there was a reason for it. Ash clearly sensed a very familiar waveguide from the seabed, which was quite similar to the one on Blackie's body. It was a mysterious, huge figure that had passed by their speedboat.
It's almost certainly Lugia!
A wild Lugia encountered in the wild!
There's never too many legendary Pokémon, so Ash couldn't resist chasing after them, and that's how things turned out.
"We traveled for more than half an hour in a speedboat at full speed. Ash, how long could you fly with me and Serena?"
Considering that he was flying with two people and had to ensure they didn't go at a dangerous speed, Ash thought for a moment.
"It should be able to fly for about forty minutes."
"Then we can't act blindly. There are no landmarks on the high seas, and it would be too dangerous to set off blindly."
Xiaoxia continued to look down at the map, calculating their current location.
Unfortunately, that Charizard guy, after learning that his girlfriend Lisa was being harassed in the valley,...
He immediately told Ash in a great hurry that he had to run back to Charizard Valley, otherwise Ash and his friends wouldn't have been trapped at sea.
The night owl is too small to carry people in flight.
Now Ash has realized once again how important a mobile unit capable of rescuing people is on the high seas.
"I should have brought my Dragonite with me."
Ash has had enough time to spend with his family in Professor Oak's backyard, so he plans to trade for Fatty at the next Pokémon Center.
"Oh dear, ancestors, can you hurry up? This is too dangerous!" Babaozhou, who had been released to do hard labor again, was already getting a little agitated.
"Is this vortex getting bigger?"
Although by harnessing the power of the north wind, Suigun is able to stand and glide freely on the water.
However, the vortex force surrounding them could easily tear a high-end speedboat apart.
If the whirlpool expands to its feet and disrupts the airflow beneath them, they could fall in in an instant.
Unexpectedly, at this moment, the mysterious figure they had seen before reappeared deep in the sea beneath Ash's feet.
As the water passed beneath the group, the surrounding ocean currents were immediately altered, and the whirlpool gradually subsided.
"The vortex is gone!"
Ash carefully sensed the aura from before once more.
"It really was Lugia!"
The reappearance of the mysterious figure further confirmed Ash's suspicions about the other person's identity.
They immediately tried to give chase, but the other party vanished without a trace on the seabed.
"Oh no, Eight Treasure Porridge, hurry and catch up!"
"I can't dive, hey, don't move around, my legs are so sore and tired from standing for so long."
When the Eight Treasure Porridge could no longer hold its own and was about to sink down with everyone else.
A pink coral head suddenly emerged from the sea and quickly swam towards Ash and his friends' location.
"That's sun coral!"
Misty, who is familiar with Water-type Pokémon, immediately recognized the creature with pink coral horns.
After the sun coral swam around them once, several tentacles suddenly emerged from beneath them and lifted them up.
Then, they quickly followed the lead of the Corsola Pokémon and swam together towards a ship not far away.
"When I saw you through the binoculars just now, I thought it was my imagination, but looking closer, it really is you guys, Ash."
"Dr. Kongmu!"
The person who arrived was Dr. Kongmu. He was still the same tall, thin man with glasses, and he had a gentle smile on his face.
Corsola immediately jumped from the sea surface into the professor's arms, and Ash and his friends were gently placed on the deck of the ship by Tentacruel.
It seems these are the professor's Pokémon, which he sent to rescue Ash and his friends.
It was only then that Ash and his friends learned that Professor Elm had come to the Whirl Islands to conduct research on marine Pokémon.
They happened to see Ash and his friends during their exercise time, so they quickly sent out their Pokémon to rescue them.
Professor Elm was heading to the Whirl Islands, and Ash and his friends, since it was on their way, decided to hitch a ride.
Together, we follow Dr. Kongmu's research ship to Qingyan Island, the gateway island of the Whirlpool Islands.
The group went inside the ship to change their wet clothes, and Dr. Kongmu brought them hot tea and gave them an explanation.
"I see. Ash, you've already collected five badges in Johto. Time flies!"
After parting ways in Leaf Town, Ash's journey through the Johto region was already more than halfway over. Professor Elm took a sip of tea, then suddenly seemed to remember something and immediately got up.
"By the way, Ash, how's Kuro?"
"I heard from Mr. Oki that it had already hatched, but I haven't seen it yet."
"I really didn't know what would happen next. I'm so glad that they hatched successfully in the end. I hope we can study them properly —"
Dr. Kongmu started talking non-stop, completely ignoring his surroundings and repeating his old habits.
After rambling on and on, Ash quickly released Blackie to greet Professor Elm.
After all, Dr. Kuro was the one who helped Kuro be born safely.
Dr. Kuro's eyes lit up when he saw Kuro appear.
"Oh, amazing, amazing—just stay still."
He actually took out the measuring tape he always carried with him and started measuring Xiao Hei, leaving Xiao Hei completely confused.
"Lugia is now nearly two meters long. Its fur, physique, and spirit—Ash, you've trained it exceptionally well," Professor Elm praised as he recorded Lugia's data.
"Of course."
Ash has put a lot of effort into Blackie, buying all sorts of high-end nutritional supplements to help it grow stronger.
Moo Moo milk and high-quality honey have never been interrupted!
After Dr. Kuro touched and stroked the little black dog from head to toe, he finally got up with satisfaction and took out his notebook to write and draw.
"Hey Ash, this is the most suitable growth supplement formula I've given based on Kuro's physical condition."
"As a legendary Pokémon, Lugia's growth process is much longer than that of ordinary Pokémon, which I believe will be helpful to you."
[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining "Pokémon Growth Supplement Recipe" +1]
[Pokémon Growth Supplement: A super-powerful supplement, expertly selected! Taking this will shorten a Pokémon's baby period by half.]
Ash received the formula from Professor Elm and immediately expressed his sincere gratitude.
Although Professor Elm usually seems unreliable, he is actually an expert in Pokémon breeding and Pokémon eggs.
He's also an industry authority in this field. Why didn't Xiaozhi think of going to him to collect some coins before?
It's heartbreaking! The old man's gold coins should explode, and the uncle's gold coins should explode too, only then can things be considered complete!
Soon Ash and his friends arrived at Kuga City, the port city on Locust Island.
"It's so lively here."
This was a rather prosperous city. As soon as she got off the boat, Serena shook her little head and looked around curiously.
The people here are busy decorating with lanterns and colorful decorations, as if preparing for a major celebration.
"This is the grand celebration of the Whirl Islands that we talked about before." Ash was also very excited to see this scene.
"The competition is scheduled for a month from now, but it's already quite lively."
"The Whirl Islands Tournament, held every three years, is a grand celebration for all Water-type Pokémon trainers—" Misty trembled as she spoke, her blood boiling with passion.
"I've waited so long for this day!"
"I, Misty, the world's most beautiful girl and mermaid, will definitely show everyone my dazzling skills in Water-type Pokémon battles!"
"Our goal is to win the championship!"
Her imposing presence made it seem as if huge waves were crashing against the rocks behind her, and Serena, inspired by Xiaoxia's fighting spirit, immediately clapped in admiration.
But Ash quietly came up behind her and gently blew into her ear.
"Xia, I'll be participating too!"
The world's most beautiful girl, who had been making grand pronouncements, immediately jumped up like a startled cat.
There's no way around it, Xiaoxia has already taken on the form of Xiaozhi.
But this time, Xiaoxia was a bit different from before. She rekindled her fighting spirit and stared at Xiaozhi without any fear.
"Hmph, even if it's Ash, I'll show you I can beat him!"
"I'm really looking forward to it!"
Although he was sharp-tongued, Xiao Zhi was actually very pleased.
It seems that in the future training sessions, Xiaozhi won't need to force Xiaoxia to participate anymore.
"It's great that young people have ambition, but have you signed up?"
At this moment, Dr. Kongmu, who had just moored the ship, also came to their side.
"Sign up?"
"Eh~"
Finally, led by Professor Elm, the group arrived at the Pokémon Center on the island to register.
"Ash, look, this is the map of the Whirl Islands."
"There are four main islands here: Qingyan Island, Huangyan Island, Chiyan Island, and Yinyan Island."
After Ash and his friends registered, Professor Elm led them to a large map in the center.
To introduce the local situation and customs to Xiaozhi and his friends who are visiting here for the first time.
"Legend has it that this place is blessed by the gods, which is why it has always enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests."
"It is quite prosperous, and therefore has a very different appearance from the headquarters of the City Alliance."
Actually, Dr. Elm underestimated the situation. In a sense, the Whirlpool Islands are equivalent to an autonomous region of the Johto Alliance.
Because of its large population and strong strength, and because it was the last region to join the City Alliance, the Whirlpool Islands have always maintained a high degree of independence.
Perhaps with a long period of development, it could develop into something like the Orange Alliance.
"The Whirl Islands pilgrimage is about traveling around the main islands of the Whirl Islands using only the power of your Pokémon companions."
"Then, after finding a specific route to Water City and participating in three preliminary rounds, the winners can travel to the regional capital of Red Rock Island for the final tournament."
"The Water City?" Xiaoxia looked at the map.
"It's not on there."
At this point, Dr. Kuroki shook his finger and then explained.
"The Water City is located somewhere in the ocean of the Whirlpool Islands, and it can only be accessed by air."
"The contestants participating in the Whirlpool Islands Tournament must enter by sea."
"I know that. Even in Carlos, the Water City is quite famous."
"It's known as a city that coexists with the ocean, and it's very beautiful." Serena had wanted to visit it for a long time.
Unlike Serena, who was focused on Water 7, Ash's attention was on the deities that Professor Elm had mentioned at the beginning.
"Protected by the gods—"
They must be talking about Lugia. Ash doesn't know if the deity here is the same as the one in the Orange Islands, the sea god.
If the other party could see what Xiao Hei looks like now, they would probably be very pleased.
After all, even the Demon King is gone. That's the power of Ash's tyrannical teaching!
"Good luck to you all. The winner of the final Whirlpool Tournament will be awarded the title of Ocean Warrior."
"I heard that this is what people in the ancient Whirlpool Islands called Water-type Pokémon Trainers."
Hearing this, Ash couldn't help but complain again: there are really a lot of heroes in the Pokémon world.
After thanking Professor Elm, Ash and his friends went to the Pokémon Center for a short rest.
Ash first went to Professor Oak to report the situation and asked him for some of his Pokémon.
Since only Water-type Pokémon can participate in the Whirl Islands Tournament, Ash naturally had to call his old friends back.
Professor Oak helped me teleport Milotic, Gyarados, Blademaster, and Dragonite over.
Ash also contacted the Red Company's branch in the Orange Islands, asking them to teleport Lapras from the protected area as well.
"Alright, our goal this time is to win the Whirlpool Islands Tournament!"
"Pikachu!"
Once ready, Ash immediately gave Pikachu on his shoulder a fist bump to encourage him.
It's a pity Pikachu can't be used, otherwise, if all the opponents are Water-type Pokémon, Pikachu would definitely be able to take down one opponent at a time and go crazy on the battlefield.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have triggered a new side quest, "Uzumaki, Not Naruto!": Please achieve final victory in the Uzumaki Islands Tournament!]
[Rewards: Alliance Coins +6000; Stamina +2; Special Attack +2; Free Attribute Points +3;]
At that moment, Xia, who was also excited about the competition and was enthusiastically helping to groom Lulili's fur, exclaimed in surprise.
It turned out that Lulili, who was in her arms, suddenly burst out with a dazzling light.
Azur Lane has evolved.
"Wow, this is evolution!" Serena's eyes lit up as she saw evolution for the first time.
After all, evolution is the most romantic miracle in the Pokémon world, and it always brings joy no matter how many times you see it.
For Azur Lane to evolve, it needs to reach a certain level of intimacy with its trainer.
Although Misty sometimes slacks off in battles, she is extremely meticulous when it comes to taking care of Pokémon.
Especially the adorable Ruli, who, like Pokopf, received a great deal of maternal love from Misty.
Soon, Lulili evolved into Marill.
"Great, Marylou!"
Before the Whirl Islands Tournament began, Misty's Pokémon roster gained another powerful member.
Meanwhile, at Team Rocket's base deep in the ocean off the Whirlpool Islands.
"Report, Dr. Dongbo, our equipment has detected target information!"
"It's Dr. Nanbo!"
An old man with pink hair, bald in the middle and with his hair sticking up on the sides, angrily yelled at the Team Rocket member who came to report.
However, he quickly calmed down.
"Very good, immediately take your men and set out to pinpoint the target's movements."
"Remember our Pokémon Power Boost Project; it requires Lugia's power."
"To maximize the power of Pokémon and create new energy sources, it's all worth it!"