After bidding farewell to the Kimono Sisters, Ash's group reunited.
Upon learning that he had missed the chance to meet four beautiful sisters, Brock was consumed by agonizing regret.
According to the travel guide's suggested order, and since Olivine City was a coastal city, the group decisively chose to head in that direction.
Whether it was Misty, a Water-type Trainer who hadn't seen the ocean in ages, or Ash's newborn Lapras, who really ought to see the sea, it was the obvious choice.
For Brock, the most crucial factor was that the Olivine Gym Leader, Jasmine, was a legendary beauty! He was determined to work hard to make up for his current regret.
However, despite heading toward the coast, they walked for several days in ever-increasing heat. It hadn't rained once, and even the petals on Meganium's head were beginning to wilt.
"Ash, Molly is so thirsty!" Molly complained, the poor girl unable to take the heat.
Even the riverbeds here were bone-dry, and the surroundings were desolate. Yet, a magnificent, colorful radiance appeared in the sky.
"That... it seems to be coming from the top of Mount Remoraid!" Brock checked the map and confirmed the location of the radiance.
Furthermore, there was a Pokémon Center there! The group quickened their pace and arrived at a spectacular historical ruin. Exquisite patterns were carved into the tall wooden pillars, and Molly discovered a uniquely shaped sculpture.
"That should be a Remoraid!" Ash recognized the form.
"You're absolutely right!"
Nurse Joy appeared from behind a pillar, holding a flower. "A civilization once flourished here called the Remoraid Civilization! It's just that the nearby water has dried up, and there are no Remoraid living here anymore."
The group followed Nurse Joy to the Pokémon Center. There was a pool underground with water that tasted exceptionally sweet and fresh.
It turned out that every dozen years or so, a large amount of fresh water would suddenly burst forth from the parched valley in front of the center, creating groundwater that the Pokémon Center could use.
"I remember that place is called Mount Remoraid, right?" Ash suddenly asked.
"Correct! Do you want to go to the Remoraid Pool?" Nurse Joy seemed to have guessed his plan. "But there isn't a single drop of water in the Remoraid Pool right now!"
"By the way, there is an incredible legend about that pool. You might find it interesting!"
"A legend?" Misty was extremely interested in anything regarding Water-type Pokémon.
Nurse Joy didn't leave them in suspense. "Remoraid are very difficult to catch there!"
Misty found this hard to believe. "Remoraid aren't that hard to catch, and if the pool is dry, there shouldn't be any Remoraid there anyway!"
Ash shook his head. "Let's go see for ourselves!"
Action followed words. Having packed enough water, the group headed up Mount Remoraid. The further up they went, the more flowers they found. It was miraculous that such beautiful flowers could bloom in such a parched land.
Eventually, they saw a massive ice pillar in the Remoraid Pool, sparkling like starlight under the sun's rays. "It's so beautiful!" Misty couldn't help but exclaim.
Then, something even more incredible happened. Dozens of jets of water suddenly erupted from the clearly dry pool, shooting over ten meters high toward the ice pillar.
"Ash, look! There's something down there!"
Molly's eyes lit up as she spotted Remoraid below, all using Water Gun. In no time, the Remoraid Pool was filled with water.
Shortly after, several more Remoraid emerged from the water and used Ice Beam to freeze the water hitting the pillar, making it grow larger and larger.
"I see. This ice pillar was formed by the Remoraid over many years, eventually reaching this massive scale. When the ice pillar melts, it creates a vast amount of water. Some of it flows as a river to the Pokémon Center to become groundwater, while the rest carries these adult Remoraid down into the sea!"
As if confirming Ash's judgment, the ice pillar began to melt and evaporate under the fierce sun. The water vapor in the air refracted the sunlight, creating that magnificent radiance once again.
Misty was deeply moved. "I can't help it! I'm a Water-type lover through and through. I really want to catch one!"
However, she quickly understood the meaning of the rumors; the Remoraid here were truly hard to catch. When she threw a Poké Ball, several Remoraid immediately huddled together, using the suckers on their bodies to stick tight. Since a Poké Ball can only catch one Pokémon at a time, it couldn't lock onto a target and simply failed.
They used the power of unity to protect one another.
Whether facing invaders or a harsh environment, even when the rivers ran dry, they used their years of effort to wait for the chance to reach the ocean.
Ash shook his head. "Misty, catching Pokémon isn't that simple. Don't you always tell me that?"
Misty sighed and shook her head. "Forget it. This is better."
"Come out, Lapras!"
Ash summoned his Lapras! It had been cooped up in its Poké Ball for days, and finally, there was water. Since the Remoraid were still spraying water, he decided to borrow a little. He hoped they wouldn't mind!
The Remoraid didn't react much to such a gentle Water-type like Lapras, especially since it was just a baby. A few Remoraid even specifically aimed their Water Gun moves over Lapras's head to shower it. Lapras had the Water Absorb ability, which made the experience very comfortable.
"Wow, Ash, when did you get a Lapras?" Misty's eyes were practically turning into hearts.
"It was the Pokémon Egg Professor Oak gave me as a reward!" Ash gently stroked Lapras's wet neck. "Hang in there, little guy. We'll reach the ocean soon!"
Having witnessed the wonders of Pokémon, the group set off once more. Ash believed that such sights would play a huge role in Molly's growth.
After crossing the parched wilderness, the group plunged into a forest again. Then, they heard the repetitive sound of a camera shutter!
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