"Riding Lapras may be flexible, but in these violently turbulent seas, it is hard to balance speed and safety." Melody gazed at the still churning ocean in the distance and offered a more reliable suggestion. "Let me arrange for Captain Maren's speedboat to take you to Fire Island. She knows these waters like the back of her hand and can get you there faster."
Ash thought for a moment, then agreed.
Time was pressing. The sooner they retrieved the orb, the sooner the world would have a chance of escaping this crisis.
He turned to Misty and Tracey. "You stay here with Melody. The situation is unclear, and having too many people could be dangerous. Pikachu and I will go to Fire Island first to scout things out."
"But Ash…" Misty stepped forward, her eyes filled with worry. Even from such a distance, the oppressive aura emanating from the three islands could be clearly felt.
"Don't worry." Ash gave her a firm look and gently patted her shoulder. "I've got Pikachu, and I have Aura. Once we get the orb, we'll come back immediately." He paused, lowering his voice slightly, his tone softening with reassurance.
That quiet reassurance made Misty's cheeks warm slightly, her anxiety replaced by firm support. She nodded vigorously. "Okay! Be careful!"
Soon, a young woman dressed in a sharp sailor uniform with a neat ponytail, Carol, piloted a modified, high powered speedboat to the shore. Without hesitation, Ash jumped aboard with Pikachu.
"Hold tight, kid! This stretch isn't going to be smooth!" Captain Maren shouted as she slammed the throttle forward. The speedboat shot forward like an arrow, slicing through the murky waves as it sped toward Fire Island, which shimmered in the distance as if the air itself was warping from the heat.
The boat surged up and down over the violent waves, displaying outstanding performance. Its speed far surpassed Lapras.
As they watched the speedboat disappear into the distance, the unease in Misty's heart did not lessen. She turned to Melody and Tracey. "We can't just sit here and wait. Captain Maren said her boat is multi purpose. Let's follow and be ready to support Ash nearby!"
Fire Island was far hotter and more desolate than it appeared from afar.
At its center stood an active volcano, constantly spewing thick sulfurous smoke and scorching volcanic ash. The air was filled with a pungent smell. Scalding rocks were scattered everywhere, the ground cracked and barren, with only a few heat resistant plants stubbornly clinging to life.
"So this is where the Fire Bird once lived…" Ash sensed the lingering, violent Fire type energy that once belonged to Moltres, along with a hollow emptiness and fury left behind after it had been forcibly taken away. His Aura spread out, scanning the island, and quickly locked onto a location where the energy fluctuations were especially intense.
They climbed along a rugged, scorching mountain path, and eventually, deep within a cave illuminated red by flowing lava, they discovered an ancient stone altar.
Above the altar floated an orb about the size of a fist, completely crimson, with what looked like molten lava flowing inside it, the Fire Sphere. It radiated intense heat and pure Fire type energy.
"Found it!" Ash felt a surge of joy and was about to step forward to take the orb.
"Wahahaha! Since you've so sincerely found the treasure!"
"We'll generously take it off your hands!"
"To prevent the world from being destroyed, just kidding!"
"To protect… uh, our own wealth!"
"Jessie!" "James!"
"And Meowth, that's right!
"Team Rocket, snatching treasure is the name of the game!"
Three all too familiar and headache inducing voices echoed through the cave as their usual introduction rang out, the trio leaping out from the shadows.
Team Rocket had somehow sneaked onto Fire Island as well, clearly drawn by the legend of Moltres's treasure.
"Team Rocket! You again!" Ash's eyes turned cold. He had no time to deal with their nonsense, his gaze fixed firmly on the Fire Sphere.
"If you know what's good for you, step aside!" Jessie said, hands on her hips, looking smug.
Ash took a deep breath. The urgency of the global crisis filled him with impatience toward Team Rocket's complete lack of awareness.
He stopped wasting words. His eyes sharpened instantly as a pale blue Aura flared around him like flames.
"I don't have time to waste on you. Get out of my way!"
His right fist clenched tightly, and a condensed surge of Aura energy, carrying a powerful impact, burst forward like an invisible hammer. This time, fueled by anger, its power far exceeded the strike he had used back on that Island.
"Waaah!"
"What?!"
"So strong, meow!"
The Team Rocket trio did not even have the chance to send out their Pokémon before they were blasted away by the overwhelming Aura, like three balls struck with immense force, screaming as they flew into the sky and vanished into the distant horizon like shooting stars.
"Wait, we're already blasting off right after finishing our lines? That was way too fast!"
"What a twerps, blasting off again!"
Peace and quiet returned to the world.
Ash did not even spare a glance at the direction they disappeared. He quickly stepped forward and carefully lifted the Fire Sphere from the altar. The orb felt warm in his hands, and the energy flowing within it made his heart tremble. He carefully placed it into the specially prepared fireproof pouch that Melody had given him.
"With the Fire Bird's Sphere secured, let's hurry and meet up with…" Before he could finish, a much sharper cry and the roar of an engine came from outside the island.
He rushed out of the cave. Captain Maren's multipurpose boat had already docked at the shore of Fire Island. Misty, Tracey, and Melody were waving at him anxiously. However, above their vessel, the situation was extremely dangerous.
A massive bird, its body a brilliant orange yellow and its wings crackling with blinding lightning, was circling in the sky.
Zapdos, the Legendary Bird of Thunder.
It seemed drawn by the lingering presence of Moltres and the sudden appearance of living beings. Its sharp gaze was filled with brutality and a desire to dominate.
With every flap of its wings, golden arcs of lightning surged through the clouds, accompanied by deafening thunder. It had clearly marked the ship below as a challenge to its authority.
"This is bad! It's Zapdos!" Ash's heart tightened. He immediately had Pikachu use electricity to hold it back, while he fully unleashed his Aura, trying to form a protective barrier around the boat.
At that moment, a massive flying fortress appeared silently above the clouds like a ghost.
The underside of the flying palace opened, revealing a complex array of machinery and capture devices, all aimed directly at Zapdos in the sky.
It was Lawrence III.
"What a beautiful and powerful life form!" His voice, filled with fanaticism and arrogance, echoed through loudspeakers. "Capturing Moltres has already brought me great pleasure. With this Zapdos added, my collection will be even more perfect. Begin the capture!"
The flying fortress fired a massive energy net while releasing intense interference waves, attempting to paralyze Zapdos.
"Stop it, Lawrence!" Standing high on the island, Ash amplified his voice with Aura and shouted angrily, "Capturing Moltres has already thrown the world out of balance! Release it now! You can't keep going down this path!"
Lawrence's image appeared on the screen of the flying fortress. He looked down at Ash with the cold obsession of an artist. "Oh? Another young trainer trying to lecture me? You don't understand at all! To collect such powerful beings, such perfect forces, and admire them alone, that is the highest form of art! Balance? What does that have to do with me!"
Not only did he refuse to stop, he increased the power of the capture device. Zapdos struggled furiously within the energy net, lightning bursting in all directions, yet it was unable to break free.
"You lunatic!" Ash burned with anger. He knew words could no longer reach someone so consumed by his own madness.
Meanwhile, far from the center of the battle, a helicopter bearing the Pokémon League insignia struggled through increasingly violent weather over another stretch of sea. Inside were Professor Oak, Professor Ivy, and Ash's mother, Delia, who had rushed over after receiving an urgent message, worried about Ash.
"The weather is terrible! The air currents are extremely unstable!" the pilot reported nervously.
"We have to reach Shamouti Island! Ash must be caught up in something serious!" Delia clenched her hands tightly, her face filled with anxiety. Professor Oak and Professor Ivy wore grave expressions as they watched the apocalyptic scene outside, exchanging thoughts about the legend of the three birds and the imbalance of energy.
Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning struck near the helicopter. The intense electromagnetic interference instantly disabled the instruments, and the helicopter began to shake violently.
"This is bad! We've lost control!" the pilot shouted in despair.
Trailing black smoke, the helicopter spun downward like a bird with broken wings, crashing toward a small uninhabited island barely visible through the storm below.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, the helicopter slammed into the jungle of the island, sending flocks of birds scattering into the sky.
The situation inside the cabin became unknown in an instant, their fates uncertain.
Back on Fire Island, the standoff between Ash and Lawrence had reached a critical point.
Zapdos's struggles were growing weaker, while a look of certain victory spread across Lawrence's face.
Ash clenched his fists, Aura surging through his body as he searched desperately for a way to stop everything.
The fate of the world, and the safety of his loved ones, now hung by a single thread.
...
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