With the Sea Ruby Badge safely secured in his case, the group wasted no time bidding farewell to Ruby and resuming their adventurous journey across the Orange Archipelago. The victory at Navel Island, combined with the successful resolution of the grapefruit incident, had filled everyone with renewed energy and excitement.
Lapras glided gracefully across the shimmering sea once again, carrying Ash at the front while Pikachu rested comfortably on his shoulder and Eevee curled up at his side. Misty leaned close to him as always, occasionally pointing out interesting Water-type Pokémon swimming nearby.
Sabrina and Daisy remained relaxed yet attentive, enjoying the gentle ocean breeze. Giselle, though still quieter than the others, had grown noticeably more comfortable around the group.
Behind them, Tracey rode atop Shiny Gyarados, his sketchbook open as he excitedly captured the endless ocean views.
After several hours of peaceful travel, a new island finally came into view Moro Island.
Once they docked and made their way to the Pokémon Center, Ash immediately headed for the video phone. The call was answered by a cheerful voice.
"Mom! Big sis Cynthia! Brother's calling!" Amber shouted excitedly, calling Delia and Cynthia over.
Ash smiled warmly as the screen filled with the familiar faces of his mother, his pregnant girlfriend Cynthia, and his adopted sister Amber.
"Hey everyone," Ash greeted them. He then spent the next several minutes explaining everything that had happened since their last call how he had helped a baby Lapras that later evolved and mutated into the majestic Ice Empress, his victory against Cissy to earn the Coral-Eye Badge, the strange events on Pinkan Island where Sabrina caught a beautiful pink-colored Staryu, their adventure on Sunburst Island helping Matio and Marissa while catching the elegant Crystal Onix, winning the Sea Ruby Badge against Danny on Navel Island, and finally resolving Ruby's grapefruit problem before catching the surprisingly graceful swimming Snorlax.
The girls chimed in with their own excited narrations. Misty enthusiastically described the different varieties of Water Pokémon she had seen, Sabrina mentioned the delicious desserts she had tried, and Daisy talked about the unique ecosystems she had recorded.
Cynthia and Delia listened with warm smiles, while Amber's eyes sparkled with fiery excitement and eagerness to have adventures just like her brother.
"And Amber," Ash added at the end, "please can you send Mew to me? I completely forgot to bring her along for the Orange Islands journey. I hope she hasn't been causing too much trouble for you, Mom, or Cynthia."
Amber grinned mischievously. "Hmm, brother… I forgot to tell you last time. At first, Mew was throwing a huge fit because you left without her. But after I bribed her with a ton of cookies, she became super obedient. Now she's just eating cookies and sleeping like a lazy house cat all day, doing absolutely nothing."
Ash and the girls all got a collective sweat drop. The mental image of the legendary Mew lazing around on the couch, munching cookies while watching TV, was both bizarre and oddly hilarious.
"Okay Amber, once Mew wakes up, tell her I'll take her with me. Just ask if she wants to travel together again," Ash said.
Amber nodded happily. After chatting a bit more about daily life back home, Ash ended the call with warm goodbyes to his family.
As soon as the screen went black, Misty put her hands on her hips with an exaggerated expression. "Did you believe that, Ash? Mew… lazing around the house like a lazy cat!"
Daisy tilted her head thoughtfully. "Maybe after getting used to Mom's cookies, she became addicted. That could be why she turned so lazy."
Sabrina simply shook her head with a small smile. "Whatever it is, it's Mew we're talking about. She's mischievous by nature, so don't overthink it too much."
While this conversation was happening, Tracey who had no idea Ash had Mew living at home was busy drawing various Pokémon belonging to other trainers in the Pokémon Center lobby. He had completely missed the absurd story about the legendary lazy cookie-loving cat.
After the call, the team relaxed in the lobby while waiting for Nurse Joy to assign them rooms. At that moment, a news broadcast appeared on the television:
"Breaking news! The recently recovered Orange League Trophy, dating back over 300 years, has mysteriously disappeared from the Moro Island Museum. Authorities are calling it a possible ghost theft, as no signs of forced entry were found…"
Ash and the crew exchanged intrigued glances. They decided they would visit the museum the next day to check it out.
Later, when Nurse Joy came to assign rooms, Misty, Sabrina, and Daisy immediately spoke up. "We'll be staying with Ash, so we only need one big room."
Nurse Joy blushed with a knowing smile but didn't comment as she handed them the key and left.
The next morning, Ash, the girls, and Tracey headed to the museum to investigate the crime scene. The area was already crowded with reporters and police officers.
After observing the situation for a while, the group lost interest in the chaotic scene and decided to enjoy some fun time at the beach instead.
However, as they relaxed on the sand, thick fog suddenly began rolling in from the sea, covering the beach in an eerie white mist. Misty and Giselle got scared by the sudden change and instinctively launched themselves toward Ash, clinging tightly to him.
Sabrina and Daisy simply shook their heads with amused smiles. Tracey, holding his binoculars, tried to peer through the dense fog and suddenly gasped.
"Look! Over there!" he exclaimed. "There's a rundown old ship floating in the water… It looks exactly like the ghost ship they showed on the news!"
Ash's eyes lit up with excitement. "Want to check it out?"
After calming down, Misty gave a sheepish "Tee-hee" smile and stuck her tongue out, quickly remembering she was always safe as long as Ash was by her side. Giselle, realizing how closely she was pressed against Ash, quickly separated with a deep blush and a racing heart.
With everyone's agreement, the crew boarded a small boat and carefully approached the mysterious ghost ship. Once inside the creaky, dimly lit vessel, they began searching for anything unusual.
During their exploration, Togepi, Eevee, and Pikachu accidentally got separated from the group. When Ash and the others finally found them, the three little Pokémon were happily playing with two Ghost-type Pokémon a Gastly and a Haunter. Behind them sat the missing 300-year-old Orange League Trophy, gleaming softly.
Ash stepped forward and activated his Viridian Mind Power, allowing him to communicate directly with the Ghost Pokémon in their own language. After listening carefully, he turned to explain to the others.
"Basically, these two Pokémon Gastly and Haunter belonged to the ship's captain centuries ago. They've been guarding their master's Orange League Trophy all this time. A few weeks ago, some explorers accidentally released them from their old Poké Balls. They're not thieves… they're loyal guardians."
The group nodded in understanding.
Tracey added thoughtfully, "That means their master must have been a really skilled Pokémon trainer to win this trophy."
In response, Gastly and Haunter used their illusion powers to show a beautiful vision of their former master battling fiercely and winning the ancient Orange League Trophy. Everyone watched in awe, now fully understanding why the two Ghost Pokémon refused to let anyone take it.
Ash smiled gently at the duo. "We understand completely. Just because the captain is no longer here doesn't mean the trophy should stop belonging to him."
Gastly and Haunter bowed respectfully toward Ash and the gang. With the mystery solved, the group left the ship.
As they watched from their boat, both Ghost Pokémon used telekinesis to lift the entire rundown ship into the air. The ghost ship slowly rose and disappeared into the foggy sky, carrying the ancient trophy with it. The centuries-old mystery of the disappearing Orange League Trophy had finally come to a peaceful end.
Later that evening, back at the Pokémon Center, Ash decided to check the stats of his two newest team members using the System.
[Ding!]
Pokémon: Crystal Onix ♀️
Level: 48
Potential: Legendary
Ability: Sturdy
Hidden Ability: Everlasting Starlight (Not affected by any status conditions. Special Attack damage received is halved. Speed increases by 10% every 5 seconds, up to a maximum of 150% boost.)
Skills: Tackle, Harden, Bind, Rock Throw, Rock Polish, Stealth Rock, Power Gem, Ancient Power, Stone Edge, Crystal Barrier, Diamond Storm
Intimacy: 210/255
Item Carried: None
Pokémon: Snorlax ♂️
Level: 55
Potential: Champion
Ability: Thick Fat
Hidden Ability: Gluttony
Skills: Tackle, Yawn, Rest, Snore, Body Slam, Block, Crunch, Heavy Slam, Giga Impact, Pulverizing Pancake (via Snorlium Z)
Intimacy: 185/255
Item Carried: None
Ash smiled satisfactorily as he reviewed the information. Both new additions were strong in their own ways, and he was already looking forward to training them further.
With the ghost ship mystery resolved and another peaceful day coming to an end on Moro Island, the group prepared for whatever new adventures awaited them in the Orange Archipelago.