After the battle ended, some excited spectators began engaging in Pokémon battles of their own. A few shameless opportunists even approached Red to ask whether he would consider trading his golden Pidgeot, some of them even offering double the number of Pokémon just to obtain the golden Pidgeot in Red's possession.
Red showed no mercy. He instructed Pidgeot to drive those people away by force. He didn't have the patience to calmly reason with them.
How could he possibly hand over the Pidgeot he had painstakingly raised? What would that make of the bond they had built along the journey?
"Well done!" Red praised, gently stroking Pidgeot's cheek.
Pidgeot lowered its head obediently, enjoying Red's touch.
"Red, you've raised Pidgeot remarkably well!" Professor Oak came over with a smile. His tone sounded polite, almost too polite, leaving both Red and Pidgeot slightly puzzled.
"Um~ so, could you possibly just~" Professor Oak rubbed his hands together, staring at Pidgeot with eager eyes. His intention was painfully obvious.
"Didn't I already send Beedrill back?"
"I finished researching Beedrill years ago! I know exactly what Beedrill likes to eat, what it likes to play with, what it likes to do!" Professor Oak suddenly broke down. Red had finally sent a Pokémon back, but it turned out to be the all-too-familiar Beedrill, instantly turning the professor's joy into despair. He had been so full of anticipation.
"But I still need Pidgeot in my current lineup."
Red helplessly made a vague promise, assuring Professor Oak that once he caught a satisfactory Pokémon, he would send Pidgeot back.
"Hehe! It's a deal!" Professor Oak revealed a blissful smile.
After brushing him off, Red quietly turned and left. It had merely been wordplay—he never promised that he would send Pidgeot back immediately after catching a Pokémon. As for when he would send Pidgeot to Pallet Town, that would depend entirely on his mood.
After painstakingly crossing the forest and arriving at the comfortable and charming beach, the long-missing trio of Ash finally reappeared in everyone's sight.
"The sea!"
"Woohoo!"
"Pika!"
Quickly changing into swim trunks, Ash eagerly jumped into the ocean with Brock. Pikachu adorably carried a tiny life ring, happily slipping it around its waist in preparation for swimming.
"Behold! The charming idol of the beach, the lively and beautiful girl—Misty!"
Also having changed into a light red swimsuit to show off her charm, Misty appeared before Ash, Brock, and Pikachu. The three of them froze on the spot when they saw her, unable to react for a moment.
"Why are you all standing there with your mouths open?" Misty asked in confusion. Weren't they supposed to compliment her beauty?
Ash, Brock, and Pikachu silently walked up to her. After a second of hesitation, Ash finally blurted out,
"I was just thinking… so you're actually a girl?"
"Isn't that obvious?!" Misty's face turned red with anger. She hurled the volleyball in her arms straight at Ash's face, and with that burst of fury, sent him right back into the ocean's embrace.
"Ash, you're still as dense as ever!"
A familiar voice sounded. Brock and Misty turned around to see Red approaching with Feebas in his arms. Feebas still had juice at the corner of its mouth, clearly having eaten quite a few astringent berries.
"It's brother!" Ash exclaimed excitedly, popping up from underwater.
"Who's this little one?" Misty curiously stared at Feebas, wondering what qualities it had that made Red capture it.
"This is a Pokémon I just caught. It dares to pursue its own dream." Red stroked Feebas as he briefly explained its background.
"So it has such a bittersweet past…" Brock was deeply moved, admiring Feebas's resilient heart.
"What?! So you already battled Gary earlier? No way, no way! I want to battle you too!" Ash suddenly threw a small tantrum, insisting on having a match with Red.
"Ash only acts like a kid when he's in front of Red," Misty teased.
"Not right now." Red smiled and lightly tapped Ash on the head. "I'm relaxing with Feebas at the moment. No time for battles."
"What a letdown…" Ash muttered, his burning gaze fixed on Feebas in Red's arms, startling it badly. It couldn't understand why this human, who looked seventy percent similar to its trainer, was staring at it so intensely.
"Don't scare Feebas," Red said helplessly to his younger brother.
"Hey, Red! Why did you suddenly disappear earlier?" Giselle ran over at that moment, drawing the attention of Ash and the others, all curious about her relationship with Red.
"In eight years, you'll definitely become a peerless beauty!" Brock immediately dropped to one knee, completely captivated by Giselle's stunning makeup and fiery outfit.
"That idiot Brock… I've been in the group this whole time, and he's never reacted like that to me!" Misty fumed in embarrassment and anger. She turned to Ash, hoping he would at least show some backbone, only to find him blushing and lowering his head shyly, unable to meet Giselle's gaze.
"You two idiots, what's wrong with you?!" Misty roared, grabbing Ash while twisting Brock's ear, restoring both of them to their senses.
"This isn't your twin brother, is it?" Giselle asked in disbelief, her eyes comparing the two brothers back and forth before finally covering her face and shaking her head.
"Don't I look like him?!" Ash protested anxiously.
(Not at all!) ×3
The three stared speechlessly at Ash. Didn't he have any self-awareness?
"Good thing there won't be a second person like you!" Giselle clutched her chest in relief. Brock once again wore a sleazy middle-aged expression, while Ash, under Misty's deadly glare, finally returned to normal.
During their chat, Red learned about the trio's journey after they separated. Together with Team Rocket, they had arrived on an island filled with gigantic mechanical Pokémon. After overcoming various hardships, they finally made their way to Acapulco.
Red knew very well that the island was actually an important source of funding for Team Rocket. Unexpectedly, it had been destroyed in confusion by Ash's trio along with Team Rocket's trio. If Giovanni ever learned that some of his own subordinates contributed to it, who knew how he would feel?
"You have no idea what we went through!" Ash leaned in to complain tearfully, wanting to tell Red about all their hardships.
"Alright, alright. Since we're at the beach, just relax first. By the way, Mom, Professor Oak, and Gary are all nearby. You could go find Gary for a Pokémon battle," Red comforted him.
As soon as he heard Gary's name, Ash's fighting spirit ignited instantly. Still, he decided to find Delia first. After all, he hadn't seen his mom in a long time.
"To protect the world from devastation!
To unite all peoples within our nation!
To denounce the evils of truth and love!
To extend our reach to the stars
Jessie!
James!
We are Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!
A white tomorrow is waiting for us!
That's right! Meowth!"
The appearance of Ash's trio also meant Team Rocket was close behind. At the moment, they were riding inside a mechanical Gyarados submarine, preparing to land while keeping a constant eye on Pikachu's movements. However, due to Red's sudden presence, Team Rocket had no choice but to remain underwater and wait for the right opportunity.
After that, a comical scene unfolded. Brock saw Pikachu run onto a speedboat and mistakenly assumed that Ash had borrowed it. Meanwhile, when Ash saw Brock board the boat, he assumed Brock had borrowed it, and even called Misty, who was nearby, to come aboard as well.
Only after checking with each other did the three realize it had all been an accidental incident caused by Pikachu. And Ash, who had taken control of the speedboat, accidentally crashed straight into the mechanical Gyarados submarine that had been lying in wait ahead.
(Though I'm really curious how the original Ash, being that young, even knew how to drive a speedboat.)
In the end, the speedboat was wrecked by Ash and the others. To compensate Grandpa for the repair costs, the trio temporarily went to work at his shop to repay their debt!