Ash's words cut through the suffocating air like a blade, carrying unwavering resolve.
Clutching the two orbs, burning and raging with power against his chest, he fixed his gaze on the distant Ice Island, shrouded in a raging blizzard. There lay their final hope, the Ice Sphere.
Misty looked at Ash's determined profile, countless words stuck in her throat, but in the end, she could only manage a trembling warning. "Be careful… we'll be waiting for you to come back!" She knew that any attempt to stop him now would be futile. Only trust and support could give him strength.
Tracey nodded heavily. "Ash, the fate of the world… we're counting on you!"
Melody clasped her hands together as if in prayer and whispered, "The Guardian of the Sea and the spirits of our ancestors will protect you, chosen one."
"Yeah!" Ash nodded firmly. Without another word, he patted Lapras's neck. "Partner, this is the final stretch. Let's go!"
"Woooo!" Lapras let out a high cry, carrying Ash and Pikachu as it charged fearlessly into the raging, chaotic sea, pushing forward toward Ice Island.
But the road to salvation was destined to be filled with obstacles.
Although the three legendary birds were still clashing with Lugia, the uncontrolled energy spilling from them had already formed a tangible barrier of catastrophe, sealing off the entire sea.
In the sky, Moltres's wings scattered countless flaming meteors burning with eerie purple fire, crashing down upon the ocean like apocalyptic judgment, sending steam surging skyward. Zapdos no longer summoned individual bolts of lightning, but an entire storm network of thunder, wildly crackling across sea and sky with deafening explosions. Articuno's blizzard was no ordinary snowstorm, but an ice crystal tempest infused with the concept of absolute zero, freezing even the waves instantly in its path.
Lapras pushed itself to the limit, weaving and dodging deadly fire meteors, slipping through terrifying gaps in the lightning storm, and breaking through rapidly freezing seas with great difficulty. Ash fully expanded his "Aura Barrier," the blue green shield flickering under the alternating bombardment of the three destructive forces, like a candle flame in the wind.
Cracks spread across the barrier with ear piercing sounds. Ash's face grew pale as his mental energy was rapidly drained.
"No… at this rate, we can't break through!" Ash gritted his teeth, staring at the path ahead, nearly swallowed by the raging energy storm. A sense of helplessness rose within him. The power of legendary birds, even just the aftershocks, was not something a human could easily withstand.
Just as despair reached its peak, a noisy and familiar engine roar, along with an even more grating shout, came from behind them.
"Wahahaha! How could saving the world, something this flashy, not include Team Rocket!"
A ramshackle "assault boat" cobbled together from scrap metal, old tires, and even half a helicopter rotor came barreling through the waves at an unbelievable speed, looking like it might fall apart at any moment.
At the helm, Jessie wore a smug "I'm the best in the world" expression. James struggled to hold onto the nearly collapsing railing, while Meowth frantically tried to keep the boat balanced at the rear.
"Team Rocket?! You…" Ash was stunned, not expecting them to appear at this moment in such a way.
"Twerp, don't get the wrong idea, meow!" Meowth shouted first. "We're not here to help you! It's just that saving the world sounds cooler than conquering it, and maybe we can grab some rewards afterward!"
Jessie planted her hands on her hips, striking a queenly pose despite standing on a broken boat. "That's right! Once we save the world, who will dare call us losers anymore? When that happens, getting whatever treasure we want will be easy!"
James added weakly, "A-and if the world gets destroyed, our luxurious lives will be gone too…"
Looking at their faces, ridiculous yet carrying a strange determination even in the face of the apocalypse, Ash suddenly found them less annoying. He even let out a faint, wry smile. At a time like this, any extra help was welcome.
"Think whatever you want! If you're coming, then help clear the way! Our target is Ice Island!" Ash shouted, not wasting time arguing.
"Roger that, meow! Watch us!" Meowth controlled the battered propeller, and with a screeching noise, the assault boat surged forward, speeding ahead of Lapras.
"Arbok, use Acid to melt the ice ahead!"
"Weezing, use Smokescreen to disrupt those fire meteors!"
"Victreebel, use Vine Whip to knock away those lightning strikes!"
The Team Rocket trio clumsily directed their Pokémon, carving out a barely passable path through this sea of death in their own chaotic way.
Acid hissed as it met the ice, smokescreen threw off the trajectory of some falling fire meteors, and vine whips narrowly deflected incoming bolts of lightning. Their methods were crude and inefficient, and several times they nearly got themselves killed, but their reckless determination was strangely moving.
With Team Rocket's unexpected "assist," the pressure on Ash and Lapras was greatly reduced.
They followed closely behind the makeshift assault boat, seizing every fleeting opening as they pushed forward with all their strength.
At last, they broke through the outermost layer of the energy blockade and successfully landed on Ice Island. The island was eerily silent, with only the endless howling of the freezing wind.
They had no time to look around. Guided by Ash's Aura, they rushed straight toward the mysterious temple at the island's center, carved from ancient ice.
Inside the temple, it was vast and frigid. Above the central altar floated an orb of pure icy blue, as if snowflakes were constantly forming within it, radiating an extreme chill.
The Ice Sphere!
"Found it! The last orb!" Ash felt a surge of joy and quickly stepped forward.
"Grab it already, let's get out of this frozen hell!" Jessie urged, rubbing her numb arms.
Ash carefully took the Ice Sphere and placed it into the specially prepared insulated pouch. The three orbs in his arms faintly resonated with each other, and an indescribable sense of balance began to emerge.
However, just as they obtained the orb and turned to leave the temple, three overwhelming, violent, and destructive divine presences descended like mountains crashing down upon them!
Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno!
They had actually broken free from Lugia's restraint, following the subtle energy fluctuation caused by the removal of the orb, and appeared directly above Ice Island. Six eyes burning with fury locked onto the group at the temple's entrance.
"This is bad!" Ash's heart sank.
Zapdos made the first move!
With a single flap of its wings, a golden bolt of lightning as thick as a barrel did not strike Ash, but instead blasted straight toward Team Rocket's assault boat docked at the shore!
Boom!
The scrap built boat stood no chance against divine lightning. It exploded instantly into countless fragments, burning as they fell into the sea.
"Our boat!!" James wailed in despair.
Then, an even more terrifying scene unfolded.
Articuno's icy aura flared brightly, as if it wanted to reclaim what belonged to it. But in the eyes of the other two completely out of control legendary birds, this action was seen as provocation.
Moltres's violet flames and Zapdos's golden lightning struck Articuno almost simultaneously, without mercy!
Boom!!!
The double super effective attack landed with devastating force! Articuno let out a cry of extreme pain. Its icy blue feathers were instantly scorched black, its massive body trembling as it lost stability. Shards of ice fell from it like tears as it plummeted toward the sea, its aura rapidly weakening.
The three legendary birds turned on each other. Articuno had been critically injured!
The sudden turn of events stunned everyone.
Just as Ash and Pikachu were plunged into despair with their path cut off and their escape destroyed, an indigo figure shot in at incredible speed, as if tearing through space itself!
It was Lugia!
Enduring the continued attacks of Moltres and Zapdos, it swept low across the sea and caught Ash and Pikachu just before they fell into the water with its massive wings.
"Lugia!" Lying on Lugia's broad and warm back, Ash felt a surge of complex emotions.
As for Team Rocket, watching this battle far beyond their understanding, seeing Lugia endure attacks to save Ash, and then glancing at their shattered "dream boat," the three exchanged a look.
For the first time, their eyes no longer held their usual cunning and greed. Instead, there was a strange clarity, mixed with resolve.
"Looks like…" Jessie brushed aside her windblown red hair, revealing a smile that wasn't pretty, but was unusually sincere. "We'd just be in the way here."
"Yeah…" James sighed softly, a hint of acceptance in his voice. "Saving the world… really isn't something suited for us."
Meowth nodded, looking at Ash and Lugia. "Twerp… and you too, big bird… the world… we're leaving it to you, meow."
With that, before another wave of destructive energy from the three legendary birds could engulf the airspace, the Team Rocket trio exchanged a glance, smiled, and without hesitation leapt into the freezing, turbulent sea below. They did not send out any Pokémon, choosing instead to face it with nothing but their human bodies, casting themselves away so they would not become a burden.
"Jessie! James! Meowth!" Ash shouted toward where they fell, a surge of indescribable bitterness and respect rising in his heart. These rivals who had always been both enemies and something more… at the final moment, they had…
But the crisis was not over.
Although damaged, the flying fortress still retained its core functions. Seizing the moment when Lugia was rescuing Ash and enduring the attacks of the two legendary birds, its old strength spent and new strength not yet recovered, Lawrence activated the capture device once more. The massive energy net targeted Lugia directly!
"Guardian of the Sea! You are the ultimate prize in my collection!" Lawrence's manic laughter rang out, nauseating in its madness.
A flash of anger passed through Lugia's eyes, but it was indeed at its weakest state.
At this critical moment, Lugia suddenly let out a sky shaking roar. The vast divine power within it was no longer used for defense, but unleashed entirely!
It opened its massive jaws, gathering an indescribable force of destruction and rebirth.
Aeroblast!
A towering indigo beam, formed from countless layers of compressed storm energy, shot forth like divine judgment. It instantly tore apart Lawrence's capture net and continued forward without losing momentum, striking the massive flying fortress directly!
Boom!!!
A world shaking explosion erupted. The flying fortress disintegrated midair, turning into a massive fireball as countless fragments fell like a meteor shower into the sea and sky.
The aftershock of Aeroblast also swept across Moltres and Zapdos in the air!
Already exhausted from their infighting and prolonged battle, the two legendary birds were struck head on by the Guardian of the Sea's power. They let out piercing cries as their bodies were scorched black, their energy plummeting. Like kites with cut strings, they fell toward the ocean in different directions.
Before losing consciousness completely, Lugia used the last of its strength. With a powerful flap of its wings, a gentle current wrapped around Ash and Pikachu on its back, launching them like projectiles safely toward Shamouti Island.
"The rest… I leave to you… chosen one…"
Lugia's weary yet relieved voice echoed in Ash's mind. Then its massive indigo body, covered in wounds, lost all strength and fell into the vast sea below.
Midair, Ash turned back, watching as Lugia and the three legendary birds fell into the ocean one after another. It was as if the world had lost all sound in that moment. Only the faint warmth of the three orbs in his arms reminded him of the heavy, unfinished mission resting on his shoulders.
...
RedX43's Note:
➤ Want More? Get up to +25 Extra Chapters on Patreon!
➤ [email protected]/RedX43
➤ +200 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter Drop!
➤ Consider giving a review or leave some comments, it help boost the story!
➤ Thanks for reading! 🙌