"Look, there's a land bridge. Just like Mr. Fuji said. We're almost home!" Karl was relieved that Pallet Town was just one more island away, then it was just a cruise north.
"If it goes out to Cinnabar, and maybe Pallet, then it's gonna be a cakewalk from here," said Kevin in triumph.
---
"Please, don't bring me to the volcano," Daisy insisted. Her phone had been confiscated by Team Rocket, and she was trying to escape to return home.
"Just shut up. That's my advice." Becky pushed down Daisy.
Chansey reared up to attack. Becky's Machoke countered by grabbing its head and squeezing it.
"Chansey! Don't let that Machoke hurt you!" Daisy quickly recalled the egg Pokemon.
Darkao glared at Daisy. "You should never mess with us. We're dangerous." Daisy wasn't sure what to do at this point.
---
The next morning after they arrived at Cinnabar Island, Karl, Hadley, and Kevin had been given the clear scoop on Team Rocket's plan.
Karl, clad in only his underwear, was mostly submerged in a hot spring near the volcano. A nice hot bath that cleansed the pain all over him.
Kevin and Hadley, however, climbed the volcano's security fence with the intention of finding Daisy and Team Rocket.
Hadley called out Birdo. "All right, Birdo, fly up there and see if you can find Daisy."
Birdo squawked and flew towards the volcano.
---
"We're getting there..." Conner said. "We've gotten Zapdos at the power plant before some idiot blew it up. That could really do a number on someone."
Sandy looked up at the sky and a large machine on the ground intent on luring Moltres to catch it. "Once we've succeeded, we could get the keys to the world."
Daisy, bound and gagged, looked up the volcano. It didn't seem to start erupting, but still, being near the smoking mountain scared her.
A Pidgey flew down toward Daisy and Team Rocket. Trying to stay out of sight, Birdo trotted toward Daisy. He squawked that he had found Daisy.
Daisy tried to cry out, "Birdo! Tell Red, Green and Blue I'm here!" but the cloth over her mouth prevented this. Still, Birdo knew what to do already, and flew out of Team Rocket's sight.
"What was a Pidgey doing out here in the sea?" asked Sandy.
"Maybe it was flying south for the extremely early winter," answered Conner.
---
Birdo squawked at the three. "You found Daisy?" asked Kevin in excitement.
The Pokedex indicated that the bird did. Suddenly, a rumble filled the area.
Karl, still in the hot springs, felt the water getting much hotter. "OW! It burns! It burns!" He quickly jumped out and into the ocean, where he cooled off. After this, he put his tattered jeans, vest, and hat back on. "If I'd been in that water any longer, I would have burned up my life."
Back at the volcano, Darkao said gratefully, "We did it! We succeeded in catching Moltres!"
Daisy had gotten more than her share of info in this secret plot. Maybe the others found out about this too.
And there they were, obviously trying to get closer to see what Team Rocket was doing.
"They've freeze-framed that strange bird," said Hadley in amazement.
"That 'strange bird' is a Moltres!" Karl knew what that bird's job was.
Team Rocket had, however, found them. "Hey, it's the colors." Conner was confused.
"They're alive," said Sandy in disbelief.
"You better tell us now! Where's Daisy Oak?" questioned Karl..
"Keep your vest on," said Sandy malevolently. "Daisy Oak's right here!"
"Mmph!" Daisy was lifted by Darkao, fear in her azure eyes.
"You've tied her up, and we're going to stop you!"
"With those failed experimental Pokemon?" questioned Darkao. "You're crazy children."
"Well, you can't mess with a Pokemon's feelings, so they're your worst enemies. Sic 'em, Pokemon!" Kevin called out Koopa.
Mach had emerged from the bottom, and nabbed Karl and Hadley. He then tossed the two into the volcano's vent. Then the muscular humanoid did the same for Kevin and Daisy.
---
Karl and Hadley got on their feet. Karl said in excitement, "Hey! We're not dead." Hadley sighed in relief.
Kevin had untied Daisy. "At least we're united again, Daisy."
"Yes, Blue, we're together, but we're also in a volcano!"
The volcano was scorching hot. Blowtorch dipped his tail and legs into the magma. It was a welcome relief after a long adventure. The Charmander felt rejuvenated all over as he climbed out, and his flame burned bright red with a bit of blue – extremely hot.
Flora attempted to touch the magma, but burned her foot. She screeched in pain, trying to cool her foot down.
Koopa wasted no time and squirted water on the Bulbasaur's foot. Flora breathed heavily in immense relief. That water sure countered against the extreme heat, but her left front leg was badly scarred.
Another rumble filled the mountain.
"Let's get out of here, everyone," declared Darkao.
In the volcano, the four could hear a plane flying away.
Inside, the heat reached almost-unbearable temperature.
Blaine could hear the cries of help from the volcano. He scurried up, hoping that it wouldn't erupt and kill them off.
Inside, Karl, Hadley, Kevin, and Daisy climbed up rocky ledges to avoid the red and orange magma as it rose.
Hadley quickly called out Birdo. "Quick, get help!"
The tiny bird flew out of the vent.
A helicopter flew down. "Attention! We'll get you out of the volcano!" A chain ladder lowered down, but it wasn't reachable.
Koopa squirted water into the lava, creating a solid rock.
"Quick! Get on the rock!".
The four didn't waste any time. They jumped onto the wiggling rock and climbed up the ladder – quickly, before the volcano erupted. But as Karl climbed up, the lava caught up with him... and burned his feet!
"YEOW!" Karl soared out of the vent in pain, and grabbed the ladder.
They had landed on a safe island, which was isolated from the volcano.
---
Karl, Hadley, Kevin, and Daisy were being treated for their injuries.
Karl's feet suffered from second-degree burns. It would take a month for this to heal.
Kenny and Kelly, who heard about the volcano eruption from Professor Oak, looked at him in worry.
Kenny sighed in depression. "Karl, it's all right. You're going to get back on your feet soon."
"Dad, Mom, there's something we need to tell you..."
"Yeah, Gramps, we've got a lot to explain." Kevin had suffered from heatstroke in the volcano.
"Blaine, could you start off?" asked Hadley. Her contact lenses were ruined and she had to remove them, preventing her from seeing much.
"Very well. Team Rocket had been working on something top secret."
"Yeah," blurted Kevin. "It's an Articuno-Zapdos-Moltres hybrid!"
Karl looked at him in confusion.
"Well... that's what Blaine told us..."
Professor Oak could understand it. "I can't believe you went out of hiding to tell me this!"
"Paul, I didn't want to blow my cover. Team Rocket could have been after me."
A man in a black cape, with spiky red hair, entered the patient room. "Hello, Red, Green, and Blue. It's nice to see you in person. I'm Lance Envimorph."
"Why yes, we know who you are," Hadley said. "You're on the campaign for Kantoan governor."
Daisy then shrugged. "No, I don't want any part in this. I'm the damsel in distress."
Kevin laughed. "Can't beat your way out of a paper bag, huh?"
"Well, there has been news regarding you all. Blue and Daisy, I'm sorry for your dad's death." Lance could understand how much trouble the Oak family would be going through now.
"You know, Lance, it's been great knowing you," said Karl in excitement. "If I could, I'd stand up for you."
"Our Pokemon are very powerful for some reason." Hadley believed that their DNA had been modified.
"We'll have to take DNA tests for them." Professor Oak knew that this was just another random Team Rocket project. "We'll see if Team Rocket genetically modified them."
Lance announced, "Now that we've gotten the top secret plans from Team Rocket, we're going to get ready for real action."
---
After a week of hospitalization, the four returned home at last. Pallet Town was still unaltered, but it may just be a matter of time before it, too, suffers a catastrophe.
Karl, whose feet had mostly recovered, returned to his couch potato status, changing channels on TV.