Chapter 49 Rainbow Reef
Without Delia and Red, Ash, Alice, and Gina are now surfing along Route 10, a Water Route in the region. Alice, feeling the breeze against her face, smiles brightly. "I never knew that surfing could be so much fun."
"You're right," Ash agrees, sharing in her excitement. "It feels so freeing... and ever since my father was revived, I feel like my heart is lighter."
Gina glances at the couple, noticing something unusual. "Yeah, I can see that you two are glowing as well."
Ash and Alice exchange confused looks. Alice asks, "What do you mean by glowing?"
Gina tilts her head, realizing she may have said something odd. "Did I say something wrong? I could see a glow coming from your backs."
Curious, Ash and Alice decide to stop on a small island to check their backpacks. To their surprise, they discover that their eggs are about to hatch. Ash, amazed, exclaims, "Finally, wow, this egg took forever to hatch!"
"Yeah," Alice agrees, watching as her egg begins to crack. "You got it after the third gym, and now we're on our way to the sixth gym. It really took a long time." As they watch, both eggs hatch before their eyes. "Cool, mine's a Guppish."
"And mine is... it looks like a small dragon," Ash says, quickly scanning the new Pokémon.
Finflix: The Hidden Pokémon. Water and Dragon type. Finflix are a recently discovered species once thought to have been a hoax. Investigations have shown that they were much more commonly found in the past.
"A Finflix? That's such a rare Pokémon," Ash says, as the little dragon affectionately hugs him.
"You're right. Even Wade had a hard time finding that Pokémon," Gina adds, impressed.
Alice then takes out an Ice Stone and uses it to evolve Guppish into an Orcail. She smiles down at her new Pokémon and says, "I'm going to name you... Cain. Is that okay with you?"
The Orcail jumps happily in her arms, and with their new Pokémon happily swimming beside them, the group continues their journey along the water.
As they approach a giant rock adorned with a vibrant array of corals, Gina announces, "And we've arrived at the Rainbow Reef."
"Wow, this place is absolutely beautiful," Alice marvels, her eyes wide with wonder. "Ash, look over there!"
Ash turns to see what Alice is pointing at and spots two mermaid-like Pokémon playing together. One has blue hair and blue fins, while the other has pink hair and pink fins. The two Pokémon notice the group and are intrigued by the closeness between Ash and Alice. After a brief moment of observation, the mermaid-like Pokémon decide to approach Ash, wanting to learn about relationships and eventually choosing to become his Pokémon.
Merkid: The Merkind Pokémon. Water type. Once believed to be myths until their discovery in Rainbow Reef, Merkid move in schools, using their hypnotic voices to protect themselves from humans by making them leave.
"That's really interesting," Ash comments as he recalls the two Merkid into their Pokéballs. "Hypnotizing people with their voices to protect themselves isn't something you hear about every day."
As they continue walking along the Rainbow Reef, Alice admires the scenery. "This place has so many colorful coral reefs."
"I know, it's truly a wonder," Gina agrees, looking around. Suddenly, she spots something ahead. "Hey, is that Brother Wade over there?"
Ash and Alice look ahead and see Wade, accompanied by Reisa, both confronting Team Solar. Their attention is drawn to a Pokémon trapped in a cage nearby.
"Reisa? Brother Wade?" Ash calls out as they rush towards them.
Wade and Reisa turn to see the group approaching, and Wade looks surprised. "Oh, Ash, Alice, and... Gina? What are you doing here?"
Gina grins. "It's my turn to travel with Ash. But we'll talk later. What's going on here?"
Reisa quickly explains, "Good thing you came! These creeps calling themselves Team Solar are attacking this innocent Corrine!"
"Corrine? So that's the name of that Pokémon..." Ash mutters as he looks at the trapped creature.
"Don't mess with us, greenhead!" the male grunt sneers.
"What's your little friends going to do, huh?" the female grunt taunts.
Ash yells, "What are you going to do to that Pokémon?"
The male grunt smirks. "This Corrine is coming with us! Once it sheds its valuable Coral Flowers, we'll sell them for a high price."
"You poachers! Leave it alone!" Reisa shouts angrily.
"Don't worry, we'll stop them," Ash declares as he and Alice send out Raizid and Cain. In a swift battle, the two grunts are easily defeated, especially after Ash's Raizid evolves into Raizodon and learns Crackle Slam, knocking out the grunts' Pokémon.
Raizodon: The Punker Pokémon. Electric and Ground type. Evolved from Raizid at LV:33. Raizodon is almost always building up energy when not moving. The high voltage keeps its body running even when it's out of food.
"You fools! You should know better than to mess with us!" the male grunt yells. "Let's get out of here! Our mission is over! The sea temple isn't in this location!" The grunts then use Flash to escape.
Ash rushes over to the cage holding Corrine, quickly breaking it open. He gently picks up the little Pokémon, holding it close. "Are you okay?" he asks, his voice full of concern.
Corrine looks a bit shaken but seems unharmed. Ash soothes the Pokémon as if it were a child, and it gradually calms down. To everyone's surprise, Corrine expresses its gratitude by giving Ash the Coral Flower from its head.
"Wow, that's the Coral Flower..." Wade says, clearly impressed. "So this is what those creepy Team Solar guys were after! These Coral Flowers are very valuable. They can sell for a high price, and they also somehow make Water and Rock-type Pokémon's attacks a lot more powerful. You should try it—it might come in handy."
"I see," Ash says, looking at Corrine with a warm smile. He asks if Corrine wants to join their team. Corrine, grateful to its savior, happily agrees to join Ash's team.
Corrine: The Coral Shell Pokémon. Water and Rock type. The Coral Flower on Corrine's head is a valuable decoration for the wealthy. While they do shed naturally, growing a new one takes over a hundred years.
"I'll help you grow the flower back," Ash declares, prompting giggles from the three girls. But Corrine finds Ash's encouragement enough as it suddenly begins to evolve. Wade watches in surprise. "Already?"
Coralush: The Coral Shell Pokémon. Water and Rock type. Evolved from Corrine with High Friendship. Due to their weak fins, Coralush can only hop around on the seabed. As they age, some of them become strong enough to swim semi-consistently.
"Oh, so it's a friendship evolution Pokémon... but I just befriended you a few minutes ago... How is that even possible?" Ash wonders aloud.
Gina smiles, offering an explanation. "I guess there are two possible reasons: one is that it really likes you, or you have some special power for befriending Pokémon."
"Not funny," Ash replies, slightly annoyed, as Alice chuckles beside him.
"Or it could be the second one—it has befriended other Pokémon a lot as well," Gina adds.
"Just like my Pikachu," Ash says, recalling a past experience. "I heard that Pikachu befriended a Kangaskhan in the past, and it was their friendship that made it evolve into Pikachu."
"That's new," Alice says, intrigued. "I never knew that could happen."
"Yeah, Pokémon really are mysterious," Reisa adds.
Suddenly, Coralush glows for a third time, preparing to evolve once more. Ash shakes his head in disbelief. "It feels really weird to have a Pokémon evolve straight into its final form."
Coraltle: The Coral Shell Pokémon. Water and Rock type. Evolved from Coralush in Rainbow Reef. To be able to float in water, Coraltle's shell sacrificed a certain amount of toughness for lightness. They can maneuver among coral reefs with ease.
"Now it's a terrain-based evolution, like Magneton or Nosepass..." Wade sighs.
"That explains a lot," Gina agrees.
"So, Brother Wade, what were you two doing here?" Ash asks, curious about their presence.
Reisa smiles brightly. "Well, Wade was just showing me the reef and the kinds of Pokémon found here! There are so many! It's so cool!"
"But where's Mark?" Ash asks, noticing his absence. "Isn't he with you guys?"
Wade shakes his head. "He decided to pass up the chance to come with us, so he's at the gym helping me train my Pokémon. Even though he's our little brother, I just hope he can conquer his fear of water."
"I know he can," Gina says confidently. "I'm pretty sure of it."
Wade then asks, "But where's Mom? I thought she was going to travel with you guys as well."
Ash's face lights up with excitement. "Well, long story short, she revived our dad, and now they're back on Sevestar Island."
Wade gasps in disbelief. "Dad is revived? No way!"
"It's true," Gina confirms. "Our family is back together again."
"That's great news," Wade says, a smile spreading across his face. "I'll go find him once we're back in Waytide City."
Before they part ways, Wade suddenly remembers something. "I almost forgot, Ash, can you take this?"
Wade opens his bag, revealing a blue stone. Ash's eyes widen in shock. "That's the Sea Stone! One of the five elemental stones that Team Solar and Team Lunar are after..."
"That's right," Wade nods. "After Pinewood's speech, I managed to get to the Sea Temple first and secure the stone. Team Solar was here searching for the temple, but they couldn't find it. Still, I didn't want to take any chances, so I left a fake one in the temple."
"I see," Gina says, understanding the situation. "So you want Ash to take care of it?"
"Of course," Wade replies. "He already has the Core Stone, so it'll be safer if he has the Sea Stone as well."
Ash nods as he takes the stone, then they bid farewell to Wade and Reisa and continue their journey towards Coralite Town.
At the same time, Delia and Red arrive back at Sevestar Castle. Red looks around the familiar surroundings and smiles. "It sure hasn't changed since I was last here. You've really done a great job maintaining this place."
Delia returns his smile with a loving gaze. "I know. I just want you to know, Valerie and her family are also here as well."
"Valerie and Wulfric, huh?" Red says, his smile widening. "It's been a long time since I've seen them."
Just then, Valerie and the others step outside, and when they see Red, both Valerie and Wulfric gasp in shock. "Red? Is that really you?" Valerie asks, her voice trembling.
Wulfric adds, "You're back with us!"
"Hello to you both," Red greets as they rush over to him. Eve and Flora, also surprised to see Ash's father alive, join in the joyful reunion with hugs.
Meanwhile, the group who had been hypnotized to betray Ash watches in surprise. Serena, still processing what she's seeing, turns to Delia and asks, "Who is he, Ms. Ketchum?"
Delia, with a dreamy tone, proudly replies, "This is Red, my husband. He's the most wonderful man I could ever have in my life."
"Wait, he's Ash's father?" Cilan exclaims, and the others are equally shocked, especially seeing Delia act so affectionately.
Red introduces himself to those who don't know him. "I imagine this is a surprise to all of you. I also know everything about the betrayal and the murders. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
They nod, acknowledging his words. Delia then speaks up, "You see, we aren't here for a long stay. We just wanted you to know that Red is alive. After that, we need to reunite with Ash and the group."
Valerie nods understandingly. "I see. Don't worry, we'll take care of this place while you're gone."
Red and Delia thank Valerie and the others before quickly leaving the island to find Ash, Alice, and Gina in Coralite Town.
And here is a new chapter, I made some changes since I want Ash to get all three last elemental stones in the end. I hope you like it.
New Pokemon/Evolution: Finflix, Merkid, Raizodon, Coraltle
Route 10:
Surfing: Porfin:60% (LV:31~33), Sharko:30% (LV:31~33), Jellitot:10% (LV:31~33)
Old Rod: Angling:100% (LV:5~15)
Good Rod: Angelish:60% (LV:25~30), Squidart:20% (LV:25~30), Sharko:20% (LV:25~30)
Rainbow Reef:
Land: Weedsea:25% (LV:31~33), Shrubsea:25% (LV:31~33), Crablue:25% (LV:31~33), Sealug:10% (LV:31~33), Corrine:10% (LV:31~33), Finflix:5% (LV:31~33)
Surfing: Porfin:60% (LV:31~33), Sharko:30% (LV:31~33), Merkid:10% (LV:31~33)
Old Rod: Angling:100% (LV:5~15)
Good Rod: Angelish:60% (LV:25~30), Kinip:20% (LV:25~30), Sharko:20% (LV:25~30)