Professor Oak stayed at the hospital for two more days and then returned to Pallet Town. The next few days were very intense for Ash and Serena. Ash moved out of his room and into an empty room in the lab. Serena moved into Ash's old room and began settling in at the Ketchum household. Professor Oak began showing Ash and Serena all of the responsibilities and tasks involved in taking care of the Pokémon. It was a massive amount of work but Ash was eager to take it on.
As they went around the different facilities, Professor Oak apologetically showed Ash that some parts of the lab buildings had started to degrade. With all the work he and Tracey had been doing, they hadn't been able to properly keep up with maintenance. Ash dismissed the Professor's guilt and said that he would get everything fixed up and make it even better than before.
After about a week of Ash and Serena learning the jobs on the property, a moving company arrived and started packing up all of Professor Oak's equipment and belongings. Ash felt some sadness at the reality of Professor Oak leaving, but he remained upbeat and helped get everything ready to move out.
The day finally arrived when all the equipment was gone and the last of Professor Oak's research material and personal items were packed and ready to go. All of Pallet Town turned out to hold a large goodbye celebration for Professor Oak. The Professor got a little choked up at the outpouring of affection and thanked everyone profusely. Ash, Serena and Delia then took Professor Oak and Tracey to the airport, and with that, the former lab was now in the hands of Ash and Serena.
That evening, when Ash and Serena stood in front of the main building, they finally felt the full weight of responsibility on them. Both of them wondered if they'd made the correct decision, but they reassured each other and set to work.
The first few days were chaotic. Serena would arrive in the morning from the Ketchum house and often find Ash attending to some crisis. The Pokémon were upset by the absence of Professor Oak and it took Ash almost two weeks before they started fully respecting and listening to him. He and Serena often worked through the day without stopping to eat. Come evening, they would drag themselves into the mostly empty main building and sit on the floor, leaning their backs against the walls because the building didn't have any furniture.
One evening, while they were seated on the floor eating a simple dinner, Serena starting laughing at the ridiculous situation and proposed that they need to get some kind of dining room set up. Over the next few days, Ash managed to scavenge up a few chairs and find an old, half-broken, table. The makeshift dining room wasn't pretty but it worked, and they both appreciated it.
Ash started moving a few Pokémon around and teaching them to take care of each other. His experience with training let him do things that Professor Oak had never considered. He managed to appoint several more responsible Pokémon to watch over the others and ensure the basic needs were taken care of. Thanks to this, the workload around the former lab began to lessen.
A month into the work, Ash finally decided to retitle the property. It wasn't a lab any longer, and so, after he and Serena thought about it and discussed it, they decided to call it the Pallet Town Pokémon Reserve. It was a happy and sad day when Ash took down the old sign of Professor Oak's lab and replaced it with the new one.
Roughly three months after Ash started running the reserve, things had settled down enough that he and Serena could start making progress on the various repair and upkeep work which needed to be done. Some of the jobs were easy, like washing the exteriors of the various buildings and repainting some of the older wood structures. More complicated work, like fixing some of the wiring inside the main building, which Rotom had fried, would have to wait until later.
One day, Serena decided to take on the large task of washing the main building. She called upon Ash's Totodile and Corphish to help her out. The two Pokémon alternated Water Gun and Bubble Beam attacks, easily blasting grime from the sides of the structure. They managed to get the job done in a single day. Toward the end of the task, Buizel and Oshawott joined in but started playing around rather than helping. They started blasting Totodile and Corphish with water gun attacks, and before Serena knew what was happening, she was caught in the middle of a huge water fight between the Pokémon. She emerged from it thoroughly soaked and decided that it was time for a change of outfit. Her current clothing, the charcoal top with the red/white short skirt, simply wasn't practical for working at the reserve.
At Ash's urging, Serena went on a two day excursion to Goldenrod City and returned with a completely new wardrobe. The next day she arrived at the reserve wearing a sleeveless pastel pink t-shirt overlaid with a dark red vest. She had a pair of light blue shorts and red tennis shoes with white patterning. She topped it off with a short-brimmed pink sun hat. Ash complemented her on the outfit and said she looked as stylish as ever.
Several more days passed as they continued the cleaning and repair work. Ash discovered that some of the siding on the main building had started to degrade and needed to be replaced. Thus, one afternoon Ash set up a ladder, and with Heracross assisting him, started replacing the rotting boards.
Ash leaned to the left side of the ladder and inspected another suspect plank. "Yep, looks like this one need to go too," he said to Heracross.
A few feet below him, the bug Pokémon grunted and clawed it's way upward, hanging on to the side of the building. Heracross braced itself and jammed its horn into the underside of the board. The Pokémon gave a quick cry of effort, and with a twist of its head, wrenched the board free of the building, sending it plummeting to the ground below. The Pokémon then detached from the building and flew down to collect a new board from a stack at the base of the building. Heracross quickly returned to Ash and slotted the board into place. Ash braced himself on the ladder and hammered a pair of nails into place on the right side of the new board. With one side of the board secure, Heracross pulled a hammer from a utility harness it was wearing and nailed down the opposite side.
Ash smiled at the efficient work. "Good job Heracross."
The Pokémon nodded and stowed its hammer, ready for the next task.
Ash started to climb farther up the ladder, when he heard a series of heavy footfalls below him.
"Hey Ash," he heard Serena call from below.
He looked down and saw Serena perched atop a Rhyhorn. There were two more Rhyhorn trailing behind her. They were wearing carrying harnesses that were loaded with fence posts and lumber.
Serena gave Ash a quick wave. "I'm going to go out and repair that fence on the far side of the grass enclosure."
"Okay, sounds good," Ash replied. "Just be sure to take Krookodile with you. He can replace those fence posts real easily."
Serena nodded and smiled. "I will thanks," With that, Serena turned her Rhyhorn toward the ground Pokémon area and urged it forward with a moderate tap of her heels. The Pokémon started moving forward, with the other two following behind.
Ash watched for a moment as the trio of Rhyhorn crossed the large green field at a slow run. He then turned back to the building and started looking for the next board which needed to be replaced.
It took Ash another hour to finish replacing the siding. Once he was on the ground again he paused a moment to look up at the three dozen unpainted boards which checkered the side of the building. They still needed to paint the entire structure, but they were making good progress. He smiled at a job well done and headed inside to get Heracross a bottle of nectar.
Once Heracross was settled and happily drinking down its sweet treat, Ash started collecting the old rotted boards and cleaning up the debris. As he was doing this he spotted a young man cresting the top of the stairs leading up from the main road below. The newcomer couldn't have been older than sixteen, and he was wearing a kind of uniform similar to a sailor. He appeared worried and tense as he glanced around the property.
"Hey, can I help you?" Ash called out to the young man.
The other looked surprised and then his expression turned to one of amazement as he got a better view of Ash.
"You're him," he said, sounding awestruck. "You're Ash Ketchum!"
Ash was a little puzzled. "Yeah, that's me. Is there something you need?"
The man quickly strode toward Ash so he was only a short distance away. He bowed deeply and started talking, his voice apologetic.
"Please sir, I'm here because my family's business is in trouble. We need the help of a great Pokémon trainer."
Ash was a little uncomfortable at the reverence the young man was showing him. "Please, you don't need to do that," he said, waving off the man's humility. "Just tell me what's going on."
The young man straightened up and sighed deeply. "My family owns a small ferry business. We haul passengers and cargo between the port south of Pallet Town and Cinnabar Island. We've been doing this for years, but last month the seas suddenly became unsafe."
Ash was intrigued. "What do you mean unsafe?"
There was a glimmer of fear in the sailor's eyes as he continued. "One day my father and I were returning from Cinnabar Island. It was a calm day, but the sea suddenly began to churn. My father tried to guide us out of the rough waters but that's when Gyarados started flying out of the ocean and attacking us."
"Gyarados huh?" Ash replied. "Had you done anything to provoke them?"
The young man shook his head. "No, nothing. We'd traveled that route hundreds of times; we'd never had anything like that happen."
"What happened next?" Ash asked.
"My father and I managed to escape and get back to dock. But the next day my brother was out on another ferry and was attacked by Gyarados as well."
Ash folded his arms and continued listening, trying to think of a possible explanation.
"Over the next few days some of our ferries would be okay, but others would be attacked. Always by Gyarados, and always in the same area." The young man's shoulders suddenly slumped and he looked completely defeated. "We've had to quit running the ferries. No one will ride the boats or ship cargo with it so dangerous. If we can't resume shipments soon, we'll have to close down for good."
Ash felt sympathy for the young man. "Hey, why don't you come inside? We can sit down and talk about this more. Maybe I can help you."
The young man's demeanor brightened slightly. "Sure, thank you!"
Ash turned toward the main building and gestured for the other to follow him. "Say, I didn't catch your name?" Ash said over his shoulder.
"Oh, I'm Noah," he answered.
"Noah," Ash replied. "Let's see if we can fix your Gyarados problem."
Ash spent the next half-hour talking with Noah and getting more details about the mysterious attacks. After quizzing him extensively however, there didn't seem to be any reason Ash could find for why the Gyarados were suddenly so aggressive. The ferries were fairly small and didn't disrupt the local environment. No one on the ferries had fought back against the attack, much less done anything to provoke the Gyarados, and there wasn't any pattern to the attacks.
Ash was thoroughly intrigued by the problem when he heard the front door open and Serena entered the building.
"Hey Ash," she called from the neighboring room. "We got the fence repaired. Krookodile was a big help."
She walked through the entry way into the makeshift dining room where Ash and Noah were seated. She was somewhat dirty, with smears of grime on her arms, legs and clothes. She looked tired, but she had a look of accomplishment on her face.
She jumped slightly in surprise when she caught sight of Noah. "Oh! We have a guest," she said, suddenly feeling self-conscious at her appearance.
Ash smiled at Serena. "Serena, this is Noah. He's here to see if I can help him with a problem."
Ash proceeded to explain the situation to Serena. Once she'd heard the story, Serena felt bad for Noah and his family and encouraged Ash to help. After a quick discussion, Ash decided that the following day he would travel south to the port where the family's ferry business was located. Noah was overjoyed, and after profusely thanking Ash, he left, eager to tell his family the good news.
Ash and Serena wished Noah well and returned to the dining room.
"Any idea what could be causing the Gyarados to attack?" Serena asked as they sat down at the table.
Ash shook his head. "No clue. Gyarados are dangerous, but unless something provokes them, they usually mind their own business."
Serena nodded and thought for a moment. "So what time will we be leaving tomorrow?"
Ash was a little surprised by Serena saying 'we.' He'd assumed that he'd be going alone and Serena would stay behind to mind the reserve. "You're planning on coming too?" Ash said.
Serena smiled slightly, "sure. I figure you could use someone to watch your back."
Ash hesitated a moment. He was happy to have Serena along with him, but there would be no one to watch the Pokémon at the reserve. "Well, that's great Serena. But who will look out for the Pokémon here?"
"I'll ask some of the neighbors," Serena replied. "I'm sure they'd be willing to help out."
Ash paused. He wasn't sure about asking the neighbors, out-of-the-blue, to help out at the reserve. "You think they'd want to help out?" he said, his voice heavy with doubt.
Serena nodded. "Oh, I know they would," she replied, sounding certain.
Ash had a look of puzzlement on his face, so Serena continued.
"See, when I haven't been working, I've been making friends around town. Everyone here is really impressed with what you've been doing. A lot of them have offered to help out if you ever needed anything. I'm sure they could handle taking care of the basics for a day."
Ash was impressed and smiled at Serena. "You're on top of things, like always," he said, admiringly.
Serena was grateful for the compliment. She rose from the table and took step toward the door. "Well, I'm gonna head back to the house. I need to get cleaned up. I can't go around town talking to people looking like this."
Ash chuckled, "you look fine; you're just a little dirty."
Serena scoffed at this. "Ash, I could be covered in mud and you'd say I that looked okay."
Ash suddenly felt a little embarrassed. "I don't know about that…. I mean…. you look fine now…. but you're not really… that dirty…" he said fumbling for words.
Serena smirked slightly and turned to face Ash. She put her arms behind her back and altered her pose to emphasize her female form. "I don't think you're the most objective person when it comes to me Ash," she said in a low voice.
Ash's eyes widened and he suddenly looked uncomfortable.
Serena smiled and chuckled at Ash's reaction. She returned to her normal, relaxed stance and took a step backwards toward the door. "I'll see you tomorrow Ash," she said. With that, she turned and walked out the door.
Ash continued sitting at the table. He heard Serena exit the building and he sighed. Ever since Serena had expressed her feelings for him things had been different between them. In some ways, they were closer than before. They'd engaged in several personal conversations and they were excellent work partners. However, when Serena did something flirtatious or worn an outfit that emphasized her physical beauty, Ash felt really uncomfortable. He wasn't entirely sure why he felt this way, but he knew that he didn't want to objectify Serena or disrespect her in any way. She was too great of a friend and too important to him.
Ash shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned his attention to Gyarados. He could figure out his feelings about Serena later. Right now he needed to get ready for the next day.
The next morning started very differently than usual. Serena arrived early with a half dozen of the neighbors in tow. Ash showed the people the basics of what to do and made sure there were instructions for all of the necessary tasks. Ash was a little apprehensive at leaving, but Serena reassured him and they set out on the road leading south of Pallet Town.
Ash was wearing his usual outfit; however Serena had swapped her pink shirt for a dark blue one and left her vest at home. She also was wearing a blue tie-dyed scarf over her hair instead of a hat.
It only took a short while for them to cross the rolling hills and reach the coast. The shore was rocky in this area and small waves broke against the boulders causing a low and steady rumble. The small port they were heading for was built inside a natural cove. The cove had been extended a short ways inland and a breakwater had been built to shelter the facilities on the coast.
The port wasn't a huge operation. There were a few docks and around two dozen vessels of small to moderate size. Ash and Serena spotted where the ferries were tied up and headed toward them. Noah had described the ships the previous day. There were four ships in total. Two were larger vessels, designed to carry up to seventy passengers and some cargo. Another was a smaller, barge-like vessel, which was meant for carrying cargo. The final one was a small passenger ferry, for around twenty-five people.
As the two of them approached the ferries, they could see one of the larger vessels had visible damage to its port side. Several of the windows were broken and some parts of the upper superstructure were missing trim or were blackened with charring. Noah had said that one of the Gyarados had raked the vessel with a Hyper Beam. Fortunately no one had been hurt.
Ash suddenly felt Serena put a hand on his right shoulder. He glanced over at her and saw she was staring at the damaged ship with a concerned expression. She knew that Ash would likely be going out to confront whatever Pokémon had done this damage. It made her feel queasy.
Pikachu gave a somber call and Ash stopped walking to look at Pikachu and Serena. "Don't worry guys, it will be fine," he said reassuringly.
Serena responded with a brave smile, but she didn't feel any better.
They continued walking around the dock and caught sight of Noah, with what Ash assumed was his family. Noah waved to the approaching trio and the two groups met in the shadow of the large ferries.
"So, you're Ash Ketchum, the famous Pokémon trainer," Noah's father began, speaking in a low and authoritative voice. He held out a hand to Ash. The older man was tall, with dark, short-cut thinning hair. He had a full beard that nearly concealed his neck. His skin was weathered and tanned from being at sea.
Ash smiled sheepishly. He doubted he would ever get used to people holding him in high regard. "Yeah, that's me," he replied, shaking the man's hand.
The father smiled. "I'm Norman," he gestured to Noah and another young man standing to his left. "These are my sons Kory and Noah." He then looked at a woman standing just to his right. "And my wonderful wife, Caroline."
Kory and Noah looked fairly similar in appearance. Kory seemed to be a little older and had short jet-black hair whereas Noah's hair was longer and dark brown. Both of them nodded respectfully.
Caroline had long dirty blonde hair tied behind her head in a bun. Her skin was much fairer than her husband's, but was still slightly tanned.
All three of the men were wearing a sailor type uniform, with Norman's being more refined and gaudy. Caroline was wearing a floral patterned sundress with a tan underlayer topped off with a large white sunhat.
Ash and Serena acknowledged all of them. "So, I hear you have a problem with some Gyarados," Ash said to Norman.
Norman nodded and invited them on to the undamaged large ferry.
Norman recounted much of the same information that Noah had told Ash the day before. He was able to provide more detail about locations and the history of the area, but it didn't shed any light on why the attacks were occurring. Ash could think of no reason why the Gyarados were suddenly causing trouble and so he agreed to go out on the ocean with the family.
All of them boarded the small passenger ferry and set out toward the troubled area. Serena had taken many ferries while she'd been in Hoenn, but she'd never felt the sense of foreboding that was haunting her now. As they cruised across the sea and the land disappeared from view, she felt more and more anxious that at any moment a Gyarados could leap out of the water and smash their ship to pieces. She kept up a strong exterior for Ash, but inside she was sick with concern.
Norman stayed at the helm of the vessel and kept them on course. They traveled for a little less than two hours, before they stopped in what seemed to be the middle of the sea.
Ash scanned the horizon. He could see some rocks jutting out of the water to their east and west, but other than that, there was nothing to see.
Norman descended to the main deck of the ferry. "The attacks have been happening just to the south west of here," he said, pointing toward an area near the jagged rocks rising from the water. "This is a major crossing between north, south, east and west." He gestured toward the east and the west. "If you go farther south, there are rocky outcroppings that prevent travel to the west; there's also outcroppings to the east." He pointed in the direction of Cinnabar Island. "This corridor south is the only direct way to the island. Otherwise you have to sail all the way around to the east. That's almost a two day trip."
Kory spoke up. "That's why we have to be able to travel this route. We can't make the long trip around."
"I see," Ash said; understanding the geography of the area. He walked out onto the flat deck of the bow. He scanned the ocean, considering what move to make.
Behind him, the family watched quietly. Curious what the famous Pokémon trainer would do.
Finally, Ash reached under his jacket and retrieved a Pokéball. He tapped the ball to expand it and tossed it into the air. "Noctowl, let's go!"
The red-white Pokéball soared into the air and snapped open, sending out a burst of white light and golden sparks that expanded and resolved into Ash's Noctowl. The flying Pokémon spread its wings and gave a cry as it began circling overhead.
Ash pointed toward the area Norman had indicated. "Noctowl, I need you to search the ocean with your vision. See if you can spot anything."
Noctowl dipped its wings and howled in response. It then turned and swooped off in the direction Ash had indicated.
Ash watched Noctowl crisscross the sky. He had a determined expression on his face and was ready for whatever happened next.
As the minutes passed, Serena walked up to where Ash was standing. There wasn't anything she wanted to do or say. She just felt a little frightened and wanted to be close to Ash. She also thought that if a Gyarados was to suddenly attack, she could protect him. She knew this sentiment was silly. Ash was vastly superior at Pokémon battling compared to her. Nonetheless, she felt better standing close to him.
After a short while, Noctowl began hovering in place.
"I think Noctowl found something," Ash said.
The flying Pokémon returned to the ship and Norman guided the vessel closer to where Noctowl had finished its search. There was nothing they could see on the surface and the water was deep enough that they couldn't see the bottom from the ship. Ash was debating what to do when Norman offered that they had a set of scuba gear aboard. Ash immediately decided to don the gear and dive below to see what was going on.
Ash changed into his swimming trunks and quickly put on the scuba gear. As he did his final preparations, Serena suddenly felt a spike of fear in her heart. The thought of Ash being underwater, away from her and any help made her throat tighten and knees shake.
"Hey Ash," Serena said, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "What if the Gyarados are down there?"
Ash was adjusting the diving mask and looked up at her. "Hopefully the Gyarados won't bother us. If they do, I'll have Totodile and Buizel with me. We should be fine."
This didn't reassure Serena, but she kept her fears to herself. She reached out and grasped hold of Ash's shoulder, squeezing it harder than she usually did. "Be careful, okay," she said, her voice tight with emotion.
Ash saw she was concerned and gave her a smile. He reached up and squeezed her hand in reassurance. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
Serena took a step back and Ash stood up. He sent Totodile and Buizel out into the sea and then climbed down into the water. Ash tested the scuba gear and gave the crew a thumbs-up sign. He then flipped over and dove under the surface. As he did, Serena couldn't help but gasp. She stood at the side of the ship, leaning over the ocean, gripping the railing with bother her hands.
Ash descended a short distance under the water and then signaled for Buizel to give him a lift. He grabbed hold of the water Pokémon and Buizel rapidly pulled him down into the depths; spinning its twin tails like a propeller.
The light began to get dim, but they reached bottom before it became completely dark. Ash let go of Buizel and began searching for whatever Noctowl had seen. He scanned the water for any sign of Gyarados, but saw nothing. In fact, he saw no Pokémon at all other than Tototile and Buizel. He thought it strange, but couldn't see any connection to the attacks.
Ash began slowly swimming along the rocky bottom. This part of the ocean floor was very jagged and covered with blackish rocks of various sizes. Ash spent several minutes moving around different outcroppings and looking into crevasses. He saw no sign of anything however, Gyarados or any other Pokémon. The complete absence of any Pokémon was starting to greatly puzzle him.
Something finally caught his eye. As he cleared a rocky ridge he spotted a difference in the rocks littering the ocean floor. Virtually all of the rocks he'd seen thus far had been black. However, in a gully ahead, there were a bunch of roundish brown rocks scattered everywhere.
Ash swam toward the differently colored rocks. There were all of similar size and looked like they didn't belong. Was this what Noctowl had seen?
Ash floated above one of the rocks. It was about as long as his forearm, and now that he was closer, it looked strangely smooth for a rock. Ash started to move closer when the rock suddenly jetted away from him. Ash flinched in surprise and watched as the suddenly mobile rock moved up into the water and rotated around. The rock was now staring back at him with a pair of glowing red eyes and Ash realized it wasn't a rock at all.
The Kabuto continued staring at him for a moment and then jetted away into the dim ocean. Ash looked at the rest of the rocks, realizing all of them were Kabuto. Any further thoughts were cut short when he heard Totodile yell out a warning. Ash looked in the direction of his Pokémon and spotted something large and brown streaking through the water right at him. Ash kicked hard with his fins and managed to dodge out of the way of a wicked looking scythe, which sliced through the water where he'd been moments before.
Ash flipped around and saw the menacing figure of a Kabutops floating a short distance away. The Pokémon glared at him with violent intent and surged forward, extending its scythes. Ash tried to swim away but the Kabutops closed the distance in an instant. As the fossil Pokémon reared back to strike with its scythes, Buizel slammed into it from the side with Aqua Jet.
The Kabutops tumbled end-over-end for a few moments then righted itself. Totodile didn't give it a chance to recover and unleashed a Water Gun attack, blasting the Pokémon some distance away.
The Kabutops flailed for a moment and then quickly swam away into the ocean.
Ash glanced at Buizel and Totodile and gestured for them to head for the surface. The Pokémon didn't need to be told twice. Ash grabbed hold of Buizel and all three of them sped upward.
They were making good speed toward the surface and were almost half way there when Totodile glanced behind them and croaked a warning. Ash looked back and saw three Kabutops rocketing toward them from below, leaving a wake of bubbles behind them. Ash gave Buizel a sharp tap to urge to Pokémon faster, and Buizel, having seen the oncoming threat, quickly complied.
As they reached the surface, Ash looked around and could see the underside of the ferry. The ship was some distance away and there was no way they could reach it before the Kabutops caught up with them. Ash and Buizel turned around and saw two Kabutops charging toward them and the other charging for Totodile.
Buizel fired a Water Gun at the lead Kabutops, knocking it backward, he then started into an Aqua Jet at the second one. Before he could reach full speed, the two Pokémon collided head-on; glowing scythes meeting Buizel's barely formed attack. There was tremendous impact which sent off a shockwave, pushing Ash up to the surface and briefly knocking Buizel out of the water.
Ash pulled the regulator out of his mouth and swam toward Buizel. "Buizel, are you okay!" he shouted upon reaching the water Pokémon.
Buizel groaned and shook his head. He quickly snapped back to being alert and gave a battle ready cry.
At that moment, a large geyser of water erupted close to where Tototile had been. Ash saw the tiny gator be thrown out of the explosion of water, followed a moment later by a Kabutops, thrown in the opposite direction. Both Pokémon splashed down into the water.
Totodile quickly popped to the surface and swam toward Ash.
Ash quickly gathered his Pokémon close and looked toward the Kabutops. The three fossil Pokémon had regrouped and were lurking on the surface a short distance away. They were almost completely submerged, with only their large half-circle heads breaking the surface. All three were viciously staring at Ash and his Pokémon.
Ash gritted his teeth and moved so Totodile and Buizel were in front of him. "You ready?" he asked of his Pokémon. Both of them shouted they were prepared for battle.
The three Kabutops started to swim forward, slowing gathering speed. Ash braced himself for another clash when the sea was suddenly illuminated by a glow of light from somewhere behind him. Without warning, a sphere of pink energy cut through the air and exploded amongst the fossil Pokémon, sending out a huge spray of water.
Ash shielded his face from the spray and then looked toward the aftermath of the attack. The three Kabutops were floating on the surface, momentarily stunned. They thrashed for a few seconds, and then submerged, swimming back down into the depths.
Ash watched them go, making sure they had truly left before turning toward the ferry.
Ash took hold of Buizel and the Pokémon started pulling him back to the ship. As they got closer, Ash could see the silhouette of Serena standing on the bow of the vessel, with Sylveon next to her. Ash was grateful for her intervention. Battling the three Kabutops would have been tricky.
Ash drew closer to the ship and moved toward the ladder so he could climb on board. Serena followed him on the deck of the ship as he moved. She had a tense expression on her face. She was kneeling down at the top of the ladder when Ash finally reached it. Ash climbed two rungs of the ladder and Serena extended a hand toward him to help pull him up. Ash gladly took it and was surprised when Serena yanked him upward with a surprising amount of strength. She grabbed hold of his scuba harness with her other hand and quickly dragged him aboard, letting out a frantic grunt as she did so.
Ash started to lever himself to a standing position. He struggled a little because he was being weighed down by the scuba gear. Seeing this, Serena grabbed hold of the front of his scuba gear and forcefully pulled him upright. Ash smiled, grateful for the assistance and then immediately stopped smiling when he saw Serena's expression. She was badly shaken and looked to be on the verge of tears. She ran her hands across Ash's shoulders and reached up to touch his face, reassuring herself that he was okay. She didn't say anything, as she was too choked up.
"What were those things?" Norman said, sounding perplexed.
Ash started unfastening the scuba gear. Serena helped him however she could. Her hands kept lingering on him as she worked.
"Those were Kabutops," Ash replied. "There were a bunch of Kabuto down there too."
Norman scratched his head and Kory looked incensed. "What's a Kabutops? I haven't heard of that," the father said.
"It's an extinct Pokémon," Kory spoke up sharply. "Those cursed fossil scientists on Cinnabar Island have been trying to study them. They released some into the environment to see what they would do." Kory started to get angry. "It's an affront to nature. Those scientists are messing with the natural order of things."
Norman and Caroline seemed a little embarrassed by Kory's outburst. They tried to calm down their son but he wouldn't have any of it.
"Those Pokémon shouldn't be alive," Kory continued. "They're meddling with things humanity has no business changing."
Ash was a little annoyed at the comment. "Well, they are alive, and we're going to have to figure out why they're being so aggressive."
Kory was still upset and Caroline took him inside the ferry. Norman and Noah stayed on the deck with Ash and Serena.
"So what do we do?" Norman asked.
Ash thought for a moment. He guessed that the Kabutops were attacking everything in the area. That would explain why there weren't any water Pokémon nearby. It didn't explain why the Gyarados had been attacking the ferries however.
"I'm gonna call Professor Oak," Ash said. "I'll bet he'll know what's going on."
Ash retrieved his Rotom Phone and sat down cross-legged on the bow of the ship. Serena sat next to him. She still looked nervous and didn't want to leave his side.
Ash dialed the number, and after a moment, Professor Oak appeared on the screen. "Ash, how are things going?"
Ash smiled. "Hello Professor. We've actually got a bit of a problem."
Professor Oak nodded. "Oh, is there another issue at the reserve?"
"No not that," Ash replied.
Ash proceeded to explain the entire situation to Professor Oak. The Professor was very surprised to hear about the Kabutops and listened carefully as Ash described the encounter with them.
Serena listened carefully as well, looking alarmed as Ash told of dodging the Kabutops' attacks underwater.
"So, what do you think Professor?" Ash asked once he'd finished retelling everything.
Professor Oak held a hand up to his chin and looked thoughtful. "Well, I think the Kabutops are the reason why the Gyarados have been so aggressive."
"Oh," Ash replied.
"You see," Professor Oak continued. "That area is right next to a major underwater route for Pokémon moving between Johto and Kanto. I know that Gyarados travel on that route. It's likely that the Kabutops have been attacking the Gyarados and driving them into a rage."
Ash's expression brightened as what the Professor said made a lot of sense. The Kabutops had driven off the other underwater Pokémon so it made sense that if Gyarados entered the area, the Kabutops would attack them as well. With the Gyarados in an enraged state, they could potentially attack nearby ships.
"That's probably it!" Ash said, sounding elated. "So what should we do to stop the Kabutops from attacking?"
At this, Professor Oak looked a little deflated. "I'm sorry Ash, but there's very little information about Kabuto or Kabutops. Most of what we have is from observations in the laboratory. We really don't know how those Pokémon behave in the wild."
Ash was surprised. Professor Oak always had an answer for anything about Pokémon. "But, there's got to be something you can tell us?"
"Hmmmm," Professor Oak considered. "Ash, I think you've already observed more wild Kabutops in one day than the entire scientific community has in the last twenty years. There's really nothing I can tell you that would be useful."
Ash's shoulders slumped, and Serena looked distressed.
"It looks like you'll have to be the Professor for today," Professor Oak continued.
Ash managed a smile. "Well, thanks Professor," he said.
Professor Oak smiled. "Chin up Ash. You can deal with this problem. Just do what you think is right."
Ash nodded. "Will do" he said.
With that, Ash ended the call and set aside the phone. He looked at the ocean were the Kabutops were located.
Serena was silent for several minutes while Ash thought. Eventually he stood up and walked to the railing of the ship. Serena followed after him.
"So, what are you going to do?" Serena asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Ash frowned. "I don't know. Those Kabutops were really aggressive. If they've been fighting with Gyarados all this time, I can't imagine they'll be wanting to listen to anyone. They're just attacking anything on sight. I could try talking to them, but I doubt that would work."
Serena swallowed in fear. She'd seen a fossilized Kabutops at a museum in Hoenn and pictures of a restored one. The thought of one of them aiming its scythe at Ash horrified her. These Pokémon were extremely dangerous.
"Maybe we could just leave them be," she offered.
Ash shook his head. "That'd be great, but I don't think they will let everyone else be. They'll just keep attacking whatever gets close to them. People, Pokémon, anyone who comes by here will be in danger."
Ash folded his arms and tiled his head forward, trying to come up with a solution.
Serena reached up and put a hand on his left shoulder. She wished she was a brilliant Pokémon trainer like Ash and could think of an answer. She bowed her head like Ash and tried to think of something they could do.
As they stood on the deck thinking, the ship suddenly started to bob up and down more than it had been. At first they took no notice, but the bobbing quickly became more intense and small waves began to splash against the side of the hull.
Ash and Serena looked up and saw the ocean, near where the Kabutops were located, was violently churning.
"DAD, IT'S HAPPENING!" they heard Noah call out.
Norman came running on deck and looked at the churning seas. He immediately got a look of fear on his face and dashed for the wheelhouse. Ash and Serena chased after him.
"Norman, what's going on?!" Ash asked.
Norman threw several switches and started the ship's engines. "This is what happened the other times," he said.
Ash was about to ask another question when a Gyarados emerged from the churning sea, soaring into the air amidst a massive eruption of foam and spray. The blue and yellow Pokémon arced into the air, emitting an ear piercing screech, and then dove back down into the ocean.
Serena gasped in fright and Ash looked on in measured awe.
Norman sent a hard look back at the roiling foam and sent the ship ahead at full-throttle.
The ship began to move away from the disturbance and Ash walked to the stern of the ferry. He watched as the sea became even more violent and other Gyarados started to surface and dive. He also saw glimpses of Kabutops, as the battled the Gyarados.
The Pokémon were exchanging blows and trading attacks with a viciousness that made Ash gasp in dismay. He watched as a Kabutops charged out of the water to attack a Gyarados which was rearing back to strike. The Gyarados took the attack head-on and began to fall backward. As it did, it whipped its finned tail around and slammed it into the Kabutops as a parting hit. The fossil Pokémon flew through the air and crashed down into the water.
Another instance saw a Gyarados set upon by a trio of Kabutops. The mighty fish unleashed a Hydro Pump attack, but was quickly overwhelmed. The Gyarados took hit after hit from Ancient Power and Slash attacks. Battered, the Pokémon screamed in pain and dove under the water.
Elsewhere, a Kabutops launched itself out of the water and prepared to bring its scythes down on an unsuspecting Gyarados. Instead, a different Gyarados shot straight up out of the sea and bit down on the Kabutops with terrible force. The Gyarados delivered two more brutal bites before whipping its head sideways, throwing the Kabutops down into the sea. The Kabutops weakly submerged and started to dive. Not finished, the Gyarados twisted in the air like a snake and plunged down into the ocean, headfirst. A few moments after the Gyarados submerged there was a bright glow underwater and then an explosion as the Gyarados unleashed a Hyper Beam attack.
"This is awful," Ash exclaimed.
Serena stood at his side, looking on with wide eyes.
Ash watched the battle for a few more seconds and then dashed along the deck to where he'd left the scuba gear. He started quickly putting on the equipment. Serena saw him go and let out a cry of concern when she saw what he was planning.
"Ash, what are you doing!?" Serena yelled, running up to him.
"I've got to put a stop to this," Ash replied. "If this keeps up, they'll wipe each other out."
Serena was aghast. "If you go out there they'll wipe YOU out!"
Ash stopped mid action and looked up at Serena. He stared at her distraught expression for a long moment and then spoke in a quiet, calm voice. "They're Pokémon…. I have to help them."
Serena was trembling. Every part of her wanted Ash to stay on the ship and remain safe. However, she knew this was who Ash was at his core; someone who selflessly helps Pokémon, no matter what. She remembered back to the night at her home in Kalos when she'd seen the television broadcast of Ash atop Prism Tower. She remembered how he'd dived after Pikachu without thinking of his own safety.
Ash was brave and reckless when it came to his love of Pokémon. This selfless behavior of his frightened her at times. It was also one of the reasons she loved him so much.
Serena held back a sob and started helping Ash put on the scuba gear. Within a minute they had the equipment strapped on and tested. Ash sent Totodile and Buizel into the water and then deployed Lucario onto the ship. He told Lucario and Pikachu to protect the ship from any of the raging Pokémon. He also sent Noctowl and Charizard into the air, telling them to stay above him.
Ash stepped to the stern of the ship where the ladder was located. Norman was satisfied that he'd driven the vessel far enough away from the fight and had stopped the engines, making it safe for Ash to disembark.
As Ash prepared to jump into the water, Serena grabbed the scuba harness and turned him to face her. "Come back….. Okay?" she said softly.
Ash gave a subtle smile. "Yeah, I will," he replied, sounding confident.
Serena hesitated a moment, then let go of him and took a step back. "Go!" she breathed.
Ash nodded and leapt off the ship into the water. As soon as he was oriented, he took hold of Buizel and they started traveling toward the conflict area.
Serena watched Ash go. It took an effort to keep herself from crying. She moved a few steps to the side and took hold of the railing, gripping it until her knuckles turned white. She tried to breathe, but she could only manage a few shallow, shuddering gasps.
Buizel was pulling Ash away at a rapid rate and soon he was just a small dot on the ocean.
Serena suddenly felt someone gently lay a hand on her shoulder. She looked to her right and saw it was Caroline. The woman was looking at her sympathetically.
"I feel the exact same way when my husband is out in a storm," she said compassionately.
Serena swallowed a lump in her throat. She looked out toward Ash and then back at Caroline. "Does it ever get any easier?" she asked, her voice tight with emotion.
Caroline gave a kind smile. "As long as you love him, you'll worry about him," she said, simply.
Serena looked back toward Ash and sighed. She bowed her head and mumbled to herself. "Please Ash, be safe."
The battle had started to subside a little. It seemed most of the Pokémon from both sides had pulled back to lick their wounds. There were still a few Gyarados and Kabutops trading blows, but it was nothing like the chaotic free-for-all of a short time ago.
Ash stopped near the edge of the fighting. He floated on the surface, looking at the surroundings. He had no idea what he was hoping to find. He just had to find some way to get these two groups of Pokémon to see reason.
"There's got to be something," he said aloud; more to himself than to his Pokémon.
He grasped hold of Buizel again and submerged, with Totodile following. Under the surface Ash could see more of what was going on. He could see a few Gyarados and Kabutops rushing back-and-forth, landing blows on each other. They were some distance away, and Ash tried to stay clear of the battle as he moved around.
As Ash skirted the battleground, he caught sight of a Gyarados weakly swimming away from the fight. The Pokémon moved in a stilted motion as it snaked through the water. It had several large abrasions on its side and it let out a pained sounding screech.
Ash felt terrible for the Pokémon, but knew better than to try and help it. It would no doubt turn and attack him the moment he got close. He followed the Pokémon at a distance, waiting to see if an opportunity would present itself.
They followed the Gyarados a short distance from the fight and Ash abruptly brought Buizel to a stop when he saw more movement ahead. The water was fairly clear and Ash could make out several more Gyarados clustered together, staying relatively stationary under the water. The injured Gyarados joined the group and a couple of its fellows started attending to it.
Ash cautiously moved forward so he could get a better view. He counted sixteen Gyarados in all. He was glad they either hadn't spotted him, or didn't think he was a threat. Ash was pondering what he could do when he spotted something else near the Gyarados. There were a bunch of small shapes hovering in the sea just beyond the Gyarados. Ash knew he was pushing his luck, but he moved a bit closer to see what else was in the water.
It was increasingly stressful to keep going, and Ash moved very slowly. One of the Gyarados turned to look at him and started tracking his movements. Ash could feel Buizel tense up but he kept calm and steered the Pokémon slowly forward.
The small shapes finally began to resolve themselves and Ash suddenly realized they were Magikarp; a whole school of Magikarp.
The Gyarados watching him let out a growl and Ash decided that it was time to leave. He calmly turned his Pokémon around and started distancing himself from the mass of Gyarados. Once they were a safe, Ash signaled for them to surface.
The moment they were above the water, Ash took out the regulator and slid the scuba mask up onto his forehead. He looked up to see Noctowl and Charizard circling above and then turned his attention at the ongoing battle. It seemed the conflict had mostly resolved into a standoff. There were several Gyarados above the surface staring down a cluster of Kabutops floating some distance away. Ash could tell they weren't finished fighting. They were just sizing each other up and deciding what to do next.
Ash wracked his brain, trying to come up with a solution. There had to be a way to get them to stop fighting. There had to be a reason why they'd started fighting in the first place. If he could just figure out what is was, maybe he could talk some sense into them.
He considered the Gyarados, the Kabutops, the Magikarp the Kabuto, the ocean routes. Suddenly Ash had an epiphany and gasped as he realized what the whole conflict was about. He looked up to the sky and shouted, "Charizard! Noctowl! I know what we need to do!"
Serena stood on the observation deck of the ferry. It was the highest point of the vessel and gave her the best view of the sea. There was a moderate breeze blowing and it sent the scarf on her head fluttering along with her hair. She was holding a pair of binoculars and trying to follow what Ash was doing.
The Gyarados and Kabutops had stopped fighting for the moment and she saw Ash take the opportunity to call down Charizard and Noctowl; giving them some sort of instruction. Ash then started moving toward the open water separating the two groups of warring Pokémon.
Serena's stomach turned over as she watched Ash get closer and closer. "Come on Ash, get out of there!" she said under her breath.
The Pokémon took notice of Ash but didn't react. They were too focused on their foes to care about a single human.
Serena could feel sweat beading on her forehead and back, and it wasn't because of the sun. Ash stopped advancing and the two groups of Pokémon looked ready to start fighting again. They started to move toward each other when suddenly Noctowl and Charizard swooped down and unleashed Extrasensory and Flamethrower respectively. The two flying Pokémon blasted a line in the ocean between the Gyarados and Kabutops.
Both groups of water Pokémon recoiled from the sudden action and turned to face Ash.
"Oh no!" Serena gasped in fear. She felt an icy hand of dread clamp around her heart and she nearly collapsed to the deck as her knees grew weak.
Ash shielded his face from the large amount of spray kicked up by Noctowl and Charizard's attacks. Once the spray had settled, he looked at the two groups of Pokémon staring back at him with barely contained rage. Totodile and Buizel sent him nervous glances, hoping that their trainer knew what he was doing.
Ash pushed aside any fear and shouted at the onlooking Pokémon. "Gyarados! Kabutops! I know why you're fighting."
The two groups growled in response and Ash quickly continued.
"You're both afraid for your young ones!"
The Pokémon growled again, but, this time, there was a little less animosity directed toward Ash.
Ash turned toward the Kabutops. "Kabutops! I know you're new to the ocean here. You have all your Kabuto and you're afraid that anything could hurt them. That's why you drove off all the other Pokémon. That's why you've been attacking the Gyarados when they tried to travel through here."
The Kabutops were virtually unreadable, but it seemed a few of them gave a faint nod in response to Ash's words.
Ash turned to face the Gyarados. "Gyarados! You've got all your Magikarp. You've been wanting to travel west along the ocean lane with them. You want to keep them safe and when the Kabutops attacked you, you fought back."
The Gyarados seemed to agree, but didn't back down.
Ash addressed both Pokémon groups again. "You don't have to keep fighting. You can get along. You don't have to be afraid of each other."
Some of the Pokémon seemed to consider Ash's words but others turned to face their foes and started growling and posturing again. It quickly started to look like they would begin fighting again.
Ash gritted his teeth and shouted. "If you keep fighting, who will be left to look after your young!"
The sharp statement got the Pokémon's attention again. Ash continued, his voice more compassionate.
"Kabutops. You can let the Gyarados pass. You don't have to fight them. Both of you can share the ocean."
Ash looked at the Gyarados. "You just want your young to be safe. Give the Kabutops a chance. You can pass by without fighting."
The Kabutops and Gyarados turned away from Ash and looked at each other. They exchanged growls and cries and slowly their postures became less confrontational. Eventually all of the Kabutops and Gyarados swam away except for a single one on each side.
Ash was wondering what was going on when he noticed some activity under the water. He slid down his mask and put on the regulator. With Buizel and Totodile flanking him, he dove a short way under the water and looked around.
A short way beneath the surface, a large group of Gyarados were swimming toward the west. They were arranged in a column; swimming together in groups of twos and threes. Ash could see several of them were ones who had been fighting earlier. They still bore injuries and several were hampered in their swimming. About half way down the column was the school of Magikarp; swimming along with the others.
Ash looked below the column of Gyarados and could see several Kabutops watching from the depths. They didn't make any move to attack however, and within a few minutes, the Gyarados passed by and were gone from sight.
The other Kabutops dived out of sight, leaving only the single Gyarados and Kabutops which had been facing each other earlier. Ash guessed that these were the leaders of the groups of Pokémon.
The water Pokémon exchanged a few growls and turned to face Ash. They nodded in respect and Ash nodded back. The two of them then quickly swam off to rejoin the others of their groups.
It took Ash a few minutes to make the trip back to the ferry. When he got there, Serena was again waiting to pull him aboard. This time she was less frantic in her actions, but she still embraced him once he was on the deck and let out several tense and relieved laughs; happy that he was safe.
"So, what happed?" Norman asked. They'd been unable to make much sense of what Ash had done.
Ash smiled and started taking off the scuba gear. "I think everything will be okay now. I got them to talk to each other and not be afraid."
All of Norman's family looked shocked and amazed.
"That's incredible," Norman said, rubbing his head in disbelief.
"It's a miracle," Caroline added, sounding immensely relieved.
Noah looked awestruck. "You really are the world's greatest Pokémon trainer!" he said, grinning ear-to-ear.
Ash groaned faintly at the 'greatest Pokémon trainer' comment.
Serena laughed and put an arm around Ash's shoulder. "Yes. Yes, he is the greatest," she said admiringly.
Norman turned the ferry toward the north and set course for the port. Unlike the trip south, this time the mood on the ferry was one of happiness and relief. Ash retold the tale of what he'd seen and done, however it was so incredible that Norman's family could hardly believe it. They'd heard plenty of 'big fish stories' over the years and they jokingly wondered if Ash was embellishing the tale. Ash didn't care if they thought he was exaggerating or not. He knew the Pokémon would be safe, and that's what mattered.
Serena was silent for most of the trip. She sat cross-legged on the deck, listening to Ash and gazing at him in admiration.
They arrived back at the port a few hours past noon. Norman said that they would be getting the ferry business back up and running as soon as possible. They planned to fix up the larger ship and they said that if Ash ever needed anything from them, he only needed to ask.
Ash, as humble as ever, thanked the family and wished them well. He and Serena then started walking across the docks and up to the shore.
After leaving the port, Ash and Serena journeyed east for a while, walking along the rocky hillside overlooking the ocean. They could have turned north and headed straight back to Pallet Town, but after the excitement of the day, they were enjoying the relaxing sights and sounds of the seaside.
After they traveled a small distance, the rocky shore transitioned into a sandy beach. Pikachu and Serena stopped walking and paused to take in the sight.
"This is so beautiful," Serena said cheerily. "I didn't know you had a beach this close to Pallet Town."
Ash stopped walking and turned around. "Oh, yeah," he said, a little sheepishly. "Everyone always seems to go north, so it's easy to forget we have the ocean and all this just over the hill."
Serena moved her arms behind her back and folded her hands together. She arched her back slightly, looking up at the sky and breathing in the salty air coming off the sea.
"I spent a lot of time on the beach when I was in Hoenn," she said, reminiscing. She held her pose for a few seconds and then turned toward Ash. "Hey Ash, would it be okay if we stayed here for a little while? We could let our Pokémon out. I'm sure they'd enjoy the beach."
Ash glanced down at Pikachu, who nodded and smiled at the idea. Ash didn't take any convincing, and he smiled at Serena. "Sure, sounds like a great idea."
The trio made their way down to the shore and soon most of their Pokémon were frolicking on the sand or splashing in the water. Charizard, Delphox and Noctowl didn't fancy the sand or the ocean and so they found a large rock to sun themselves on. Ash changed back into his swim trunks and joined Totodile and Buizel as they dashed around in the small surf. Pikachu, Pancham, and Sylveon all began chasing each other around on the sand.
Lucario wasn't quite sure what to do. It didn't want to play in the ocean or the sand, but couldn't sit idle while the other Pokémon were so active. Serena noticed this, and after she changed into her swimwear, she approached the aura Pokémon.
She held out a flying disc to Ash's Pokémon. "Here, maybe you can have some fun with this," she said encouragingly.
Lucario took the plastic disc and looked at it, intrigued. It made a soft grunt and tossed the disc a short ways down the beach. The disc curved through the air above the sand, beginning to fall back to earth. Lucario's eyes suddenly widened and it shouted; rushing forward and dashing across the sand. The speed of the Pokémon allowed it to easily catch up with the disc. Lucario leapt high, snagged the toy in midair and landed smoothly. The Pokémon happily cried out and held the disc aloft as if it was a trophy.
Serena smiled to herself, pleased that Lucario now had something to enjoy. She turned toward the ocean where Ash and the water Pokémon were playing. She walked across the beach barefoot; remembering all the times in Hoenn when she'd done the exact same thing.
As she reached the edge of the water, Totodile and Buizel were lining up side-by-side, angling out into the ocean. When a wave started to crest, the two Pokémon suddenly surged forward. Buizel using Aqua Jet and Totodile it's natural speed. The two of them plowed through the oncoming wave, and Serena could only guess that the Pokémon were having some kind of competition.
"Hey Ash," she called out, seeing he had his back turned to her. He was currently standing in water up to his chest; busy watching his Pokémon.
Ash turned around and smiled. "Hey….. Serena," he said, hesitating a moment when he caught sight of her. Serena was wearing a fairly modest red tankini. Ash had seen her in less modest outfits back when they were in Kalos. However, that had been a long time ago, and in light of everything that had changed between them, he felt slightly uncomfortable looking at her in a swimsuit.
Serena smiled and started wading into the water. It was colder than in Hoenn, but not so much as to be uncomfortable. She could tell Ash was a little nervous looking at her so she took a few large strides out to where he was and submerged herself up to her neck.
"I'll bet it's nice to be in the water and not have to worry about Gyarados or Kabutops," Serena said, trying to put Ash at ease.
Ash laughed, "yeah, it's definitely an improvement."
They heard some commotion on the beach and they turned to see Lucario tossing the disc down the beach with Sylveon, Pikachu and Pancham in pursuit of the flying toy. They caught up with the disc and all jumped at once, trying to grab it. Pancham missed entirely and fell, back to earth, arms and legs flailing. He smashed into the sand, head-first, ending up embedded up to his shoulders; legs pointing toward the sky. Pikachu and Sylveon both closed on the disc. However it was Pikachu, who grabbed hold of the toy with his teeth, and brought it down.
"Looks like they're having fun," Ash said.
"Mmmm-Hmmm," Serena agreed. She considered doing something playful, like splashing water at Ash, but decided against it. She didn't want to push things. Sometimes it was hard for her to keep herself in check. For so long, she'd wanted to be honest with Ash about how she felt, and now there were so many things she wanted to do and say. At times, it was difficult to do nothing.
There was the sound of loud splashing nearby and Serena saw Buizel and Totodile throwing large amounts of water at each other, while shouting. It seemed that the competition from earlier had escalated into a small clash.
The two Pokémon dove after one another, swimming under the surface around Ash and Serena. After a few seconds of this, Buizel jumped out of the water and landed on Ash's back. Totodile followed suit and jumped on to Serena's back. Serena cried out in surprise and stood up straight, so the water was only at her chest.
Buizel and Totodile continued shouting at each other and gesturing wildly.
"Come on guys, calm down!" Ash said, try to cool the situation.
Totodile didn't listen, and after Buizel stuck his tongue out at him, he retaliated with a Water Gun attack.
Ash reflexively twisted to the side and avoided the attack. Buizel laughed.
Serena angrily turned her head to look at Totodile. "Hey! Cut it out! You could have hit A-"
Before Serena could finish her sentence, Buizel unleashed his own Water Gun. Serena just started to cry out in distress when Buizel's attack hit her square in the face, driving her and Totodile underwater.
Ash gasped in dismay and Buizel held a paw up to its mouth, realizing that it had just blasted its trainer's special friend.
Ash turned his head and sent a sidelong glare at the Pokémon. "Buizel!" he said sharply, reprimanding the water Pokémon.
Buizel shrugged and smiled awkwardly, trying to brush aside the mistake.
A short distance away, Totodile popped to the surface and immediately began rasping angrily at Buizel.
Buizel was about to reply, but thought twice when he saw Ash's expression.
Ash looked at Totodile, then scanned the water with a curious expression. "Hey, where's Serena?"
As if to answer his question, Ash felt someone under the water grab hold of his ankles and yank his feet out from under him.
Ash cried out in surprise and toppled backward into the water. He floated for a moment under the surface and caught sight of Serena, lurking near the sandy bottom, within arm's reach of him. He reoriented himself and popped up to the surface. Serena followed, and surfaced a moment later. She immediately started laughing, looking at Ash with a playful expression.
Ash smiled and started chuckling along with Serena, finding the whole situation funny.
They spent some time swimming around and enjoying the water before Buizel and Totodile started splashing water at each other again. Ash tried to calm them again, but ended up getting drenched, as both Pokémon suddenly turned on him. A big splash fight ensued, with Ash and Serena throwing water at the two Pokémon. Eventually, it devolved into a free-for-all.
When Ash finally threw water at Serena, she eagerly responded in kind. The two of them spent the next few minutes behaving like kids, throwing water and laughing. Eventually they tired, and after exchanging a final few laughs, they retreated to the beach and sat down on the sand.
Once Serena caught her breath, she leaned back, and planted her hands into the sand behind her. She arched her back, and swung her head back slightly so she could enjoy the rays of the late afternoon sun on her face. She closed her eyes and relaxed.
She spent a few minutes in this pose, resting and letting herself dry. Ash was sitting to her right, also resting. She glanced over at him and spotted him shyly looking over at her. Ash quickly redirected his gaze to stare at the sand near his feet.
Serena displayed a small smile. She was glad she'd chosen to wear this swimsuit rather than her bandini which showed her entire midriff. She could only imagine what Ash's reaction would be if he'd seen her in that.
Behind them, Totodile and Buizel had joined the other Pokémon's game of chasing after the flying disc. Again and again, the five of them would line up and Lucario would toss the disc for them to compete over.
There were plenty of shenanigans between the Pokémon. During one chase, Pancham froze the sand with an Ice Punch, causing all of his competition to slip and fall; leaving the disc easy for him to bring down. Another time, Buizel and Pikachu were both leaping for the disc simultaneously. Just before Buizel could seize the disc, Pikachu rotated himself and charged Iron Tail, so instead of grasping the disc, Buizel slammed face first into Pikachu's solid outstretched tail. Even Sylveon, who was normally very well-behaved, got in on the underhanded activity. She jumped for the disc just a moment behind Totodile. As Totodile was about to clamp down on the disc with his jaws, Sylveon wrapped her ribbons around his snout and arms. Now immobilized, Totodile was left to plummet to the sand while Sylveon snagged the disc.
"That looks like fun," Ash said, laughing. He stood and headed over to where the Pokémon were collecting themselves for another go. He lined up with them and Lucario unleashed the disc.
It was a chaotic scene again as all of them charged after the flying disc. Pikachu, Pancham and Buizel all became tangled and fell down. Sylveon and Ash managed to lunge for the disc, with Sylveon coming up with the toy, thanks to the reach of her ribbons.
All of them played a few more rounds, with Ash managing to grab the disc once. They lined up again, and Lucario sent the disc spinning through the air. Ash was very determined this time and managed to get ahead of everyone. He leapt into the air and gave a triumphant laugh as he grabbed hold of the disc. As he did, another pair of hands clamped on to the toy and Serena wrenched the prize away from him. Ash was completely surprised.
"Hey!" he exclaimed indignantly. He'd failed to notice Serena stealthily joining the group and she'd take full advantage of it.
Serena grinned at Ash, giggling with enjoyment. She flicked her wrist and sent the disc spinning back to Lucario. All of them made their way back to the starting area. Ash and Serena kept shooting glances back and forth. They were each determined to seize the disc this time.
Lucario launched the disc again and all of them dashed after it. While the Pokémon wanted to catch the disc, Ash and Serena's competitive nature had given them extra motivation. They surged ahead of their Pokémon and were the only ones with a chance to catch it. Both of them leapt at the same time and they again grabbed hold of the disc; Ash was determined to not let go this time.
As they landed back on the sand, their legs tangled together; tripping both of them. Each of them gave a cry of surprise as they toppled sideways. Ash instinctively grabbed hold of Serena to protect her. He cradled her head against his right shoulder and twisted himself so he would hit the ground first.
Ash's protective actions were unnecessary. The two trainers hit the soft sand with a dull thud and rolled once, completely uninjured by the mild impact. They came to rest with Serena staring up at the sky and Ash face down in the sand.
Ash groaned and lifted his face out of the sand. He brushed at his eyes and nose, clearing his face of grit. He then focused on Serena. She was looking up at him with a faintly blissful expression. There were flecks of sand scattered all over her face but she didn't make a move.
"Are you okay Serena?" he said, still a little rattled from the double impact of him hitting the beach and then absorbing the force of Serena landing on top on him.
Serena responded with a small nod. "Mmmm-Hmmm, I'm fine," she said softly. "How are you?"
Ash smiled. "I'm great," he replied; happy that everything was okay.
A flattered expression slowly spread across Serena's face and she started to blush. She slid her arms along the sand and crossed them behind her head. "What are you going to do now?" she said coyly.
Ash was puzzled by Serena's expression. He then heard Pancham begin to say something, only for its voice to be suddenly muffled. Ash looked to his left and saw all of the Pokémon they'd been competing with gathered together, and staring at him and Serena. Sylveon had wrapped her ribbons around Pancham's mouth to silence the tiny Panda. All of the Pokémon were blushing and they appeared shocked and embarrassed at the sight in front of them. When they saw Ash was looking at them, the Pokémon suddenly diverted their gaze elsewhere and started mumbling to each other; pretending they were having an engaged conversation. They looked down at the sand, up at the sky, over at the sea, anywhere except at their two trainers.
Ash raised an eyebrow and started to feel a little uncomfortable. He then looked down at Serena and saw her expression again. He suddenly became acutely aware of the situation he was in and felt a massive wave of embarrassment and horror wash over him.
He gasped and immediately rolled off of Serena. He half-crawled half-dashed a short distance away and knelt down on the sand with his back to Serena, feeling terribly embarrassed.
Serena continued to lie on her back, staring at the sky for several more seconds. She then chuckled softly and sat up; giving her head a moderate shake to knock most of the sand from her hair. She brushed a hand through her hair to clear the remaining sand and pulled her feet underneath her. She pushed herself to a standing position and took a few steps toward Ash.
"You're such a gentleman Ash," she said sweetly and sincerely. As she spoke, she held out her right hand touched the back of his right shoulder with her index and middle fingers. She then affectionately dragged her two fingers across his back until they slid off of his left shoulder.
Serena continued walking past Ash and glanced back at him. He was still terribly embarrassed and could barely look up at her. She sent him a kind smile and continued speaking. "That's why I like you so much!"
Upon hearing this, Ash looked up at Serena; feeling reassured that he hadn't offended her. He sighed in relief. He still felt embarrassed, but nowhere near as much as before. He glanced a few times at Serena as she walked down the beach to where Delphox and Charizard were resting.
Pikachu came bounding up to Ash and looked at him inquisitively.
Ash smiled at his friend. "Hey buddy. Did you have fun?"
Pikachu nodded and spoke happily. He then turned and looked toward Serena. "Pika-Pika?" the electric mouse said curiously.
Ash glanced at Serena and then back at Pikachu. "What about it?" he replied.
Pikachu grinned and elbowed Ash's leg while voicing approval, making it clear he was giving Ash an attaboy for what had happened a minute earlier.
Ash scoffed. "Hey," he said indignantly.
Pikachu laughed and dashed off.
Ash sighed. Things had changed so much between him and Serena in such a short time. There were moments where he felt like he was just being blown around by the winds of fate, with no control over what happened next. He stood up and starting walking toward the other end of the beach where everyone else was gathering.
The sun was starting to get low and so Ash and Serena recalled their Pokémon and started the trek back to Pallet Town. They arrived and found that everything had been taken care of at the reserve. Ash was pleased and thanked everyone who had helped out. Their neighbors were equally pleased to hear that the issue with the ferries had been resolved and they would be able to travel south on the ocean again.
Ash and Serena were both tired and they retired to their respective homes. Before she left, Serena made it a point to reassure Ash and allay any concerns or shyness he felt. Ash still felt awkward, but he thanked her for the kind words and he went to bed feeling like it had been a good day.
A few days passed and the routine returned to normal. They continued with the repairs and upkeep all over the reserve. Things were finally starting to slow down and one evening Ash was sitting at a desk in his room, located inside the main building. He was looking over various lists of supplies they possessed, working out what they needed to acquire.
He heard approaching footsteps and looked over his shoulder to see Serena step through the open door. She looked a little tired after the day's work, but she was upbeat and gently hugging a small picture frame to her stomach.
"Hey, Serena," Ash said. "I didn't know you were still here."
Serena shrugged. "I was just getting ready to go." She glanced around the spartan room, "you still haven't done much in here."
Ash rose from the desk and turned to face Serena. What she said was true. Aside from his bed, a desk, and a nightstand with a lamp, the room was bare.
"Yeah, I've been pretty busy," he said. "I should probably put up a poster or something."
"Hmmm," Serena replied, her gaze wandering across the bare walls. She held out the framed picture to Ash. "Here, maybe this will help," she said.
Ash took the picture and saw it was from their day at the beach. Serena was in her swimsuit and standing in the middle of the picture, smiling cheerfully. Pikachu was perched atop her head. Sylveon was standing to her right and Lucario was just behind the fairy Pokémon, arms crossed, trying to look cool. There was also Pancham and Totodile standing to the opposite side. Everyone looked happy.
Ash smiled and blushed slightly. It was a great picture but he felt a little embarrassed having it. Serena look beautiful like she always did, and it made him a little uncomfortable.
Serena carefully watched Ash's reactions and then spoke in a kind tone.
"Hey Ash, we're really good friends, right?"
Ash looked up at her, a little surprised at the question. "Yeah, absolutely!"
Serena smiled. "I like you. I think you're really great, and sometimes I enjoy watching you. Are you okay with that?"
Ash looked a little bashful but smiled and nodded. "Yeah, of course, I'm okay with that."
Serena nodded and looked Ash straight in the eyes. "The same goes for me. If you like watching me, I'm totally fine with it. You don't need to feel embarrassed or shy." She looked down at the picture. "That's why people carry around pictures of those they care about. They want to be reminded of them. They want to see them."
Ash looked down at the picture and then back up at Serena. "So you don't mind?" he asked quietly.
Serena shook her head and smiled sweetly. "Not at all. In fact, that why I get dressed up sometimes. I like looking my best." She suddenly leaned a little closer to Ash. "Especially for you," she whispered.
Ash blushed slightly at the comment, but Serena could see him immediately start to feel more at ease. They shared a wordless stare for several seconds, then Serena took a step backward.
"See you tomorrow Ash," she said. She then turned and walked out of the room.
Ash stood in place for a minute. He looked at the picture and considered what he should do. Serena's words had cleared up much of the confusion he'd felt. He trusted and admired Serena, and deep down, he'd felt that looking at her just to admire her beauty was somehow disrespectful to her. However, she was right that people who cared for one another had pictures of each other. They also liked simply gazing at each other. He'd seen all of these things unfold with Professor Kukui and his wife Burnet when he'd been in Alola. It was just so weird that now it was happening with him and Serena.
Ash looked at the picture again and smiled. Seeing Serena so happy in the picture made him feel happy as well. He walked over to the nightstand next to his bed and placed the picture there. It was the first decoration in his room. He admired the image for a few moments and then headed back to his desk to continue his work.