205. Different Ash?

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"Melody!"

At another table, Carol rolled her eyes, clearly exasperated, but she didn't say much. After all, there wasn't much she could do about her sister.

As the cherished youngest in the family, Melody had been spoiled by their parents since childhood. Carol had long since given up trying to discipline her.

Completely unfazed by her sister's reaction, Melody simply waved it off and turned her attention back to Kai and Ash.

"Proving yourselves isn't that hard," she said, flashing them a mischievous grin. "All you have to do is visit the three islands Fire Island, Ice Island, and Lightning Island and retrieve the three sacred treasures. Then, once you've placed them on the shrine altar here on Shamouti Island, I'll perform the Festival Song on the ceremonial flute to complete the ritual. That's it!"

Ash blinked. "Sacred treasures? Where do we find them?"

Melody chuckled. "Where else? They're kept inside the shrines on each of the three islands! Don't worry, it's not as hard as it sounds. There are special boats that can take you there, and there are even stairs leading up to the shrines a piece of cake!"

Kai exchanged glances with Tracey and Misty.

It was obvious that this whole task was a festival tradition, a way for the islanders to reenact the legend and attract visitors. Most likely, the so-called treasures had already been placed there in advance for festival participants to retrieve.

In other words, this should be a simple and straightforward task.

Ash, however, hesitated. It wasn't that he was worried about difficulty it was more that deep down, he knew he was just a regular trainer, not some legendary "Chosen One."

But hearing Melody's casual tone, Ash suddenly felt like she was underestimating him. His competitive spirit flared up, and he immediately stood up. "Got it! I'll go right now!"

Of course, the biggest reason for his eagerness might have been Melody herself.

She was standing so close, and as he looked at her face, memories of their first encounter and that unexpected kiss on the cheek came rushing back to him.

"Whoa there, no need to rush!" Melody giggled and placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, gently pushing him back into his seat. "The festival lasts until tomorrow. You don't have to go until the morning just relax and enjoy yourself!"

But Ash, being Ash, wasn't the type to sit around once he'd made up his mind.

Breaking free from Melody'd grip, he stood up again and declared with absolute conviction, "If something can be done today, then it must be done today! That's my philosophy! No that is the way I have always lived!"

Kai: "…"

Misty: "…"

Tracey: "…"

"The way I have always lived?"

The room fell silent for a moment as everyone stared at Ash in stunned disbelief.

Was this really Ash? The same Ash Ketchum they had always known?

Misty, in particular, was utterly dumbfounded. She had travelled with Ash for so long, yet she had never heard him speak like this.

Was he… trying to impress Melody!?

The realization hit her like a Thunderbolt. Oh no, he's completely smitten!

Even Melody seemed caught off guard by Ash's sudden confidence. Before she could respond, Maren clapped a hand on Ash's shoulder.

"I like your attitude!" she said, grinning. "Alright, if you're that determined, I'll take you to Fire Island myself!"

"Really!? Thanks a lot!" Ash beamed. Then, turning to Kai, he asked, "Kai, are you coming with me?"

"Sure, why not?" Kai shrugged. He had nothing else to do, and besides, sticking close to Ash usually meant witnessing whatever legendary event was about to unfold & he was also bored with travelling.

Upon hearing that Kai would be going, both Sabrina and Misty immediately stepped forward, intent on accompanying him.

However, Kai held up a hand to stop them.

"The island isn't far, and we'll be back soon. It's already late, and there won't be much to see at night. You two should just stay here and wait for us."

Since he put it that way, neither of them insisted. Misty pouted slightly but relented, while Sabrina simply nodded in understanding.

With everything settled, Kai, Ash, and Maren left the banquet hall and made their way to the docks.

Instead of taking one of Shamouti Island's designated festival boats, they opted to use Maren's personal speedboat.

As she put it: "No matter how nice someone else's boat is, nothing feels as comfortable as your own!"

----

Leaving the harbour behind, the speedboat's engine roared as it cut through the dark waves, heading south toward Fire Island.

The night wind was sharp and chilly, sending a shiver down their spines.

Kai glanced up at the sky. The moon and stars were nowhere to be seen thick storm clouds had swallowed the heavens.

Not a good sign…

As if on cue, thunder rumbled in the distance.

BOOM!

A bright flash of lightning illuminated the sky for a split second followed by a sudden downpour.

Heavy raindrops pelted them relentlessly, forcing Kai and Ash to retreat into the cramped cabin for shelter.

Thankfully, the sea remained relatively calm, sparing them from the rough waves and nausea-inducing turbulence.

Kai turned to Maren. "How much further until we reach Fire Island?"

Maren thought for a moment. "Round trip? About half an hour."

"That short?" Kai nodded. That wasn't far at all.

THUD!

A dull impact echoed from the bow of the boat.

Kai frowned. He had felt the vibration they had just run over something.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Hear what?" Maren glanced around in confusion. "All I hear is the rain."

"Yeah, me too," Ash added. "Kai, are you sure you didn't imagine it?"

Did I imagine it?

Kai wasn't sure.

But for a brief moment, he could've sworn he heard a muffled scream.

Turning back toward the dark waters they had just passed through, he stared hard, trying to spot anything unusual.

Nothing.

Just an endless expanse of black water.

Maybe it really was just my imagination…

The speedboat continued south, leaving behind a fading trail of ripples.

---

Meanwhile…

A short distance from where the boat had passed, three figures struggled to pull themselves onto a floating piece of wreckage.

James spat out a mouthful of seawater, his usually tidy hair now a sopping mess. "Ugh… that was terrible…"

Jessie was not nearly as composed. "Those blind fools just ran over our submarine and left us here to drown!!"

"It was already leaking before they hit it," James pointed out weakly. "It was bound to sink anyway…"

"Idiot!!" Jessie snapped. "That was our precious submarine! We worked so hard to build it with our part-time jobs how are we supposed to travel the seas now!?"

"Enough, both of you!" Meowth raised a paw and scratched them both, silencing their bickering. His slitted eyes gleamed as he whispered, "I saw who was on that boat… It was the twerp and his Pikachu. And get this he wasn't alone. That guy, Kai, was with him!"

Jessie and James immediately perked up.

"They met up again?" James asked.

"And they're heading somewhere together?" Jessie's eyes narrowed. "Could this mean… something big is about to happen!?"

----

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