Kanto Region, Cinnabar Island…

After another great victory and another well-earned Gym Badge, Ash and company went to celebrate with some delicious ice-creams. Or at least, everyone but Iris, who finally succumbed to the lack of sleep, and found herself a rather comfy pillow on the black-haired boy's shoulder.

Once upon a faraway time, Misty would have probably scolded or yanked her off, but by now she didn't have the heart to do it. The dark-skinned girl needed some rest.

After she got it, once she woke up fully recharged, they could discuss with her their next destination: Pallet Town, Ash's hometown. Still having a few months ahead before the Pokémon League, it seemed like as good as a place as any to stay and spend their time.

And also… there was the incoming meeting with Ash's mother, whom they had been very anxious to meet in person for quite a while.

However, they still had a few hours before the ship set sail out of Cinnabar Island. Until then and to kill some time, Iris proposed to do some last minute training. Nothing too intense, just some physical training without using their powers.

"Is that the best you got?" Misty said as she parried Iris' palm strikes using her forearms. "Come on, give it a bit more 'oomph', will you?"

"I said this would be a light training," the wild girl replied. Meanwhile, Anabel and Ash just watched, while their Pokémon were busy in their own sparring matches.

"Come on, don't be afraid," Misty insisted. "You've put me through much harsher stuff."

"You seem unusually motivated today," Iris replied as she dodged a pair of chops from Misty, followed by ducking under a high kick.

The redhead pressed on, increasing the pace. If Iris wouldn't attack, she'd do it herself. First she went for a palm strike to her face, then the chest, and then a kick to the ankles. They were all parried or dodged with ease, but Misty didn't slow down. Instead, she kept going, unaware that she was using a bit more strength with each strike.

The fight stopped abruptly when, after ducking to avoid a palm to the head, Iris pushed Misty with both hands, knocking the air out of her and then delivering a low kick to make her fall on her rear. Fortunately the sand cushioned her fall, so it didn't hurt that much.

"I believe that was enough," said Iris.

"No it wasn't." Misty tried to get back up. "I can still go a few rounds."

"I can see you are tired," said Iris. "It is good you work hard, but you should not abuse your body more than necessary."

"I'm telling you that-"

"Misty…" Iris interrupted her, raising a hand. "I can appreciate your enthusiasm, but you should not overdo it. Or are you trying to get hurt or something?"

"I'm not…"

'May I suggest something?' Anabel intervened. 'Misty, perhaps we can go practice some meditation techniques. That way we can train our minds and rest our bodies.'

"That sounds good," said Iris. "Misty, you go with Anabel. I will continue sparring with Ash."

"But I…"

"Misty, do as she says," said Ash. "You could use some rest, really. We'll be fine, don't worry."

Misty wanted to protest, but being outvoted she finally was convinced. Resigned, she went with Anabel to a more secluded part of the beach, still not too far from Iris and Ash.

Once there, they both sat on the sand and crossed their legs.

'Relax and clear your mind,' said Anabel. 'Forget about the worries, and try to think of pleasant things. Don't let anything distract you.'

"Alright." The redhead nodded.

While she found it a tad boring (her thoughts about leaving Ash alone with Iris aside), Misty had to admit that sitting cross-legged on the sand, listening to the waves as they hit the shore was quite relaxing. Perhaps Iris was right in saying she was trying to overdo it.

'Then again, if I get hurt or tired, maybe Anabel or Ash could just use Heal Pulse on me?' she thought. Sure, they could use that to replenish her energy or heal any wound.

Maybe… it would be nice to have an ability like that. Something she could use to replenish herself and keep going longer. She needed to be stronger…

Stronger to keep Ash safe…

'Hmm… maybe this works better than I thought.' Suddenly, she felt her fatigue going away. Slowly but surely… every few seconds she felt her tiredness ebbing away, making way to a soothing sensation. Maybe she just needed to put her mind to it.

'Misty…' Anabel suddenly called inside her head.

"What's up?" Misty asked, still keeping her eyes closed. "Aren't you supposed not to interrupt my meditation?"

'It's not that,' the telepath insisted, her tone being somewhere between surprised and worried. 'Open your eyes and see what you're doing.'

"What am I–" Misty cut herself off as she saw what she was doing, and why Anabel sounded so worried.

Orbiting around her, specifically at her waist level, were two water rings, sparkling with a strange light every few seconds. And during that sparkle she felt that energy flowing into her again.

"This is…"

'Aqua Ring?' asked Anabel. 'Misty, we weren't supposed to use our powers.'

"I didn't…" Misty looked around alarmed, just to be sure there was nobody else who could have seen her do that.

Fortunately, the water rings stopped orbiting and vanished in a splash, much to the girls' relief.

'What happened? I thought this was just a light physical training.'

"I never meant to do that," said Misty. "It's just… I wished I had a bit more energy to keep going a little more and then…"

The redhead remained silent. Anabel for her part stood back up and offered her a hand to help her, as a way to indicate that maybe they had enough training for the time being. Misty accepted the gesture, recalling for a moment their first encounter when the telepath saved her from Vedia back at that Power Plant.

'You're thinking about Ash again, aren't you?'

It wasn't actually a question. There was no point in lying to Anabel anyway, so she just stared into her eyes and with a sigh, she let out a slight chuckle.

"It's so weird isn't it? A few weeks ago I was complaining about Iris' training regime, but now… I feel like I'm not doing enough. Like I need to grow stronger for him… for Ash, I mean. In case someone tries to hurt him."

It was hard to wipe those memories out of her mind. Not just the Sabrina thing, but also what happened with Hunter J. Both times, Ash had been kidnapped under her nose and she couldn't do anything to prevent it. The fact that he came out just fine in the end didn't change anything about that feeling, how someone so important to her, her friend, was almost taken by a person with bad intentions. All she felt was the powerlessness and the anger for not being able to protect him.

'You're the one who has traveled the longest with him, aren't you? Obviously it must have been much harder for you to see him get kidnapped, not once, but twice.'

"It's not just that," said Misty. "I can't explain it, but… have you met someone, and suddenly you feel as if you knew them for a lifetime? As if you were friends in another life or something, if that makes any sense?"

'I can't say I have… but some people say some friendships can transcend life and time itself. At least to me, it doesn't sound crazy.'

Anabel's smile was rather reassuring for Misty. It meant she didn't think she was losing her mind. That was good, since she had no idea how much of that came from her attraction to Ash, and how much were for those other feelings she couldn't pinpoint for whatever reasons.

"You know, until I met Ash, I never thought about trying to become stronger for someone else. I've been alone for a long time, so I've had to take care of myself. But now… it's almost like I can't picture my life before he showed up."

'He's really dear to you, isn't he?'

Misty nodded. Dear in many ways. As a friend, as a traveling companion she could always rely on, as someone who inspired her to do her best to achieve her dreams… and also as someone she wanted to keep safe from harm.

And why deny that she also liked him as a person, as a boy?

"Anabel… you too like Ash, don't you?"

The blush on the telepath's mind was the only answer she needed. Though judging by her smile, Iris had probably already gone and asked the same question. That'd make things easier for her.

"I'll be honest: maybe I am a bit jealous inside. But the more time I spend with Ash, and with you two, the more I get it. Iris might like his strength more, but she does like his kindness, just like me. And I'm sure you do too."

'I'm not arguing that. Personally, what I like the most is that cheerful and optimistic attitude of his. Although sometimes…"

Anabel paused, her expression turning grim for a second. This caught Misty's attention, who quickly felt the urge to inquire about it.

"Sometimes what?"

'Do you remember what I said about Red the night after the Fuchsia Tag Tournament? About how I could feel he was bottling a lot of pain inside?'

"Don't tell me… you've felt the same with Ash?"

'Not quite the same. With Red, I can feel he has it all the time. With Ash… it's just a few times and for short moments, but… it's like he too is burying something inside. Something that causes him pain for some reason."

"Doesn't it have to do with, you know, that sociopath who just left him as a gift to his mother, and did the same to who knows how many other women?" Misty asked. That seemed the most logical conclusion.

'No, I don't think so. This is from before the Sabrina thing. It's more like… something he feels he can't share with us. I think he might be afraid of our reaction.'

Misty involuntarily placed a hand on her chest. Ash was keeping a secret to himself, something that was hurting him and he was too afraid to tell them?

Why? What could it be? Those and many more questions quickly filled the redhead's mind, mixing with a desire to find out and find a way to help him somehow.

She clenched her fist, grabbing her jacket's edges. Before, she had been afraid of Ash leaving her for Iris, or Iris taking him away from her. Would that be something similar? Was Ash afraid that she, Anabel or Iris would leave him if that secret of his came to light, whatever it was?

No, that couldn't be. Misty doubted there'd be something so terrible to drive her away from him. Not coming from a boy as kindhearted as Ash.

In the end, though, her thoughts about how to help Ash were interrupted by the Wartortle running to them, in a clear panic.

"Hey, look at that." Misty pointed at the turtle, and Anabel turned around.

The Wartortle stopped in front of them, trying to catch his breath. For a moment, Misty wondered if it was Ash's Squirtle who had just evolved, but the moment she heard his voice, she knew it wasn't the case, as she could tell every Pokémon had a distinct voice even if they were of the same species.

The turtle began flailing his arms around and yelling. "Please, you have to help me! My friends, the King, they're all going to be-"

"Hold on," said Misty as she kneeled down to grab him by the arms trying to calm him down. "Before anything, please tell me what's wrong."

Meanwhile, Ash and Iris, as well as the rest of the Pokémon out of their balls, quickly came over. The redhead caught that Ash's Squirtle gave the Wartortle a strange look, and then glanced at his trainer in an even stranger way. Ash's eyes then briefly widened, but she had no time to ask any questions, as the Wartortle began talking again.

"Our island! Evil humans! Attacked our home! They're all going to-"

"Alright, let's start from the beginning," Misty interrupted. "Where do you come from, and what are you doing here?"

"I come from an island not far from here," he explained. "We Wartortle and Squirtle lived in peace under the rule of our Blastoise King, but-"

"Hold a minute," Misty stopped him, and proceeded to translate for non-Wartortle speakers. Anabel and Iris nodded, while Ash and Squirtle once again exchanged mysterious glances. Did they know something about it?

"But a few hours ago," Wartortle continued, "some evil humans came and attacked us. They submitted almost everyone else with strange machines. I only escaped because our King sent me blasting off the island so I could get help."

After hearing everything and retranslated, the redhead had made a decision.

"Where's that island of yours?" Misty asked. "Can you take us there?"

"If you can swim, we can get there in less than half an hour."

"We can do better than that. Anabel," Misty turned to the lavender-haired girl, "you can teleport anywhere within your range even if you've never been there, right?"

'It'd be safer if I had a clear image, but yes, I can.'

"Then let's go, we don't have time to lose." Misty stood up and clenched a fist. "We have to help Wartortle's friends."

"What about our ship?" Iris asked. "We might lose it if we take too long."

"This is important. Wartortle came looking for help, and we have to help him," said Misty. "Isn't that right, Ash?"

She didn't even know why she was asking. In the time she had been traveling with him, he'd always help people in need, whether they asked or not, and no matter what the problem would be. If there was something he could do, little as it might be, he'd do it without missing a beat.

And now she wanted to do the same.

The black-haired trainer smiled. "We can always get another ferry tomorrow."

"Pikachu." The electric rodent on his shoulder nodded too, and so did everyone else. Even Iris, after some hesitation, agreed as well when she saw everybody else was on board.

Misty smiled. That sealed the deal. Without further ado, Anabel placed a hand on Wartortle's forehead to read his mind and get a clear picture of their destination. With that done everybody, humans and Pokémon alike, grabbed each other's hands in a circle as the telepath girl focused on taking them all to the island.

It seemed they still had one more adventure to go through before that day ended.

…

Teleportation was still a psychedelic experience, but after going through it for an entire day, Misty felt like she was getting used to it. At least she no longer felt as dizzy as before.

However, nothing could have prepared her for the destination. The group had landed on another sandy beach, and the island's most prominent feature was the large mountain shaped like a Squirtle shell in the center. But what once had been a tropical paradise for the Pokémon who lived there, was now just a vestige of chaos and destruction. Broken and charred trees, explosion craters on the ground, and treadmill trails on the sand. Whoever had gone through there hadn't spared efforts to avoid collateral damage.

"This is… awful," Misty said once she felt she could talk. "Who could have done all this?"

"I would not be surprised if it was that J woman," said Iris.

Misty glanced at the wild girl, noticing she was clenching her firsts. If it was someone poaching Pokémon it could be her, but after their experience when Ash was kidnapped, part of her wished that it wasn't that woman, with her due apologies to Iris and her family. Even if they had grown stronger and had more help, she wasn't sure they were ready to fight her.

"Unlikely," the Pokédex interjected from Ash's jacket. "However, I have entered the recent records of the local coast guard, and reports indicate that a band of Pokémon smugglers has been sighted around the nearby area. I am ninety-nine percent sure they might be responsible for the attack on this island."

Misty noticed Iris became somewhat disheartened at that statement, but whatever was the case, they were already there, and since they had offered to help Wartortle's friends, they had to keep their word.

"Wartortle, can you take us to your friends?" Misty asked.

"Follow me. Be careful, those guys are really dangerous," said Wartortle.

The group followed the turtle across the destruction. It seemed that not even a single tree or rock had been left standing, and the damage became more and more evident the further they went into the island. The fact that some of them were still smoking pointed to it happening very recently.

Misty caught that all the while Wartortle glanced around in search for any of his friends, but he couldn't see any of them. The redhead wanted to help him calm down somehow, but she wasn't sure how.

Suddenly, they heard battle noises, including water splashes, rocks breaking and electric crackling, among others. The ground shaking flared up their instincts and caused the group to start running faster.

"Hold on," Wartortle said, holding out his arm for them to stop.

The group immediately hid behind a few bushes once they got to the other side, spying carefully and trying to avoid making any noise: they had finally gotten to the action, by a rather ample clearing.

On one side, there was half a dozen men who looked all like criminals. They all had thuggish faces, dressed in sleeveless shirts to show off muscular arms, cargo pants with a camouflage pattern and hiking black boots, a couple of them carrying weapons like net-firing bazookas, tranquilizer rifles, or just using their bare hands to restrain their catches and place shock collars on their necks to leave them knocked out.

There was one who stood out from the rest, though: he wore a green and black jacket and matching pants with a black belt, and had rather long black hair, with the fringe dyed blue. He was commanding three Pokémon Misty didn't recognize: one of them looked like a black horse with white streaks, sending out electric attacks, and the other two looked like knight helmets with a pair of jousting lances for arms. Those two gave Misty the creeps for some reason she couldn't explain, but that didn't matter right now.

Said Pokémon were unleashing a barrage of attacks on a rather big Blastoise who tried to protect a small group of Squirtle and Wartortle behind him. Some even tried to rush and help him with their own attacks, only to get themselves caught by the men's nets. Around the clearing, there was about half a dozen Rhyhorn flanked by a pair of Onix, who were creating stone barricades to restrict their movement and forcing them to gather around the center.

"Those are Unovan Pokémon," Iris muttered, causing everyone to turn to her as she pointed at the equine and the helmets. "Zebstrika and Escavalier."

"Thank you for doing my job," the Pokédex protested. "However, I find it interesting as to who the owner of said Pokémon is. If you could point me to him, I would gladly enlighten you."

Ash did so, and pointed the device at the black-haired guy, who was still giving commands as they directed an electric attack and an endless barrage of Energy Balls against the Protect the Blastoise had raised, trying to shield himself and the rest of his kin.

"This man is known as Dirk, a rather infamous mercenary from the Unova region, and I can assume he was hired by these smugglers to help them catch the local Pokémon. He's nowhere near the threat level of the likes of Hunter J, especially because he prefers to work alone, but he's still dangerous to the average trainer. Of course, you four might hardly qualify as 'average'."

Misty didn't know if she was supposed to feel flattered or angry at that comment, so she just ignored it. Through the corner of her eye, she noticed Iris' slight disappointment for not seeing whom she expected, but she controlled herself. Meanwhile, Ash and Anabel watched intently, as they tried to decide what to do.

"The King's still trying to protect the others," said Wartortle. "But there are many missing, they must have been taken away."

"Wartortle says many of his friends are missing," Misty translated for the others.

'This island isn't on the maps, so they must have gotten here somehow. Maybe a plane or a ship?' Anabel asked, and Misty voiced it out loud for Wartortle.

"They arrived using an underwater ship, from the other side of the island. We thought they had washed ashore and pretended to be wounded so we would help them, but then that one over there," the turtle added pointing at the one named Dirk, "attacked while the others used their weapons to catch us. We didn't realize what was going on until it was too late."

"If they have a submarine, they must have the others there," said Misty. "Anabel, what do you think we should do?"

The telepath observed the situation and closed her eyes deep in thought. Misty waited patiently until she finally came with an answer.

'I assume there must be more of them watching their submarine. If they have the rest of the Squirtle and Wartortle over there, someone needs to go rescue them. Meanwhile, the others will have to keep these guys busy. Ash, Misty, can you handle them?'

"Of course!" Misty said.

"You can count on us," Ash added as he pumped his fist.

"What about me?" Iris asked somewhat irritated for being left out. "I can fight too."

'I don't doubt it, but I'll need someone to watch my back while we save the others,' said Anabel. 'And that's our priority, isn't it?'

The wild girl almost opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. Of course, they had come to rescue Wartortle's friends, so fighting off the guys was secondary.

'Alright, this is what we're going to do…'

…

"How much longer do I have to wait?" Gyarados asked, suppressing his urge to roar.

Anabel's plan was simple enough: while she and Iris went to the other side of the island, Misty and Ash would circle the guys and ambush them from all directions around the clearing. For now, the Water-type specialist and her team lied in wait, and when Ash made his move, they would act.

Misty hated having to wait, especially as she saw how they continued to hassle Blastoise and the rest of his brethren, but for their plan to work, they had to capitalize on the surprise factor as much as they could, before their foes had any time to react.

"Hold still just a little more." Misty, standing on Gyarados' head, gave him a few pats trying to calm him down.

Aside from Gyarados, she had sent around the clearing Starmie, Golduck, Wingull and Poliwrath. All of them remained hidden, ready to act on her call.

"You sure this is gonna work?"

Misty looked down. Psyduck was still close by, clearly unhappy for what they were about to do. The redhead rolled her eyes.

"It's not gonna work if you don't shut your bill, shhh!" she replied, and then glanced back at the clearing. 'Come on, Ash, do your thing.'

The smugglers unleashed another barrage of attacks over Blastoise and his group, whose Protect shield was starting to crack under the continuous Stone Edge attacks the Rock-types were unleashing. When it finally went down, Misty could hear Blastoise shouting at the rest of the remaining Wartortle and Squirtle to run away and save themselves. Some obliged, but a few refused and tried to help, only to get blasted by Thunderbolts and Energy Balls for their trouble.

Once they were down, the Escavalier duo approached to finish them off and leave them ready for capture…

"CHAAAAAAAARRR!"

The roar was followed by a fire stream coming from the sky, right on top of the two Escavalier before they fired their Energy Balls against the downed turtles. One of them was lucky enough to jump back and dodge, but the other wasn't and ended up roasted. Once she saw Charizard flying above with Ash over his back, Misty clenched her fists: that was their cue.

"The hell?!" one of the ruffians shouted. "Where'd that came from?!"

The answer was a second wave of varied attacks: a stream of salty water, a green dragon-shaped flame blast, and a rock barrage that forced them to take cover.

"Escavalier, Protect!"

The remaining Escavalier raised a protective barrier of his own, shielding himself and everyone else from the incoming attacks. However, those had all been warning shots, and they had fulfilled their purpose: to get the guys to panic and fall into disarray.

"Now, attack!" Misty cried out.

All of Misty's team charged into the action from behind before the guys could process what had happened. Golduck and Psyduck quickly started using a double Disable against the guys carrying the rocket launchers and freeze them in place, while Starmie followed using Psychic to rip the weapons out of their hands and throw them as far as possible.

"What're ya waiting for?! Get'em you fools!" the ones commanding the Rock-types called.

Leaving the turtles aside for the time being, the stone rhinos turned their attention towards the newly arrived attackers, aiming with the spikes on their backs ready for a Rock Blast barrage. Their success was mixed at best: they almost blasted Charizard out of the sky and forced Goodra and Serperior to take cover from the rock avalanche. However, the water streams fired by Starmie and some punches from Poliwrath helped tip the scales once more.

"Dirk, hurry and take the big guy to the sub!" a smuggler with an Onix shouted. "We'll take-ACK! Get off me, you stupid bird!"

Wingull didn't let him finish, instead clinging to his head to peck on him. When his Onix tried to come to his aid, Misty and Gyarados emerged from their hiding place, the latter announcing his grand entrance with a loud roar.

"EAT THIS, YOU PUNY THUGS!"

Gyarados unleashed on them a Dragon Rage fireball, and shortly after he locked himself in a head-butting contest against the rocky snake. It didn't take long before the marine monster decided to try and sink his fangs on his foe, while his trainer saw through the corner of the eye how the guy named Dirk and the other two raised a couple of bazookas with nets, which they fired at Blastoise just when he had recovered from the previous assault. He tried to fight back, but then the nets unleashed some electric discharges, and once he stopped putting up resistance, while the other Pokémon were locked in combat, they pulled him up to the vehicle's trailer to place him inside a large cage.

"King Blastoise!" she heard Wartortle cry, and then she saw how he tried to propel himself with an Aqua Jet to chase the captors, only to get himself stopped by the other Onix, whose tail knocked him back against a charred tree.

"We'll cover your escape! Sandstorm!"

The Onix who had attacked Wartortle launched several sand streams through its body's pores, and then spun around to create a brown tornado. It soon extended across the nearby area, while the other guys started the vehicle's engines to run away.

Misty didn't know when she jumped off of Gyarados' head, but when she realized, she was already on top of Blastoise's cage, just when the vehicle started and drove off full speed, away from the clearing.

She heard Ash and some of her Pokémon crying out for her name, but all she could do was getting a hold of the cage's edge to avoid falling off, while the battle's noises continued to become more and more distant by the second.

She couldn't let them get away with Blastoise and the other turtles. She just couldn't. No smuggler was going to get away with harming all of those turtle Pokémon and their island on her watch.

…

Misty was surprised at how fast that vehicle could drive, to the point she had to hold on for dear life just to stay on top of the cage. Despite the engines' noise, she could still overhear a bit of the smugglers' chatter inside the cockpit as they drove through the path.

"Where the hell those Pokémon came from? I thought this island was populated only by the Squirtle line!"

"Didn't you see it? There was some kid riding the Charizard, and a girl on top of the Gyarados' head."

"I was too busy taking cover, thank you! What I'd like to know is, how'd they found out we were here?"

"Be quiet you two. No matter how they came, but there's a chance they could have alerted the nearby authorities that we're here."

Unable to hold back anymore, and before they could spot her through the rearview mirrors, the redhead jumped off the cage towards the back of the cockpit, trying to stay as hidden as possible. Looking down, she saw a lone metal peg holding the trailer with the Pokémon cages, and she tried to pull it out to disengage it and leave it behind. Unfortunately, said peg was screwed in place and it couldn't be pulled off easily.

If she was Iris, she could probably cut it with a Dragon Claw. If she was Anabel, she could burst it out with her psychic powers. At the time, her own water powers seemed pretty useless, despite all the training she had done to become stronger.

"Hold a moment, what…? DIRK, HIT THE BRAKES!"

In a violent outburst, the vehicle's caterpillars stopped suddenly, causing it to veer so brusquely that it almost tipped to the side, and it crashed against a palm tree. Misty was thrown off to a side, but thanks to Iris' training she managed to right herself in midair, landing safely in a crouching position to cushion the impact, if only enough to avoid getting hurt.

Instantly, the guy named Dirk and his two henchmen quickly jumped out of the cockpit to face her, one of which immediately pointed at her. "Hey! It's the brat who came with the Gyarados!"

"Oh, girlie, I have no idea how'd you got here, but you made a big mistake coming here, and following us alone," the other said, cracking his knuckles and smiling wickedly.

Misty stood on guard, and waited for them to rush at her one after another. She ducked under the first to dodge and turned around to grab his arm, then tripped him over with her leg to throw him over her shoulder, slamming him against the ground. The second wasn't that much luckier, as he was greeted by a high kick to his jaw that knocked him backwards.

The remaining one, Dirk, stepped back a little and wisely chose not to take his chances with her. "Escavalier, take care of her!"

The Pokéball burst open to reveal the knight-shaped Pokémon from before (the one who hadn't been roasted), which immediately charged to stab her with his spears, with a barrage of quick thrusts. Misty had to jump back to dodge them, and one of the spears dangerously grazed her bare side.

And right at the moment it made contact, her body unexplainably was left paralyzed. Not the usual paralysis caused by a Pokémon move, but one caused by a very personal fear. One she'd only experience whenever in close proximity to a Bug-type Pokémon, and one she still had trouble controlling.

However, that split-second she froze was enough time for Escavalier to lunge with the other spear, which she couldn't dodge… and it drew some blood.

"Aaaahh!" the redhead shouted, jumping aside and holding her wound. That thing… there was no mistake, it was a Bug-type.

The mercenary smirked. "Oh? Don't tell me you're afraid of them, little girl."

Misty clenched her teeth, but she could see it in the guy's eyes. He had figured it out. She still couldn't fully get over it: she could tolerate Ash's Bug-types after a while, and they weren't so bad once she got to know them. But if it was a stranger's… just one touch was enough for her to become rigid.

"Fury Cutter!" Dirk shouted.

Both of Escavalier's spears glowed with crimson energy, and he charged at Misty once again. Trails of red blades flew close to the redhead's body, who dodged as best as she could, but they came in closer and faster every time.

'Damn… if only that guy wasn't looking…' she thought as she gritted her teeth, ducking under a slash aimed at her head.

If she could use her powers, she could get rid of that metallic bug without difficulties, but she couldn't let him see her.

'Think, think… Iris' training.' Misty glanced through the corner of her eye, and quickly placed herself in front of a nearby tree. As soon as Escavalier charged at her, she jumped over it. Its spears then became stuck into the wood, so she quickly grabbed the nearest stone she had and slammed it on its head as hard as she could.

The stone shattered, but at least left Escavalier dazed enough for a bit, so she could focus her attention on the owner.

"Well, looks like you're no ordinary brat," Dirk said as he grabbed three more Pokéballs. "Let's see how you handle yourself against several at once."

Throwing all three balls upwards, out came the same Zebstrika she saw him use before. An Electric-type, great. On top of it, two more appeared flying, a pair of birds Misty had never seen before: a vulture-like one with pink head and brown feathers, and the other some kind of white, black and red-feathered eagle, which she could tell with a single glance was even bigger than Ash's Pidgeot.

"Braviary and Mandibuzz, Flying-type bird Pokémon from the Unova region. These two Pokémon have the particular distinction of only being of a specific gender, with Braviary being male and Mandibuzz being female. Scientists still try to solve the mystery as to why these species are capable of coexisting with each other despite being considered by some as mortal enemies."

"What was that?" Dirk asked, confused at the sudden voice.

"Nothing you should worry about," Misty said as she touched the pocket holding the Monodex. Luckily, Ash had given it to her just in case she needed it, and it at least served to identify what she was fighting against. The question now was, how was she supposed to fight it?

Both winged fiends charged at her instantly, and she had to drop on the ground to avoid their beaks and talons. Shortly after, she had to roll aside to dodge a discharge from Zebstrika, and then jump to take cover behind another palm tree.

"You're a genius, Misty," she muttered to herself. "How did it occur to you to come and face this guy alone, without Pokémon?"

Sure, she could have used her powers, but that was the big no-no. Still, given that she was running out of options, she was starting to reconsider that stance, if only for the sake of survival and being able to help Blastoise and the others.

Sensing an air current coming in behind, she ducked just in time to avoid the falling trunk, sliced off by a clean Air Slash. She was forced to run out of her hiding place, but she ran face-to-face into Mandibuzz, who knocked her aside with a wing slap, and then Braviary squawked as he summoned a bunch of rocks to rain on top of her.

Even still on the ground she managed to dodge most of them, but the last one fell on her leg and left it pinned down. She had to hold back a cry of pain, but still clenched her teeth and groaned.

"Get her, Mandibuzz!"

The vulture cried out and readied her talons for a deadly charge. Misty tried to free her leg, but to no avail. The bird was coming at her.

If she didn't do something quickly, Mandibuzz would sink her talons on her skull, and the guy would be free to continue his criminal acts. To keep harming the island's Pokémon, and to go after her friends… after Ash.

"NO!" she shouted as she pulled a hand backwards. Her body reacted on its own, without a care for the consequences. She just had to do something.

A large Whirlpool formed in her hand, and she barely caught wind of Mandibuzz's eyes widening before getting caught in the water vortex, which threw her against a nearby rock with a large splash.

After recovering from the shock, the vulture was soaked to the bone, and had to shake around trying to get the dampening water off her wings. She wouldn't be able to fly well for a while, but unfortunately, Misty had just irrevocably exposed her secret.

"You… I see now. You're one of them, a Bloodliner?" Dirk asked, glaring at her. Misty however didn't let herself be intimidated and glared back at him.

"So what if I am?" she snapped back. "Do you have a problem with Bloodliners or what?"

"Oh, I don't have any problem, except when they get in the way of my job, that's all," he said in a faux-affable tone. "Zebstrika, Thunderbolt on her!"

The zebra neighed and readied for another electric blast. Misty in turn formed a water sphere and threw it in a heartbeat, hitting him right in the face. The attack caused Zebstrika to become disoriented, to the point that after launching the Thunderbolt, it went off course and hit Braviary, who became angry and charged at his teammate for due retaliation.

Dirk didn't say a single word more, instead choosing to grab the last Pokéball he hadn't used until then, letting out its occupant. The large and heavy figure of a green, armored dinosaur appeared, and glared at Misty with his tiny and fierce eyes before roaring and baring his fangs.

"Tyranitar, the armored Pokémon. Its body it's capable of withstanding heavy artillery attacks, and whenever it goes on a rampage it can crumble mountains to the point maps need to be redrawn."

Misty rolled her eyes at the Monodex's intervention, but at least it said something worthwhile this time: she had stay away from that thing.

"Tyranitar, use Hyper Beam and eliminate her!"

Misty saw with horror how Tyranitar's jaws began storing up an orange-colored energy. She tried to push the stone to break free, but she wouldn't be able to do so in time, and she wouldn't be able to run with her leg injured. She was doomed…

"GET AWAY FROM MY TRAINER!"

It wasn't one, but several voices crying out in unison. Several water streams, followed by a draconic fireball, hit Tyranitar and forced him to cease the charging of his attack, and when Mandibuzz took flight again, she was intercepted in midair by Wingull, who delivered a wing slap on her neck.

Braviary and Zebstrika stopped fighting each other, and Escavalier finally pulled its spears out of the trunk, when the Water-type group arrived on the clearing. Gyarados coiled his body around her to shield her from incoming attacks, while Golduck, Starmie, Poliwrath and Psyduck stood between them and the enemy Pokémon. Wingull had just engaged the vulture in an aerial battle, while the duck duo approached their trainer.

"For the record, I came in first," Psyduck said.

"For the record, my attack hit first," Golduck replied, and then turned towards Misty. "Hold still."

Holding his webbed hands forward, he used his telekinetic powers to raise the stone and remove it so she could free her leg. It was still in pain, but to her relief, nothing was broken.

"Thanks, both of you," she said as she went back to face Dirk.

"Let us handle this," Golduck said. "You rest for now."

"No matter how many are there, it'll be the same. Zebstrika, use Thunder! The rest of you, Rock Tomb and Energy Ball!"

After hearing Dirk's command, the zebra neighed again and summoned a lightning bolt from the sky. This time Gyarados raised his tail and coated it in metallic energy to stab it on the ground, moving in to shield his trainer from the attack. Despite redirecting most of it, he evidently felt it, and the other Pokémon quickly joined the fray.

While Wingull continued to keep Mandibuzz busy, Braviary locked gazes with Misty and tried to bombard her and Gyarados with another Rock Tomb. Golduck and Starmie used their psychic powers to stop them in midair and send them back, forcing him to take evasive actions. Last but not least, Escavalier threw an Energy Ball at Poliwrath, who deflected it to the sky with Dynamic Punch uppercut, where it exploded harmlessly.

Which left Psyduck as the only available target for Tyranitar, who looked at him like he was a snack.

"Aw, nuts, why me?" the yellow duck asked. However, somehow he gathered courage and dared to glare back to his aggressor. "Y-you want a piece of her?! Get t-through me first, see if you dare!"

Tyranitar inhaled and unleashed a Flamethrower, forcing the duck to drop on the ground to dodge. The fiery stream scorched his tail, causing him to jump in pain.

"HOT, HOT, IT BURRRNNNNS!" he cried out as he ran around, until he tripped over and fell nose first.

Tyranitar walked ominously towards him, and he stomped on the ground, summoning a makeshift rock cage around Psyduck. He seemed to be ready for the coup de grace, but a boiling water stream in his face made him stop.

Seeing that Starmie had been able to handle Braviary for a while, Golduck stepped in to face the dinosaur in defense of his teammate.

"Leave this to me."

Golduck faced Tyranitar, and shot another hot water stream at his face, but the dinosaur shook it off as if it was nothing, and then growled something that caused the blue duck to get a vein popping out of his temple.

"I'm gonna make you eat those words!" he shouted, charging up Zen Headbutt.

Golduck jumped to ram at Tyranitar, but beyond a little shake, the attack didn't do a thing to his foe, while he himself fell backwards in a daze. While he was rubbing his head, Tyranitar started charging more orange energy in his maw.

"Golduck, look out!" Misty shouted.

"Hyper Beam!"

The warning came a second too late: Golduck could barely look up and cover himself with his arms when the energy beam struck, crashing against a tree on the clearing's edge.

Tyranitar then turned his attention to Misty, and his master called for another attack. "Flamethrower."

Misty had to jump out of the fire stream's path, carefully landing on her good leg to avoid the pain on the injured one. When she looked again, he met Dirk's angry and contemptuous glance.

"What's wrong? Are you so worried you're attacking me now?"

"I'm just getting rid of you, brat," said Dirk. "Bloodliner or not, we can't let any witnesses slip away! Tyranitar, lock her up into a Rock Tomb!"

Tyranitar was about to stomp on the ground and trap Misty as he did Psyduck, but right then, two turtle shells, one covered in the watery veil of an Aqua Jet, and the other spinning like a flying saucer shooting water streams through the holes, stopped his attack. A second later, Ash's Squirtle, and the Wartortle who had come to them asking for help, landed in front of her.

"You alright?" Squirtle asked.

"Your friend sent us to help," Wartortle added. "We have to take care of these guys to save the King and the others."

As the two turtles engaged the armored dinosaur, Misty glanced around. All of the Pokémon were busy fighting an opponent, barring the unconscious Golduck. At the other side of the clearing, Dirk just glared at her with disdain and anger.

Thinking first about how to make herself useful, Misty glanced at the cut on her side, and the large bruise on her right leg. If she wanted to help, first thing was to get rid of those wounds. With that in mind, and recalling Anabel's meditation techniques, she decided to apply what she learned.

'Think about pleasant things, think about pleasant things…'

It wasn't easy to do that in such a tense situation, but somehow… she thought about her friends, the moments she had so much fun with them. She thought about her Pokémon, how they were always there for her, unconditionally. She thought about… about Ash, especially about him, and her desire to grow stronger to protect him.

And just like before, the healing water rings orbited around her, imbuing her with energy that slowly but surely closed the cut, and lowered the pain in her bruised leg. In just a few minutes, the pain of both wounds was all but gone, and she was able to move with no bother at all.

With a quick glance, she could see all of the hunter's Pokémon were busy fighting hers: Gyarados dragged Zebstrika's electric blasts at himself to keep them away from her and the others. Poliwrath dodged Escavalier's thrusts and tried to land some punches. Starmie was maneuvering between Braviary's wind blades, as well as using Psychic to redirect the rock chunks from the previous attacks. Wingull kept exchanging pecks and wing slaps with Mandibuzz. And last but not least, Squirtle and Wartortle keeping Tyranitar's attention on them.

Meanwhile, Psyduck had jumped out of his rock cage to keep running around, only stopping when he had the idea of digging a hole, fill it with Water Gun and get his butt inside it to finally put out his burning tail, to his great relief.

At any rate, Misty was finally free to face the mercenary directly, and since she had no reason to keep her powers hidden anymore, she could as well put to use what she had learned. Thus, she outstretched a hand to create another water ball to throw at him. Dirk ducked under it, and pulled out a large bowie knife from his boot in an attempt to intimidate her.

"Stay away," he muttered.

"As you wish," Misty jumped back a little, and then used both hands to create another Whirlpool, a bit larger than the previous one. Dirk tried to run away, but the water vortex pulled him in and sent him spinning through the air, knocking him against one of the nearby palm trees.

With him out of the way, she could focus on the other important thing: rescuing Blastoise and the others, so without missing a beat, she ran towards the trailer and the tipped over cages.

"Are you alright?"

"Who are you?" the large turtle asked.

"Wartortle over there brought us to help," Misty said, pointing at the aforementioned Pokémon who was still battling Tyranitar. "Everything will be alright. Now…"

The cage had no visible locks to open, and when she touched the bars, she realized they were solid metal, too hard to be bent or broken by sheer strength. If only Gyarados wasn't busy trying to hold Zebstrika, maybe an Iron Tail would be enough to break them.

Through the corner of her eye, the redhead noticed things weren't completely on their favor. Braviary managed to land an Air Slash right on Starmie's center gem, causing the marine star to slump on the ground. Next, he flew at Wingull and Braviary, giving the latter an alert squawk before unleashing a Rock Tomb on the seagull, who ended with his wings pinned down.

Both birds then unleashed another stone bombardment on the other Pokémon, starting by circling around Poliwrath to restrict him with another Rock Tomb. Even though he could break them with his punches, Mandibuzz and Braviary charged at him with a continuous Aerial Ace assault, leaving him easy prey for Escavalier's Energy Ball. Gyarados was too busy with Zebstrika, still keeping the electric attacks focused on him and trying to drain his batteries.

If only she could free Blastoise and the others from the cages, maybe they could…

Glancing back at Dirk, she noticed the utility belt he was carrying. Careful to avoid waking him up, she searched the pouches for something, and she found a remote-control-like device, with a pair of red and green buttons.

"Now what does this do?" she asked. On a hunch, she pressed the green button, and the bars on Blastoise's cage lowered. Quickly, the girl pointed the device at the others, and indeed, they followed suit. The collars they had also opened and fell down.

"We're free, we're free!" The Squirtle and Wartortle began leaving their prison, and those who weren't too hurt or tired immediately charged to dogpile on the Pokémon attacking their rescuers, quickly starting to shift the tide of the battle.

Right then, a loud explosion in the distance shook the nearby area. Misty wondered what it could have been, though she had the feeling Anabel and Iris had to do with it, as it came from the other side of the island. But now, the scales tipped in their favor, as Blastoise and his kin joined in the fray to overpower their former captors with numbers.

For some reason, Psyduck seemed to have vanished from the battle. Not that she was that surprised, but then again, he'd find a way to make himself useful at the right moment.

The redhead kept watching the rest of the ongoing battle. Dirk's Pokémon were tough and quite capable in one-on-one battles, and with proper support they could overpower large groups. However, the numerical advantage had evened the situation. A few Squirtle grabbed Escavalier's spear arms and forcibly pinned them to the ground, leaving it wide open for a Dynamic Punch from Poliwrath to leave it out cold, while some Wartortle tried to douse Mandibuzz and Braviary with some water attacks. Ironically, the latter managed to dodge despite being the bigger target, but the vulture wasn't so lucky, and as soon as her wings became too heavy with the water to hold her up, the turtles jumped on her back and began stomping her furiously until she stopped moving.

Blastoise, for his part, focused his attention on Zebstrika, who seemed to be gaining on Gyarados. His cannons began glowing with a silver metallic light, and then he fired two energy beams that converged into one for a powerful attack, and the zebra didn't see it coming until it was too late, getting blasted through a nearby boulder.

"Flash Cannon, Steel-type attack that also has the additional effect of lowering the opponents' special defenses," the Monodex's voice piped up.

"Thank you," Misty replied as she rolled her eyes. Not that she complained about knowing what attack had been used, anyway.

As soon as the zebra recovered from the surprise attack, he sent an electric discharge at Blastoise. In turn, the turtle raised a Protect shield and kept it up until the attack ceased. Already tired from fighting Gyarados, Zebstrika found himself unable to do anything when the marine monster wrapped his tail around his body and exerted pressure. He tried to fight back, but eventually the air gave out and dropped down.

"I had him right where I wanted!" Gyarados complained.

"I know. That was just my due payback for what he did to my brethren," Blastoise replied calmly.

Misty also noticed how Ash's Squirtle and the remaining Wartortle were handling themselves pretty well against Tyranitar, and she could even hear taunts like "Too slow!", "Missed me!", and similar to make his attacks more and more sluggish over time.

In a fit of rage, Tyranitar began spitting Flamethrowers uncontrollably, which after being dodged set on fire several of the nearby fallen trees. In turn, they quickly began spreading the flames around them.

"No!" the redhead shouted.

"Urgh…" Right then, Dirk was starting to regain consciousness, and he found himself with the sight of a flaming inferno. "What the hell!"

Fire continued to spread around, and the Pokémon around the clearing started getting into a frenzy. Those who could fire water attacks immediately doused the flames, but they were barely able to control the nearby area to avoid getting themselves burned to ashes.

What if it spread to the rest of the island? She doubted they could all stop it.

"Dirk!" More voices shouted, and a trio of smugglers came closing in, but they stopped when they saw the Gyarados, as well as Blastoise and the other turtles, none of which looked happy in the least to see them.

"What's wrong?!" the mercenary shouted. "Weren't you supposed watch the sub?!"

"Our sub was blown up! A pair of meddling girls raided it, and took all the Pokémon we had caught with them!"

"What did you say?!" Dirk gasped in disbelief.

Misty smirked. That confirmed her suspicions about what caused the explosion before. "Oh, did I mention we had more friends?"

"Damn it." The mercenary glanced around, grabbing almost all of his Pokéballs to recall his Pokémon, down or otherwise, except for one. "Braviary, we're outta here!"

"Brav!" the eagle squawked and landed before his master so he could hop onto his back, much to the shock of Misty and the other smugglers.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?!"

"Sorry, but there's no way I'm staying stranded on this island. Every man for himself!" the mercenary shouted as his eagle began flapping and flew away.

"You damn traitor, you can't leave us here!" one of the ruffian's shouted.

"We paid you to help us!" the second added, shaking an angry fist.

"Get back here you filthy son of-!"

In the middle of the thugs' protests, Misty didn't even know what to think. Luckily for them, Psyduck stepped forward, and used his psychic powers to lift them off the ground, and knock their heads against each other so they would shut up, and let them slump on the ground.

"Phew… I can't… hold on anymore…" He sat down and dropped his psychic aura.

"Thanks," Misty said. Sometimes he drove her crazy, but he knew how to come through when needed.

"Somebody had to shut them up."

At the moment, Misty's pocket beeped, and the girl pulled out the Monodex. Pressing the answering button, she placed it next to her ear.

"What's up?"

"Everything alright? We're done here." It was Ash's voice.

"One of the guys got away flying, but we're fine here. I've got Blastoise and the rest out of the cages."

"Anabel and Iris should go pick you up soon," Ash added. "We'll be teleporting off the island soon."

"What do we do with the smugglers?" the redhead asked.

"There is no need for concern. I have sent a notice to the Cinnabar police and the coast guard. They should be here in two hours at most to deal with them."

Misty was glad to hear that from the Pokédex. Criminals as they were, she didn't like the idea of just leaving them stranded there. That would be too cruel; it was better to let them face justice for their deeds.

There was still one more concern, though: the one who got away, Dirk, had seen her Bloodliner powers. Would they see him again? Would he try to come back for revenge?

"No time to think about that," she finally said. "There's something more pressing now."

Misty decided to forget her own concerns for the time being, and focus on checking Blastoise and the others. After that, they'd wait for the others and escape the island before the authorities showed up.

Though as she did, she couldn't help but glance at the destruction around. It was really sad that in the middle of everything, the tropical paradise had ended up completely wasted by their battling.

Back at the Cinnabar beach…

Once the danger was over, the group of trainers and their Pokémon found themselves in front of a large crowd of Pokémon turtles. Their stares ranged from gratitude to shyness, and some looked like they wanted to say something, but were unsure as to what.

Blastoise, already free from any shackles the smugglers had put on him, had spent the past half hour checking that nobody had been left behind on the island, while Ash and Anabel healed those who had ended up getting hurt during the scuffle. Misty awaited in expectation, until Blastoise finally turned back to her.

"So… is everyone accounted for?" she asked.

Blastoise nodded. "Yes. We're all safe. You and your friends have our biggest gratitude."

"Good. Then… what do we do now?"

Blastoise and everyone else looked at the distance, in the direction of their island. While they had been spared from being captured, their home had been devastated, leaving them without a place to live.

Misty glanced at all of them. Considering it had been her decision to go to the island to help them, now she felt obligated to carry it all the way to the end. And at that point there was only one choice.

"Hey, Ash." She turned towards the boy. "Do you think there's enough room for all of them at Professor Oak's place?"

"There's always room for everyone," the boy said. "New Pokémon are always welcome there."

Blastoise glanced at them. "What are you talking about?"

Misty wanted to answer, but Ash's Squirtle beat her to it. "Since we couldn't save your home, how about that you come with us? A good friend of ours has a place, and we can live there as we please. In exchange, we help him with his research, and we make plenty of friends over there. You never get bored."

"Really? Are there good places to swim over there?" the Wartortle who brought them asked.

"Of course, buddy," Squirtle assured him. "It's no tropical island, but it's the next best place. You'll like it there, trust me."

The turtle Pokémon began muttering amongst themselves. Some seemed a bit skeptical, but little by little they seemed to be convinced. A large part seemed eager with the idea of knowing the world beyond the island, and other simply resigned themselves as they had nowhere else to go, with no similar islands nearby for them to inhabit by themselves.

"If you allow me a few words," said Misty. "I know I shouldn't be asking for anything, but… if you guys would like to come with me, I promise I'll take good care of all of you, and help you grow stronger. In exchange, you can help me fulfill my dream of being a great Water Pokémon Master."

The turtles resumed their muttering once more. Slowly they quieted down, even though Misty vaguely understood that they weren't adverse to the offer. However, they all stared at their King. The final word rested on Blastoise, it seemed.

"What do you say, King?" Wartortle asked. "Should we go with her?"

Blastoise glanced at Wartortle, and then turned towards Misty. "We haven't had much contact with humans, but I had never see humans capable of using powers and abilities like us. I can tell there's something special in you. I am… intrigued."

Blastoise stepped forward and looked into Misty's eyes. "I don't want to pledge my life to a human that easily. I would like to test your strength first."

"Test my strength? You mean you want to battle me?"

"Hey, hold up!" Gyarados intervened as he slithered forward and gently but firmly shoved Blastoise away from Misty. "If you want to fight my trainer, you'll have to get through me first!"

"Gyarados, what are you-?"

"Look, shell-for-brains, my trainer is offering you a unique chance, you'd have to be an idiot to waste it!"

Several of the Squirtle and Wartortle got mad at Gyarados calling their King by that name, but the giant turtle gestured them to quiet down. Those words didn't seem to offend him in the least.

"So you're willing to stand up for your trainer. I assume you'd be willing to test your strength against mine yourself?"

"Ha! You got that right, shell head. Here and now, if I beat you, you and your buddies come with Misty. If you beat me, do as you please. Simple enough?"

"Gyarados, don't put words on my mouth, we shouldn't-"

"Aw, come on, Misty," Gyarados interrupted her. "I know you want it, you know you want it. This guy and his buddies just need some convincing, and I'm ready to give it if I have to."

The redhead was left dumbfounded as Blastoise glanced at her again. Tempting as it was to have such a powerful Pokémon under her command (and by extension every other Squirtle and Wartortle present), she didn't want to force them to come with her if they didn't want to.

She glanced at her friends as if asking for opinions, but their only response was to shrug. She then checked the timer in her Monodex: the last ferry for the day would depart from Cinnabar in about one and a half hours. Should it come to having to battle, they would have to get it over with quickly enough so they could still board their ship.

For what felt like an eternity, Blastoise and Gyarados stared at each other's eyes intently. Misty could tell the marine serpent was roaring up for another battle, while Blastoise's expression was indecipherable. Was he considering the offer? Would he reject it altogether?

The rest of the Wartortle and Squirtle seemed ready to back him up should he choose to fight, but after a few seconds, the staring contest finally ended when Blastoise relaxed his stance.

"There's no need to fight. We'll come with you."

His words left everyone speechless. The jaws of the Wartortle and Squirtle present almost fell to the ground, but nobody was more shocked than Gyarados, and of course Misty. Was he giving himself up without even fighting?

"Eh?! Hold up, what are you saying?! We haven't even started yet!"

"I can see it in your eyes," said Blastoise. "You have the will to fight because you respect and care for your trainer. You'd do anything for her… just like I would for my brethren here."

Blastoise glanced at his Wartortle and Squirtle subjects, and then glanced back at the confused Gyarados. He then turned to an equally confused Misty, but the redhead was glad they didn't have to beat the crap out of him to convince him to come. She figured he had more than his fair share of that for the day.

The giant turtle walked in front of the redhead and extended a hand at her. "I will be honored to pledge my strength to you. My life and those of my brethren are now in your hands."

The rest of the Squirtle and Wartortle nodded, and some of them raised their fists as they cheered. Misty didn't know what to do but smile and shake Blastoise's hand, so to speak. With no need for more words, there was only one thing left to do.

"Well, I think it's time for you guys to get used to your new home." She checked her back and then did a head count among the turtles. "I don't think I have enough balls to catch all of you, though."

"Twenty-nine Squirtle, Seventeen Wartortle, and the Blastoise. You'll require a grand total of forty-seven balls," the Pokédex voice intervened, going ahead for the count.

"Thank you," the redhead said, half thankful, half sarcastic, as she pulled a Net Ball out of her bag. "Ash, if you would be so kind?"

The black-haired trainer caught the tossed Net Ball and donned his H.O.P.E glove. He started producing replicas one after another as the turtle Pokémon voluntarily got in line to be caught in them, and then teleporting to their new home. Some of them actually fought each other for "cutting the line", as they tried to get ahead.

The last ones were the Wartortle who came asking for their help before, and Blastoise. The former approached Ash's Squirtle for a little chat before leaving.

"Thanks for your help, buddy," he said giving a thumbs up. "If you ever need a sparring partner sometime, you have but to ask."

"Sure," Squirtle replied as he gave a thumbs up of his own. "Say hi to my friends over there, and try to stay out of trouble, okay?"

Misty's couldn't help but smile as she saw that: it seemed they would get along just fine. Done with that, Wartortle entered the second-to-last Net Ball and teleported himself to Oak's place. That only left Blastoise, who gave one last glance to the horizon before grabbing the last Net Ball. Exchanging a nod of acknowledgement with Misty, he pressed the button to let himself get caught and left as well.

That pretty much had concluded their island adventures for that day.

"Well, we are done here," said Iris. "Do we still have time before our ship leaves?"

"More than enough, and actually…" Ash stomach then growled. "Anyone wants to eat something before we leave?"

The following growls of everyone's stomachs confirmed it, and everyone decided to go for a snack. After all, there was still plenty of time before the ferry departed, and saving those turtle Pokémon had gotten them all craving for plenty of food.

At sunset…

The day was about to end, and the last ferry from Cinnabar was already in open sea, en route to Pallet Town. Iris and Ash had already retreated to their cabin after dinner, and meanwhile, Misty and Anabel had gone out to get some air by the stern. The sea breeze felt really nice, and the sunset over the sea was a sight to behold.

The redhead couldn't stop thinking about the recent events. Namely, facing against that Pokémon Hunter to help those Pokémon, and offering them a new home after theirs had been laid waste. Of course, there was also the reward she got from it, but deep inside she felt a little weird.

'You seem happy,' Anabel suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Misty turned around. "Why do you say so?"

'Aside from sensing it, right now you're smiling,' the telepath replied.

"I didn't notice," Misty said. "But I guess I am, even if I'm not sure why."

'I think I know.' Anabel smiled too. 'You feel happy for helping all those Pokémon.'

Misty glanced at her friend with a little confusion. It seemed obvious, but there was something else about it, and that was what the redhead didn't quite get.

'My uncle taught me that sometimes, when we're feeling bad for any reason, the best we can do is helping someone else. Haven't you noticed that whenever you do something for another person, and you do it wholeheartedly, that makes you feel good as well?'

"Now that you mention it… yeah, that's right," Misty admitted. "It feels nice to have helped them. I mean, I did it because I wanted to, and I liked doing it."

Misty glanced at the sea, thinking about Anabel's words. Was that why Ash helped people he barely knew with their troubles so selflessly? He never actively sought any benefits from it. Sometimes he took the reward, other times he didn't.

Whatever it was, Misty had to admit she liked that feeling. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to make a habit of it.

"On the other hand… I can't help but wonder how I'm going to handle all of them at once," she said to Anabel.

'Well, you'll have to learn if you want to be a good Gym Leader, right?'

"Yeah, obviously. Too bad I never had a good example to follow," she said, as she thought about her sisters and father.

Considering how Ash had caught his fair share of numerous Pokémon groups, maybe she should ask him about it. He seemed to handle himself well with them, even if he did have some preferences for a few specific Pokémon for battles.

Well, she'd have plenty of time to talk about it once they had arrived at Pallet Town.

FIN.