Pikachu used the surfboard as a springboard, bursting forward to increase its speed. The moment it stepped onto the wave, it ran for four or five meters.
"Pipipipi~~~ Pikachu!!!"
It suddenly let out a frightened cry, then fell into the seawater. Seeing this, Ash quickly abandoned his surfboard and plunged into the waves.
Rumble!!!
The waves roared down. After a moment of calm, Ash resurfaced from the seawater, shaking the water from his hair, and simultaneously picked up Pikachu.
"Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash asked, worriedly looking at Pikachu.
"Pika Pika!!"
Pikachu also shook its head, then happily chirped at Ash, seemingly reassuring him. Its eyes once again showed determination.
"Great, let's try again!!" Although they failed, they finally saw hope. Ash and Pikachu tried again. Ultimately, this method was feasible, but the speed wasn't enough yet; they needed to be even faster.
They tried again, and Pikachu fell into the seawater after not running very far. Ash would jump in to save it every time. After repeated attempts, they failed countless times, and another day passed unknowingly.
It was still a tiring yet fulfilling day. In the evening, after Ash and his Pokémon had dinner, he took them to the beach again, but not for training.
The sea was not calm at night, and Ash didn't want his Pokémon to get hurt. It was just a habit they had developed over the past few days to come here. He sat on the beach with his Pokémon.
Charmander lit a bonfire with its flames. Ash and his Pokémon sat around the bonfire by the sea, listening to the sound of waves hitting the shore. Looking up, they could see countless stars, allowing Ash and his Pokémon to temporarily relax from their intense training.
...
"Did Ash and the others go to the beach again?" Meanwhile, Misty and Brock were tidying up. Professor Elm, as usual, sat in his spot after dinner, drinking the hot tea Brock had brewed.
These past few days had been wonderful for Professor Elm. Every day brought different delicious foods, and the company of Ash and the others greatly boosted his research inspiration.
"They did! I think he's getting used to it," Brock replied as he tidied things up.
"How's Pikachu's surfing training going?" Professor Elm also asked with concern.
He woke up early every day, but Ash always woke up even earlier than him. While it might not be a big deal once or twice, doing it every day made him, an adult, admire the boy's perseverance.
Most importantly, the Pokémon had no complaints at all, because Ash was the last to rest, and he was similar, researching late into the night every day.
Each time, he would see Ash carefully soothe and massage his Pokémon, brushing their fur until they fell asleep peacefully, only then would he sleep. So he understood that this was the Pokémon's way of reciprocating Ash's care.
"Pikachu has learned how to surf, but it's not a move. It seems they started the second phase of training today, but there hasn't been much progress."
Misty shook her head slightly. In the previous few days, Pikachu had learned to surf, but it was just ordinary surfing, not a move. And today, she saw Pikachu fall into the water and Ash jump in to save it no less than a hundred times. It made her feel a little heartbroken.
"This is also a required course for trainers! I think..."
Whimper!! Whimper!!!
Just then, a strange sound rang out, interrupting Professor Elm. The sound was somewhat like a ship's horn. Not only inside the lighthouse, but even Ash outside the lighthouse heard it.
"Hm? What's going on?" Misty and Brock, who were tidying up, were also slightly startled.
"That's right! It's that time again!" Professor Elm's face showed an expectant expression as he listened to the sound.
(aebf) "This time??"
"Yes! Actually, I'm here not just to calmly research; I've been waiting for a certain Pokémon." Professor Elm's face showed a smile as he closed his eyes slightly.
"Waiting for a Pokémon? What kind of Pokémon?"
"I don't know, but it appears around this time every year, always from a great distance, so I can't distinguish it."
"So, I mimic its cry and play it every year around this time, hoping to lure it over." Professor Elm opened his eyes upon hearing this, his gaze filled with longing.
"How amazing! What kind of Pokémon is it?" Hearing Professor Elm's words also made Misty and Brock interested in this Pokémon.
"I also hope to unveil its mystery, so I've been waiting. I think it's probably the largest Pokémon in this world!" Professor Elm replied, then stood up and walked towards the top of the lighthouse. Misty and Brock, seeing this, immediately put away their things.
They then followed Professor Elm upstairs to the top of the lighthouse. It was a bit cold at the top of the lighthouse at night. The lighthouse's beam swept across the surroundings, but the endless sea remained pitch black.
The speaker continuously played the sound, echoing repeatedly across the calm sea. Professor Elm looked at the dark sea in front of him with anticipation, hoping to witness that figure once again.
Below the lighthouse.
By the beach, Ash also knew what was going on and looked towards the sea with some anticipation. He had been so engrossed in his training these past few days that he almost forgot about this.
The giant Pokémon that Professor Elm had waited so long for – Ash knew the true identity of that Pokémon. He was a few days earlier than expected in the anime, so today was the day it would appear.
But Ash didn't leave; he continued to watch from the beach. From here, he could also clearly see the situation on the sea surface. The sound from the lighthouse was continuous. After about an hour, nothing could still be seen on the sea.
"Isn't it coming?" Professor Elm felt a little disappointed looking at the empty sea.
Even though he had waited for many years and had never seen its true form even once, he would have been satisfied just to catch a glimpse of it.
Not seeing it this time made Professor Elm feel that it might never appear again.
"AWOOOOOO!!!!"
Just then, a sound similar to the lighthouse's, yet slightly different, rekindled Professor Elm's hope.
PS: I used to think the giant Dragonite was very special, but after Sword and Shield came out, I don't really feel it anymore!
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