"There are many hotels on Harbor Island. Because it's separated from Silver Rock Island by a tunnel, not many people come here, so there are plenty of empty places." After hearing Ash's words, Nathan Glacienne pointed toward the nearby island where he was staying.
"Sabrina, take the backpack and Pikachu and stay at the hotel there. Nathan and I will head to the deserted island to check things out." Ash handed his backpack to Sabrina, then boarded the wooden boat Nathan had rented.
"Then be careful." Sabrina showed no dissatisfaction with Ash's decision. Although she was also interested in seeing a Legendary Pokémon, she was not in a hurry. After all, Ash had already encountered enough on Fantasy Island.
After Sabrina left with Pikachu, Ash and Nathan arrived at an uninhabited island near Harbor Island. The island had a donut-like shape, with a circular seawater pool in the center that connected directly to the deep ocean below.
"Brother-in-law, look, there's a kid over there. Let's ask him," Nathan said, noticing a young boy playing near the seawater pool alongside a Pokémon that resembled a light bulb.
"Alright."
"Hey, kid, are you from around here?" Nathan asked as they approached the edge of the pool.
"Yeah… my name is Oliver. I live on Harbor Island. I often come here to play. This is my friend, Chinchou." The boy sounded nervous, clearly hiding something.
Nathan, who possessed quasi-Champion-level strength and a data-analysis ability, immediately noticed the inconsistency, but he chose not to press further to avoid alarming the boy.
"Really? In that case, do you know anything about a mysterious Pokémon around here?" Nathan continued.
At the same time, Ash suddenly sensed a presence nearby… Lugia.
But this Lugia felt completely different from the one he had encountered in the Orange Archipelago. The gap was enormous, like heaven and earth, and even its size felt vastly different.
"A mysterious Pokémon? I don't know. If something like that existed, it would have caused a huge commotion already," Oliver replied, shaking his head, though sweat began forming on his forehead.
"You're lying. There is a Lugia here… but it's still a child, and its strength is only at the novice peak." Ash immediately exposed the lie. His perception could not be wrong.
That was right. The Lugia he sensed had just been born not long ago. Its strength was still at the beginner level, and it likely didn't even have proper combat ability yet.
"What? Brother-in-law, are you saying there's a Lugia here, and it's still a baby?" Nathan asked in shock. He had thought they might encounter a Legendary Pokémon, but he never expected it to be a newborn.
"Yes. It's less than 300 meters below this seawater pool. It was probably born recently. But what surprises me is that this boy is actually playing with Lugia's child."
Ash nodded, but he was puzzled. Lugia were typically extremely hostile toward humans, so why would it allow its child to interact with one?
"Mi~Mi~"
Just as Ash finished speaking, a small Lugia suddenly emerged from the seawater pool and positioned itself protectively in front of Oliver, crying out at Ash and Nathan.
"It really is one… and it's still in its infancy. This is incredibly rare." Nathan's eyes widened in disbelief. A baby Legendary Pokémon was even more valuable than an adult one.
If properly raised, it could become an incredibly powerful core member in the future. However, Nathan knew it was impossible to capture it. There was no way Lugia's parents would allow their child to be taken by humans.
"Silver, why did you come out? Didn't I tell you not to show yourself casually? Please… don't take Silver away, okay?" Oliver nervously hugged the small Lugia.
"Mi~Mi~" The little Lugia happily rubbed against Oliver's cheek, clearly showing how close the two were.
"Relax, we're not here to capture it. And its name isn't Silver. It's Lugia, a Legendary Pokémon," Ash said, shaking his head.
"Really? You're not going to take Silver?" Oliver asked, visibly relieved.
"We're here to investigate why Lugia hates humans. Seeing how close you are to this one, I'm curious how its parents allowed you to play with it."
Ash reassured him again before asking the question he truly wanted answered, while Nathan quietly took several photos of the baby Lugia from the side.
"So Silver's real name is Lugia… I didn't know. I've never seen Silver's father, but I have seen its mother. Actually, I've only known Silver for about a week."
Oliver hesitated for a moment, then slowly began explaining everything.
"A few days ago, I was playing in the sea nearby with Chinchou, but suddenly the weather turned bad. Heavy rain started pouring down, and huge waves rose on the ocean."
"Chinchou and I tried to get back to shore as quickly as possible, but we were caught by the waves. I was swept into the sea… and lost consciousness."
"When I woke up, I found myself lying on some rocks. Silver and Chinchou were beside me. It was Silver who saved both of us."
As he spoke, Oliver gently hugged the small Lugia in his arms, his expression softening.
"Since then, I've been coming here often with Chinchou to play with Silver."
"And back then, Silver's mother also appeared. When she saw me playing with Silver, she didn't stop me. So every few days, I come here to spend time with Silver."