Bill looked at Ash and the others again. "You three stay here. Safety first."
However, Ash stepped forward, his gaze burning as he stared at the giant Dragonite on the screen. "We're going too."
"Pikachu needs to confirm this up close." Ash felt that if there really was danger, they wouldn't be able to run away anyway.
Since that was the case, what was there to be afraid of?
"Pika!" Pikachu also nodded seriously, the electric sacs on his cheeks flickering with tiny arcs of electricity—a sign of vigilance, but also a certain degree of... excitement?
Gardevoir looked at Bill, watching him take a deep breath before nodding heavily.
[Follow me.]
Gardevoir's voice resounded in everyone's minds, and simultaneously, a faint glimmer of Psychic power enveloped the group.
The next moment.
They only felt the scenery before their eyes blur.
They had already appeared on the open-air observation platform at the top of the lighthouse.
The sea breeze instantly became violent, carrying a heavy salty scent and an indescribable pressure originating from ancient times that rushed toward them.
Facing this giant beast up close, the visual impact was far beyond what was seen on the screen.
The Dragonite merely stood there quietly, yet the shadow it cast almost shrouded the entire lighthouse.
Its every breath brought about a low whistling wind, like the prelude to a storm.
Misty and Brock's faces went somewhat pale, and they subconsciously moved closer to Gardevoir.
Ash, however, tilted his head back, the eyes beneath the brim of his hat striving to capture every subtle change in the Dragonite's gaze.
Pikachu gripped Ash's shoulder tightly, his fur standing on end—not entirely out of fear, but more like an instinctual awe when facing a powerful existence.
Bill stood at the very front, trying hard to calm his violently beating heart. He threw his head back and shouted with all his might:
"Hello!"
"Great existence!"
"I am Bill!"
"I am the researcher of this lighthouse!"
"Thank you for responding to my call!"
His voice seemed somewhat weak in the sea breeze, but he believed the other party could hear him.
A brief silence.
Only the sound of waves crashing against the reefs.
Just when everyone thought the communication had failed.
An aged, resonant voice, seemingly containing the waves and the passage of time, slowly sounded directly in the depths of all their minds.
Carrying a strange echo, like an ancient ballad:
[...Interesting little device... interesting voice...]
The Dragonite's gaze seemed to fall upon Bill.
[You... seek... me?]
Bill had said he was a researcher.
And it was a natural association that researchers pursue knowledge.
"Yes!" Bill was so excited he almost jumped, his speaking speed involuntarily increasing.
"I want to understand the ocean's past, to understand the history and secrets guarded by an existence like you!"
"Anything you are willing to share would be a priceless treasure to me!" Bill was a pure researcher.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be doing something this extremely risky.
[History...] The Dragonite's voice was distant and calm, as if recalling events from the extremely distant past.
[Spray... foam... memories... also erode...]
[What I know... is also not everything...]
It did not seem to reject communication.
And since it had agreed to Bill's request and came to the appointment, it would naturally follow through.
Otherwise, why would it come all this way?
Using that method of direct telepathic communication, it slowly and concisely answered some of the vague questions Bill raised regarding ancient ocean climates, changes in specific regions, and even the ruins of certain civilizations that had long since sunk.
Its answers often carried poetic metaphors and a unique perspective left by the long passage of time, leaving Bill mesmerized, occasionally uttering exclamations of sudden realization.
Ash and the other two listened quietly from the side, as if listening to a living epic.
This was the true meaning of "having an elder in the family is like having a treasure."
It truly knew and had witnessed too much history.
Misty looked at this incredible scene of peaceful communication before her eyes. Recalling the mystery of her parents' disappearance, her courage gradually suppressed her fear.
She took a deep breath, clenched her fists tightly, and looked at Bill, her eyes filled with pleading.
Bill noticed her gaze and instantly understood her intention.
He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately raised his head and spoke to the giant Dragonite with utmost solemnity: "Great existence, I apologize for presumptuously interrupting your conversation."
"The girl beside me, her parents were Trainers who loved the ocean. They went missing many years ago during a journey in pursuit of the ocean's mysteries... Do you happen to know of their tracks?"
"Or... know of their fate?"
He pointed to Misty, who was so nervous beside him she could barely breathe.
Bill was still very reliable when doing serious business.
At least he didn't say something death-seeking like [Misty's parents wanted to capture a Sea King like you].
Changing it to "pursuing the ocean's mysteries" was much more reasonable.
The Dragonite's massive head turned slightly, its searchlight-like gaze focusing on Misty.
That gaze was not sharp, yet it seemed capable of piercing through the soul to see the similar mark deep within her bloodline.
Silence enveloped the platform, save for the sound of wind and waves.
Misty felt as if her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
After a long while, that grand telepathic voice sounded again, carrying a trace of imperceptible... pity?
[Seekers of the ocean's mysteries... are many...]
[Those who fall... are also many...]
[However... I have not sensed the... end... of your blood kin...]
[Nor have I... within my domain... encountered their souls...]
[What they challenged... was not me...]
Although Bill had spoken somewhat euphemistically, the Dragonite still knew what they were talking about.
In the Dragonite's view, such small matters were completely irrelevant.
Battles between Pokémon are very pure.
And in the eyes of Pokémon, humans are just a strange kind of Pokémon.
Especially since Dragonite itself is a Pokémon with a relatively good temper.
The nature of most Dragonite is very kind.
Misty abruptly raised her head, the light of hope instantly bursting forth in her eyes, her voice trembling and carrying a sob: "Y-You mean... they might still be alive?"
The Dragonite's gaze seemed to soften a fraction.
[The ocean... is vast... far beyond your imagination...]
[Existence... is not only life and death... two states...]
[I... do not know...]
These words were like a riddle, not giving a definite answer, yet they were like a beam of light splitting apart the gloom of despair that had accumulated in Misty's heart for years.
At least... death was not confirmed!
At least... what her parents challenged was not this seemingly invincible existence!
She covered her mouth, tears uncontrolledly gushing out; it was relief, a massive hope reignited.
The Dragonite's giant head slowly turned back, looking at Bill once more.
[Conversation... pleasant...]
[However... the tides are changing... I must return...]
Its mountain-like body began to slowly move backward, sinking into the seawater, the waves stirred up causing even the lighthouse to tremble slightly.
Eventually, only a gradually receding giant whirlpool remained on the sea surface, along with the ancient lingering sound carrying the scent of the sea tide left in everyone's hearts.
The immense pressure shrouding the surroundings also receded like the tide.
The night sky became quiet again, starlight scattering down, as if everything just now had been an illusion.
But the violent heartbeats of everyone on the platform, the tear stains on Misty's face, and the recording pen tightly gripped in Bill's hand all proved that incredibly real encounter.
Bill gazed in the direction the Dragonite had disappeared, muttering to himself: "A state of existence neither alive nor dead... the vast ocean... It seems research has only just begun..."
In his eyes burned a flame of research hotter than ever before.
Ash gently patted the shoulder of Misty, who was still sobbing yet smiling, then looked up at the starry sky, the corners of his mouth hooking up slightly.
"Pika..."
Pikachu also quieted down, nuzzling Ash's cheek.
The chance encounter with mythology ended just that simply.
Just like seeing Ho-Oh back then.
____
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