The salty, humid sea breeze caressed the coastline of Vermilion City, and the afternoon sun warmed the sandy beach.
However, the waves were growing larger, as if there was an abnormality in the coastal current.
Ash and his friends happened to be visiting the beach.
Since they were already in Vermilion City, there was no rush to leave.
Traveling wasn't about suffering, nor was it solely for enjoyment.
But there could be enjoyment during the journey.
They were travelers, not ascetic monks; there was no need to force themselves to endure hardship.
"Come on out, everyone!"
Ash tossed his Poké Balls, and a giant, gleaming Golden Gyarados and a majestic Pidgeotto appeared in the shallows.
"Gyarados, try to learn... you should be able to fly."
That Gyarados can fly is a rather obscure piece of trivia.
However.
It's not that easy for a Gyarados to fly.
Due to unfamiliarity and discomfort, most Gyarados choose not to fly.
They prefer swimming in the water.
It's an ability they need to train post-evolution.
Gyarados let out a deep but not ferocious roar. Its golden eyes narrowed slightly, making it look docile. Its massive body shimmered under the sun, causing some distant tourists to stop and marvel, though they didn't dare approach.
Pidgeotto, on the other hand, let out a clear cry, flapped its wings, and soared into the high sky, enjoying the vast expanse of sea and clouds.
Misty, barefoot in the cool seawater, looked at the Golden Gyarados floating on the surface, trying to get a little higher, and couldn't help but laugh:
"Look at this guy. He's usually so fierce, but he's being quite well-behaved right now."
She reached out and boldly patted the scales on the side of Gyarados's enormous head, which was near the shore.
A low rumble, almost like a purr, came from Gyarados's throat. Its golden eyes narrowed, showing a hint of docility, and it even gently nudged Misty's palm with its nose, making her giggle.
Gyarados actually had a very high opinion of Misty.
One could say it was almost constantly thinking about the grand feast it had at the Cerulean Gym.
It wondered when it would get to eat like that again.
Thinking of this, Gyarados tried even harder to please Misty.
Most Pokémon have simple minds: eat, drink, be merry, and live each day well is enough.
Of course, for a ferocious Pokémon like Gyarados, having a fight after a full meal would be even better.
Battle!
Awesome!
It wasn't afraid of pain anyway.
"Pika-pi!"
Pikachu also jumped onto Gyarados's head, looking around curiously.
Just then.
Out of the corner of her eye, Misty noticed something moving faintly behind some nearby rocks.
She curiously took a few steps closer, pushed aside some seaweed, and found an injured Horsea.
Its small body was curled up, a clear scrape on its dorsal fin. It looked listless, but what was most striking was the extreme fear in its large eyes.
It was staring intently at the behemoth in the water not far away, the Golden Gyarados.
Er... Pokémon like Gyarados really don't have a very good reputation.
Especially in the eyes of wild Water-type Pokémon, these big guys would occasionally go berserk and cause destruction everywhere, and they were very strong.
Generally, it was a case of 'if you can't beat them, avoid them.'
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid..."
Misty immediately knelt, her voice extremely gentle, and carefully reached out her hand.
"See? It's very well-behaved. It won't hurt you."
She glanced back at Gyarados.
Gyarados cooperated by lowering its massive head, even trying hard to squeeze out what it thought was a friendly expression.
Although it still looked a bit scary, it was trying its best.
It slowly exhaled a small puff of warm water vapor, which sprinkled over the Horsea like a clumsy attempt at comfort.
The Horsea was clearly stunned by this sudden "friendliness," its body stiff as a board.
Hilarious.
"You call this friendly?"
Why don't you take a look at your face and that big mouth full of fangs?
The Golden Gyarados's appearance was already extremely imposing, not to mention it had the Intimidate ability.
It was only because Ash and his friends were used to being around it that they felt it had a good temper.
Misty took the opportunity to take out the Potion she carried with her and very gently treated the wound on Horsea's dorsal fin.
Her movements were professional and gentle, and she kept comforting it:
"There, there, it won't hurt for long."
Under her continuous reassurance and Gyarados's "efforts" to appear friendly, the Horsea finally began to relax.
It gratefully nuzzled Misty's fingers, then suddenly became agitated.
Horsea jumped out of Misty's palm and landed on the wet sand.
It frantically gestured with its small mouth and front fins, sometimes pointing towards the sea, sometimes making rolling
and tackling motions, looking very anxious.
Finally, it steadied itself.
Its small body turned in one direction, its gaze firm yet fearful as it stared towards a spot on the distant
coastline.
Tower cranes and construction fences were faintly visible there—it was Old Lady Kin's stalled seaside
paradise construction site.
"What... what does it mean?" Brock stroked his chin, looking quizzically at Horsea's abstract
gestures.
Misty was also bewildered:
"It seems very anxious, like it's trying to tell us something..."
Neither Brock nor Misty had brought any Psychic-type Pokémon with them.
After all, traveling was for training, not for showing off and enjoying luxuries.
Of course, that was because they were Gym Trainers with substantial resources.
If an ordinary trainer could get a Psychic-type Pokémon, it would be best to have one.
Ash's gaze followed the direction Horsea was pointing. The construction site looked
abrupt and quiet on the horizon.
He recalled Lt. Surge's firm attitude at the club and Old Lady Kin's resentful expression as she left,
and combined that with this injured Horsea's abnormal fear and where it was pointing...
—The giant Tentacruel that appeared in the original anime?
—Then a swarm of Tentacruel must have appeared here.
—But the Team Rocket trio went to Saffron City. Will the giant Tentacruel still appear
?
Ash could only use the original story as a reference; he couldn't assume it would inevitably happen in this world.
After all, the Team Rocket trio hadn't come to Vermilion City.
"What it wants to tell us is probably related to that construction site," Ash said, his tone becoming
serious. "And I'm afraid it's not good news."
His relaxed expression vanished as he looked at his companions:
"Let's go, let's check it out."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu jumped back onto his shoulder, a faint spark flashing from its cheeks, as if it too had sensed
something unusual in the air.
Gyarados let out a low growl, its huge body turning in the shallow water. Its gaze also turned towards the
construction site, a hint of vigilance flashing in its golden eyes.
Pidgeotto circled in the air, then lowered its altitude, its sharp eyes also locking onto the target
.
As the aerial unit, it was the fastest and had the widest field of view.
After confirming Ash's intention, Pidgeotto flew straight over.
Misty carefully picked up the still-gesturing Horsea:
"Don't worry, take us over to see
, what on earth is happening."
The group hurried along the coastline toward the silent construction site.
The sea breeze seemed to quicken, whipping up waves that crashed against the rocks, making a louder
splashing sound than before.
"Pidgeo—"
Pidgeotto flew back in front of Ash and began flapping its wings, mimicking the situation with the Tentacruel and the humans
.
Their long-standing rapport allowed Ash to understand what Pidgeotto was saying.
Pidgeotto: There are many Tentacruel at that construction site. There are also many humans nearby, and it looks like they're doing something bad.
"...Something's not right. We'd better hurry," Ash's tone grew
cold.
Capitalists see only profit, not risk.
If there is a 300% profit, a capitalist will sell the very rope to hang himself with.
"This time, I might need you to go all out, Brock, Misty."
____
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