The group sailed only a short distance away from the destroyed Fukuhara Island before spotting a beautiful, quiet island with pristine white sand beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters. After the intense events of the red moon awakening, everyone agreed it was the perfect spot to rest and recover.
Ash stretched his arms as Lapras gently brought them to shore. "Alright, let's take a proper break here. We've earned it."
The atmosphere instantly turned relaxed and joyful. Misty's eyes sparkled with excitement as she turned to Ash's massive Shiny Gyarados. "Big guy, would you teach my psyduck deep sea diving? I want him to get better at swimming underwater!"
The enormous red serpent gave a low, rumbling approval and lowered his head so Psyduck could climb onto him. Together, they moved into the deeper waters just offshore. Shiny Gyarados patiently guided him, teaching him how to control his breathing, move efficiently underwater, and stay calm even when the water pressure increased. Psyduck laughed every time he surfaced, clearly enjoying the lesson.
On the beach, Pikachu, Eevee, and the ever-energetic Shiny Growlithe were having their own training session.
The shiny fire puppy was bouncing around with endless stamina, chasing after Pikachu's Quick Attacks and dodging Eevee's Swift stars.
"Pi-ka!" "Ee-vee!" and excited barks filled the air as the three played and trained together under the warm sun.
Ash, Sabrina, Daisy, and Giselle settled comfortably on the soft sand. Ash had specifically ordered Giselle to take the day off from her maid duties.
"No serving today, Giselle. Just relax and enjoy yourself," he had told her earlier.
Blushing slightly, she had changed into a light, flattering beach dress that hugged her figure nicely. Now she was lying on a towel, sunbathing with the others, looking more at ease than usual.
Ash lay back shirtless, his well-defined eight-pack abs and toned physique clearly visible in the sunlight. Sabrina and Daisy lounged gracefully on either side of him, while Giselle occasionally stole shy glances at the group, slowly getting used to the casual closeness.
Tracey, ever the dedicated Watcher, grabbed his sketchbook and headed inland with a wave. "I'm going to sketch some of the wild Pokémon deeper in the island! Catch you guys later!"
The beach was peaceful, filled with the sound of gentle waves and distant Pokémon cries.
That peaceful moment was interrupted when a young female trainer named Marina walked along the shoreline, casting her fishing rod in hopes of catching more Water-type Pokémon. She was focused on her line until her eyes suddenly landed on Ash and the girls relaxing on the beach.
Marina froze. A deep blush spread across her cheeks as she stared at Ash's impressive, muscular build especially those prominent eight-pack abs shining under the sun.
Her gaze also drifted to the beautiful figures of Misty, Sabrina, Daisy, and Giselle, all looking so carefree and close to him.
In her distracted state, Marina's hook accidentally snagged something in the shallow water near the beach. She felt a tug and excitedly reeled it in.
"Got one!" she cheered, only to realize she had hooked Misty's Psyduck, who had been waddling around absentmindedly near the water's edge.
Marina noticed the Psyduck's tail had a distinct pink color. "Whoa, a Psyduck with a pink tail? That's super rare! It must be wild!"
Thinking it was a new catch, she quickly threw a Poké Ball. "Poké Ball, go!"
The ball bounced harmlessly off Psyduck's head and rolled back to her feet.
"Huh? That's weird…" Marina muttered, confused. She looked toward the beach and realized the Psyduck clearly belonged to the group relaxing there. "Oh! He must be one of yours. Sorry about that!"
She walked over to the group, still sneaking quick glances at Ash's toned body. "Hi everyone! I'm Marina, a Water-type specialist from the Orange Islands. I didn't mean to hook your Psyduck like that."
Misty, Sabrina, Daisy, and even Giselle immediately turned their heads toward Marina with dark, protective looks. Their eyes clearly conveyed a strong warning: One wrong look toward him and you're done.
Marina felt the intense aura instantly and took a respectful step back, raising her hands in surrender. "Whoa, message received! No funny ideas here. He's all yours."
Ash chuckled lightly, trying to ease the tension. "No harm done. I'm Ash, and these are my girlfriends Misty, Sabrina, Daisy, and my maid Giselle."
Marina nodded, still a bit flustered, but then her eyes focused on Psyduck again. "Hey… your Psyduck is actually on the verge of evolution. I can sense the energy building up strongly in him."
Ash and Sabrina exchanged a quick glance. Since they were the ones who had personally trained Psyduck's psychic powers for a long time, they both focused their senses on the yellow Pokémon. After a moment of concentration, they nodded.
"Yeah, you're right," Ash said. "He really is very close."
Misty's face lit up with pure happiness. "Really? That's awesome!"
But then her expression softened into a gentle smile as she looked at her Psyduck. She turned to Ash and the others. "Whether he evolves or not… it's completely his decision. I won't mind at all if he stays as Psyduck forever. He's been with me through so much, and I love him just the way he is."
The group smiled warmly at Misty's heartfelt words. Even Marina looked touched by the sentiment.
To keep things light, Marina suggested a small friendly battle. "How about a quick match to celebrate? I'll use my Goldeen!"
Misty agreed with a grin. "Sure! Psyduck, you're up!"
The battle took place right on the beach. Marina's Goldeen leaped gracefully out of the shallow water, attacking with elegant Water Gun and Horn Attack. However, Misty's Psyduck, empowered by the extensive psychic training from Ash and Sabrina, fought back with surprising strength.
Powerful waves of psychic energy, confusion bursts, and telekinetic pushes overwhelmed Goldeen. Psyduck's attacks were precise and much stronger than expected for his stage.
After a short but intense exchange, Misty emerged victorious. "Great job, Psyduck!"
"Wow, your Psyduck is really impressive!" Marina said as she recalled her Goldeen, smiling sincerely. "Good match!"
Misty returned the smile. "Thanks! He's been working hard."
After the battle ended, the group went right back to relaxing as if nothing had happened. Ash pulled his girls closer again, enjoying the warm sun and peaceful atmosphere.
Sabrina rested her head lightly against his shoulder, Daisy leaned comfortably against his side, and Giselle adjusted her beach dress with a content sigh, slowly embracing the casual vibe.
Out in the deeper water, Shiny Gyarados was calmly munching on large patches of seaweed, staying almost completely still and submerged like a silent guardian acting very much like Drax the Destroyer.
He remained underwater for a long time, barely visible, until Ash finally called out with a laugh, "Gyarados, come on back, buddy!"
The massive red serpent burst out of the water with a dramatic splash, looking satisfied with his seaweed meal, and swam back toward the group.
As the afternoon slowly turned into evening and the sun began to set in beautiful hues of orange and pink, the gang continued their relaxing time on the beach. Laughter, soft conversations, and the sound of waves created the perfect end to a much-needed rest day.
With their bodies and minds refreshed, they would soon be ready to continue their Orange Islands journey once again.