Thud...
After landing, the ship slid forward another few dozen meters before slowly coming to a stop at the edge of the volcano's crater.
When the violent shaking stopped, even with psychic protection, everyone was still left dizzy and disoriented.
Helping Sabrina up from the ground, Natsui rubbed his temples and turned to the others. "Is everyone okay?"
"I'm fine!" Misty was the first to respond.
"I'm fine too!" Melody added.
Finally, seeing that Ash, Tracey, and the Team Rocket members were also unharmed, Natsui pointed to the hole in the hull and urged, "After a fall from that height, there's no telling if this ship will explode. In any case, we should get out of here quickly!"
Hearing him say this, before anyone else could move, the Team Rocket trio had already demonstrated their specialty. As if their feet were greased, they were the first to run out.
And as they ran, Jessie and James even turned back to make a face at them.
Nyah nyah nyah~
Hmph, our Pokémon may not be as strong as yours, but when it comes to running away, we're professionals!
These guys...
Seeing them already so far away and still acting so childish, Natsui found it amusing but didn't say anything. He and Ash's group followed close behind, also leaving the ship.
Only after escaping through the ragged opening did they realize how astonishingly large the ship was!
The hull, covered in propellers and wind turbine blades, was over five hundred meters in diameter!
In the face of such a behemoth, humans were as small as ants. And for that very reason, if the ship were to explode, the danger to them would be devastating!
They sprinted along the length of the hull, and after running for several minutes, they finally set foot on solid ground again.
By now, everyone was panting from exhaustion, except for Sabrina, who had used her psychic powers to fly there and was not even out of breath, her expression unchanged.
Just then, a cold wind mixed with snowflakes blew over the group.
Everyone shivered. Melody looked around and was surprised to find that Lightning Island, which was supposed to be lush and green, had somehow turned into a world of ice and snow!
Whether it was under their feet, on the surrounding trees and rocks, or on the neighboring Ice and Fire Islands, and even the entire sea, including the distant Shamouti Island, everything was sealed in hard ice!
For a hundred miles, it seemed to be a world of white, like a sign before the end of the world.
"...how did it get like this?"
"No need to wonder. Just like the god of thunder did before, the god of ice must have sensed that the other two Pokémon were gone and used its power to try and turn all four islands, including Shamouti, into its territory."
Natsui let out a puff of hot air. Seeing them still standing there in a daze, he added, "Alright, let's not stop. It's not safe here yet. We should keep moving forward."
However, as if his words were a command, the ship indeed began to slide further down, and at the same time, some of its external equipment began to fall off, plummeting from the sky!
BOOM!
Countless fragments crashed around them, sending up showers of ice shards. The group could only cover their heads and continue to flee. But they hadn't gone more than a few steps when a massive fan blade landed on the nearby shrine. With a loud 'rumble,' the stone shrine collapsed, and a yellow, glowing orb happened to bounce and land right in front of Ash.
"It's the treasure of Lightning Island!" Melody recognized it at a glance.
This orb, apart from its different color, was similar to the one from Fire Island. But instead of flames, its interior held what looked like a flowing golden light!
Just as Ash was about to pick up the treasure, a bolt of lightning flashed before his eyes, shattering the ice in front of him and knocking the orb away!
It turned out that after dealing with the ship, the god of fire and the god of thunder had resumed their entangled battle, and the god of ice, having come from who knows where, had also joined the fray.
Instantly, the three Pokémon were attacking each other in the sky, none willing to back down, unleashing their moves while also indiscriminately destroying the island!
Seeing the orb rolling further and further away, Ash had no time to think. He lunged forward and caught the orb in his hands. This was the second festival orb they had obtained.
"Look over there!"
Misty pointed into the distance. It was their sailboat from before. It had also fallen from the ship and had landed right in a lake on the island.
And most importantly, after all that turmoil, the sailboat still looked intact!
"Great!"
The Team Rocket trio, as if grabbing a lifeline, dove directly into the cabin. Natsui and the others also realized this was their best option to leave the island and followed close behind, jumping onto the boat.
A huge fireball suddenly crashed into the water's surface, and the resulting splash soaked everyone.
Wiping the water from his face, before he could even sit down properly, Misty said impatiently, "Melody, hurry up and start the boat!"
"I know, I know!!"
Melody's expression was serious, her movements clean, swift, and smooth. The next second, as the engine started, the sailboat immediately turned and headed towards the sea.
However, to their surprise, at the mouth of the lake, the previously clear path had been frozen solid by a passing Articuno's Ice Beam!
"Oh no, we're going to crash!"
Melody cried out in alarm. And just as Natsui was about to have Haunter use a move to destroy the ice, Zapdos suddenly flew over their heads. A dazzling bolt of lightning erupted from its body, not only shattering the ice but also destroying a large part of the original exit to the sea!
Instantly, the lake water, carrying shards of ice, rushed towards the sea as if a dam had broken. Their sailboat was carried uncontrollably with the current, shooting out from Lightning Island and being thrown into the air by the inertia!
"Waaah!!!"
The piercing screams of Misty and Melody filled the air. Influenced by them, for a moment, Natsui's heart also leaped into his throat. But just as the sailboat began to fall, a massive waterspout suddenly broke through the ice on the sea's surface, shooting up dozens of meters from the ocean and accurately catching the sail!
Huh!?
Everyone was stunned, their faces a picture of astonishment, not understanding why this waterspout had suddenly appeared and why it had saved them.
Seeing the waterspout carrying them directly towards Shamouti Island, Natsui was the first to react. He went to the side of the boat and peered down into the sea, but apart from the thick ice, he couldn't see anything.
At the same time, everyone seemed to hear a deep and sound.
...Ooooooh...
The sound was somewhat similar to a whale's, but much more prolonged.
And listening to this lonely sound, Melody's eyes widened.
"This voice... could it be that Lugia has appeared!?"
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