The morning sunlight plated the port of Vermilion City with a layer of gold.
The waves gently lapped against the dock, producing rhythmic splashing sounds.
The massive passenger ship 'S.S. Anne' was moored at the shore, its whistle emitting a low, drawn-out blast, heralding the impending voyage.
"We've had so much fun these past few days, and now it's time to go," Ash said, a touch of wistfulness in his voice.
The days in Vermilion City had indeed been quite thrilling.
There was the Giant Dragonite, the Giant Tentacruel, and even a sighting of Zygarde's Cell.
Legends were supposed to be distant, yet when encountered, they felt so close.
Unfortunately, even close contact with the Zygarde Cell didn't count as a System-recognized God.
This reminded Ash of the time he had glimpsed Ho-Oh from afar.
It seemed his criteria required close contact with the true body.
"Our journey still has to continue... Seriously, how long do I have to stick with you?" Misty grumbled.
Though she said that, Misty had no intention of leaving.
She had already decided to travel with Ash.
As for why, she wanted to see just what kind of performance Ash could deliver.
That's right, she wanted to witness her future with her own eyes.
Misty recalled the words Ash had once said to her, and her face began to redden.
"Probably a full lap around the entire Kanto region?" Brock answered very seriously.
"Since we've already set out on this journey, we might as well accompany Ash to the Indigo League," Brock mused.
Nostalgic as it was, it was time to leave.
Ash, Misty, and Brock stood at the boarding ramp, preparing to bid farewell to this city that had weathered storms and was gradually returning to calm.
"Yo! Kids, planning to slip away already?" A loud, familiar voice came from behind.
The three turned around to see Lt. Surge's signature burly figure striding over, his dazzling golden hair almost blinding in the morning light.
Today, he wasn't wearing his camouflage vest but instead sported a floral shirt printed with a ferocious Raichu pattern, making him look exceptionally casual, even a bit comical.
How to put it?
Lt. Surge usually projected an image that was... well, not exactly serious, but certainly not casual. His current outfit, however, completely clashed with his tough-guy aesthetic, making him look surprisingly comical.
"Lt. Surge!" Ash was a bit surprised; he hadn't expected him to come see them off.
"Just came to send off you troublemaking yet trouble-resolving kids!" He grinned broadly.
He forcefully slapped Ash's shoulder with his usual hearty force. "How about it? Vermilion City was stimulating enough, right?"
"Indeed... unforgettable," Brock nodded with a smile, recalling the heart-pounding experiences of the past few days.
Fortunately, that Giant Tentacruel hadn't immediately unleashed a Surf or something similar.
Otherwise, if a massive tsunami had flooded the entire Vermilion City, that would have been a huge problem.
Lt. Surge could certainly defeat the Giant Tentacruel, but he absolutely couldn't stop a tsunami, because the range was too vast.
In fact, even if Lt. Surge, Professor Cerise, and Professor Bill all teamed up, they still couldn't completely block a tsunami.
Offense and defense were fundamentally different levels of difficulty.
Misty glanced lingeringly toward the distant coastline, a sense of lingering fear in her eyes: "I hope next time we come, everything will be more peaceful."
"Hahaha, don't worry! With me around, nothing will go wrong!" He placed his hands on his hips confidently. "Oh right, let me point you to a good next stop."
He raised his hand and pointed toward the northeast sea surface:
"This time of year, summer's winding down, which is exactly when Maiden Gorge is at its liveliest."
"Their port is about to hold a large-scale temple festival, lasting several days. Rumor has it the scale is pretty big—worth checking out."
"If I weren't stuck here unable to leave, I'd go have some fun too," Lt. Surge said with a sigh, offering travel advice.
"Temple festival?" Her eyes lit up instantly.
She had no resistance to such lively events.
"That's right—food, drinks, games, goldfish scooping, mask buying, floating lanterns, you name it," Lt. Surge paused, a playful smile creeping onto his face.
"Perfect for you lovebirds."
With Lt. Surge's discerning eye, he could naturally tell Misty's attitude toward Ash was a bit unusual.
But he had no interest in meddling, merely sighing that this was youth.
"What Maiden Gorge is really famous for isn't the festival itself."
He lowered his voice slightly, putting on a mysterious air: "There's a two-thousand-year-old legend of a maiden there."
"They say that during the festival, the ghost of an ancient maiden waiting for her lover's return appears near the port... well, though it's hyped up quite mysteriously."
He waved his hand, reverting to his usual boisterous tone: "But actually, nothing to fear."
"In our circles, we all know that place is haunted by an 'old buddy'—a Ghost-type Totem Pokémon."
"Probably bored after so many years, it loves joining the festival fun during this time, disguising itself as an ancient maiden to mess with passersby."
"Can a Ghost-type Totem turn into a human?" Ash immediately reacted, his knowledge and original memories aligning instantly.
"Smart!" He snapped his fingers approvingly. "It's a Gastly that's become a spirit, pulling pranks with a bunch of Haunter and Gengar."
"That guy's temper is top-tier among Totems—just has a little mischievous hobby, likes using illusions to tease passersby, testing their courage or thoughts or whatever."
"If you pass by, go play along with it—like checking in, experiencing the local flavor, haha!"
He slapped Ash's back hard again: "Who knows, a bold kid like you might catch its eye and get some benefits."
"Pika pika!" Pikachu excitedly chirped twice.
'Contact with a friendly Pokémon Totem? What a great deal!'
"Thank you, Lt. Surge. We'll definitely go check it out," Ash thanked him sincerely.
Though it was part of the journey anyway, his intel was crucial.
"Alright, the ship's about to depart—get on board!" He waved his hand.
"Safe travels!"
"Have fun at Maiden Gorge!"
"If that old Gastly messes with you, say Lt. Surge from Vermilion City sent you."
"Haha, no idea if it'll work!"
He didn't think his face guaranteed anything.
'But better than nothing, right?'
Anyway, it didn't matter.
That Totem Gastly inevitably appeared at Maiden Gorge during the summer festival every year, and even wandered around otherwise.
In short, it had a very familiar relationship with the League—generally no issues.
"Oh right, Lt. Surge." Ash suddenly paused at the last moment before boarding.
"What's up?" He was also taken aback.
"You looked really cool that day. If you added a cape, it'd be even more strongman style," Ash recalled the strongman aesthetic of a vest paired with a flowing cape.
It really suited his tough-guy aesthetic.
"Huh?" He pictured it in his mind.
Him standing on the Magnezone, with a cape billowing behind... yeah, that would look cooler.
Thinking carefully.
He realized Lance also liked dramatically flourishing his cape.
And speaking of capes, he thought of someone else.
Galar's Leon also liked capes.
But thinking of Leon's sponsor-logo-covered capes, he suddenly shivered.
'Nah, pass on that.'
'...No way... absolutely not.'
As a Gym Leader, no need to hustle like that for money.
'Maybe I should give Lance a call? Ask where he gets his capes?' he pondered.
'Compared to Leon, Lance is cooler for sure.'
"Interesting kids." He chuckled lightly, watching the three departing backs.
Having bid farewell to the enthusiastic and boisterous Lt. Surge, Ash and the others had boarded the 'S.S. Anne'.
Unlike the original story, the ship didn't sink this time.
Truly something to celebrate.
Oh, and Giovanni's mechanical paradise here didn't get wrecked by Team Rocket's trio like in the original either.
The whistle blared long again, and the massive ship slowly departed the dock, heading toward the blue horizon.
Standing by the deck railing, watching Vermilion City's silhouette gradually recede, the three all felt a sense of wistfulness.
"Didn't expect so much to happen in Vermilion City this time," Brock said, gazing at the sea.
"Yeah, Giant Tentacruel, Zygarde... and battles like Lt. Surge's."
Ash's tone was filled with longing. "So this is Gym Leader-level strength... when it's truly unleashed."
"But it had a good ending at least," Misty said happily, holding her Horsea. "That jellyfish theme park idea was really great, Ash!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu nodded in agreement.
The sea breeze brushed their faces, bringing a salty, fresh scent.
The ship cleaved through white waves, with seagulls circling and calling astern.
"Maiden Gorge's temple festival..." Misty was already looking forward to it. "Sounds fun! And that two-thousand-year maiden legend..."
"Essentially a playful Totem Gastly," Ash added with a smile. "But yeah, definitely worth checking out."
"Mm, a Totem-level Ghost-type Pokémon coexisting peacefully with humans, even becoming part of local legend—that alone has research value," Brock said, pulling out his notebook.
"I remember Dad mentioning something..."
"It'll be interesting there, and pretty safe."
"Let's split up and explore then!"
"Heh heh heh," Brock chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eye as a playful thought crossed his mind.
"What are you giggling about? Spill it!" Misty sensed something off.
"Not telling," Brock was uncharacteristically playful.
"Then let's all have fun!" Ash said. "My Vermilion City Pokémon Club membership gets 50% off everywhere!"
"Speaking of which... I'm starting to suspect you're Lt. Surge's secret son?" Misty's gaze turned suspicious. "He even gave you 10% shares in the hotel?"
"Alright, alright, it's no big deal," Brock said.
Gym Leaders acted on mood, and they really weren't short on cash.
____
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