After parting ways with Tad, following their intense battle at sea, Ash and his group rode Lapras to Ascorbia Island, a place famous for its delicious honey and fruit.
A faint sweetness filled the air above the island, and the brightly colored houses were neatly arranged, giving the place a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
However, the moment they stepped onto the dock, they heard urgent alarm bells ringing in the distance, along with panicked shouts.
"Fire! Hurry, put it out!"
Following the sound, they saw a wooden house at the edge of town engulfed in thick smoke. Orange flames burst from the windows and roof, the fire clearly spreading rapidly.
"This is bad!" Ash's expression changed. "Wartortle, I choose you! Use Water Gun!"
"Staryu, let's help too!" Misty immediately sent out her Pokémon.
Wartortle and Staryu rushed toward the burning building, spraying streams of water from different directions in an attempt to suppress the flames.
The clear streams hit the fire with sizzling sounds, sending up clouds of white steam.
However, the blaze was far larger than expected. The wooden structure burned quickly, and although their Water Guns slowed it slightly, they could not effectively contain the spreading flames.
"It's no good! The fire's too big!" Misty said anxiously as it continued to grow.
Ash frowned, his Aura allowing him to clearly sense the violent energy within the flames.
At that critical moment, a louder, more rhythmic siren sounded in the distance, rapidly approaching.
A red fire truck came speeding in, its lights flashing brightly.
Even more surprising, several Wartortle leapt nimbly from the truck. They wore small red firefighter helmets, their expressions focused and steady as they moved in perfect coordination to connect hoses.
"It's the Wartortle Fire Brigade!" someone in the crowd exclaimed excitedly.
Leading them was a particularly strong Wartortle with sharp eyes, clearly the captain. It raised its forelimb calmly. "Wartortle! (Positions!)"
The others immediately sprang into action. Some stabilized the water supply, others operated the hoses. Their roles were clearly defined, their coordination flawless. Several powerful, concentrated streams of water shot precisely at the most intense parts of the fire, far more effective than Ash and Misty's Pokémon working alone.
At the same time, two Wartortle dashed into the burning building despite the danger, covered by the water streams. Soon, they emerged, supporting an elderly woman who had been choking on smoke.
"Is anyone else still inside?" a firefighter called out loudly.
"N no… thank you!" the old woman replied, still shaken.
Under the professional and efficient efforts of the Wartortle Fire Brigade, the fire was quickly brought under control and eventually extinguished, leaving only a charred, smoking framework behind.
Ash and Misty recalled their Wartortle and Staryu. Ash's Wartortle watched the helmet wearing brigade as they withdrew in an orderly manner, especially the commanding Wartortle captain. Its eyes showed clear dissatisfaction. It felt that it had worked just as hard, yet its results were far inferior.
"Wartortle! Wartortle!" it called out toward them, seemingly expressing both frustration and a challenge.
The Wartortle captain glanced back at it, its gaze calm. It simply gave a slight nod, as if saying, "You still have a long way to go," before turning and leaving with its team.
"It's alright, Wartortle. They're professionals, after all." Ash patted his Wartortle reassuringly, though he understood its feelings.
At that moment, Ash's Aura once again detected those three familiar, sneaky energy signatures hiding in the shadows of a nearby alley. A faint smirk appeared on his lips. As expected.
He quietly said to Misty and Tracey, "Team Rocket's here. Looks like they're after the fire brigade's Wartortle and the other Pokémon. Let's do this…"
Ash quickly laid out a plan. Tracey had his Venonat secretly release a small amount of Sleep Powder at the entrance of the alley where Team Rocket was hiding. Meanwhile, Misty had her Goldeen wait in a small puddle at the end of the alley.
Sure enough, just as the Wartortle Fire Brigade finished packing up and prepared to leave, the Team Rocket trio jumped out from the alley, targeting the high pressure water cannon on the fire truck!
"""Prepare for trouble!
And make it double!
To protect the world from devastation!
To unite all peoples within our nation!
To denounce the evils of truth and love!
To extend our reach to the stars above!
Jessie!
James!
Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!
Surrender now, or prepare to fight!
Meowth! That's right!"""
"Hahaha! This high pressure water cannon and those Wartortle now belong to Team Rocket!" Jessie laughed proudly as she reached out to grab the cannon.
However, they had barely taken two steps before inhaling the small amount of Sleep Powder released by Venonat. It was not enough to make them fall asleep immediately, but their movements clearly slowed, and their heads began to feel dizzy.
"What's going on? I feel so lightheaded…"
"It's that twerp's doing, meow!"
At the same time, Goldeen from the puddle at the end of the alley suddenly fired a Water Gun. Though not very powerful, it struck precisely at the ground beneath their feet, splashing muddy water everywhere and causing the already unsteady trio to slip.
Thud!
"We slipped, meow!"
The three of them tumbled into a heap, covered in mud and looking utterly miserable.
Before they could even get back up, Pikachu, acting on Ash's signal, unleashed a perfectly timed Thunderbolt!
"Pika... CHU!"
Golden electricity surged through the muddy water, amplifying its effect even further!
"Waaahhh!!"
"Why does this always happen?!"
"What a horrible feeling!!!"
Amid even more pitiful screams, the Team Rocket trio turned into streaks of mud and lightning, blasting off into the distance. Their attempted theft was completely foiled before it even began.
"Done." Ash clapped his hands lightly.
The surrounding townspeople and firefighters stared in stunned silence for a moment, then burst into laughter and applause.
The captain of the Wartortle Fire Brigade glanced at Ash, a hint of approval flashing in its eyes.
However, the calm did not last long. From the other side of town, another sharp fire alarm rang out.
This time, it was a honey processing factory that had caught fire due to overheating equipment, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.
"Wartortle Fire Brigade, move out!" the captain immediately gave the order.
"We'll help too!" Ash said to his Wartortle. "Watch carefully this time, learn well, and let's work together!"
"Wartortle!" Ash's Wartortle nodded firmly, its eyes filled with determination.
The fire truck roared toward the new blaze, and Ash, Misty, and Tracey followed closely behind.
The fire at the honey factory was just as severe, with large amounts of flammable honey and packaging materials inside, making the situation extremely dangerous. The Wartortle Fire Brigade once again acted with precision, their high pressure water streams targeting the most intense flames.
This time, Ash's Wartortle did not spray water blindly. It carefully observed the brigade, learning how they chose their angles and coordinated their efforts.
Then, spotting a weaker flank of the fire, it followed Ash's command and used Water Pulse.
The rotating stream of water not only struck the flames but also disrupted the airflow within the fire, assisting the main suppression effort.
The brigade's captain noticed its actions, a flicker of surprise in its eyes. It then called out to Wartortle, as if acknowledging and directing it to coordinate.
One was an experienced professional firefighter, the other a determined partner of a trainer. In that moment, they formed a tacit understanding.
Their Water Guns and Water Pulse worked together, effectively controlling a section of the blaze and creating better opportunities for the others.
In the end, through the combined efforts of the Wartortle Fire Brigade and Ash's Wartortle, the fire at the factory was successfully extinguished, saving most of the property.
The captain of the brigade approached Ash's Wartortle and extended its forelimb.
"Wartortle!" (Well done!)
"Wartortle!" (You too!)
The two Wartortle clasped forelimbs, their earlier rivalry now transformed into mutual respect.
Watching his partner stand proudly beside the brigade, head held high, Ash smiled with satisfaction.
This was not just a firefighting effort, but a valuable lesson in growth.
Under the setting sun, Ascorbia Island returned to its calm, the air carrying a faint scent of char mixed with the sweetness of honey.
The figures of the Wartortle Fire Brigade looked especially impressive in the sunset, and Ash's Wartortle, standing among them, had clearly grown.
The next chapter will focus on Snorlax, and tomorrow, it will be time to challenge the final Gym.
...
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