Chapter 66

[After staying in the forest for three days, Ivysaur successfully absorbed all the energy in the Miracle Seed, and the closed flower bud slowly opened, blooming into a gorgeous flower.]

[Just after finishing with Venusaur in Viridian Forest, Ash was called by Officer Jenny, whom he had met during his travels, to the town where he caught Squirtle.]

["It's really giving me a headache; people keep abandoning their Squirtle in our village recently."]

["Now there are already four Squirtle living in the village." Officer Jenny's head was about to explode.]

[Perhaps because they were abandoned by their Trainers, these Squirtle had very irritable tempers and were always playing pranks on the street. The villagers in the village were simple people who didn't want to hurt them, but they couldn't just let them be.]

["Then, Officer Jenny, what do you need us to do by calling us here?" Ash asked directly.]

[Officer Jenny scratched her head a bit embarrassedly and said: "I want to gather these children to form a firefighting team; that way, they will have work to do and won't have to wander outside. It's just..."]

[The Squirtle Squad had all been hurt by humans and were wary of them, so Officer Jenny called Ash here hoping that Ash's Squirtle could help persuade them.]

[They were all Pokémon abandoned by humans, so perhaps they would have a common language.]

["No problem." Ash agreed immediately. This was a win-win situation; it could solve the villagers' trouble and give the Squirtle a new home. How could Ash refuse such a good thing?]

["However, Officer Jenny, my Squirtle is no longer a Squirtle; it has already evolved into Blastoise."]

[Things went even more smoothly than Officer Jenny had expected. With the big brother Blastoise personally vouching for them, the Squirtle all agreed to join the firefighting team founded by Officer Jenny.]

[This is Pokémon; even after being hurt by humans, they are still willing to trust humans again.]

[With the troublesome matters handled, on the way back to Pallet Town, Ash encountered a Delibird. After the Delibird handed a letter to Ash, it left.]

["A letter?"]

[Ding!]

[Entering the prize quiz segment!]

Just at this moment, the familiar mechanical prompt sound appeared, and a question appeared on the big screen again.

[Question: Who sent this letter to Ash?]

[A: Mom Delia, the letter was to urge Ash to hurry home.]

[B: Professor Oak, the letter was to have Ash go to the laboratory; he has urgent matters to discuss with Ash.]

[C: Bill, the letter was to tell Ash that his research on giant Pokémon was successful.]

[D: Serena, the letter was written to express the longing in her heart.]

[E: Mewtwo.]

[F: Giovanni.]

——

Wallace: "Finally, finally, it's time for me to get out of prison!!!"

Having experienced so many storms, he, Wallace, would soon be able to dominate the scene once again.

Steven: "Don't get locked up again next round!"

Grimsley: "Steven, what nonsense are you talking about? To be locked up again, it would at least have to wait until the round after next."

Steven: "Right, locked up in the round after next."

Wallace: "Heh."

Wallace gave a cold laugh.

Impossible, the same thing could not happen to him twice.

From now on, he would be cautious, cautious, and even more cautious when answering questions; he must not be impulsive. He didn't want to go back to prison.]

Gary: "I choose A. Ash has been out for so long; Aunt Delia must miss him, so she sent a letter urging him to hurry home."]

Diantha: "D, believe me, this time it must be a letter from Serena."]

Malva: "Still Serena? Last time I was tricked pretty badly by Serena; this time I won't choose Serena. I choose C, it's a letter from Bill."]

Drayden: "B, Professor Oak, no explanation needed. Just follow my lead, big brother will take you to eat meat."]

Aaron: "Drayden chose B, so B must be wrong. I'll choose D too!"]

Lt. Surge: "What on earth are you guys doing? This is obviously a letter from Mewtwo; Mewtwo is inviting Ash to New Island! E, E, E, important things said three times."]

Lucian: "Who knows, maybe it's just a smokescreen from the viewing system, wanting to mislead us. Anyway, I'm not choosing Mewtwo."]

In the shadows of a Kanto town.

Jessie: "Meowth, James, have you noticed that this Delibird looks very familiar?"]

James: "It does look familiar; I always feel like I've seen it somewhere."]

Meowth: "Idiots, that's the Delibird our Team Rocket uses specifically for delivering mail."]

Jessie, James: "So that's it!"]

The answer to this question is very likely F.

The letter was sent by their boss, Giovanni.

But what does Boss Giovanni want with the brat? Does he want to recruit the brat into Team Rocket too?]

Forget it, don't worry about it for now; let's choose F first.]

Back to the chat room.

Giovanni: "Choose F, the correct answer to this question is F; I wrote the letter."]

Lance: "Yo-ho, Giovanni, playing the misleading game now? Do we look like fools to you?"]

Shiba: "Right, right, do we look like fools to you?"]

Giovanni: "Believe it or not, you'll miss the boat if you don't. Anyway, I chose F."]

Lance: "Heh, acting quite convincingly, but unfortunately, I won't be fooled. I choose E: Mewtwo."]

Cynthia: "Time is almost up, I'll choose C to make up the numbers."]

[Answering countdown...]

[3]

[2]

[1]

——

As the answering countdown ended, the black-bordered video continued to play.

["Inviting me to New Island?"]

["There isn't even a signature; what a sneaky guy."]

[Ash usually ignores such brainless letters; he doesn't have that much time to waste. A round trip to New Island would take at least 10 days; he might as well go home and have a good rest.]

["Mew." Go to New Island!]

[But who knew that at this moment, Mew would jump out; it wanted to go to New Island.]

["Ah?" Although a bit puzzled, Ash didn't ask much. Since Mew wanted to go, they would accompany Mew on a trip. Anyway, it was only ten days for a round trip; well, it wasn't too far.]

Gary: "Didn't you just complain that a ten-day round trip was a waste of time? How come you're saying it's not far now?"]

Lorelei: "Just to know who wrote the letter, spending ten days is indeed a waste, but if a partner wants to go, then ten days is nothing."]

Phoebe: "Bingo. That's how I understand it too."]

Lance: "Good thing I wasn't fooled. All signs indicate that the correct answer this time is E: Mewtwo."]

Lt. Surge: "Hahahaha, Lance, we're about to take off!!!"

[Crossing the last small hill, they would reach the port closest to New Island. By taking a boat from the pier at the port, they would be able to arrive at New Island.]

[Getting closer and closer to the destination, Ash couldn't be happy at all. He had already sensed that something was wrong.]

[Marching all the way, the closer they got to New Island, the more uneasy Ash felt in his heart. If it weren't for Mew's firm desire to go to New Island, Ash would have turned around and left long ago.]

[His sixth sense told him that a storm was waiting for him on New Island.]

[With the hill as the dividing line, there was heavy rain on the left and sunshine on the right. This unusual scene made Misty and Brock realize that something was wrong too.]

["Don't worry, Misty, Brock, with me here, there won't be any problems." Ash comforted them.]

[The reason he didn't let Brock and Misty stay here even though he knew the road ahead was dangerous, and instead went to New Island alone, was because he knew the two of them would definitely not agree.]

["We have a secret weapon." Ash said with a smile.]

[Ash's smile calmed Misty and Brock's nervous moods.]

["Right, we have a secret weapon, there's no need to be nervous at all. Let's get things done quickly; I still want to go to Pallet Town and taste Aunt Delia's cooking." Misty stuck out her tongue and said cutely.]

[Brock smiled knowingly. In his view, Misty wanting to taste the food was fake; wanting to build a good relationship with her mother-in-law in advance was the truth.]

[On the eighth day after receiving the letter brought by the Delibird, Ash and his group successfully arrived at the port.]

[Upon arriving at the port, Ash realized that it was impossible for them to take a boat to New Island. Not only was the weather too severe, but the port was also empty, as if it were a dead city.]

[Only the seagulls on the pier kept crying out.]

[Without a boat, there was only one way for them to land on the island.]