Pokemon: Skybound

----

"Lugia!?"

Hearing that name, Ash and the others were stunned. They rushed to the edge of the boat, scanning the frozen ocean for any sign of the Legendary Pokémon.

But no matter how hard they looked, There was nothing.

Ash turned back to Melody, still sceptical. "Are you sure? Maybe you just imagined it?"

Melody shook her head firmly.

"It has to be Lugia!" she insisted. "Lugia is the Guardian of the Sea. According to the prophecy, when the world is in chaos, it will rise to restore balance! Besides... who else could summon such a powerful water spout?"

"...That makes sense."

The towering waterspout carried their boat at incredible speed, covering miles in mere minutes.

Under normal conditions, the journey back to Shamouti Island would take at least fifteen minutes But with the mysterious force guiding them, they arrived in just three.

As they approached the island's southern cliffs, the waterspout lurched forward And threw the boat onto the shore near an ancient shrine.

BOOM!

The boat skidded across the icy ground, sending snow flying in all directions. Everyone was thrown off balance, landing hard on the frozen surface.

Kai groaned, rubbing his lower back. "Ugh... I don't even know how many times we've crashed today. My bones feel like they're about to shatter."

Just as they were about to celebrate their survival—

CREEEAK...

The boat lurched backwards.

Something was wrong.

Gravity took over, The entire boat tipped over and plummeted into the abyss.

"JUMP!!"

Everyone leapt off just as the boat plummeted into the abyss.

CRASH!!

The once sturdy vessel was reduced to splinters against the jagged rocks below.

Ash collapsed onto the snow, breathing heavily. "...That was way too close."

As they caught their breath, Ash looked up and locked eyes with an unfamiliar pink Pokémon standing atop the shrine.

It had a large shellder attached to its head like a crown, and its eyes were filled with wisdom and curiosity.

"...What is that?"

Without hesitation, Ash pulled out his Pokédex.

Pokédex: "Slowking. The Royal Pokémon. A Water and Psychic-type evolution of Slowpoke when exposed to the King's Rock. It is highly intelligent, constantly pondering the mysteries of the world. However, if the Shellder on its head is removed, it forgets everything it has learned."

"Slowking!?"

They had all seen Slowpoke and Slowbro before, but this was their first time encountering a wild Slowking.

And more importantly, Why was it standing there so calmly?

Most wild Pokémon would avoid humans, especially in such a dangerous situation.

Yet, this one was standing completely still, watching them silently.

"Place the treasures on the altar."

A Talking Pokémon!?

Silence.

Tracey pointed at Slowking, eyes wide.

"...Did that Slowking just talk!?"

They had met talking Pokémon before like Team Rocket's Meowth and Kai's Haunter.

But those were rare exceptions.

Hearing another Pokémon speak so fluently was still a shock.

Melody blinked in surprise. "I heard stories from my sister about a mystical Slowking living on Shamouti Island, but... I've never actually seen it before."

Slowking remained calm, repeating its command. "Place the treasures on the altar."

Ash, still a little dazed, quickly nodded.

"Ah—Right!"

He stepped forward, pulling out the Fire Treasure and Lightning Treasure And gently placed them in the stone altar's recess.

Slowking leaned in to inspect the offering

Then shook its head.

"Only two? That won't do. The ceremony requires all three treasures."

While they spoke, Kai took the chance to survey the area.

The shrine was positioned at the northernmost point of the island, opposite the main town. Made entirely of stone, it had likely stood for centuries, weathering storms and time.

Nearby, hibiscus flowers peeked through the snow, A rare splash of colour in the otherwise white wasteland.

Lost in thought, Kai turned to Sabrina And caught her staring at Slowking.

"You interested in it?" he asked.

Sabrina gave a slight nod. "Hm. A rare psychic type."

Kai immediately understood what she meant. "Thinking about catching it?"

She remained silent, but the glint in her eyes gave her away.

Kai was about to suggest waiting until the crisis was over before challenging Slowking But before he could say anything, the Royal Pokémon turned around.

It stared directly at them.

Their eyes met.

Slowking blinked

And suddenly felt a deep sense of unease.

The way Kai and Sabrina were looking at it...

It felt like prey.

'Something is wrong here' For the first time in its long, peaceful life, Slowking felt an instinctual urge to run.

Kai cleared his throat and quickly looked away. "Let's… deal with the crisis first."

He grabbed Sabrina's wrist and steered her in the other direction.

Slowking watched them go, still feeling a lingering sense of danger.

As they regrouped, Kai finally noticed "Wait a second where's Team Rocket?"

He glanced around, but Jessie, James, and Meowth were nowhere to be seen.

Tracey scratched his head.

"Huh... Did they escape again?"

"Obviously," Kai muttered. "They always run at the first opportunity."

Those guys had survival instincts like no other.

Just then—

A massive shadow loomed over them.

Looking up, their expressions darkened.

The battle between Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno had escalated.

Their attacks blazed through the sky, inching closer and closer to the island.

Melody clenched her fists. "If they come any closer... the people in town will be in danger!"

But before they could react—

WHOOOSH!

A familiar water spout erupted from the frozen sea. Rising like a towering wall, it forced the three Legendary Birds to retreat! And as the water dispersed A massive, white figure emerged from the stormy skies.

The creature's wings stretched wide, its silver body radiating power.

Then—

A deep, haunting melody filled the air.

"OOOOOOOOH..."

Everyone froze.

Kai exhaled softly, "...So you're finally here."

Hovering above them, its piercing blue eyes filled with wisdom Lugia had arrived.

----

Don't forget to drop some Power Stones!

For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon.

P@treon/iamxeno

Thank you so much for your support and for reading!