On the surface of the sea, Ash and Brock, who had gotten out before Natsui, had already found some planks from the ship and tied them together to improvise a raft.
Seeing Natsui and the others emerge, they hurried to help them out of the water.
"We're finally saved!"
James lay face-up on the raft, completely soaked, looking at the blue sky and white clouds, feeling as if he had gone to the afterlife and back.
Natsui also took off his swimming goggles, untied the rope, released Meowth, and returned Magikarp to its Poké Ball.
Under the warm sun, the sea was calm. Debris from the S.S. Anne floated everywhere, and aside from them, not another soul was in sight.
Brock, with his squinted eyes, scanned the horizon and said with disappointment, "It seems everyone who escaped on the lifeboats has already left this area."
"So what do we do now?" Ash asked, but as he spoke, he noticed Misty was kneeling with her back to everyone, a blush on her cheeks.
"That's weird, Misty, what's wrong?"
Misty quickly stood up and shook her head.
"It's nothing, I just swallowed some water earlier and don't feel very well."
She tried to force herself to calm down, but her gaze couldn't help but drift between the respirator in Natsui's hand and the corner of his lips, and in an instant, her face turned even redder.
She approached Natsui and, changing her usual lively and haughty attitude, she whispered, "Thank you so much for before."
Natsui, of course, understood what she was referring to.
But at that moment the situation was urgent, he couldn't worry about other things; the priority, of course, was to save her.
"You don't have to worry about that." Natsui coughed lightly, feeling like he was trying to awkwardly cover it up, so he said no more and turned to Ash. "Ash, send out your Pidgeotto, have it fly around and see if there are any ships or an island nearby."
Ash released Pidgeotto and gave it the command. It first circled twice above their heads, as if it had found a direction, and then flapped its wings and flew off into the distance.
Not long after, when Pidgeotto returned, it seemed to have discovered something. It landed on Ash's shoulder and kept gesturing with its wing.
As the only Pokémon who could speak human language, Meowth acted as the translator.
"It says there's a port town not far from here!"
Hearing the word "port," everyone's spirits lifted, and they ordered the Water-type Pokémon to swim towards the town…
...
Maiden's Peak, a small port town located between Vermilion City and Saffron City.
Although the place was small, the town was very prosperous. Not only did it have a large population, but by possessing a good natural harbor and being on a major route, many ships passed through every day, making it very lively.
Upon paddling into the harbor, as soon as Natsui and the others set foot on the fine sand of the beach, the Team Rocket trio instantly regained their vigor.
They appeared out of nowhere with two roses in hand and stood back-to-back.
Gently sniffing the fragrance of one rose, Jessie let out a huff, "Since we've arrived, it's time to say goodbye!"
"Correct!" James said with a gallant air, holding the other rose in his mouth. "Although we're grateful you saved us, the next time we meet, we won't show any mercy!"
"That's right, meow~!"
With that said, amidst outrageous laughter, they turned and ran towards a huge rock by the sea, and disappeared.
"I can't stand them!" Misty sighed. "But right now I don't have the energy to worry about them. Being all wet is horrible. I'd love to take a nice hot bath and then sleep soundly!"
Actually, it wasn't just Misty; even Natsui, after the whole ordeal, was completely exhausted.
"Then let's hurry up and go to the Pokémon Center to rest."
Natsui adjusted his backpack and, just as he was about to move forward, he felt a strange sensation. He turned his head towards a small pier in the distance and saw a woman in a white dress with long, lavender-colored hair, standing quietly.
The breeze blew, lifting a lock of her beautiful hair and revealing her exquisite and beautiful profile.
But for some reason, a faint sadness persistently enveloped her.
To the side, Brock also seemed to see the woman. His eyes turned into hearts and he couldn't help but let out an exclamation.
"What a beautiful woman!"
Hearing him, Ash and Misty looked into the distance, but they saw nothing.
"What are you looking at?" Misty asked curiously. "There's nothing there!"
Natsui blinked, and in just an instant, the woman's figure had vanished!
They continued on their way, and when they reached the Pokémon Center and checked in, Natsui learned from Nurse Joy exactly where they were.
Maiden's Peak?
The spirit of the beautiful maiden and Gastly…
Remembering the related anime plot, Natsui couldn't help but smile. It turned out they had arrived here without realizing it.
"By the way," Nurse Joy said with a smile, "you've arrived at just the right time. Right now, the town is holding its summer festival. Not only is there a big parade and a bonfire party, but also many food stalls. If you get the chance, don't miss it~."
For such an activity, Misty, being a girl, and Ash, with his youthful spirit, were naturally very excited. But since everyone's energy had reached its limit, they agreed on a time to meet and each went to their own room to rest.
In reality, as public buildings where lodging and food are free, the accommodation conditions in Pokémon Centers always vary by region.
As in Maiden's Peak, where they were now, since it wasn't a large town, the Pokémon Center wasn't very large either. The boys' dormitory, for example, was nothing more than a small, clean room with two bunk beds.
However, for Natsui, the white sheets at that moment seemed to have a powerful magic, making him want to throw himself directly onto them.
But despite this, he fought off his sleepiness, took a quick shower, put his clothes in the dryer, and only then did he collapse onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep.
The sun was setting; he slept until dusk before sitting up in bed with his eyes still drowsy.
Seeing that Ash and Brock were still fast asleep, he woke them up and then went to knock on Misty's door. Once reunited, they left the Pokémon Center together.
At that moment, the entire town was completely enveloped in the festive atmosphere of the festival.
Crowds of people in festive attire followed the floats parading through the town, and amidst the laughter and joy, the spirits of everyone, whether residents or travelers like Natsui, were infected with happiness.