Interlude: Shamouti Island

Shamouti Island, located at the very center of the Orange Archipelago, has a very long history. According to Professor Oak, ancient writings from many different cultures named the area around this region as the source of all the waters of the world.

The local residents of this Island still retained their old traditions despite the relatively modern lifestyle. Though, some attributed the preservation effort due to the resulting tourism.

Various festivals took place each year, the most famous of which was the Legend Festival.

Each year, a person was selected from the crowd to play the part of the Chosen One, surrounding isles to retrieve the three treasures there.

A large shrine was present on the southern cliffs of Shamouti, where the "Chosen One" was supposed to place the three treasures. Stone structures were set up around the altar in which the treasures were placed, and hibiscus flowers grew all around.

The shrine overlooked the three surrounding isles, Fire Island, Lightning Island, and Ice Island. It was said that birds of legend lived on these islands.

Fire Island had a small active volcano in the center of the Island. The Lightning Island, meanwhile, was a mountainous island. Last but not least, the Ice Island was covered in snow all year round despite being in a tropical area.

An elderly man was sitting in front of the shrine. At this time, he was offering his daily prayer as usual. His face was serene and focused. He had done this many times. Nothing could disturb him at this moment.

The local residents of Shamouti Island knew the elderly man by the name of Tobias. The townspeople affectionately called him Elder Tobias. He was usually seen praying at the shrine in his festival costume.

"Elder Tobias!"

Suddenly, a shout rang out.

The elderly man let out a long sigh. He gently stood up and said, "Slowking, why the rush? Is there something wrong?"

"There's an urgent matter!"

A Pokemon standing on its two legs walked into the shrine. Slowking was primarily pink, with a pale yellow muzzle and scaled belly. Around its neck was a spiny ruff with alternating red and white stripes. The crown-like shell on its head had a spiral shape with two horns near the base. A red gem resides in the center of the shell.

"What is the matter?" he asked slowly.

"The volcano on Fire Island has erupted," Slowking spoke clearly.

"Okay," he nodded and said, "Then should we inform the townspeople to prepare for the Legend Festival?"

"But, we just held the festival a few months ago. Should we do another one? I'm worried about the Island. This has never happened before," Slowking said worriedly.

Slowking's appearance resembled a Slowbro. The only difference was their intelligence. A Slowking was far smarter than a Slowbro.

Slowking, a Water/Psychic-type Pokemon, was a brand-new evolutionary form of Slowpoke accidentally discovered in Johto a few years ago.

Most researchers thought that Slowpoke's evolution was an interesting case. Slowpoke cannot evolve alone. A Slowpoke needed a Shellder to bite its tail for it to evolve into a Slowbro.

However, for Slowpoke to evolve into a Slowking, it needed a rather rare magical item called King's Rock. At the same time, a Shellder would need to bite on its head, which was much harder than biting on its tail. Also, the process would need to be natural without any kind of interference.

This made it hard to find a Slowking in the wild. Not to mention owning one. A Pokemon as smart as a Slowking disdained to be owned by a human.

Each year, the volcano on Fire Island would erupt. The lava due to the volcanic eruption would flow into the sea without causing much damage. Most of all, the Pokemon living on the Island were mainly Fire-type Pokemon. They wouldn't be having much trouble anyway.

After that, it would be followed by a thunderstorm on Lightning Island and heavy snow on Ice Island.

The local residents of Shamouti Island had seen this happening countless times. For Centuries, they would perform a special ceremony, hoping to quell this situation.

Elder Tobias walked out of the shrine and came to the edge of the cliff. He raised his head and looked at the black smoke billowing into the sky. An undetectable trace of worry flashed across his eyes.

The residents of the Island gathered on the coast, looking at the Fire Island in the distance. The intensity of this volcanic eruption was more severe than what they had seen before. The red magma flowed into the sea, reflecting the crimson light of the lava rolling on the seabed. The surface of the sea was instantly shrouded in smoke, making people feel worried. The crowd discussed among themselves loudly.

"What is going on? Why did the Fire Island erupt again?"

"Do you think someone might have angered the legendary bird of fire?"

"Stop! You're making other people worry."

"Let's go and ask the elder."

Most of the townspeople were more or less worried about what was happening in front of them. They prayed that nothing bad would happen.

"The legendary bird of fire is angry!" Elder Tobias slammed his cane on the ground.

The jujube stick in the elder's hand slammed heavily on the ground.

"Then what should we do?" Slowking asked.

"We are not allowed to step on the three islands. We should notify the Hunter Association and ask them to send their hunters to investigate the situation on Fire Island," he replied.

"I will, Elder Tobias," Slowking nodded.

"Tell the people not to panic. Ask them to go back home. Hopefully, nothing bad will happen," he ordered.

"Understood," Slowking nodded.

This Slowking, who can speak human language, was not only the shrine's caretaker but also Elder Tobias's helper.

When the Shellder bit its head, the injected venom, combined with the power of the King's Rock, greatly stimulated its brain, unlocking a superior intelligence and extraordinary power. Its extraordinary wisdom could match that of a human, and it constantly attempts to learn more.

The Fire Island's temperature was much higher than that of Shamouti Island. It was not suitable for other species to survive except for Fire-type Pokemon.

As the eruption was going on, many Pokemon on the Island escaped to the shore and passed out. They were seriously injured, and some even died.

A giant bird rushed out of the crater. Looking at the fallen Pokemon, it became angry.

Roar!

It let out a long, piercing cry.

It had a long, flowing head crest and a billowing tail, both made of reddish-orange and yellow flames. Its wings were shrouded in fiery plumage.

It looked somewhat similar to the legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh in Johto.

Moltres, a legendary Pokemon in Kanto, had a long lifespan and powerful strength. Although not as unique as Ho-Oh, it was still a rare Pokemon in the world.

There were only three confirmed sightings of Moltres. The first one was during the Kanto League Conference. A Moltres had left its flame for the League's use.

The second one was during the Legend Festival. A Moltres was seen flying toward the Fire Island some years ago.

The last one was on One Island, located in Sevii Islands.

"Boss, the target has appeared. Should we continue with our plans to capture it?"

A group of people in diving suits was hiding behind a rock in the sea. One of them was putting his hand on his ear.

"Haha! Good!" A reply came from his headset.

"We will proceed with the plan. Inform the other team members to check their weapons. I will send more people to assist you. We must succeed this time! Don't fail."

No one would have thought that an airship, which was about the size of a small city, was hovering high up in the sky. It was equipped with various heavy weaponry, making it a flying mobile fortress.

"Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning, lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash. Though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting, alone its song will fail, lest the earth shall turn to ash. O Chosen One, into thine hands, bring together all three. Their treasures combined tame the Beast of the Sea."

A green-haired man was reading the text on a slate in front of him. He was wearing a blue and black dress with a golden pendant on his neck.

The writing was faint, but he was still able to read it barely. It was unearthed by an expedition team he organized a couple of years ago.

Lawrence III, a wealthy man from the Hoenn region. He alone holds 8% of the shares in Devon Corporation, the third largest shareholder after President Stone and his son Steven. He had invested in many laboratories and companies. He was known as an avid collector of rare Pokemon and ancient artifacts.

"Moltres, Articuno, Zapdos. I want to get all of them! But the Pokemon I wanted the most is still in the depths of the sea."

"God of the sea," Lawrence murmured under his breath.

He then waved his hand above the table, revealing the digital pictures of the three legendary birds.

They spread their wings and soared, breathing flames, manipulating thunder and lightning, and forming ice as they battled each other.

Then, another Pokemon appeared.

It resembled a dragon and a bird. It was silver-white in color and had blue undersides with slightly varying tones. It had large wings that resembled hands.

It flew around the screen majestically, controlling the sea around it into a typhoon.

It was Lugia, also known as the beast of the sea in many legends. It possessed an invincible power that rivaled Ho-Oh, the god of life.

"You are my most perfect collection," he grinned, leaning his face to the screen.

"Your new collection has been made. Do you want to watch it?"

Suddenly, a mechanical voice rang in his office.

"I almost forgot. I still have a new collection to see," he laughed loudly.

He then strode to the computer and sat down on the chair.

The chair then moved into the chamber at the very top of the airship, where he stored his favorite collections.