With Professor Oak's explanation, the "world collapse" playing out on the screen still continued.
In the White World —
The Legendary Birds clashed, and Ash tried to run in and stop them—
but Pikachu at his feet was struck by the shockwave, and Ash was sent tumbling off the cliff.
Seeing that, Ash jumped after him without hesitation. He wrapped his arms around Pikachu, turned his back downward, and took the impact himself.
Misty rushed forward too, but Tracey grabbed her arm and held her back. She couldn't catch up.
Tears spilled from Misty's emerald eyes.
Then—suddenly—a column of water surged skyward!
A white-bodied Pokémon with vast wings descended like a god from the sea.
Lugia.
Lugia swept Ash and Pikachu out of the air, then turned and flew to stop the battle between the three Legendary Birds.
But Lugia only defended, refusing to strike back—
and in the end, it was overwhelmed and knocked into the ocean.
Afterward, it was summoned back by Lawrence III'socean ocarina and revived once more.
Lugia then recognized Ash as the "Chosen One," and asked him to gather the final treasure—the Ice Treasure—so the Legendary Birds could be calmed.
Ash already carried the Fire Treasure.
And the Lightning Treasure had been obtained earlier when Lawrence's airship crashed.
Only the Ice Treasure remained. With all three treasures assembled, the birds' fury could be soothed.
Ash hesitated.
He was only ten.
Saving the world wasn't the kind of decision you made lightly—ten years old, fifteen, twenty… even a League Champion would have to think carefully.
But Ash still made his choice within seconds.
He would do it.
With Lugia—and even Team Rocket's trio—helping in their own chaotic way, Ash finally obtained the Ice Treasure.
But on the return trip, Lawrence III forced his damaged airship back into the air and launched an attack on Lugia.
Lugia was caught off guard and injured.
Just before it fell, it fired a terrifying Hyper Beam—one blast that sheared off half a cliff and shattered the airship completely.
For the first time, people truly understood what a Legendary was capable of.
After firing that attack, Lugia fell into the sea.
Ash—still clutching the Ice Treasure—was swallowed by the raging waves and lost consciousness.
Pikachu struggled and dragged him back to the surface.
But that was all Pikachu could do.
Without Lugia holding things back, the world's weather grew worse by the second. Pitch-black tornadoes rose from the sea one after another.
If this continued, Ash would die out there.
At that moment, Melody spotted him from a distance and tried to reach him—
but she carried the duty of playing Lugia's song. She wanted Misty to take the ocarina and play in her place, while Melody went to save Ash.
In weather like this, "rescue" could easily become "suicide."
But Misty shook her head.
"Playing the ocarina… that's your responsibility, Melody, isn't it?"
"And my responsibility… is bringing Ash back."
"Because… he's my problem."
Melody looked at her and understood immediately what those words really meant.
They clasped hands, encouraged each other, and then Misty tied a rope around herself—
and charged into the storm and the towering waves.
In the end, she brought Ash back safely.
Watching the White World footage, Ash's eyes went distant.
So… Misty really did that for him?
Cried for him. Risked her life for him.
And said, "He's my problem."
The phrasing was as blunt as ever…
but for the first time, Ash heard something else underneath it.
If Misty really felt that way… then what did he feel?
Ash had never seriously applied brainpower to emotions before.
Now he did—replaying every moment he'd shared with Misty.
And when he saw Misty on-screen, ecstatic when he woke up—
he finally understood his own heart.
Whether Misty liked him or not…
he cared about her.
Not just as a traveling companion.
Something more.
Without thinking, Ash turned his head toward Misty beside him.
Misty turned at the same time.
Their faces went red instantly, and they both snapped their eyes away.
"…Thanks," Ash said softly. "Thanks for saving me… without hesitating."
Misty's voice rose in panic. "D-Don't thank me! Didn't I say it? You're my problem!"
Brock narrowed his eyes, watching their flustered faces and stubborn denials. The corner of his mouth curled into a grin that looked way too much like a proud aunt.
Pikachu quietly padded over beside Brock.
The two of them shared the same relieved smile.
Those two idiots… finally made a little progress.
In the White World —
After Ash woke up, everyone rushed to the altar.
Ash placed the final treasure into position.
Melody played the ocarina, Lugia rose again—
and with the power of the three treasures, the Legendary Birds' rage was finally calmed.
The crisis ended at last.
Ash even rode on Lugia and circled Shamouti Island, getting to experience—again—what it felt like to fly with a true legend.
In the final scene, Ash and his friends waved goodbye to Melody.
Melody shot Misty a knowing look—
and Misty ignored it like her life depended on it.
[Commentary continues…]
In the Black World —
After Ash had thoroughly taught Rudy a lesson, he continued onward.
Along the way, he battled a Trainer named Danny.
Danny's Poliwrath tried to provoke Ash into "proving himself" by sending out Pikachu.
Ash's answer was simple:
He had never heard a more outrageous request in his life.
So he sent Pikachu anyway—then paralyzed Poliwrath with electricity on the spot.
Danny left with a look like he'd swallowed a Tauros whole.
He'd planned to win with a type-advantage gimmick and then lecture Ash on "reverse-matchup tactics."
Instead, he learned a harsh truth:
That Pikachu was not normal.
After that, Ash crossed several islands and finally reached the last Gym before the Orange League: the Trovita Gym.
The moment they landed, Team Rocket showed up again to cause trouble. This time they'd spent serious money and got their hands on an enormous Rhydon fitted with a steel drill-like horn.
Ash's Charizard answered by roasting the machine—and then smashing Team Rocket with Dragon Claw.
Team Rocket: festive as always.
Then a refined older woman rushed over and mistook Ash for her son.
When the misunderstanding cleared, they learned the truth:
she was the Gym Leader of Trovita Island—Luana.
Because Ash resembled her son (and because he also traveled with a Pikachu), Luana invited the group to stay at her hotel for free.
The hotel was enormous—hot springs, tennis courts, battlefields, restaurants, gyms… everything.
One of the most luxurious places on Trovita Island.
Ash didn't expect his luck to be this ridiculous, but he accepted the invitation.
They enjoyed the facilities for a day—
and the next morning, Ash challenged Luana.
It was a Double Battle, and the rules were harsh:
if either Pokémon on a side fainted, that side lost.
Ash sent Ivysaur and Charizard.
Fire and Grass together could be dangerous—one mistake and the flames would burn your partner.
But with perfect timing…
it became a field of flaming leaves.
Normally Ivysaur and Charizard didn't get along.
But in battle, they were each other's most reliable partners.
Razor Leaf coated in flame.
Air Slash paired with Petal Dance, creating dazzling flower-like patterns in the air.
Ash won—cleanly.
Sabrina wanted to challenge too, but only after Luana's Pokémon had recovered, so everyone stayed another day.
Tracey—on vacation—was as chirpy as ever.
Ash, Misty, and Sabrina… were happily "dating as a trio."
Ash even bought two bouquets of flowers and finally made up for the confession he'd never properly given.
Starting romance with flowers and a confession—classic.
And surprisingly, neither Misty nor Sabrina got angry about the "late ticket" approach.
Instead, Ash felt he was the one being too hasty.
So he quietly began planning something bigger…
Relaxation was relaxation—but training didn't stop.
The hotel had a gym, and Ash spent four or five hours a day in it.
There was also plenty of Pokémon training equipment.
Ash rotated different Pokémon through training over the next two days—building stamina, sharpening moves, and strengthening bonds.
On the third day, Sabrina defeated Luana beautifully using Alakazam and Mr. Mime.
The coordination between the two Psychic-types was seamless.
Sabrina no longer relied on "cheating" with raw psychic power, or on brute-force overwhelming.
Her command and timing had leveled up.
She still wasn't on Ash's level—
but she had already surpassed the average trainer by far.
With both badges earned, they said goodbye to Luana and prepared to head for the final destination:
the Orange League Victory Stadium.
Before leaving, Ash handed Luana a small glass figurine.
"Aunt Luana… this is something I made from your son's photo. I'm not sure if it looks like him… but I hope it can keep you company, at least a little."
Luana stared—
and saw it clearly.
The figure was exactly her son's parting pose, waving goodbye.
A Pikachu sat on his shoulder, so vivid it looked alive.
It was like her son stood in front of her again.
Luana covered her mouth as tears spilled down.
"Thank you… Ash. Thank you…!"
She accepted it like a treasure.
She hadn't seen her son in so long.
This lifelike glass figure was the closest thing she'd had to him in years.
It was the best gift she could have received.
In the Black World —
After saying goodbye to Luana, Ash and the others set out for the Victory Stadium.
But by sheer bad luck, they ended up boarding Captain Tucker's ship again.
Then the sky changed.
Winds howled. The tides surged.
Storms at sea weren't rare—
but Ash felt this one was wrong.
Pikachu sensed it too: something in the world's balance felt like it was slipping.
The waves grew worse and worse.
The ship was forced off course, and Tucker had no choice but to steer toward the nearest island.
That island was—
Shamouti Island.
And the storm only continued to grow.
In the end, the ship was washed ashore. Ash and the others made it off safely.
Then they ran into… a group of people wearing what looked like ridiculous bird-head outfits.
They didn't look friendly at all.
Ash was about to have Pikachu use Thunderbolt—
when one of them recognized Captain Tucker.
Turns out, they were residents of Shamouti Island.
And those "bird heads" were part of the island's annual festival costume.
PS :
Legendary Birds → Articuno / Zapdos / Moltres (collective term)
Lugia → Legendary Pokémon central to the Shamouti Island crisis
Shamouti Island → Key location of the Lugia/Legendary Birds incident
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