As the group finally got out of the water and flowed through into a new opening, all of them emerged into a big, dome-shaped room that had yet more water inside it. This place had a platform on which several pictures depicted a legend. The Pokémon swam toward the platform. Everyone got off and returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls, not without thanking them for the ride first.
Ash and the group looked amazed at the size of the dome and the height of the walls, on which a legend was depicted.
Kyle led the way and got off his Dewgong before walking up onto the platform and lifting a rock on one of the pillars. Many lights came on, illuminating the platform and the walls where the legends were drawn. Intricate designs covered the surface.
Everybody gasped as the ceiling glowed in a diamond shape before becoming clear. It held a crown inside it, and clouds seemed to float around it. Around the clouds was some kind of blue current, surrounded by a sacred light. Beyond the light, water was shown as numerous Water-type Pokémon were drawn circling the crown.
"It's the Temple of Samaya," Shep explained, smiling at the kids when he noticed they were staring up at the drawings.
"Samaya..?" May muttered, looking back up at the painting.
Marinyth smiled as she placed a hand on her hip, "Within the temple, there is a treasure called the Sea Crown."
"Sea Crown?" Brock questioned, slightly confused.
"Many thieves have appeared over the years attempting to steal the Sea Crown," Kyle explained, showing them another painting on the side wall. This one depicted the temple with many dark, greedy shadows trying to reach it.
"So, to protect the treasure and the temple itself, the people of the water set traps within the temple," Marinyth continued.
"What kind?" Max asked, completely hypnotized by the story.
"The Sea Temple can't be seen by humans," Lizabeth answered, pointing up at the picture, "It can only be seen when there is a total eclipse."
"Wow…" May was drawn into the story as well as she hugged Manaphy closer, "But if it's invisible, how are we going to find it?"
"Isn't it obvious? You're holding it," Lizabeth teased as she leaned closer to Manaphy and gently played with the little blue Mythical Pokémon, "You can get us there, right?"
"Since the temple was originally built where Manaphy lived, a newly hatched Manaphy returns to the temple by instinct."
"Yeah, well, shall we get moving now?" Jack finally spoke up from the corner, where he was preparing boats for everyone.
So they climbed in and started sailing down the water path. Everyone talked more and laughed about the situation they were in, but Jack hadn't said anything else. He watched them with a complicated expression. He didn't want to involve children in this situation, he had already let things go far enough, putting everyone in danger.
He was going to have to have a talk with them.
But on the other side, Ash was watching Jack with an unamused expression. He knew what Jack was about to do, and, well, he might as well use this as a chance to get his frustration out on the Rangers who never seemed to do anything while he had to fix everything.
Just to be safe, Ash sent a little request over to Lance, which wasn't a problem since Lance liked Ash. And even if he refused, Ash could always act a little spoiled and call up Clair.
—
{A while later}
The group arrived at the next city and stayed near a grotto by a cliff as Shep made a phone call to some old acquaintances.
As they sat down to wait, May and Lizabeth offered to go into town and get some ice cream for everyone, but Ash cut in.
"No, you should stay here. After all, you need to take care of Manaphy. Me and Jack can go," Ash said completely innocently.
Jack blinked, caught off guard by this, but figured he might as well have the talk with the person who seemed like the leader of the group, "I don't see why not."
The others didn't think much of it.
"Ohhh, bring back chocolate!" Max called out immediately.
Brock narrowed his already closed eyes at Ash, but at least if Jack was going with him, he couldn't go off on one of his walks, "Get me mint."
"I'll take sea salt if they have it," Lizabeth added.
"I'll take strawberry. Don't take forever," May said as she rocked Manaphy gently.
Ash waved lazily, "We won't."
Jack gave a polite nod to the group before following Ash, Pikachu, and Vee up the path that led toward town. The moment they were out of earshot, the easy smile dropped from Ash's face.
For a while, neither of them spoke. Pikachu and Vee walked beside them a little too casually.
Jack finally spoke, "You did that on purpose," he said calmly.
Ash shrugged, "Yeah."
Jack glanced at him, "You knew I wanted to talk."
"Yep."
"I don't involve children in Ranger operations," Jack said firmly, "This mission was supposed to be handled discreetly. Phantom is dangerous. The Sea Temple is dangerous. The traps alone—"
"And yet we're here," Ash finished.
"This is a Ranger's job. I can't involve children," Jack insisted.
"Okay," Ash said a little too cheerfully, looking around a little too dramatically, "Where are the rest of them?"
"Wha—" Jack started, but Ash interrupted him.
"The rest of the Rangers. Since clearly you can't handle this mission alone, where's the backup?"
Jack stiffened slightly, "Ranger operations aren't as simple as calling in a Gym Leader. They have other missions."
Ash stopped walking.
The sudden halt made Jack take an extra step before turning back toward him. Pikachu and Vee stopped too, both looking up quietly.
Ash's expression wasn't playful anymore.
"Okay," Ash said plainly, "If Phantom shows up right now, can you protect them? All of them?"
Jack's jaw tightened, "That's my job."
"That wasn't my question."
Jack exhaled slowly, "Yes. I would do everything in my power."
Ash nodded once, "With what?"
"My Capture Styler," Jack answered immediately, holding up his wrist device, "It can temporarily borrow a Pokémon's power. It's more than enough in most situations."
"In most situations," Ash repeated.
Jack frowned, "You saw Phantom. He relies on brute strength. I can adapt."
"And if he doesn't let you?" Ash asked calmly, "If he targets you first? If he grabs that thing off your wrist and crushes it?" He gestured at the Styler, "What then?"
Jack opened his mouth, then closed it before looking away, "I'll find a way. I always do. I'm a Rank 9 Ranger, it's my job to adapt."
"Oh, we're bringing ranks into this now?" Ash asked as he pulled out his Rotom Phone and made it float up to Jack, displaying Ash's status as a member of the G-Men.
Yeah, the thing Ash asked Lance for was an official G-Men badge. He was already an honorary member after all the nonsense he had dealt with, and Lance had been more than happy to make it official.
The G-Men, short for Government Men, were essentially special agents who worked for the government. In most cases, the government meant the League. It also came with another nice source of passive income for solving problems Ash was honestly going to handle anyway, along with more authority to do whatever he wanted.
That was a very simplified explanation; there was a lot more to it. But that was the short version. The G-Men worked directly with the Rangers and the International Police. They might rank slightly lower, but they still held significant authority.
Jack looked like a fish out of water as he stared at the badge before it flew back into Ash's pocket.
"So I'm just going to say this one time," Ash continued, "I don't hate Rangers. I'm just annoyed that it feels like you don't do anything and I end up dealing with it. So if you don't want us going to that temple, then—"
Ash carefully took off his bag and handed it to Pikachu. Then he took off his hat and placed it on Vee before crossing his arms.
"Stop me," Ash said, smirking at Jack's shocked expression.
—
Back at the grotto, May sat on a flat stone with Manaphy resting in her arms.
Brock leaned against a tree while Max skipped pebbles across the water.
"I still can't believe this," May muttered softly, "A Sea Temple...only visible during a total eclipse...and we're apparently just sailing to it like it's a day trip."
Max sat cross-legged nearby, poking at the sand with a stick, "You say that like we haven't done crazier stuff."
"That doesn't make it normal," May shot back, though she sounded more confused than worried.
Lizabeth sat beside May, "You're surprisingly calm about all this."
May smiled faintly, "When you travel with Ash long enough, this just becomes Tuesday."
Lizabeth giggled as she leaned over to gently tap Manaphy's tiny hand, "Manaphy really does like you."
"Manaaa~" Manaphy chirped happily, reaching up to pat May's cheek.
May's face turned pink again, "It's just temporary. Once we get to the temple, it'll go back to...whatever it's supposed to do."
"Sure," Max said smugly, "Temporary motherhood."
May lightly kicked sand at him, making everyone chuckle.
Over by the cliff, the rest of Lizabeth's family looked out over the edge as if waiting for someone to come sailing in, though nothing was happening at the moment.
Max glanced around, "You don't think Ash and Jack are actually arguing, do you?"
May blinked, "Arguing?"
"Well…" Max shrugged, "Jack's been kind of tense."
Brock hummed thoughtfully, not even looking up from what he was doing, "Ash doesn't usually pick people to run errands unless he has a reason."
Lizabeth tilted her head, "Do you think something's wrong?"
"I mean, probably," Brock shrugged, "But knowing Ash, he's going to walk back with a smile on his face and tell us everything is fine."
Then, as if on cue, Ash's voice called out, "Yoooo~!"
When they looked back, they saw Ash and Jack returning. Ash walked ahead, carrying a tray with the cones neatly arranged, while Pikachu and Vee sat on his shoulders enjoying their own ice creams.
Behind him, Jack followed at a slightly slower pace. He looked perfectly composed, except for one hand lightly pressed against his stomach.
"You're back!" Lizabeth said brightly, "That was fast!"
Ash held up the holder happily, "Mission accomplished."
Max immediately hopped up, "Chocolate?"
"Got it."
"Mint?" Brock asked.
Ash tossed him the cone without looking, and Brock caught it, "Obviously."
"Sea salt?" Lizabeth asked.
Ash handed it over with a small bow, "As requested."
May shifted Manaphy to one arm, "Strawberry?"
Ash walked over and placed it in her free hand, "Would I ever forget?"
May narrowed her eyes suspiciously at his grin, "Why are you smiling like that?"
"I'm just in a good mood," Ash replied easily.
Behind him, Jack cleared his throat, "Everything's fine," he said before anyone could ask.
Brock's eyes narrowed slightly.
Max looked between them.
Lizabeth blinked, "Are you sure? You look a little pale."
"I'm fine," Jack repeated firmly, straightening up, "Just...something I ate earlier."
Before anyone could question it, Ash cut in, "Annywayyyy, I've got some for our adults too~," Ash said playfully as he moved over to Kyle, Meredith, and Shep, holding out the tray where three more ice creams waited.
Kyle blinked in surprise, "Oh, thank you."
Meredith smiled warmly, "That's very thoughtful."
Shep chuckled as he accepted his cone, "Didn't expect special delivery service."
Ash winked and held up an OK hand gesture, "Customer satisfaction guaranteed."
Behind him, Jack quietly sat down on one of the stones near the water. He kept his posture straight, professional as ever, but he was absolutely not making eye contact with Ash.
Pikachu licked his ice cream happily. Vee did the same, tail flicking smugly.
Max squinted at Jack, "You really look like you lost a battle with a sandwich."
"I said I'm fine," Jack replied a little too quickly.
May glanced between them again, "You two didn't fight, did you?"
Ash tilted his head innocently, "Fight? Us?"
Brock took a slow lick of his mint cone, "Ash."
"I am innocent. Honestly, I am offended that you would ever accuse me of doing anything," Ash said playfully, pretending to cry before going over and hiding behind May, "May, help, Brock is bullying me again!"
May nearly dropped her ice cream as Ash dramatically leaned his weight against her shoulder.
"Ash!" she sputtered, trying not to laugh while keeping Manaphy balanced, "You are not hiding behind me."
"Yes I am," Ash said shamelessly, "I need emotional support, and you yourself said you're the motherly one~."
"You have no proof!" May exclaimed, pointing at him, even though they all knew she had said it.
"Because you didn't give it to me in writing, I will get it, mark my words."
"Never gonna happen!" May said, looking away.
"Pika," Pikachu added flatly, clearly not believing her.
Vee's tail swished as if agreeing.
Brock slowly lowered his cone, eyes half-lidded in that I know exactly what you did look as he glanced at Ash, who was very obviously changing the topic. Brock sighed and let it go.
As they continued talking, they suddenly heard a ship horn blasting in the distance. Shep excitedly finished his cone, eating it all at once and immediately suffering the consequences of brain freeze, as he stood up and ran to the edge, looking out toward the sea.
"They're here!" he exclaimed, pointing toward a ship approaching the dock, "That's my ship, all right, the Blue Lagoon!"
"That's your ship?" Max asked.
"Right! I traveled the whole world on this ship when I was a young man!" Shep answered, rubbing his chin as he fondly remembered those old times.
As the ship docked, three people stepped off, and the group walked up to meet them.
"You've kept my ship shipshape all these years. Feel free to use it anytime," Shep said, thanking the three sailors who exited the boat. One was short, another tall, and the third was plump.
The plump one stepped forward first, "But Captain! We wanna go with you!"
"There are still so many good times left to share!" the tall one added, followed by the short sailor.
"All of your kind words are plenty…" Shep smiled warmly at his three enthusiastic crewmates.
"Captain!" the shortest one wailed.
"We'll all have a drink when I return. Take care!" Shep waved as he headed toward the ship, everyone following him up the ramp.
"Captain! Sir!" they cried before finally relenting, "Safe trip!"
The three sailors began bawling as the ship set sail.
Kyle navigated while Marinyth stood at the controls.
"Bye, Captain!" the three sailors shouted, saluting from the dock.
Ash, May, Max, and Brock settled along the sides of the ship, gazing out over the ocean.
"So how far away is the temple going to be?" Ash asked, looking over at Kyle.
"It depends," Kyle responded as they moved farther into open water, "It all depends."
"Depends? On what?" May asked.
"On Manaphy, of course," Shep said as he walked over to them, "From now on, Manaphy has to choose its own path."
"So, May, you can release Manaphy now," Kyle told her.
May blinked in surprise. She opened her mouth, then closed it again before looking down at Manaphy, "But Manaphy's sleepy…" she added weakly.
"That's okay. He'll be fine once he touches the water," Kyle explained.
"But now...by itself?" May asked, sounding like a worried mother.
"It's the way it has to be," Jack said seriously, "All we can do is watch."
May looked down at Manaphy sadly, "Time for you to go, Manaphy...by yourself."
Manaphy tilted its head, then raised its little arms, "Mana! Mana!"
Ash leaned in this time, "Don't worry. As long as you're not too far away, we'll find you, 'kay?" Ash said with a smile as he raised a finger, coated it lightly with Aura, and gently rubbed Manaphy on the top of its head.
Manaphy laughed and nuzzled against Ash's finger, smiling happily. It gave one last cheerful chirp before sliding from May's arms.
For a brief moment, May hesitated, her hands lingering in the air like she wasn't ready to let go.
Then Manaphy jumped straight into the ocean.
Everybody rushed to the railings to look over. May looked slightly worried at first but relaxed as soon as Manaphy began happily jumping through the water.
"Good, let's go!" Kyle told them, heading back toward the navigation room.
"Thank goodness," May muttered, watching Manaphy swim alongside the ship.
"What happened to not being a mom, May?" Max teased with a smirk, "You're acting really motherly right now"
That earned him a soft elbow.
"Don't get cheeky with me," May said defensively, pouting.
—
Hours later, the sun was already setting. Jack sat on the front deck while everyone else gathered inside the ship, watching through the glass bottom that let them observe the ocean like an aquarium.
Ash walked out as well, with Vee and Pikachu following him. They exchanged a brief glance with Jack but didn't say much. Ash stepped toward the edge and pulled out two Poké Balls, tossing them out to release Horsea so it could enjoy the water.
Training Horsea outside aquatic areas was kind of tough, but once it evolved into Kingdra, that wouldn't be a problem anymore. It was already close to evolving, and Ash even had a Dragon Scale ready for afterward.
The next Pokémon he released was none other than Feebas. The small fish flopped into the water, and Ash tossed down some blue Pokéblocks. Feebas jumped, catching and happily eating them.
Yeah, remember this Feebas? Ash had caught it a long time ago, but until she became a Milotic, she wasn't very useful in battle. As for why he hadn't evolved her yet, well, there were two methods, one involving a Prism Scale.
Getting a Prism Scale wasn't easy. For one thing, it was incredibly expensive. Not only was it used for evolution, but it was also prized for jewelry because of its beauty. Money wasn't the issue, Ash was rich enough to afford one.
The real problem was obtaining it. Prism Scales were rare. The only way to get one was from a Milotic shedding scales, and even then, it wasn't as simple as collecting them. Water-type energy played a role, only the most energy-rich scales became true Prism Scales.
And even then, harvesting them was difficult. For context, Wallace, who definitely had one of the strongest Milotic in the world, could produce, at most, five Prism Scales per year, assuming none were damaged or improperly collected.
So yeah, even though Ash could get one, it was a hassle. Instead, he planned to use the other method: raising Feebas's beauty.
That was also a challenge, not because Ash cared about appearances (he actually thought Feebas looked kind of cute), but because it was more of a confidence issue for the Pokémon itself.
So it might take a while. Ash didn't expect Feebas to evolve anytime soon, and he was perfectly fine with that.
Anyway, moving past that, as Ash continued feeding his Pokémon, Jack finally spoke up.
"Ash...can I talk to you about something?"
"I already apologized for breaking your rib," Ash said without looking up.
Yeah, when Ash had to convince Jack to let them come along, he'd thrown hands and broken one of Jack's ribs. But it was fine; Ash had given him painkillers afterward. He was allowed to do that. Doctor, remember?
Jack grimaced, "No, not that. I want to ask you for a favor."
Ash finally looked up at him and frowned, "What kind?"
Down in the ship, everyone was making dinner, and May had volunteered to go get Ash and Jack to join them. As she stepped outside, she overheard their conversation, and something Jack said made her freeze in place.
"I want you to help me separate May and Manaphy," Jack said, frowning as he crossed his arms.
Ash didn't respond immediately, only staring at him. Pikachu and Vee, however, looked at Jack like he was a stubborn idiot. May still couldn't bring herself to move.
"I know you might think I'm being a jerk," Jack continued, "but it's for their own good. The closer May and Manaphy get, the harder it's going to be when we have to say goodbye."
May's hands trembled slightly as she looked down. Part of her wanted to walk in and argue, that it wasn't true, that she could handle it, no problem. But she knew that wasn't true. She was already attached to Manaphy, like a mother to her child. She knew that when Manaphy left, she was definitely going to cry.
And if they grew even closer, it would hurt even more, especially for Manaphy.
Tears welled in May's eyes. She was about to step forward and tell Jack and Ash he was right, that she would pull back…but before she could, Ash finally spoke.
"Well, that's stupid," he said plainly.
Jack's brow furrowed immediately, "Ash—"
"No," Ash cut in, calm but firm, "I get why you think that. You're trying to protect them. Minimize emotional damage, reduce attachment, all that dumb stuff you learn in training." He gestured vaguely with one hand, "Very official. Very responsible."
Jack crossed his arms, "Then you understand."
Ash shook his head, "No. I understand the idea. I just think it's wrong."
The ocean breeze rolled across the deck, carrying the quiet sound of waves against the hull. Horsea splashed happily nearby while Feebas paddled after another Pokéblock, completely unaware of the tension.
Jack frowned, "The closer they get, the harder it'll be when Manaphy leaves. You know that."
Ash finally looked straight at him.
"And you think making her pull away now will fix that?"
Jack hesitated, "It'll make the separation easier."
Ash let out a short breath through his nose, "That's not how bonds work."
"That's not what I—"
"You're basically saying they shouldn't bond because saying goodbye hurts." Ash gestured toward the ocean where Manaphy swam beside the ship, "So what? We just...keep everyone at arm's length forever?"
Behind the doorway, May froze completely, her hand resting against the frame. She hadn't meant to listen in, but now she couldn't leave.
Ash leaned back against the railing.
"Let me ask you something," he continued, "Are you saying Manaphy won't miss her? Or me, or Lizabeth, or even you? Or any of us?"
"You're acting like feelings are something you can turn off early so they don't hurt later," Ash said, "Like if May steps back now, everything will be easier."
"A bond isn't some balanced trade," he went on, "It's not about giving equal amounts so nobody gets hurt. It's about knowing who'll be there when you need them, even if someday they can't stay."
Ash waved a hand toward the water, where Horsea and Feebas watched with starry eyes.
"Yeah, friends leave, journeys end, and people grow up. But a part of them stays with you anyway."
Jack looked down at the deck, silent.
"You think separating May now protects her. But all it does is steal the time they do have. If Manaphy's going back to the temple, then every moment matters. Why waste it pretending they don't care?"
"But...that's not what I was trying to do," Jack started, but Ash cut him off again.
"As a Ranger, you should know better than anyone that connections matter. If May pretends she doesn't care, that doesn't protect Manaphy." He shook his head, "It just means Manaphy loses time it could've had being loved."
Ash stepped closer to Jack and pointed at the deck.
"You know what happens if May distances herself right now? Manaphy won't understand why, and it'll just think it did something wrong."
Jack didn't have a response. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. The only sound was the gentle splashing of water against the ship.
Behind the doorway, May stood frozen, holding back tears threatening to fall as she covered her mouth to keep from making a sound.
Jack finally sighed, "You...really are difficult. You sound like an expert at this instead of a child."
"Someone once told me my specialty is emotions, not battling," Ash said with a helpless smile.
He thought back to Professor Oak's strange habit of giving trainers nicknames, calling Green the 'Evolver' Silver the 'Exchanger' and things like that. May had even been given Manga Ruby's title 'Charmer'
Back then, Ash had assumed he'd receive Manga Red's nickname 'Fighter' Instead, Oak had given him a unique one, 'Empath'
Ash always suspected it had something to do with whatever Oak remembered from the Celebi incident, though he never had evidence.
"And that's why I can tell if you try to do this, it's not going to go the way you want," Ash finished, a small smirk forming on his face, "So, as a wise man once said...just do your job."
Jack didn't get the reference, but he shook his head and sighed once more, "…Alright," he said, "I won't interfere. I'll make sure to do my job to the best of my ability, and nothing more."
"That's the spirit. I would've hated to have to hurt you anymore, buddy~," Ash said, his cheerful smile returning as he slapped Jack on the back, nearly making him stumble forward.
As they finished talking, May finally took a breath. She wiped her eyes with her wrist, steadied herself, and forced a bright smile onto her face before running out as if everything were perfectly normal.
"Hey guys, dinner is ready!" May called out, pretending she had just arrived.
Jack jumped slightly, while Ash smiled, "Oh, perfect. Let's go, I'm starving."
They headed inside, leaving Ash's Water-types outside to enjoy the ocean as Ash and Jack followed May into the ship.
The dining area buzzed with activity. Brock and Meredith were cooking together in the kitchen.
"Ah, there you are," Brock said, "Dinner's ready."
Max pointed dramatically, "You're late!"
Ash dropped into a seat, "Hey, we just had to talk. Everything's fine, bud," he said, waving a hand dismissively.
Jack coughed into his fist.
May looked up from across the table, smiling normally, maybe a little too normally.
"Ash," she said brightly, "you should sit here."
Ash blinked, "…Alright, sure." He slid into the seat beside her, "Any reason why?"
"Oh, no reason," May replied, sticking her tongue out before looking back at the table, "Come on, let's all eat. I think we deserve it after the day we've had!"
"Now that is the smartest thing I've heard all day," Brock said as he returned carrying another tray.
"Well, I am an expert in food, aren't I?" May joked, earning laughter from everyone.
She felt lighter than she had all day. As she glanced out the window and saw Manaphy happily swimming alongside the ship, May smiled.