After a hearty lunch prepared by Brock and Bianca and another night's rest, the fatigue from the previous day completely vanished.
Thinking back on their experience in Alto Mare, it was truly eventful. They participated in a water race and won, toured the beautiful city, met Latias, Latios, Lorenzo, and Bianca, foiled the plot of the world's top female thieves, and saved the city from a massive tsunami.
Normally, any one of those events would have been enough to keep them busy, let alone having them all happen within 24 hours.
Now, everything had come to an end. It was time to leave the city and continue their journey.
They told Lorenzo and Bianca they were leaving. Lorenzo took it well, but Bianca's face showed a deep reluctance to see them go.
Although they had only known each other for a short time, they had formed a strong friendship through these events. She didn't want them to leave so soon.
But she also knew they were trainers. Their ambitions lay far and wide, and they couldn't stay in one place for too long.
"I have something to give you."
With that, Bianca ran off. A dozen seconds later, she returned with a drawing in her hand.
"I drew this while you were sleeping. Thank you for saving my grandfather and me, for saving Latias and Latios, and for saving this city. I don't have anything valuable to express my feelings, so I drew this picture for you."
"A drawing?"
Ash reached for it, but Natsui got to it first.
The others crowded around to look. It was a crayon drawing of the seven of them. They stood side-by-side with the city of Alto Mare behind them. Above, Latias and Latios were flying. Pikachu stood on Ash's shoulder. The picture was colorful, and everyone had a big smile on their face. It was very lively. It was clear that Bianca was a skilled and thoughtful artist.
"It's so beautiful!" Misty praised. "Thank you, Miss Bianca."
"Not at all..." Bianca blushed slightly. "Compared to what you've done, this is nothing. I hope you don't mind it."
"Don't say that," Natsui smiled. "What gift is more important than the thought behind it? We'll gladly accept this drawing."
Although he said "we," he ignored Ash's "I want it too" expression and tucked the drawing into his jacket.
Heh, this was a precious memory, one of a kind. There was no way he would give it to this kid. When he had the chance, he would get it framed and hang it in his room.
Hearing that Natsui and the others were leaving, Latias and Latios also gathered around. Latias was especially reluctant to see them go. She affectionately rubbed her cheek against Ash and Pikachu and circled around the others a few times.
Compared to his sister's personality, Latios was much more composed. He simply watched them with gratitude in his eyes, then turned his gaze to Natsui.
He was not ignorant. After being captured by this man last night... no... this morning, he knew that he and his sister were no longer wild Pokémon. Although things seemed the same, they were bound by the Poké Balls. If he wanted to, he could recall them at any time.
Did that mean he and his sister were now his Pokémon?
But he also knew it was the only way at the time, and this man seemed like a good person. He wasn't particularly against the idea.
After leaving the Secret Garden, they first returned to the Pokémon Center to retrieve their luggage and then headed to the port.
Next, they would take a boat back to the Johto mainland to continue their journey.
Lorenzo and Bianca saw them all the way to the ship. As the ferry started to move, they waved goodbye. The figures of the two grew smaller until they disappeared from sight.
Goodbye, Alto Mare. Goodbye, Bianca.
The sea breeze gently brushed against them.
Standing on the deck and watching the City of Water shrink in the distance, Natsui and the others couldn't help but feel a bit sad. If they could, who wouldn't want to spend more time with friends?
But such is life. After saying goodbye to yesterday, a future full of unknowns awaited them.
"Look!"
Misty suddenly pointed to the sky. Natsui and the others looked up and saw a blue and a red figure faintly appearing and disappearing among the clouds. They immediately realized it was Latias and Latios, come to see them off.
"Goodbye!!"
Ash waved his hands at the clouds and shouted at the top of his lungs. The other passengers, seeing his strange behavior, also looked up at the sky. They caught a glimpse of something flashing by.
"Huh?" A male passenger with a gold chain and a floral shirt rubbed his eyes in surprise. "I think I just saw Latias and Latios!"
"What are you talking about?" his girlfriend said, rolling her eyes at him. "Latias and Latios are just legends. This is a bustling city, why would they be here?"
"It's true, I'm telling the truth!" the man pouted, pointing at the sky. "Look if you don't believe... huh? Where did they go?"
The woman looked up. The sky was just the sky, with no Pokémon in sight. She shook her head helplessly. "See, you must have had too many cocktails and are seeing things. How could there be Legendary Pokémon here?"
Hearing their conversation, Natsui and his friends looked at each other and shared a knowing smile.
The legend of Latias, Latios, and the Soul Dew, like the statues on Alto Mare's coast, would continue to be passed down in this city, becoming a topic of discussion for generations to come...
...
The ferry's route was different from the one they had taken to get there. It sailed directly to a small port outside Blackthorn City.
Because it was a slow boat, it sailed through the night. The next morning, Natsui and the others set foot on the soil of the Johto region once again.
They parted ways at the port. Ash, Misty, and Brock were going to get their final badge, while Natsui and Erika were heading to Silver Town.
Knowing they would meet again soon, their farewells were brief and casual, just a simple wave of the hand.
"Well then, we'll see you at the Silver Conference!" Natsui said with a smile.
"It's only a few days away," Ash said, rubbing his nose nonchalantly. "As soon as I challenge the Blackthorn Gym, I'll come find you."
"Clair is not that easy to beat, you know. Be careful not to get cocky and lose!" Natsui chuckled. "It's a deal then. I'll be waiting for you in Silver Town!"
------------------------
Support my projects and get immediate access to hundreds of chapters of Bleach, Naruto, Pokémon, and more! ✨ Key Benefit: Your favorite novels, with my quality, and always up-to-date.
Featured Novels (with hundreds of chapters available NOW!):
The Heroine Wants to Join My Harem (1050 caps)
Goddess Training Manual (800 caps)
I Have Caught a Pokémon (700 caps)
Bleach Getting Stronger (330 caps)
Naruto: Saving the Uchiha (300 caps)
And many more!
Why subscribe?
🔥 Immediate Access: Read my new chapters before anyone else.
📚 Huge Library: Access my complete catalog instantly.
⭐️ High Quality: Enjoy the novels with a professional and well-crafted text written by me.