The sea was calm when they left the coast of Fuchsia.
Skylar stood on the deck of the ferry, watching the waves roll past like sheets of molten glass. Misty leaned over the rail beside him, her Squirtle basking on her shoulder, basking in the ocean breeze.
Cinnabar Island was still out of view.
But their hearts were already on fire for what came next.
"This is too peaceful," Misty said with a faint smirk. "Feels like a trap."
Skylar grinned. "You just jinxed us."
Squirtle blinked up and yawned.
Riolu sat silently by Skylar's feet, ears twitching faintly. The rhythm of the sea hid something… but he couldn't yet tell what.
Then—
The water beneath the boat turned dark.
Skylar's eyes narrowed.
"That's not shadow from the clouds…"
A massive surge of water exploded beside the ferry.
Passengers screamed.
Crew ran.
And from the depths rose two enormous forms—
Twin Gyarados, twisting in tandem like serpents of the deep.
Behind them, dozens of wild Pokémon—Tentacruel, Sharpedo, Kingler—surrounded the vessel in a living wall of blue and crimson.
"They're attacking the boat!" Misty shouted.
The captain's voice echoed through the speaker:
"This is an emergency—battle stations! All trainers, prepare for defense!"
Skylar was already moving.
"Charizard—up!"
His starter exploded into the sky with a roar, flames igniting the evening.
"Arcanine—guard the starboard!"
The fire-type leapt into position, snarling at the oncoming swarm.
Misty released Starmie and Milotic, both readying for water-borne combat.
But the Gyarados were relentless.
One released a Hydro Pump that shattered the engine housing.
The ship lurched violently—
A second Aqua Tail struck the lower hull.
The steel screeched.
Water surged in.
"We're sinking!" one sailor cried.
A third strike from the wild Gyarados rocked the deck, knocking Skylar sideways and sending Poké Balls scattering.
Misty grabbed the rail to avoid falling overboard.
They were surrounded.
Outnumbered.
And their best Pokémon were either exhausted or weak to Water-types.
Then—
Two Poké Balls rolled across the deck and cracked open on instinct.
Golden light burst upward.
Twin cries echoed through the chaos.
Skylar and Misty's Magikarp.
Both shimmering gold.
Both glowing bright.
They hovered midair, suspended in a stream of energy neither had called upon—
And then they screamed.
A roar of resistance.
Of protection.
Of purpose.
The sea exploded upward again.
Light wrapped around both golden bodies.
Fins lengthened.
Tails expanded.
Flesh stretched and armor plated over their forms.
The sky cracked with their cries—
As two massive Red Gyarados burst from the light and landed between the ferry and the enemy.
Everyone froze.
Even the wild Pokémon hesitated.
Misty stared in awe. "They evolved…"
Skylar was speechless.
Their Gyarados roared—twins in fury and form—and surged forward to meet the wild ones.
The battle turned instantly.
Skylar's Red Gyarados slammed its counterpart with a devastating Outrage, sending it crashing into the sea.
Misty's followed with a sweeping Dragon Tail, sending Tentacruel flying like kelp in a storm.
Arcanine leapt off the deck to assist.
Charizard lit the skies above with bursts of flame, driving back Sharpedo.
And Riolu stood at the prow, aura shimmering like a beacon.
Five minutes.
That's all it took.
The enemy scattered.
The twin Gyarados rose beside the damaged ferry, coiling around it protectively.
They'd come not out of fear.
But out of fierce, undeniable loyalty.
Skylar knelt and placed a hand on his Gyarados's scaled head.
"You came for us."
It growled low and warm, eyes gleaming like rubies.
Misty hugged hers tightly, not caring about seawater or teeth.
"You saved us."
That night, they limped to the nearest port on Cinnabar Island aboard an emergency raft, towed by their newly evolved partners.
Trainers whispered about the twin Red Gyarados—a miracle seen once in a generation, now twice in one night.
And for the first time…
Skylar and Misty realized just how far their journey had taken them.
Not just in strength.
But in trust.