Pokemon: Skybound

----

Before the chapter begins, I want to clarify that while Kai has knowledge of the Pokémon world, he does not remember every event or plot point from the anime. Some details have faded from his memory, meaning he may not always predict or recall certain events accurately.

----

From a distance, Rind Island appeared lush with forests, surrounded by towering cliffs of varying heights that formed a natural barrier, isolating the interior from the outside world.

At the heart of the island stood a small mountain, rising prominently above the dense greenery.

Tracey had been right this was indeed an uninhabited island. At least from the outside, there were no signs of human activity.

The massive school of Magikarp that had surged from the ocean had now reached the island. Instead of continuing onward, they swam directly into a river mouth, disappearing into the island's interior.

Kai scanned the shoreline and quickly spotted a submarine docked in a calm bay.

The very same one they had encountered earlier.

However, it remained completely still, its hatch closed, with no sign of movement.

"The scientist must've already gone to the island," Kai noted.

"What now?" Ash asked.

"What do you think?" As Lapras reached the shore, Kai was the first to leap onto solid ground. "We've come this far, of course; we're going in."

Once everyone disembarked, Ash recalled Lapras, while Sabrina descended with Charizard, joining the group.

With their party gathered, they set off along the river, following the Magikarp upstream.

.

.

.

.

.

The river was packed.

Thousands upon thousands of Magikarp surged forward, struggling against the current, turning the entire river into a sea of red. The sight was both overwhelming and awe-inspiring.

"Whoa… I've never seen anything like this before!" Misty marvelled, watching the Magikarp tirelessly swim against the flow.

Kai nodded in agreement. Something about this scene reminded him of real-world fish migrations, where certain species would swim upstream to spawn.

Maybe the Pokémon world has something similar…

Pulling out his PokéGear, he snapped a few pictures to capture the rare event.

Just as they were all absorbed in the sight, a voice suddenly called out from behind them.

"Hey! What are you all standing around for?!"

Everyone turned in surprise.

It was the scientist from earlier!

Somehow, despite being ahead of them before, he had now ended up behind them, carrying a massive stack of crates on his back.

"When did he get behind us?!" Misty whispered in disbelief.

Kai had no idea either. But even more surprising was the sheer amount of equipment the old man was carrying. The load was nearly as big as he was!

Despite his small frame, he moved without any difficulty, as if the weight was nothing to him.

Before they could even process what was happening, the scientist began handing out his equipment stuffing crates and boxes into everyone's arms without a word.

Even Pikachu and Sabrina suddenly found themselves holding small boxes.

"Uh…?"

The group was caught completely off guard.

Without so much as an introduction, the scientist had conscripted them into carrying his gear!

"Hey, old man! What are you doing?!" Ash protested, struggling with the giant box in his arms.

But the scientist ignored him entirely. With only a single backpack left on his back, he casually walked along the river, heading deeper into the forest.

After a few steps, he turned and waved impatiently.

"Well? Don't just stand there, let's go!"

"Go… where exactly?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances.

Though none of them had any idea what was happening, they reluctantly followed after the scientist.

"Old man, at least tell us what's going on!" Ash called out again.

But the scientist didn't even slow down.

Misty sighed, glancing down at the box in her hands with an exasperated expression. "Seriously, what even is this?"

Kai chuckled. "Let's just go along with it for now. Once we reach wherever he's taking us, we'll figure it out."

He then turned to Sabrina, who remained silent, still holding onto her box with an expressionless face.

"You okay with this?" he asked quietly.

Sabrina gave a small shake of her head.

If this had happened in the past, she definitely would have flung the scientist into the air with Psychic. But now?

It didn't really bother her anymore.

.

.

.

.

.

The path grew steeper as they continued forward.

The ground beneath them, once smooth and level, became increasingly rugged as they started ascending the small mountain at the island's centre.

Meanwhile, beside them, the river's current intensified.

The higher they climbed, the stronger the water pressure became yet the Magikarp didn't stop.

The endless stream of red bodies continued swimming upstream, relentlessly pushing toward higher ground.

Kai narrowed his eyes, 'If they're not migrating to spawn… then what's drawing them upstream?'

After several minutes, Misty, unable to hold back her curiosity, quickened her pace until she was walking beside the scientist.

"Old man, just who are you?"

For the first time, the scientist actually responded.

He grinned, his expression softening slightly. "I'm Quincy T. Quackenpoker. A Pokémon Watcher."

"Pokémon Watcher?!"

The group immediately turned toward Tracey, expecting some kind of reaction.

But Tracey simply shook his head.

Despite sharing the same profession, he had never heard of Quackenpoker before.

Misty, still sceptical, lifted the box she was holding. "And what's inside these?"

Quackenpoker smirked. "What do you think? They're my observation tools."

"Observation tools… for Magikarp?"

"Of course."

Quackenpoker seemed in a good mood, perhaps because Misty reminded him of his granddaughter. For once, he actually elaborated.

"These are all specialized instruments for studying these Magikarp."

Hearing this, Tracey immediately perked up.

"Aha! Just as I thought these Magikarp must have some special trait or behaviour, right?"

Excited, he rushed to the riverbank, pulled out his sketchbook, and prepared to start documenting.

But just as he leaned in too close—

SPLASH!

A leaping Magikarp erupted from the water, startling him!

The sudden movement sent a spray of water directly into his face.

Tracey, soaked and stunned, froze mid-motion.

His enthusiasm instantly deflated.

"…Well, that was unfortunate."

Quackenpoker huffed, unimpressed. "You fool. Those are just ordinary Magikarp. There's nothing worth sketching!"

"Huh?" Tracey wiped his face, looking puzzled. "But… didn't you say these boxes contain tools for studying the Magikarp?"

"If they're just normal Magikarp… then why go through all this effort?"

Quackenpoker grinned mysteriously.

"That's exactly the question, isn't it?"

----

Don't forget to drop some Power Stones!

For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon.

P@treon/iamxeno

Thank you so much for your support and for reading!