In the footage— The pitch-black night instantly turned into bright day, and the camera finally switched to the protagonist of this segment... Ash!
At this point, Ash, Misty, and Brock had arrived at Alto Mare, renowned as the world's most beautiful city. Ash had already collected eight Gym Badges and came here to relax before the Silver Conference.
Upon arriving, they coincidentally encountered the annual "Tour de Alto Mare" water racing festival. Ash and Misty, naturally, entered the competition.
The race involves a Water-type Pokémon pulling a Trainer on a waterboard. It tests the Pokémon's strength and speed, as well as the Trainer's balance and command. It's a thrilling sport! As the race began, Ash, Misty, and the previous champion, Ross, took an early lead.
Ash was using Totodile, while Misty used a Pokémon she didn't currently own—Corsola! The sight of the pink, beautiful Corsola made Misty's eyes sparkle.
"How can there be such a pretty Pokémon! Is that a Pokémon I'll catch later?! Professor Oak, where do Corsola live? I'm going to catch one!"
Professor Oak thought for a moment. "Most Corsola colonies are in the Johto region. You'll likely encounter them during your adventures there."
"See, Misty? What's meant to be yours will be yours! That's definitely your Pokémon of destiny! Let's watch the video first! I'm definitely winning this race!!" When it came to competition, Ash was fired up. He hated losing in any contest!
"Keep dreaming! When it comes to water, I'm the winner!" Misty retorted.
Ash wanted to argue back, but then his "on-screen self" ran into trouble... Totodile was going so fast that it failed to clear a turn, sending Ash flying! Seeing a wall approaching, Ash braced for impact, but instead of pain, he felt like he hit a giant ball of cotton! Before he could process the comfort of the "cotton," he splashed into the canal.
Emerging from the water, Ash was dazed. But there was no time to waste; he was now in last place! He hopped back on his board and urged Totodile forward.
However... Totodile's speed was now wrong! It wasn't just fast; it was hovering slightly above the water, moving twice as fast as before. It looked like it was performing "Lightfoot" water-walking!
Ash didn't know why, but the audience in the real world saw the secret immediately! The footage specifically highlighted a transparent figure with a faint reddish tint.
[Will: Is that... Latias?! It has to be Latias!]
[Karen: If my eyes don't deceive me, that is indeed Latias.]
One was the Psychic Elite Four of Johto, the other the Dark Elite Four. They knew their Legendaries well.
[Will: Legend says Latias and Latios can take human form. Not a true transformation, but by using their glass-like feathers to refract light and change their appearance.]
[Karen: Besides taking human form, Latias can use light refraction to turn invisible. If the Heavenly Ranking hadn't added that tint for us, we'd be just as confused as Ash.]
The audience realized Ash couldn't see anything. The reason for the 2x speed boost was Latias pulling the rope for Totodile! Even the soft "cotton" Ash hit earlier was Latias!
"So this is how the story between Ash and Latias begins?" "To be fair, this start is much friendlier than Mewtwo's! Mewtwo's was basically 'Hell Mode'!" "Can't wait to see more!!"
In the footage— With Latias's help, Ash flew across the water, catching up to Misty and Ross in no time! However, just as he was about to cross the finish line at an overwhelming speed... Latias took a sharp turn! She led Ash into the wrong lane, causing him to lose the championship!
[Lance: Ah... well...]
[Alder: Haha! It seems Ash is destined to be far from the title for now!]
[Diantha: He really is 'Champion-Immune.' I remember during the Alola exhibition match, the referee listed his track record... he never won a League championship until Alola!]
[Ash: I have won one! In the Orange Islands, Charizard and Pikachu helped me win the Orange League trophy!]
Ash remembered that clearly. It was his and Charizard's highlight before Charizard went to the valley. Aside from that, his next official win really wouldn't come until Alola.
At the Oak Lab, Red spoke to the slightly discouraged Ash. "Don't worry, Ash. As long as you aren't careless or arrogant, winning the Indigo League won't be an issue." Honestly, even if Ash was careless, he likely wouldn't lose.
The current Indigo League participants were mostly "baby teams"—not a single one could put up a real fight.
"I will, Red! The Indigo League trophy is mine!" "Heh, I haven't even made my move yet, and you're already claiming the trophy?" Gary scoffed. "Once I use Blue's training methods, I'll crush you in minutes!" "Pfft! The Quarterfinals are tomorrow, Semis the day after, and Finals the day after that.
Is Blue's method going to make you grow wings?!" Gary stiffened. Time was indeed short. His current strength was far behind Ash's two "Top Generals," Charizard and Pikachu, who had been buffed by ranking rewards and Red's training.
In the footage—
Ash lost due to being led astray. Totodile looked guilty, but Ash comforted it. "It's okay! Everyone makes mistakes. Don't worry about it." Totodile happily leaped into Ash's arms. It was a small moment, but it showcased Ash's character: he never blamed his Pokémon for mistakes.
Misty won because Corsola's horn was a few centimeters longer than a Wailmer's. Ross, the former champion, wasn't bitter; he took Ash and his friends on a boat tour and shared the legend of the Guardian Gods: Latias and Latios!
Meanwhile, a high-tech robotic camera observed everything from the shadows. These were the tools of the two master thieves, Annie and Oakley. From their flying cars to these drones, their technology was top-tier. Their targets were the Lati-siblings and the Soul Dew.
The sisters knew from ancient texts that the Guardians take human form. However, they aren't truly human—they are illusions created by light refraction. Therefore, their internal structure remains Pokémon-like.
The most obvious indicator? Body temperature! Their temperature is significantly lower than a human's. Using a thermal-imaging drone, the sisters quickly found a target. A girl was detected with a low temperature, and they concluded she was the sister, Latias!
As they sped off in their motorboat, they passed the Team Rocket trio, who were enjoying ice cream... and melted their treats instantly! This was the second time today.
Earlier, Ash's wake during the race had soaked them. Now, their rare meal was ruined again. Team Rocket was furious! Do these people know how hard it is for them to get a full meal?!
[Lance: Ahem. I am a professional. I usually don't laugh at others... unless I can't help it! Hahaha!]
[Diantha: The Team Rocket trio is so unlucky! They look like they live hand-to-mouth, and the moment they get a good meal, it gets ruined twice! Sorry, I can't stop laughing!]
[Charles Goodshow: Just join the Alliance! What's the point of being bad? You're hungry and poorly dressed. If you join us, we'll guarantee you're fed and housed for life!]
Goodshow actually coveted their talents: Jessie, who was practically a "Super Pallet-ian"; Meowth, who could speak; and James... well, anyone who could keep up with those two must be extraordinary. If they put their "evil drive" into improving the Alliance, things would change rapidly.
[Jessie: Forget it! We are loyal to Boss Giovanni for life!]
[Professor Oak: You said that during the last ranking, too.]
[Jessie: ...]
You old geezer! Stop bringing that up! The Boss hasn't punished us yet, don't give him ideas!
[Giovanni: Forget it. They are Team Rocket for life. Trying to snatch people from me? Keep dreaming!]
Giovanni made his stance clear. The Alliance was openly trying to poach his staff in the comments! He had to speak up. These three were talented—just occasionally stupid. Their roots were deep within Team Rocket.
In the forest near the Indigo Plateau, Jessie, James, and Meowth were in tears. They didn't expect the Boss to value them so much, even after seeing their "betrayal"! "Tomorrow, we definitely catch Pikachu for the Boss!" "Using our newest robot, meow!" "Tomorrow will be a 'Grand Feeling'!" "Team Rocket... GO! *3"
In the footage—
Team Rocket noticed the two women. "Aren't those Annie and Oakley?!" James exclaimed. "Who?" "The number one sister-duo in the world of master thieves! If they're here, there must be a rare treasure!" Jessie's eyes turned into dollar signs.
"If we steal the treasure from them... doesn't that make us the new number one thieves?!" "Sounds like a great plan, meow!!" The three shared a wicked grin. Usually, such a grin would be bone-chilling, but from them...
"Stop! Don't go! That's a death trap!""Give it up, guys! You're incapable of doing anything evil!""You three doing 'evil' is just providing Ash with an assist!""Tell a joke: Team Rocket is going to commit a crime."
After so many rankings, the audience knew exactly what they were: Experts at failing. Seeing them try to be bad again didn't provoke hatred—just laughter.
PS1: Regarding the timeline, Misty's Politoed evolved shortly before the Blackthorn Gym. Ash is about to hit the 8th Gym here, so it's set after Blackthorn but before obtaining Larvitar.
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