Following the anxious Squirtle and Wartortle, Red and Ash's trio approached an unknown island. After Brock checked the map, he realized that this island had never been marked by the League—it was a mysterious, uninhabited place with no human presence.
Of course, Red, who knew the storyline, understood the island's true nature. This was a tribal island ruled by a Blastoise. Red called it "Turtle Island," where Blastoise's subjects—the Squirtle and Wartortle—lived.
After a short while
Due to its massive size, the Crimson Gyarados arrived at the island even before Squirtle and Wartortle. Red gently stroked the Crimson Gyarados, who was acting spoiled, completely ignoring the stunned looks from the Squirtle and Wartortle. After calming it down, he recalled it into its Poké Ball.
The Squirtle and Wartortle nearby stared in shock at the scene before them, unable to believe that such a powerful and ferocious Crimson Gyarados would show a childlike smile in Red's arms.
"Brother, you guys got here way too fast!"
Ash, who had just caught up, couldn't help but complain as he followed Red to the wide beach ahead.
Looking out, the beach was filled with countless Squirtle and Wartortle. However, all of them were in a strange state of slumber, each withdrawn into their shells.
At first, Misty worried that something bad had happened to them, but Brock quickly leaned close to one of the shells and listened carefully, determining that they were simply asleep.
The previously anxious Wartortle pointed toward a massive turtle shell on a stone platform not far away, trying to explain something to the group.
"What is that?!" Ash exclaimed excitedly, immediately pulling out his Pokédex to analyze it. The device responded with its mechanical explanation: "Blastoise, the Shellfish Pokémon, is the evolved form of Wartortle. Although its large body sacrifices speed, it possesses incredible power. Its hard shell offers extremely high defense, and the water cannons on its back deliver devastating attacks."
"So it really is Blastoise—it's real, it's real!"
Overcome with excitement, Ash rushed up to Blastoise and pressed his face against its shell.
"But are they practicing withdrawing into their shells?" Brock wondered. After careful examination, he confirmed that none of the sleeping Pokémon showed any signs of injury—they were simply deeply asleep.
"Or maybe they were forced into sleep for some reason," Red said jokingly, offering no further explanation.
Under Misty and Brock's astonished gazes, Ash's excited eyes gradually became hazy, and before anyone realized it, he collapsed onto the ground, falling asleep.
A worried Squirtle approached Blastoise as well, but within moments, it too collapsed and fell asleep just like Ash.
Then, at Misty's suggestion, Pikachu decisively used Thunderbolt, releasing all its electricity to wake up Ash and the many sleeping Pokémon.
"What are you doing, Pikachu?!" Ash shouted angrily. The nearby Squirtle also angrily pointed at Pikachu in protest.
"Serves you right for falling asleep in a situation like this," Misty retorted.
"Alright, Ash. Why did you fall asleep?" Brock asked, puzzled.
"I felt like when I heard a strange sound coming from inside Blastoise, I suddenly became very comfortable… like a voice echoing from the bottom of hell."
Ash vaguely described the eerie sound he heard. His words were confirmed by the other Squirtle and Wartortle—they had all gradually fallen asleep after hearing that same strange sound.
The Wartortle that had sought Red's help had narrowly escaped the danger while out searching for food, which was why it remained unaffected. Seeing that its companions were safe, it finally let out a sigh of relief.
To reassure everyone, Red simply used his psychic powers to awaken the long-slumbering Blastoise.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the massive shell on the stone platform began to tremble. Short, thick limbs extended out, segmented at the joints and ending in three toes. Then Blastoise's large head emerged, yawning sleepily as it looked at the group.
The front of Blastoise's shell opened, revealing two cannons—its proud weapons.
"So it was just asleep too?" Ash said in disappointment, realizing they had worried for nothing.
However, the awakened Blastoise looked confused as it tried to touch the cannons on its back with its short arms. It noticed that the right cannon seemed to be blocked by something, preventing it from firing water.
"What is that?" Ash wondered, curious about what creature could be stuck inside Blastoise's cannon.
"Ash, didn't you notice that pink ear looks a lot like that Jigglypuff you've been dealing with all this time?" Red teased, smiling at the trio. After all, their journey had been repeatedly tormented by that "pink devil."
"No way—that's the one Pokémon I absolutely don't want to run into!" Misty said in horror.
"It can't be that much of a coincidence!" Brock added, unwilling to believe it.
As if to confirm Red's guess, a strange singing voice began to echo from Blastoise's right cannon. The song made everyone present feel drowsy, causing them to yawn repeatedly.
Just as everyone was about to fall asleep, Red—still fully awake—immediately used his psychic powers. A blue glow shone from his eyes as he controlled the Jigglypuff stuck inside the cannon to close its mouth. At the same time, he instructed Pikachu to use Thunderbolt again, shocking everyone awake.
After resolving the strange mass slumber incident on Turtle Island, Red and the others were about to discuss how to help Jigglypuff return home when something unexpected happened.
"Kame!" (Blastoise's cry)
A high-voltage electric current suddenly struck Blastoise, causing it to cry out in pain.
Just as everyone wondered who had attacked it, the assailant hiding in the shadows stepped forward—a young man appeared before Red and the others.
He had short cyan hair and wore a white uniform. On the left side of his chest was a red "R" symbol on a black background—the emblem of Team Rocket.
Beside him stood an Electrode, clearly the source of the earlier electric attack.
"I didn't expect such a massive Blastoise to live on such an insignificant island. A Pokémon of this caliber—if it doesn't belong to Team Rocket, then it has no reason to exist," the man said coldly, his ruthless gaze sweeping over the group. When he saw Red's face, he was visibly taken aback, not expecting him to be here.
"You must be Red from Pallet Town?!" the man asked in surprise. The Electrode beside him grew visibly tense, ready to unleash another electric attack at any moment.
"Judging by your outfit, you're probably a high-ranking Team Rocket executive like Ariana," Red said calmly. Though phrased as a question, his tone carried certainty.
"It seems there's no need to hide my identity. Your battle with Ariana at the Seafoam Islands has already spread among the other three executives. Allow me to introduce myself properly—I am Archer, one of Team Rocket's four executives!"