"So, Mr. Jack, you've been protecting this egg all along?"
May's eyes gleamed with curiosity. She knew that Miss Judy had never mentioned Jack, but since Ash said it, she wasn't going to question it. Instead, her gaze was drawn to the mesmerizing Pokémon Egg before her.
Latias, too, stared at the egg, a rare sense of intrigue flickering in her golden eyes.
As a Level 99 Pokémon, she had a sharp intuition—something about this egg felt extraordinary.
"Yes, that's correct," Jack said, now having shed his clown disguise. "This Pokémon Egg is incredibly precious. Since you know Judy, you must also be aware that Pokémon Rangers like us are often assigned unique missions. This one is no exception. In fact, this egg is one of the rarest of them all—inside it lies the Mythical Pokémon, Manaphy."
Hearing this, May gasped in awe.
"The Egg of Manaphy? That's amazing!"
Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the radiant blue egg, its surface shimmering with an almost hypnotic glow.
As night fell, the circus performers, including Lizabeth's parents and grandfather, were delighted to learn that Ash and his companions were Pokémon Trainers and acquaintances of a Pokémon Rangers. Hoping they might be able to help, they invited Ash and his friends to spend the night in their mobile home.
That night, Latias remained by Ash's side, refusing to return to her Poké Ball.
As a result, she ended up sleeping beside Ash—right where May was supposed to be. The situation left both Ash and May at a loss, but they could only chuckle helplessly.
Pikachu snuggled comfortably against Ash's chest and quickly drifted off. Meanwhile, Latias, nestled against Ash, nudged her head deeper into his embrace, purring contentedly even in her sleep.
Seeing this, Ash sighed and simply let things be.
May, on the other hand, had a peculiar dream that night.
She found herself submerged in a vast, warm ocean, surrounded by countless Water-type Pokémon swimming freely in the shimmering blue depths.
The sea glowed with a mysterious radiance, illuminating the world beneath the waves.
As May marveled at the beauty around her, a small, adorable Pokémon suddenly appeared before her, swimming toward her with a cheerful cry.
"Mana~~!"
Its voice was soft, sweet, and utterly endearing, melting May's heart instantly.
The little Pokémon was a vibrant shade of blue, with large, expressive eyes that sparkled with intelligence.
It turned and swam toward the deeper parts of the ocean.
In the distance, a colossal, majestic palace emerged from the depths—ancient and sacred.
The tiny blue Pokémon was heading straight for it.
May instinctively reached out, her heart pounding.
"Wait! Wait for me!" she called, trying to follow.
But just as she was about to reach it—
Her eyes flew open.
It was a dream.
Yet, it had felt so real.
Ash and Anabel stirred awake from the sound of her voice.
Before they could say anything, there was a frantic knock on the door.
"Everyone, wake up! We're under attack by pirates!" Lizabeth's grandfather's urgent voice rang out. "Their helicopter's metal claws have latched onto our trailer! We need to get to the front cabin—quickly!"
The Pirate Phantom Strikes!
Pirates?!
Ash's eyes narrowed.
The Pirate Phantom—the man who had been relentlessly chasing after Manaphy's Egg—was already here?
Something was off.
In the original timeline, he shouldn't have arrived so soon.
Had his actions already started altering the course of events?
Shaking off his thoughts, Ash rushed out with the others.
Fortunately, the front cabin of the mobile home was large enough to accommodate everyone.
Jack's expression was grim. "The Pirate Phantom has been pursuing Manaphy's Egg and Sea Crown for a long time. We're heading to the Samiya, where Manaphy is meant to hatch. From there, we will return it to the ocean and part ways."
It was clear that Jack didn't want to involve Ash and his friends in this dangerous mission.
But Ash merely smirked.
"Whether we part ways or not... that's not for you to decide, Jack."
Thanks to Lizabeth's grandfather's skillful driving, they soon managed to shake off the pirates and continued toward the Sea Temple Samiya, is a underwater palace built by the People of the Water. It has a complex structure and holds the Sea Crown in its depths.
The Lizabeth family were direct descendants of the People of the Sea, which was why Jack had sought their help in the first place. It was their duty and responsibility to ensure Manaphy's safe return to its rightful home.
At last, the Samiya came into view.
But just as they arrived—
A dark shadow loomed overhead.
A massive airship had been waiting for them.
"What?! Impossible!"
Jack's face paled.
The Pirate Phantom had beaten them to the Sea Temple, Samiya!
A deep, arrogant laughter echoed from the airship.
"HAHAHAHA! There are two types of men in this world! The ones who chase others—and the ones who get chased! And I, Galen( is Captain Phantom's second-in-command), am the one who chases!"
The airship's hatch opened, and a burly man with a thick beard leaped down. His pirate outfit fluttered in the wind as he landed with a confident grin.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed two Poké Balls into the air.
A Pinsir and a Parasect emerged, both snarling menacingly.
May instinctively clutched Ash's hand.
Ash understood—she didn't want Manaphy's Egg to fall into the wrong hands.
As he reached for Charizard's Poké Ball, Anabel had already stepped forward.
"Metagross, let's go."
Her Shiny Metagross materialized, its steel body gleaming under the moonlight.
"Metagross, use Hyper Beam!"
A devastating beam of energy blasted forward.
BOOM!
Phantom's Pinsir and Parasect were obliterated the moment they appeared.
Ash blinked.
Whoa. Anabel's savage.
Having adored Pokémon since childhood, Anabel despised those who would steal and exploit them.
"Damn it! You dare attack my Pokémon? Fine! I'll take that egg myself!"
Phantom bellowed, charging straight at AJ.
His men were still aboard the airship, leaving him alone—his excitement had made him reckless.
Jack had anticipated the attack and leaped aside.
But in that instant, Phantom swung his cane, striking the container in Jack's arms!
CRACK!
The lid burst open.
The Manaphy Egg was flung into the air.
A sinister grin spread across Phantom's face.
But before his smile could fully form—
BAM!
He was sent flying by a single powerful kick.
Ash's foot had slammed straight into his gut.
He hadn't even seen it coming.
Before Phantom could recover, Ash launched himself forward, flipping mid-air.
With a crushing heel stomp, he pinned Phantom to the ground.
The pirate couldn't even move.
Meanwhile, the Manaphy Egg landed safely—right into May's arms.
And at that moment—
A brilliant red and blue glow burst forth.
The egg was hatching.
AJ's face turned pale.
"May! Quickly, give the egg to me!"
If Manaphy's first sight was of Jack, it would make things much easier for his mission.
But fate had other plans.
As the light engulfed May's arms—
A newborn voice rang out.
"Mana~~~!"
Manaphy had hatched—and the first thing it saw was May.
--------------
T/N:
Access 40 Chapters in Advance on my
P@treon: p@treon.com/PokePals