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"So you're traveling Trainers! What a lively group," the beautiful field warden, Cheryl, said with a warm smile.
She had invited the trio into her cozy cabin for a reprieve from the afternoon heat. Brock, naturally, had seen this as the dawn of his new life. "Yes, Miss! This humble one is currently on a journey of the heart, and I believe fate has led me to—"
Thwip.
Croagunk didn't even wait for the punchline. It leaped from its ball, delivered a precise jab to Brock's kidney, and began dragging his paralyzed body toward the corner of the room. Cheryl giggled, while Ash and Dawn simply sipped their tea, long since accustomed to the routine.
"Gardevoir~"
The elegant Psychic-type moved with a maid's grace, serving tea and delicate pastries. Ash watched her with a professional eye. In his past life's gaming sessions, a Gardevoir was a cornerstone of his team—he'd spent hours in the Sinnoh of old catching dozens of Ralts just to find the perfect partner. Seeing one in the flesh, with its wine-red eyes and poised demeanor, still gave him a jolt of excitement.
Gardevoir felt his gaze. Being an Empath, she picked up on the "burning desire to possess" (or at least, to catch) emanating from him. Her face flushed a soft pink, and she quickly retreated to the garden with her watering can, her usual outgoing nature replaced by a sudden, inexplicable shyness.
"Is she always that bashful?" Dawn asked, nibbling on a cookie.
"Actually, no," Cheryl said, puzzled. "She's usually quite social. I wonder what's gotten into her?"
Ash cleared his throat, looking away. "Maybe it's just the weather..."
Brock, meanwhile, was already back on his feet. "Miss Cheryl, your kindness is as radiant as the sun!"
"So fast!" Dawn gasped. "Is he... developing a resistance to Poison Jab?"
Ash looked at Croagunk. I might need to help that frog level up his toxins if Brock keeps adapting like this, he thought with a grin.
BOOM!
A sudden explosion rocked the cabin, rattling the teacups.
"Gardevoir!" Cheryl cried, rushing toward the door. Ash and the others were a second behind her.
They stepped out into the flower field to see a nightmare in the sky. A massive dragon with blood-red wings circled overhead—a Salamence. Perched on its back was a silver-haired woman with cold, calculating eyes behind high-tech sunglasses.
"It's Pokémon Hunter J," Ash said, his voice dropping an octave.
"Who?" Dawn asked, but the urgency in Ash's stance told her all she needed to know.
J didn't care for introductions. Below her, Gardevoir was struggling against a thick web of String Shot from an Ariados, pinned to a tree. Cheryl had tried to intervene but was knocked to the grass.
"A high-grade specimen," J said, her voice like ice. She raised a heavy, mechanical gauntlet. "I'll make your beauty eternal."
A yellowish-brown beam shot from the device, aiming to turn Gardevoir into a stone statue.
"Thunderbolt!"
A golden lance of electricity tore through the air, forcing J to pivot. Salamence flared a Protect shield, absorbing the hit, but J's gaze shifted to the source. She saw Pikachu, sparks dancing on his cheeks.
"A Pikachu with that much output... and quite the rare spirit," J mused, a predatory smile touching her lips. "Fine. You'll be my next piece of merchandise."
She fired the petrification beam at Pikachu, but the mouse was a blur, using Agility to weave through the shots. Meanwhile, Dawn and Brock rushed to Gardevoir's side, sending out Piplup and Croagunk to shred the webs.
"Brats," J spat. She leaped from Salamence, throwing a second Poké Ball as she hit the ground. A massive, purple-and-grey Drapion emerged, its claws snapping with violent intent.
J stood flanked by Salamence, Drapion, and Ariados. It was a wall of high-level power.
"Pidgeot, Scizor! I'm counting on you!" Ash shouted, releasing his two veterans.
The strategy formed in his mind instantly. Pidgeot would hunt the Ariados; Scizor's steel typing would wall the poisonous Drapion. That left the king of the field—Salamence—to Pikachu.
With type advantages across two-thirds of the board and a Psychic-type Gardevoir recovering behind him, Ash felt a surge of confidence. He was riding a wave of tactical superiority.
Three against three, and I've got the counters, Ash thought, his hat brim shadowing his eyes. How can I lose when I'm staring down a dragon with an Elite-level team on my side?
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