The moment the Poké Ball stopped shaking, the wind in the forest seemed to fall silent for an instant.
Shinji walked over, bent down to pick up the Poké Ball, and lightly brushed his fingertips over the smooth shell. A nearly imperceptible flash of satisfaction flickered in his dark purple eyes.
"Great! The capture was a success!"
Dawn was the first to run over, a brilliant smile blossoming on her face, her deep blue eyes sparkling.
She first looked at the Poké Ball in Shinji's hand, then glanced at the Elekid beside him, praising him sincerely, "Shinji, you're amazing! And so is Elekid!"
"Bi-bi!"
Elekid raised its arms and gave two short cries toward Dawn. Its expression remained as cool and detached as Shinji's, but its slightly upturned chin faintly betrayed a hint of pride at being praised.
Ash also stepped forward, scratching the back of his head. His face still carried a bit of frustration from his defeat by Shinji, but he spoke sincerely, "Thanks for the help, Shinji. Your Elekid... has become even stronger than last time."
Shinji precisely clipped the Poké Ball back onto his belt. He glanced sideways at Ash, his tone remaining as flat and emotionless as ever. "It was nothing."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ash, Brock, and the Team Rocket Trio who were still sprawled on the ground not far away. A nearly imperceptible curve touched the corner of his mouth. "On the other hand, your talent for attracting trouble seems to be growing faster than your battle strength."
"You guy..." A vein instantly popped on Ash's forehead as blood rushed to his head. That small spark of gratitude was immediately replaced by defiance.
He suddenly pulled a Poké Ball from his belt, his fighting spirit burning fiercely. "Let's have a battle, Shinji! I'll show you the new partner I recently caught! This time won't be like the last!"
"Waste of time." Shinji didn't even bother to lift his eyelids as he spat out those words. He turned around and strode toward the forest exit, his back practically screaming 'I can't be bothered with you'.
"Shinji, you jerk—I'm so mad!!" Ash was completely enraged. Waving his fists in a frenzy, he prepared to give chase.
"Calm down, Ash!" Brock was quick to react, grabbing Ash around the waist from behind with a practiced ease, as if he had done it a thousand times before.
"Exactly, Ash, don't be so impulsive." Dawn also hurried to wave her hands in persuasion. Although she found Ash's frustrated state a bit funny, it wouldn't be good to delay their journey with a fight.
On the other side, the Team Rocket Trio hiding behind a tree saw everything clearly.
Seeing Shinji capture the rampaging Ursaring in just a few moves, the three of them trembled with fear, exchanging terrified glances.
"Meow... that cold kid is way too scary. He even caught that Alpha Ursaring so easily," Meowth whispered, his voice trembling.
"We should hurry and run. If he finds us, we'll definitely get a beating!" Jessie pulled James along as they began to creep toward the depths of the dense forest, hoping to slip away quietly.
But they had only moved a few steps when Pikachu's sharp senses detected them.
Noticing Pikachu's reaction, Ash also spotted the Team Rocket Trio. He immediately remembered that if they hadn't tried to steal Pikachu earlier, he wouldn't have been chased by the Beedrill. He instantly found an outlet for his frustration.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Pika—chu!"
A dazzling golden electric light exploded. Accompanied by the classic line, "We're blasting off again—", the Team Rocket Trio turned into shooting stars in the sky and quickly disappeared.
Having vented his frustration, the stifled air in Ash's chest finally cleared a bit.
He watched Shinji's back as it was about to vanish into the woods. His fists tightened again, but his gaze became even more determined.
"Just you wait, Shinji," he muttered to himself, before taking large strides to catch up. "I'm definitely going to make you battle me!"
Seeing Ash's relentless persistence, Dawn and Brock looked at each other and shook their heads helplessly at the same time.
"Those two really are a pair of fated rivals," Brock said with a wry smile.
"Yeah," Dawn nodded, then quickly followed. "Whatever, let's hurry and keep up, or we'll be left behind!"
Dawn quickly caught up to Shinji and naturally walked by his side, with Ash and Brock following not far behind.
The forest path gradually widened, and the mist thinned significantly, signaling that they were about to exit the Illusion Forest.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse leaves, dappling Shinji's cold, sharp profile.
Dawn tilted her head to look at him. Suddenly remembering the scene from earlier, her eyes darted around as she leaned in closer, whispering with a hint of mischief:
"Hey, Shinji."
"..." Shinji kept his eyes fixed ahead.
"When I used Charm just now..." Dawn's voice dropped even lower, filled with amusement. "Did your ears... turn a little red?"
Shinji's steps faltered almost imperceptibly. The lines of his profile tightened visibly, and his jawline became more defined.
He still didn't turn his head, merely squeezing out two stiff words from his throat: "They didn't."
His voice was colder than usual, yet it sounded strangely lacking in conviction.
"Is that so?" Dawn blinked, the mirth in her deep blue eyes nearly overflowing. she drawled her words intentionally, "But I think I saw it very clearly—"
"Be quiet." Shinji interrupted her, his pace noticeably quickening as he tried to put some distance between them.
Only his footsteps, compared to his usual steady and sharp gait, seemed slightly messy and hurried, carrying a hint of fleeing in panic.
Behind him, Dawn chuckled as if she had succeeded. Only then did she contentedly return to her normal pace, humming a lighthearted tune.
...
Jubilife City is a modern metropolis located in the center of the Sinnoh region. The city is grand in scale, with towering buildings and wide, clean streets, brimming with a sense of technology and fashion.
It is not only one of the largest cities in Sinnoh but also a core hub for information and transportation: the famous 'Jubilife TV' is located here, broadcasting news, variety shows, and Pokémon-related events to the entire region; the Trainers' School provides basic knowledge for newcomers; and the Global Trade Station gathers goods and information from all over the world.
As the group passed through the last stretch of shade, the view suddenly opened up.
Wide roads, neat green belts, and towering glass-walled skyscrapers in the distance... the sights of Jubilife City rushed toward them.
"Wow! We're finally here!" Dawn jumped excitedly, spinning around while holding Piplup. "It's even bigger and more bustling than it looks on the map!"
Even the well-traveled Ash and Brock were impressed by the scale of Jubilife City.
Shinji maintained his usual calm expression, though his gaze lingered for a moment as it swept across the city skyline.
As was the custom for travelers, their first stop was naturally the Pokémon Center.
The Jubilife City Pokémon Center was several times larger than the one at the edge of the forest. The red and white building was bright and eye-catching, with a spacious interior and advanced facilities.
However, the center was currently much more crowded than usual. Many Trainers were gathered in the lobby, many of whom were accompanied by stylish and beautifully groomed Pokémon.
"There are so many people..." Dawn looked around curiously.
"It looks like they're all participants for the upcoming Jubilife City Pokémon Contest," Brock observed, making a judgment based on the surroundings.
Sure enough, many Trainers were performing final rehearsals with their Pokémon in the corners of the lobby, the backyard, or borrowed training rooms.
Elegant dances, brilliant move combinations, and synchronized interactions... the air was filled with a tense yet artistic atmosphere.
Seeing the other participants working so hard, Dawn suddenly felt a wave of pressure, but it quickly turned into motivation.
She clenched her fists, her eyes burning with determination. "Everyone is so serious... I can't slack off either! Piplup, we have to do our best!"
"Piplup!"
"Heal the Pokémon first," Shinji reminded them, walking straight to the front desk.
Dawn nodded quickly and followed him.
Nurse Joy greeted them with her usual gentle smile. "Welcome to the Jubilife City Pokémon Center. How can I help you today?"
"Please help our Pokémon restore their energy, Nurse Joy." Shinji stepped forward first, handing over the Poké Balls containing Elekid, Chimchar, Murkrow, and the newly caught Ursaring.
Ash, Dawn, and Brock also handed over their Poké Balls one after another.
"Please leave them to me." Nurse Joy took the Poké Balls and turned to walk into the treatment room.
Seeing people battling, Ash's inner urge was stirred again. He once again requested a battle from Shinji. Although he had been rejected countless times over the past two days, Ash remained relentless.
Facing Ash's persistent pestering, Shinji remained stoic on the surface, but he truly felt a hint of helplessness in his heart.
Watching the other Coordinators busy training around her, Dawn also felt a sense of crisis. The pressure she felt earlier resurfaced.
She clenched her fists, her eyes becoming determined. She couldn't fall behind and had to seize every minute to improve her strength.
She turned to look at Ash, who was still pestering Shinji, and suddenly had an idea. She stepped forward and said, "Ash, stop bothering Shinji. Why don't you... have a battle with me instead?"
"Eh?" Ash blinked, stopping his harassment of Shinji, and looked at Dawn in confusion. "Battle with you?"
"Yes!" Dawn nodded vigorously, her tone serious. "The Contest is happening soon, and I want to get more familiar with the battle rhythm and gain some experience before the competition. You have plenty of battle experience, so you can be my sparring partner. We'll use the Contest's timed battle rules, how about it?"
"Sure, no problem. We'll battle once Nurse Joy finishes treating the Pokémon." Ash was always happy to help others in this regard.
"Great!" Dawn also broke into a happy smile.
Seeing this, Shinji finally breathed a sigh of relief. He silently walked to the lounge area in the corner of the lobby and sat down, pulling out his training notebook to organize his Pokémon's training plans, finally escaping Ash's pestering.