"What did you say!?"
Ash's temper flared instantly, and whatever gratitude he'd felt for being rescued evaporated on the spot.
The young man didn't even blink. Hands still in his pockets, he watched Ash with a cold, detached gaze. Beside him, the stocky boy offered Ash an easy, friendly smile.
"You guys are new to the city, right? I heard you talking earlier. You're looking for the Battle Tower? It's not that way. Come with us."
With that, the boy stepped onto a moving walkway going in the opposite direction.
Natsui took the chance to study their group more carefully.
First was the young man who'd just pulled Ash off the walkway. He looked fourteen or fifteen—gray trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, and a slightly old-fashioned, conservative style. His hair covered his ears, his skin was fair, and his features were refined. Calm to the point of aloofness, he looked like the kind of trainer who fought with his head.
In that sense, he was Ash's complete opposite.
The sturdier boy who'd spoken up seemed the same age, but built broader. He wore a red bandana, a black shirt, and shorts—more streetwear than traditional, with a hip-hop vibe.
Then there were two younger girls in matching outfits. Their faces were nearly identical.
Twins?
It was the first time Natsui had seen twins since arriving in this world. Up close, they looked about Max's age—high hats, short skirts, and bright, innocent smiles. Aside from slight differences in color accents, they were practically indistinguishable.
Finally, Natsui glanced at the Blaziken. Its coat was glossy, its posture disciplined, its gaze sharp and focused. Whatever else was true, it had been raised well. He found himself briefly wondering how it would stack up against his own Blaziken.
Like Natsui's group, these four were clearly traveling as a unit.
Now that Ash knew they could lead him to the Battle Tower, his energy returned immediately. He stopped caring about the insult and hopped onto the walkway behind the twins without a second thought.
Natsui and the others exchanged looks, then followed.
Truthfully, Natsui wasn't especially interested in the Battle Tower. To him, it was simply another battle venue. What he actually wanted was to locate the Deoxys hiding somewhere in the city. But as a newcomer with no sense of the layout, it made sense to go along for now—and keep his eyes open.
A moment later, he felt a faint vibration from the Poké Ball at his waist.
Deoxys had sensed another of its kind nearby.
Unfortunately, LaRousse was drenched in electromagnetic noise. Signals bled through every street and corridor. Deoxys could feel its kin, but the interference made direction and distance frustratingly vague.
Natsui pressed a calming thought through their link.
Don't worry. Not yet. Wait a little longer—you'll see them soon.
Inside the Ultra Ball, Deoxys finally settled.
From the back of the group, Natsui watched Ash, who had already recovered enough to try making conversation with the aloof young man up front.
Natsui had to admit it: Ash's social stamina was ridiculous. He could take a hit to the ego, shrug it off, and act like it never happened. If Natsui were in his position, he'd have written someone off for that kind of attitude. He certainly wouldn't be chatting cheerfully two minutes later.
Ash eyed the Blaziken and spoke up. "I'm Ash from Pallet Town. You guys headed to the Battle Tower too? How about a battle?"
The twins turned around at once, speaking in perfect sync.
"Rafe is really strong, you know!"
"That's right! And his Blaziken too!"
The young man—Rafe—glanced at Ash and gave a short nod. "Ash, right? Anyone can enter the Battle Tower. If you want to challenge me there, I'll be waiting."
The stocky boy added, "You can't enter alone, though. The matches are double battles. You'll need a partner. I'm Rafe's teammate. Name's Sid—and my partner is Blastoise. We're a tough pair."
"Double battles?" Ash blinked, surprised, but recovered quickly. "So I just need a teammate, right? I have one! And he happens to be the best trainer in the world!"
"The best trainer?" Sid looked genuinely confused. "Who?"
Ash grinned, then jogged back through the crowd toward Natsui.
"Natsui!" he whispered, eyes shining. "Team up with me! If we join forces, nobody can touch us. We'll go on a nonstop winning streak!"
Rafe and Sid turned their attention to Natsui.
Natsui didn't hesitate. He shook his head. "Find someone else. I have other things to handle."
"Eh?" Ash froze. He clearly hadn't expected that.
Still, he didn't dwell on it. He turned immediately to Misty. "Hey, Misty. It's been a long time since we fought side-by-side. Double battle with me?"
Misty rejected him even faster. "Not a chance. May and I already decided—this is a city like this, we're going shopping."
"What the…?"
Ash's last hope was Brock.
"Brock, please… team up with me…"
Brock smiled gently. "Have you forgotten? I'm not traveling as a trainer right now. Besides, there are so many beautiful ladies in the audience. How could I abandon them?"
Ash stared at them, dumbfounded. He'd asked everyone, and not a single person would partner with him.
He puffed out his chest anyway. "Fine! Just watch. Even without you guys, I'll find someone!"
May was a Coordinator, and Max… wasn't even worth asking.
Right then, the twins called out together, "We're here!"
Everyone looked up.
At the end of the walkway stood a towering, cone-shaped building perched on a small hill. Its glass exterior gleamed under the sun, reflecting the sky like a mirror. It looked like something pulled straight out of a sci-fi film.
The moving walkway ended at the base of the hill, so the last stretch had to be walked.
Natsui stepped onto solid ground and rolled his shoulders. These walkways were convenient, sure, but after riding one for a while, his legs always felt slightly off when he returned to normal footing.
That was just him, though. Misty and May clearly loved the system.
If you two keep living like this, you're going to get soft, Natsui thought.
They climbed the winding steps to the entrance.
Inside, a massive lobby opened before them. Elevators lined the walls in every direction. Tourists packed the space shoulder-to-shoulder.
Despite the name, the "Battle Tower" was really a multi-purpose complex: shops, restaurants, a cinema, amusement facilities, even a library. But all of that was secondary to the main attraction—an arena large enough to seat thousands.
Ash had already learned the rules from Sid on the way here. The moment they entered the lobby, he shouted, "I'm going to register!" and disappeared into the crowd.
Rafe's group peeled off in a different direction. With reservations already in place, they headed straight for the arena.
Once they were gone, only Natsui's group remained in the lobby.
Misty and May huddled together for a moment, then smiled at everyone. "The tournament won't start for a while. We're going to look around nearby. We'll be back when the matches begin."
Max chimed in immediately. "I want to go to the Tech Hall! I want to see the newest gadgets!"
Brock scanned the area. Not spotting any beautiful women nearby, he sighed. "I'll head to the stands and save good seats."
All eyes turned to Natsui.
He waved them off. "Go. Don't worry about me. I want to look around on my own."
"Alright," Brock said. "We'll meet in the stands later."
The group split.
Natsui headed straight for the elevators. He wanted the highest floor—somewhere with a clear view of LaRousse City. If there was any obvious sign of where Deoxys was hiding, a bird's-eye perspective was the fastest way to spot it.
His memory of the movie's sequence was hazy, but he still remembered the outline: an Antarctic expedition discovered a meteorite containing two Deoxys—one in normal form, the other reduced to a core. Rayquaza descended, fought, and defeated the normal one. The core was brought back to LaRousse for research. Years later, the surviving Deoxys arrived to reclaim its companion, triggering a crisis… and another clash with Rayquaza.
If the city was truly on that track, then this wasn't just a chance to meet Deoxys—it was also a chance to draw Rayquaza out.
In that case, maybe he didn't even need the Sky Pillar.
But Natsui didn't want just any Rayquaza. In the Sky Pillar, there was supposed to be a shiny black Rayquaza.
That was his real goal.
Even if the odds were slim, he had to try.
The elevator reached the top floor. The doors hissed open.
Natsui stepped out—and immediately spotted a familiar stranger.
Familiar because he'd seen him countless times in the anime. A stranger because, in this reality, they'd only met once… and it hadn't gone well.
Green hair. Hands in pockets. The same arrogant, self-possessed "cool guy" expression.
Natsui gave him a glance, then kept walking.
They passed each other.
After Natsui took a few steps, the figure spoke.
"What are you doing here?"
Natsui stopped and turned back, genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected this person to initiate the conversation.
It was Drew—the "genius" Coordinator he'd encountered in Slateport City.
Instead of answering directly, Natsui replied evenly, "I could ask you the same thing. Why are you here?"
A smirk tugged at Drew's mouth. "Is that so strange? I live here. This is my home."
That was news to Natsui. He hadn't realized Drew was from LaRousse City.
Drew's gaze flicked past Natsui—left, right—checking the empty space around him. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "The girl who was always with you… why isn't she here?"
For an instant, May's face flashed through Natsui's mind.
In the anime, Drew and May's rivalry gradually softened into mutual respect. Drew started paying close attention to her—criticizing her, yes, but also helping her, advising her, and showing up at exactly the right moments. He hid concern behind a cold tone and an even colder persona.
Natsui almost laughed.
He was about to tease Drew for being "cold on the outside, warm on the inside"—
—when a thought hit him like a Thunderbolt.
Something didn't add up.
Ash had mentioned that May had already run into Drew several times during recent contests. If that was true, Drew would already know Natsui wasn't traveling with May.
So why would he ask about the girl "who was always with him"…?
Unless—
Realization slammed into place.
Talk about a twist.
Drew wasn't asking about May.
He was asking about Misty.
But why?
Was it because Misty had slapped him the last time they met… and he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since?
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