Natsui stared at Drew in shock. For a split second, he seriously wondered if the boy had some kind of masochistic streak.
Did Misty's slap unlock a hidden attribute in him? Or were they about to witness the classic trope of a rich, arrogant boy falling for the "wild girl" who put him in his place?
To test his theory, Natsui raised an eyebrow.
"Are you talking about Misty?"
The moment Drew noticed Natsui's suspicious look, his expression flickered with awkwardness.
"Of course I am. Hmph. She slapped me last time—do you think I'm just going to let that slide? I'll pay her back for that!"
It sounded plausible on the surface, but Natsui couldn't shake the feeling that Drew was trying too hard. And once doubt takes root, it grows fast: the more Drew explained, the more it felt like he was hiding something.
"You should give up," Natsui said, his tone pointed—carrying more than one meaning. "Even if you see her again, I don't think you'll actually do anything. And besides… some things are simply impossible."
Drew's expression shifted.
He wasn't stupid. He could tell Natsui had seen through him, and the realization stunned him.
How is that possible?
Even Drew himself had only realized in the past few days that he kept thinking about that night—about that encounter. Misty's face, her movements, her words… everything was burned into his mind. He didn't even understand why he was obsessed with it.
So how could this man read it so easily?
Feeling exposed, Drew lost all interest in continuing. Without another word, he turned and stepped back into the elevator.
Natsui watched the doors slide shut, then looked away.
He often said he saw Misty like a younger sister. But he was selfish by nature. As long as they were traveling together, he wasn't about to let anyone else "swoop in"—especially not someone like Drew, even if Misty herself had zero interest.
Shaking his head to clear the distraction, Natsui walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows.
From the highest point in LaRousse City, the view was wide enough to take in most of the metropolis at a glance. The layout was almost unnervingly efficient—residential, commercial, and office zones clearly divided, like a blueprint brought to life.
Natsui scanned the skyline again and again.
Still nothing.
Where is that research institute? Where is the Deoxys core being kept?
He shifted his gaze toward the far side of the island. A dense forest cut the city in two. He could see buildings beyond the treeline, but not enough detail to identify anything specific.
Could it be on the other half of the island?
As he considered it, a voice message from Misty arrived: Ash's match was about to begin.
That was fast.
Ash must have found a teammate almost immediately. Since Natsui's quick search from above hadn't produced results, he didn't linger. He headed back to the elevator and descended to the battle floor.
As the Battle Tower's core functional zone, the arena occupied the middle levels and the most space. The battlefield itself was a perfect circle designed like a red-and-blue Poké Ball. Tiered stands wrapped around it, rising outward.
When Natsui entered, the announcer was already working the crowd. His booming voice had the audience at full volume. Battles ran here all day—if there were enough participants, they started immediately. Tickets were free, so spectators could camp out from morning until night.
Using the seat numbers Misty had sent, Natsui found the group quickly.
Brock's decision to grab seats early paid off—they had an excellent view, neither too high nor too low. They could see the entire field clearly without relying on the overhead screens.
Misty, May, and Max were already there. And sitting right beside them—
—were the twins from earlier.
Seeing Natsui glance over, Misty smiled and introduced them.
"You haven't met them yet, right? These are Audrey and Kathryn. The one in orange is the older sister, and the one in pink is the younger sister. Don't they look exactly alike?"
"Nice to meet you," Natsui said with a polite nod as he took the seat beside Misty. "I'm Natsui."
He briefly mentioned his run-in with Drew.
"Eh?" May blinked. "Drew is from LaRousse City too?"
Like Natsui, the others were surprised. But the conversation didn't last long—attention shifted as the arena lights began to change.
Click.
The house lights dimmed, signaling the start of the match.
The announcer's voice boomed through the speakers.
"Our first match of the day is a tag-team battle! Please welcome our contenders!"
Two lifts rose from the floor under spotlights.
On the Red Side stood Rafe and Sid—the pair they'd met earlier.
On the Blue Side stood Ash… and a young boy who looked barely seven or eight. He had refined features and a quiet, almost delicate presence.
"That's the teammate Ash found?" The group was visibly taken aback. Misty spoke first. "But he's just a kid! He looks Max's age!"
"What's wrong with being a kid?" Max adjusted his glasses, giving Misty a sidelong look. "Kids can be great trainers too. If Ash picked him, he must have something special. I bet he'll be amazing!"
"Oh? Really?" Misty smirked. "Then I'll be watching."
If anyone could consistently win verbal sparring matches against Max, it was Misty. Max seemed to have a mild fear of her "tough older-sister" energy and didn't push back as hard as he did with Ash.
Natsui stayed out of it, rubbing his chin as he studied the boy.
Leave it to Ash, he thought. To run into a key figure like Tory this quickly… his luck is unreal.
Overhead screens displayed trainer profiles as the announcer continued.
"On the Red Side: Rafe and Sid, a duo with multiple wins already—definitely a pair to watch! On the Blue Side: today's newcomer Ash… and our local resident, Tory!"
After the intros, the announcer ran through the rules at high speed.
"Same rules as always: each trainer sends out one Pokémon. Work together until the opposing side is fully eliminated! Now—send out your Pokémon!"
The pace here was noticeably faster than most venues. There were no long speeches, no delays—just match after match as long as challengers kept lining up. Skill levels varied wildly, but the nonstop action kept the crowd entertained.
In the arena, Rafe and Sid released their Pokémon simultaneously.
As expected: Blaziken for Rafe, and Blastoise for Sid.
On the Blue Side, Ash released Pikachu…
…but Tory didn't release anything.
Ten seconds passed.
The crowd began to murmur. Even the announcer sounded confused.
"Strange—Tory hasn't sent out a Pokémon. Is something wrong?"
In the stands, Max stiffened.
"What's going on? Why isn't he sending out his Pokémon?"
Brock frowned.
"Could it be… that he doesn't have any Pokémon?"
"Eh?" Max blinked. "No Pokémon?"
It sounded impossible in a world where humans and Pokémon were intertwined. And yet, there were people who—by circumstance or choice—lived their whole lives without ever owning one.
Is this boy one of them? Natsui wondered. Then why enter a battle at all?
Misty glanced at Max and delivered the punchline without mercy.
"So that's the 'something special' you meant. He's definitely making an impression."
Max's face went bright red. He stared down at Tory, unable to understand what Ash was thinking.
On the field, Ash clearly spoke to Tory, but the distance and roar of the arena made it impossible to hear.
With still no second Pokémon, the referee looked ready to declare a forfeit.
At the last moment, Ash shoved one of his own Poké Balls into Tory's hands.
Tory hesitated—then finally opened it.
A burst of light, and out came Ash's Torkoal.
Having two Pokémon belonging to the same trainer on the field probably violated the spirit of the rules, but the officials clearly cared more about keeping the show going. The announcer immediately declared the match started.
The crowd's excitement snapped back into place.
The moment the signal was given, Rafe and Sid struck first—clean and coordinated.
Blaziken surged forward, shattering Ash's spacing.
Blastoise fired a Hydro Pump that clipped Pikachu mid-dodge.
Then Bubble pressure followed—tight, immediate.
Blastoise spun into Rapid Spin and knocked Torkoal airborne.
In the first exchange alone, Ash was pushed hard.
No wonder they've stacked wins, Natsui thought. They're sharp.
Ash wasn't a rookie anymore. He still had moments where he did something bizarre, but overall he was a stable, high-level battler. If he was getting hammered this early, it said a lot about the opposition.
Still—the biggest issue was obvious.
Ash and Tory weren't a team at all.
Ash tried to mount a counterattack, but Pikachu was effectively fighting alone. Tory stood there like a stunned bystander, giving Torkoal no commands, no timing, no support.
Even Max could see the disaster unfolding.
"No way…" he muttered. "He's just standing there. Is he really a total amateur?"
Misty stopped teasing and looked at Natsui, genuine concern replacing the smirk.
"Is Ash… going to lose?"
Natsui sighed.
"Probably. If he can't force momentum back soon, it's just a matter of time."
And that's exactly what happened.
Ash tried to command both Pokémon himself, but the focus split was brutal. Worse, one of Torkoal's flame attacks went off at the wrong angle and turned into friendly fire—scorching Pikachu's tail instead of the opponents.
Boos rose from parts of the audience. They wanted fast battles—but not messy battles.
Realizing Tory was unusable as a partner, Ash took full control.
It wasn't enough.
Against two coordinated trainers with strong Pokémon, one person couldn't manage two lanes properly. After a desperate struggle, Blaziken unleashed Overheat—an explosive blast of heat and flame that slammed through both Pikachu and Torkoal.
They dropped.
May gasped, covering her mouth.
"He actually lost…"
She and Misty had joked about Ash being eliminated early, but not like this—crushed without even mounting a real counteroffensive.
"Pikachu and Torkoal are unable to battle!" the announcer declared. "Victory goes to Rafe and Sid of the Red Side!"
Even though it was one-sided, the winners still received applause.
Natsui watched Ash on the field, shoulders slumped, cradling Pikachu and Torkoal in his arms as the lift lowered them out of sight.
He stood.
"Alright. Match is over. Let's go find them."
Ash had arrived bursting with enthusiasm, only to get humiliated in front of a packed arena. For most people, that would sting for a long time.
Fortunately, Ash wasn't "most people." He'd bounce back.
But even Ash didn't need to be left alone with that kind of loss.
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