[RECURRING] Chloe stared anxiously into the smoke.
She was terrified something had happened to Ash!
After all, that was Gengar's Shadow Ball!
Thankfully—
When the dust finally cleared, Ash stood there unharmed.
Instead, the spiky-haired blond who had been closest to him was blown backward by the shockwave, crashing straight into the green-haired girl who had been trying to run away.
"Gengar, you absolutely cannot do this. If you really kill him, then what difference will there be between you and him? You… don't want to become the very thing you hate most, right?"
At that moment, Gengar froze.
Its scarlet eyes went wide, filled with shock and a worry it couldn't express in words.
[Lorelei: Ash, if you ever face a situation like this again, promise me you'll put your own safety first. Even if your body is stronger than normal, your life is still your own, do you understand?]
[Ash: I can't just stand by and watch someone die.]
[Cynthia: You really are like this every time—always putting others' lives above your own. Even in this livestream, it's happened so many times already.]
[Drasna: Incredible… Ash actually took Gengar's attack head-on and barely suffered at all. His clothes were shredded by the Shadow Ball's energy, but his body doesn't even have a scratch.]
[Phoebe: Ash, you shouldn't have blocked it. Gengar's attack wouldn't have killed that blond. What it truly couldn't forgive… was being lied to.]
[Ash: I believe the League's laws will judge that blond. The reason I chose to block the attack… was so Gengar wouldn't have to live with guilt.]
Ash was just too kind.
No matter who he faced, he always showed his gentlest side.
Even though Gengar wasn't officially his partner yet, Ash already treated it as a friend.
Whether or not that Shadow Ball would have killed the blond, it definitely would have hurt him. And once the seed of guilt was planted inside Gengar, it could never be erased.
Pokémon had hearts that needed healing, too.
That was the very reason Ash had brought Gengar out today—
He didn't want it to keep shutting itself away in Professor Cerise's lab.
And he didn't want it to live forever buried under guilt.
Ash was just… too gentle.
On-screen—
[RECURRING] Chloe finally snapped out of her daze.
She rushed forward, wanting to check Ash for injuries.
But Ash waved her off, then continued speaking to Gengar.
"Don't let hatred blind you. Yes, that guy betrayed you… but attacking him won't change anything. All it will do is cause pain. Calm down, Gengar."
Then he turned to the blond, who was slowly picking himself up off the ground.
"You bastard, aren't you going to apologize to Gengar?"
But the blond just rubbed his back, scowling.
"Apologize to that thing? If it weren't for that deadweight, I'd have broken into the top ranks of the World Championships already. Instead I'm stuck down at ten thousand and one!"
He was about to continue, but suddenly—
A formless wave of power slammed into him, sending him flying again.
Ash could only shake his head.
This idiot didn't know when to shut up.
The blond stared around in panic.
No one had touched him—
It had to be Gengar's curse!
"Rika, let's get out of here! This place is cursed!"
He grabbed the green-haired girl's hand and bolted.
Ash clenched his fists.
He wanted nothing more than to hit the guy with a full Aura Sphere.
But with Gengar watching, he forced himself to be the better example.
Otherwise, he'd have beaten that blond the same way he once beat up Goh.
This guy…
Even worse than the one who abandoned Charmander back then.
Suppressing his anger, Ash turned to comfort Gengar—
But the ghost was gone.
Luckily, [RECURRING] Chloe had seen where it went.
She motioned for Ash to follow, and the two of them set off in search of Gengar.
Meanwhile—
Gengar sat slumped on the steps of a stranger's home.
Everything just now had shattered its will to trust humans.
The one who had promised to return it…
had left it waiting for three years.
And after three years, he had the gall to say such cruel words.
If only…
If only the first trainer it had met had been Ash instead.
Unbidden, Gengar recalled Ash shielding it earlier,
and the warm, happy daily life it had secretly watched in Sakuragi's lab—
the kind of bond it truly longed for.
But no… it wouldn't trust humans again.
Humans were liars.
Just then, the voices of three very familiar "humans" drifted over.
"Gengar, so here you are~"
Gengar looked up in confusion.
Two people and a talking Pokémon were standing there.
"Gengar?"
It tilted its head, question marks practically floating above it.
[Nanba: You three better pray this mission doesn't fail. Otherwise, starting next month, your performance quota will double!]
[Jessie: Executive Nanba! You can't enforce laws across timelines! Those three are just our future selves—nothing to do with us now!]
[James: Exactly!]
[Bruno: I've got a feeling you three are about to play a very important role.]
[Team Rocket Trio: ?]
Don't joke like that!
[Lance: Even though you three always end up helping Ash, you're still with Team Rocket. Sorry, but you'll stay wanted criminals in the League's records.]
[Jessie: Executive, look! We're wanted by the League—that proves we're not undercover agents!]
[Lance: Still… considering how much you've "helped," don't forget about your undercover assignment.]
[Jessie: ???]
[Flint: Gotta hand it to you, Lance. That was some masterclass manipulation.]
[Bertha: You two have the brains of toddlers. Can't you see Lance is just messing with you?]
[Flint: Huh?]
[Jessie: Huh?]
[Bertha: Forget it. With IQ like yours, there's no point explaining.]
Bertha sneered.
Real spies would never admit it in the barrage chat.
Only Flint would be dumb enough to believe that.
[Ash: Phew, I really thought Team Rocket Trio were actually undercover agents. Otherwise, how could they fail every single mission?]
[Jessie: Twerp, stop trying to help us explain!]
[Gary: Hah! No wonder you get along. A bunch of Rocket weirdos and a freak from Pallet Town!]
[Ash: Forget it. You're not even worthy of me answering.]
[Gary: ???]
[Gary: Say that again!]
[Gary: Don't leave me hanging! Explain how I'm not "worthy" to hear it!]
Sometimes, the fastest way to tilt someone…
is to pique their interest—then refuse to elaborate.
On-screen—
Team Rocket had actually spotted Ash and Pikachu earlier.
They had been tailing them all along, and thus witnessed everything between Gengar and the blond.
After some whispered discussion, the trio concluded—
Gengar would make the perfect addition to Team Rocket.
Thus, they approached.
But what they forgot… was that Gengar no longer trusted humans.
And if it ever chose a trainer again, that person would only be Ash.
Never the clowns standing in front of it.
When Gengar rejected them, the trio didn't give up.
Chatter, persuasion, flattery—none of it worked.
So Gengar simply hurled a Shadow Ball.
"Gengar~"
Its meaning was clear: "Leave me alone. I'm emo right now."
Still, Team Rocket wasn't about to back down.
Plan A had failed.
Time for Plan B.
Meowth pulled out a custom vacuum-like contraption, flipping the switch.
To Gengar's shock, the suction actually worked—
and it was dragged inside.
Only Team Rocket could dream up something so ridiculous.
But even if they caught Gengar like this,
did they really think it would obey them?
The trio sang their victory song, preparing to retreat.
Unfortunately for them—
Ash and Pikachu arrived just in time to witness it.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"
A flash of yellow, a silver arc of light—
crack!
The vacuum shattered instantly, freeing Gengar.
The trio stood there stunned.
They hadn't accounted for such an interruption.
"Team Rocket—it's you again!" Ash groaned.
"Twerp, since you've asked so sincerely—"
"Then we'll graciously answer—"
"To protect the world from devastation—"
"Stop! I don't have time for this. Just skip the motto, I'm busy!"
Ash cut them off mercilessly.
"How rude!" Jessie huffed.
Still, the trio pressed the button on their gacha machine, producing two Poké Balls.
Out popped two Dusclops.
Ash instinctively stepped in front of Gengar, shielding it.
He forgot—Gengar was a Pokémon too.
The simple act of protection touched Gengar deeply.
Maybe… It did like Ash a little.
"Pikachu, let's go!"
"Pika!"
But before Pikachu could attack, Gengar suddenly flashed in front of them.
"Gengar!"
It grinned, baring its teeth, and pointed to itself.
"You want to fight?"
Its red eyes gleamed as it nodded firmly.
"Gengar!"
"In that case… let's battle together!"
Ash smiled, standing at Gengar's side.
Their eyes met—
Trainer and Pokémon, partners for the first time.
"It's decided! Gengar, I choose you!"
"Gengar!"
At that moment, Gengar rediscovered the joy of fighting alongside a trainer.
Jessie and James flipped through their instruction manual, then shouted—
"Dusclops, use Night Shade!"
Twin beams of darkness shot forward.
"Gengar, Shadow Ball!" Ash ordered immediately.
Dark orbs formed and collided midair with the beams.
Not enough.
"Keep firing!" Ash urged.
"Gengar~"
This time, it didn't hold back.
It even flashed Ash an "OK" sign before unleashing a barrage of Shadow Balls.
The Night Shades were overwhelmed in seconds.
"Close the distance! Use Fire Punch!"
The Dusclops' hands burst into flame as they unleashed a rapid flurry—
a storm of blazing fists like a JoJo stand rush.
Smoke and explosions filled the field.
Ash's voice cut through it.
"Gengar, let me see your full power. Use your finishing move!"
Even after spamming so many Shadow Balls, Gengar's stamina barely wavered.
As the smoke cleared, the trio's eyes widened.
Floating in the air, Gengar raised its hands—
and above its head swirled a Shadow Ball more than two meters wide,
roaring with unstable energy, distorting the very air around it.
The temperature dropped.
The sheer pressure made Jessie and James tremble.
This wasn't just a Shadow Ball.
It was a super Shadow Ball.
An ultimate Shadow Ball.
A Gaia Shadow Ball!
"What do we do, Jessie?" James squeaked.
"Do? Obviously—we're toast." Jessie shrugged.
The massive sphere crashed into the ground.
A crater opened, shockwaves blasting the trio and their Dusclops skyward.
"Not again!"
"What a horrible feeling~"
Once again, Team Rocket became a streaking star in the sky.
The fight had ended almost before it began.
[RECURRING] Chloe hadn't even had time to study Gengar's technique—
and already it was over.
Team Rocket and their Pokémon were no match at all.
"Seriously, how could that blond Gengar make him lose battles? It's ridiculously strong!" [RECURRING] Chloe burst out.
"Some people always blame others for their own shortcomings," Ash explained gently.
"It wasn't Gengar who was weak. That guy just didn't have the talent to be a trainer."
"I see… so people need self-awareness." [RECURRING] Chloe nodded.
Ash agreed wholeheartedly.
[Bruno: I just realized something. How the heck does Team Rocket survive these fights? That giant Shadow Ball should've flattened them!]
[Hala: Are all Kanto people this… indestructible?]
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