"Who'd want to be your assistant, Meowth!"
"H-How did you get here?!"
"Don't shine that light around, it's blinding!"
"Oh." From the Pokéball Rotom, Natsume put away the flashlight, then swiftly snatched a Pokéball from Jessie's belt.
"Hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?!"
"Ekans, use Tackle on the branch!"
Natsume released the Pokémon with practiced ease.
*Ekans—??*
Ekans looked at Natsume, then at Jessie and the others dangling from the branch nearby.
After three seconds of silence, it finally used Tackle, snapping the branch and rescuing them.
The three crashed to the ground, quickly scrambling up and glaring warily at Natsume.
"Hey! Give me back Ekans's Pokéball!" Jessie shouted angrily.
"Here." Natsume tossed it back to her, then looked at them and continued:
"So, what do you think about what I said earlier?"
"Hmph, impossible, Meowth! We'll never betray Boss Giovanni!"
"That's right! Following Boss Giovanni is the only way forward!"
Natsume raised one finger. "A monthly salary of one million."
"What, Meowth?!"
"You mean it?!"
Meowth and Jessie's eyes turned into glittering money signs.
"Come on, have some backbone, you two!"
Only James resisted, angrily pulling them back.
"Have you forgotten why we joined Team Rocket in the first place?!"
Meowth and Jessie sobered slightly. Though still tempted, they shook their heads firmly:
"We won't betray Boss Giovanni!"
*Giovanni's authority is that strong?*
Natsume raised an eyebrow. If so, maybe negotiating with Giovanni directly was the best option.
But with his current status, that didn't seem possible—and as for his *god-making* plan, there was no way he could reveal that to Giovanni.
"Speaking of which, Natsume, you'd actually fit right in with Team Rocket, Meowth."
Meowth eyed him, trying to sway him over.
Seriously, the way he casually swiped Pokéballs—they had never seen skill like that before.
"I'm not interested." Natsume brushed it off and walked toward them.
"What are you planning?!" James quickly pulled out a Pokéball, on guard.
"*Young Master James*, if your father's interested, he can invest in me." Natsume handed him a business card.
"Rotom, let's go!"
Rotom merged into the phone—Teleport activated!
Natsume vanished. Jessie and Meowth froze for a moment, then turned suspiciously toward James.
"James?" Jessie leaned in—then her voice shot up. "—Young Master?!"
"Uh… well, I can explain."
...
**Cerulean City, Pokémon Center.**
"Natsume, I want to challenge you!"
Ash stood at one end of the battlefield, issuing his challenge as Natsume had just returned.
*Pika!*
Pikachu, brimming with fighting spirit, fixed his eyes on Natsume.
"Alright." Natsume gave Midchu a look, and it eagerly hopped over to face Ash.
Natsume himself didn't move, still fiddling with his Great Ball.
"Natsume, aren't you battling me yourself?" Ash asked in confusion.
"Of course. Just help command Midchu—let it battle your Pikachu." Natsume raised his head, giving Ash an odd look.
Why was this kid so stubborn, so unwilling to think around corners?
Ash: ???
"That's not true, Natsume! You're the one who defeated four of Lance's Pokémon—and one of them was his ace!"
As he spoke, Ash couldn't help but glance at the Rotom Phone floating beside Natsume.
"I have no real strength. It was all luck," Natsume said flatly.
Ash: "…"
He wasn't lying—luck had played a huge part.
His Pokéball Rotom was best suited for Double Battles. In Singles, it had no initiative at all.
Last time, Lance had even let him take the first move, and coupled with Lance's unfamiliarity with Pokéball Rotom's abilities, it had set off a chain of events that led to victory.
Of course, without a huge level gap, Pokéball Rotom was still very strong in Singles.
"Natsume…"
Seeing Ash's determination, Natsume looked at him, his expression suddenly turning serious.
"Ash, do you know who's the hardest for a Pokémon Trainer to surpass?"
"The Champion?" Ash asked nervously, caught off guard by Natsume's tone, his own face instinctively growing solemn.
"No. Even Champions have someone they struggle to surpass." Natsume shook his head.
"Then who is it?" Ash's curiosity was piqued.
"It's the Trainer themselves, Ash!" Natsume placed a hand on his shoulder, his face lit with almost holy solemnity.
"The gap isn't between you and me—it's between yesterday and today."
"Ash, try challenging yourself!"
Natsume's impassioned voice rang out. Ash was struck deeply, battle spirit blazing wildly in his eyes.
"You're right! I'll challenge myself!"
"Go, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"
"Midchu, dodge quickly!"
"He's doomed." Misty facepalmed.
"Mm, agreed," Brock added.
...
The next day, on the outskirts of Cerulean City.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail to block Sandshrew's Rollout!"
Inside a battle tent, Pikachu lifted his tail like a giant cleaver, bracing it in front of itself.
"What?!"
Across from him, the tent's owner—a green-haired boy—stared in shock.
"Alright! Quick Attack, spin, and side slash!"
At Ash's command, Pikachu planted one paw on the ground and swung his glowing, steel-like tail like a powerful weapon.
*Whoosh!*
In a flash, Pikachu appeared beside Sandshrew, bringing the heavy tail down with brutal force.
*Boom!*
"Hang in there, Sandshrew! Use Fissure—!"
The boy tried to command, but Sandshrew collapsed, unable to battle.
"Ah—amazing!"
Recalling Sandshrew, the boy ran excitedly toward Ash.
"How can Iron Tail be used like that—and stay that way?! How did you raise this Pikachu? Please, you have to tell me!"
"Uh…" Ash scratched his head awkwardly.
His Pikachu's training plan had been made by Natsume, who was still waiting outside.
Outside the tent, Natsume and the others quietly waited for Ash.
"Honestly, the moment he saw someone with a 99-win streak, he rushed right in."
Misty, as always, complained.
"Still, that energy isn't a bad thing. Perfect chance for me to make lunch."
Brock didn't mind at all. The area around the tent was clean and flat—perfect for eating.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone."
Before long, Ash and Pikachu appeared at the entrance of the tent.
"How about it? That Pikachu Iron Tail combo is pretty amazing, right?"
Natsume glanced at Pikachu's tail, his eyebrow arching slightly.
Unlike the original, Pikachu's tail now naturally gave off a metallic sheen.
Ever since Pikachu learned Iron Tail, Natsume had set up a whole plan for him—
He personally injected a specially formulated steel solution into Pikachu's tail, suited to Pikachu's body.
He also customized a move sequence for Pikachu, making Iron Tail smoother and more effective in battle.
"Yeah… thank you, Natsume. Pikachu can now keep Iron Tail active throughout the entire battle!"
Ash gave Natsume a serious look and bowed his head in gratitude.
"By the way, Natsume, those solutions must be expensive, right? Once I start making money, I'll pay you back."
"It's nothing. Just think of it as payment for helping me take care of Midchu." Natsume patted Ash on the head.
You can read more (around 50+ free chapters) of Natsume's adventure ad-free at [https ://ravenarchives .com/book/pokemon-who-let-him-leave-pallet-town]. Bulk uploads is a mess here, so updates here might be irregular.