"GYARADOS?! What's a Gyarados doing in this river?!"
On the riverside, seated on a small stool among the campers, Professor Oak's expression twisted into pure disbelief as he stared at the massive creature Goh had reeled in.
The wild Pokémon population in this mountain-valley camp was supposed to be strictly monitored by the League. High-level or potentially dangerous Pokémon were regularly relocated elsewhere to ensure the safety of the trainees.
A Gyarados shouldn't even exist here.
"Could it have evolved recently? I don't recall us checking too closely on the Magikarp population during inspections…" Oak muttered, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
He was a researcher after all—lost in thought came naturally. But thankfully, he understood the danger of the current situation and didn't allow himself to drift too far.
Just as he was about to call Goh over to get him out of danger, he turned and witnessed something that made his blood run cold.
"Chloe, quick! Lend me your Spritzee—I'm gonna battle Gyarados!"
Goh's eyes were gleaming with obsession. He was so fixated on the idea of catching this massive Pokémon that he'd completely lost sight of how dangerous it was.
"If I can capture it, with its size and weight… I'll definitely win first place in today's fishing contest!"
He snatched the Poké Ball from Chloe and immediately released Spritzee—his face full of eagerness, completely blind to the threat in front of him.
"Come on out—Spritzee!!"
"GOH, STOP!!" Professor Oak's shout cut through the air like thunder, but it was already too late.
Before the professor could even move, Goh had already issued an attack command.
"Spritzee, use Fairy Wind!!"
"Chuu~!" Spritzee was a Pokémon specially raised by the League and temporarily assigned to campers. Though terrified of the monstrous Gyarados before it, once it heard Goh's command, it gathered its courage and launched its attack.
Its dainty wings beat rapidly, stirring up a pink, fragrant whirlwind laced with fairy dust that surged toward the towering Gyarados.
But the attack might as well have been a tickle.
It did no damage—just lightly brushed the Gyarados's scales… and made it furious.
"ROOAARR!!"
The Gyarados opened its massive jaws, unleashing an earth-shaking roar of rage at both Spritzee and Goh.
Then, its massive iron-hard tail, thick like a steel whip, lashed up riverwater in its wake and came crashing down toward them with a crushing Water Tail!
"NO!!"
Professor Oak's eyes went wide with horror. His muscles screamed into motion as he yanked a Poké Ball from his coat and flung it forward.
"GO—DRAGONITE!!"
A flash of light burst out—and the next second, Dragonite stood on the field.
"Dragonite, save that child!!" Oak shouted desperately.
But he was one second too late.
Gyarados's tail had already swung.
With a terrifying crash, the Aqua Tail slammed into Spritzee and sent Goh flying along with it.
Water splashed in every direction—some of it tainted red.
"Chloe: GOH—!!"
"Professor Oak: GOH—!!"
Chloe and the professor both shouted in panic, watching helplessly as Goh and his Pokémon were swatted into the air like toys.
The campers nearby stared in terror, their faces pale. Gary, who had just moments ago been stewing in silent frustration after Goh caught the Gyarados, now stood in stunned silence, his mouth wide open, eyes shaking.
He couldn't even speak.
But Ash? His face remained eerily calm.
He wasn't surprised.
His eyes, however, were fixed on Professor Oak's Dragonite.
His pupils shrank, a hint of awe flickering in his gaze.
[Pokémon: Dragonite]
Level: 84
Type: Dragon, Flying
Nature: Gentle
Ability: Inner Focus (Hidden: Multiscale)
Stats:
• HP: 91
• Attack: 134
• Defense: 95
• Special Attack: 100
• Special Defense: 100
• Speed: 80
• Total: 600
Potential: Purple (Super Rare)
Skills (Copyable):
Hurricane, Wing Attack, Extreme Speed, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Twister, Thunder Wave, Agility, Aqua Tail, Draco Meteor, Safeguard, Dragon Dance, Outrage, Hyper Beam...
Also includes: Glare, Bind, Roost, Body Slam, Wish...
Ash scanned it all with his system.
His heart was pounding.
A champion-level Dragonite…!
This is my first time seeing a Kanto pseudo-legendary in real life—and it's THIS strong?!
His instincts roared in warning.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Ash quickly sent a telepathic message through Aura to the Gyarados.
"Gyarados! Don't just stand there! RUN—NOW!!"
The beast heard him loud and clear.
Letting out a final defiant roar, Gyarados thrashed its body, then dove headfirst into the river with a mighty splash, disappearing into the depths as it fled at lightning speed.
Wild Pokémon like Gyarados had far sharper danger senses than humans—and right now, even it understood that the Dragonite posed a threat it couldn't afford to face.
At this point, Professor Oak wasn't even thinking about how a Gyarados ended up in this river, or why it had injured a student.
He only had eyes for the boy who'd just been flung.
"GOH!!"
The professor sprinted toward the crash site, his voice cracking with worry.
"ASH, DID YOU SEE THAT—"
Gary's words froze mid-sentence as he turned toward Ash, his expression still laced with disbelief.
Ash gave him a side glance and smirked faintly.
"Looks like your curse worked, Gary."
"Wha—?" Gary blinked, confused.
Ash stood up, casually scooping Froakie into his arms. Then, without another word, he walked toward Professor Oak and the injured Goh.
"Hey—wait up, Ash!" Gary called, tossing aside his fishing rod and chasing after him.
The other campers, who had been focused on their fishing lines moments ago, now abandoned everything and followed the commotion to where Goh had fallen.
"Hey, Ash…" Gary's voice trailed off again as he looked at his friend, whose expression remained strangely calm.
Ash turned his gaze to the crowd surrounding Goh and said quietly:
"Gary, what do you think—should I use my powers to help heal Goh?"
He wasn't even looking at Goh.
He wasn't even looking at the blood in the water.
He was staring straight at the horizon, as if already thinking three moves ahead.
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals