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"It's a good thing Pikachu held back in the end."
Ash said in a low voice while carefully applying a Potion. He knew that his Pikachu was at a quasi-Champion level, and if it had truly gone all out, Pidove probably wouldn't have seen tomorrow's sun.
He carefully checked Pidove's injuries, and feeling it wasn't secure enough, he pulled out an even higher-grade Potion from his backpack.
If Brock were here and witnessed this scene, he would undoubtedly be moved to tears, sighing with relief, "Ash, you've finally grown up."
If Professor Oak were here, he would probably also be moved to tears, though for a different reason.
"Ash! You rascal, these are top-grade Potions I prepared for my Elite old buddies in my second team."
Just in this brief and warm moment,
"Pika!"
"Axew!"
Two exclamations suddenly rang out.
Ash and Iris spun around, only to see two mechanical arms shoot out from nowhere like lightning, swiftly grabbing Pikachu and Axew with astonishing speed, then retracting quickly.
"Who's there?"
Ash instantly stood up, shielding Pidove behind him, his sharp gaze following the direction of the mechanical arms.
Three figures, familiar beyond familiar, accompanied by their characteristic arrogant laughter, slowly emerged from the shadows of the forest.
"It's you guys again."
Ash said grumpily; these guys were like sticky candy, impossible to shake off.
"Since you asked 'it's you guys again',"
Jessie spoke first.
"Actually, no!" Ash couldn't help but interrupt.
"Shut up, brat!" James immediately retorted.
"Let me answer for tomorrow."
"Future, the pure white future is the color of evil."
"Universe, delivering the hammer of justice to the dark world."
"Our names shall be recorded in this land."
"The passionate destroyer — Jessie!"
"The dark innocence — James!"
"The endless intellect — Meowth!"
"Come, gather under the name of Team Rockets!"
Jessie, James, and Meowth delivered their passionate description, but saw that Ash wasn't listening to them at all, and immediately waved their fists.
"Brat, listen to us seriously!"
Ash, taking advantage of Team Rockets' boring introduction, was busy explaining Team Rockets and the Team Rockets trio's various antics to his new friend, Iris.
As is well known, there are significant differences and gaps between the Team Rockets trio and Team Rockets itself.
"Hey! Brat!"
Jessie stomped her foot in anger.
"Listen seriously when we're doing our intro! It's very rude!"
"Exactly, exactly." James echoed.
"Give me back my Axew quickly!" Iris had no mood for their nonsense and shouted anxiously.
James then noticed the struggling little green cutie in the mechanical arm.
"Oh? So this little guy is called Axew, huh? Heh heh, then let this be Team Rockets' first step in dominating the Unova region."
"You guys don't even know what you're catching before you make a move."
Ash couldn't help but retort.
"You're so annoying, brat, really."
Meowth stroked the coin on his head and said huffily, "Don't interrupt Meowth when we're talking."
"Huh!"
Iris suddenly noticed the talking Meowth and pointed at him in surprise, "Why can you talk?!"
Meowth immediately became proud, puffing out his chest.
"Heh heh, because I'm a genius, Meowth. Compared to other ordinary Meowth, my intelligence is on a dimensional level, Meowth."
This was indeed one of his few proud specialties.
"Alright, too much nonsense with you guys."
Jessie interrupted impatiently.
"Brat, I advise you to give up. This specially made reinforced box is indestructible."
James put the captured Pikachu and Axew into a transparent square box.
Ash looked at his imprisoned companions, his eyes instantly calm, a composure born from having weathered many storms.
"Oh, really, specially made, huh?"
He repeated softly, then suddenly looked up, his eyes sharp as knives, "Then I'm relieved. This way, I won't be afraid of hurting Pikachu and Axew."
Before his words finished, he had already thrown out the Poké Ball of his newly caught partner.
"I choose you, Pidove."
A red light flashed, and though Pidove's wings were still injured, it struggled to fly up, rapidly flapping its wings. Two sharp, silver-white wind blades instantly formed, whistling as they slashed towards the box holding Pikachu and Axew.
"Hmph, petty tricks. Meowth, go, let them see the strength of a veteran."
Jessie commanded with a wave of her hand.
"Watch my Fury Swipes, Meowth!" Meowth bared his sharp claws and leaped up.
However, the Unova sky was not his home turf.
Hurricane accurately struck Meowth, blowing him fiercely back, sending him sprawling on all fours.
"Useless thing, it seems I still have to step in."
Jessie glanced at Meowth with disdain, elegantly pulling out a Poké Ball, "Come out, my darling."
The Poké Ball opened, and a purplish-black whirlwind flashed, revealing a plump Pokémon with large ears and some fuzz on its body, appearing in the air.
"It's Woobat." Iris recognized it at a glance.
"Oh, this guy is called Woobat, huh? That's a pretty interesting name."
Jessie put her hands on her hips, "Woobat, don't give them a chance, use Air Slash."
Woobat flapped, and several transparent air blades shot at Pidove at high speed.
Pidove, having just gone through battle and healing, was exhausted and couldn't dodge in time. It was hit hard by an Air Slash, letting out a cry of pain as it fell from the sky.
"Pidove." Ash rushed over to catch it.
He had originally wanted to train his newly caught Pokémon.
"Haha, well done, Woobat, what a great Pokémon, truly one I personally selected." Jessie was smug.
"Our first mission in the Unova region, perfectly accomplished."
James also began to celebrate prematurely.
"Goodbye, brats, Meowth."
The Team Rockets trio quickly boarded their Meowth-shaped hot air balloon, clutching the box containing Pikachu and Axew, and ascended into the sky, not forgetting to wave goodbye downwards.
"Don't think you can escape, Chariza—" Ash immediately reached for Charizard's Poké Ball, ready to unleash true power.
Just at this critical moment.
A swift white light, quick as electricity, suddenly shot out from the river below.
With a crisp sound, it accurately sliced through the hot air balloon's outer shell.
The hot air balloon immediately began to deflate, swaying and starting to make an emergency landing.
Ash looked closely and found that the one who had come to their aid was an Oshawott, standing on a piece of driftwood, holding a scallop, with a confident, even somewhat narcissistic demeanor.
It was one of the three starter Pokémon prepared by Professor Juniper's lab for new trainers.
"Thanks, Oshawott." Ash's movements didn't stop at all.
"Charizard, I choose you! Use Flamethrower to save Pikachu and Axew."
"Roar!"
A deafening dragon's roar echoed through the forest.
The orange-red giant dragon burst from its Poké Ball, its massive wings flapping, generating a powerful airflow that almost overturned Team Rockets' already damaged hot air balloon.
Its majestic gaze Lock-On to the target, and its scorching Flamethrower breath, like a light of judgment, accurately and fiercely swept over the special box holding his companions.
Boom!
The reinforced glass was no match for absolute power, instantly melting into a large hole.
"Pikachu!" "Axew!"
Ash and Iris cried out in surprise.
"Woobat, quickly block—"
Jessie still wanted to give an order, but Charizard merely glanced at Woobat, and its powerful presence made Woobat tremble in fear, unable to move.
James, seeing the unfavorable situation, reacted extremely quickly. He scooped up Meowth and a still-stunned Jessie, then threw a smoke bomb towards the ground.
Thick smoke billowed.
By the time Charizard dispersed the smoke with its wings, the Team Rockets trio had already used the smoke as cover to make a clumsy escape.
Ash and Iris quickly rushed forward. Ash tenderly picked up a somewhat weak but still smiling Pikachu and the badly injured Pidove, while Iris tightly hugged her recovered Axew.
"We need to get to the Pokémon Center to see Nurse Joy quickly."
Ash said without hesitation.
The setting sun cast long shadows of the two.
On the way to the Pokémon Center, Ash recalled the day's events, especially Team Rockets' seemingly familiar yet more organized and efficient methods of operation. He frowned slightly, keenly sensing an unusual aura.
"Thank you so much today, Ash."
Iris hugged Axew, sincerely thanking him, "Thank you for saving Axew."
"It's nothing, we're friends."
Ash showed a brilliant smile, temporarily pushing his doubts to the back of his mind.
Thus, Ash's first day of official travel in the Unova region concluded with a new capture, a new friend made, and another encounter with old rivals, marking an adventurous end.
And a greater storm, it seemed, was quietly brewing on the distant horizon.