Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
After hearing the response from Ash and the others, Officer Jenny felt relieved, but still reminded the three of them to be careful.
"Okay, we'll leave right away!" Ash replied enthusiastically.
Pikachu seemed reluctant to look in the direction of the Kangaskhan, but he quickly composed himself and jumped onto Ash's shoulder.
"Then let me drive you out of here," Officer Jenny offered.
She signaled for everyone to get into her vehicle. The nature reserve was vast, with Pokémon living in their natural habitat. Though most were docile, there were certainly some more aggressive species. Officer Jenny worried that Ash and his friends might encounter trouble if they left on their own. Any injuries—whether to the trainers or the wild Pokémon—would be unfortunate.
"Thanks!" They all accepted gratefully. It was the perfect opportunity to catch a ride. They boarded Officer Jenny's car and set off again.
During the drive, Ash noticed Pikachu continuously glancing back toward the Kangaskhan herd, though his partner didn't say anything about it, leaving Ash wondering what was on his mind.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion echoed through the sky, sounding like fireworks. Everyone jumped at the noise, and Officer Jenny instinctively stopped the car.
"What's happening?" She turned her head toward the source of the sound.
"That's coming from where the Kangaskhan were!" Brock exclaimed, pointing at a plume of smoke rising into the sky.
"Pika!" Pikachu's face filled with panic. He leaped from Ash's shoulder, jumped out of the car, and sprinted back in the direction they had come from.
"Pikachu, wait!" Ash shouted, pushing the car door open and tumbling out to follow his partner.
"Ash, stop! It's dangerous if the Kangaskhan are agitated!" Officer Jenny called worriedly, but Ash and Pikachu had already disappeared from sight. She had no choice but to turn the car around and follow them.
Not far from the Kangaskhan location, Pikachu rushed back as quickly as possible. What he saw shocked him. A massive net had captured the entire herd of Kangaskhan.
The baby Kangaskhan looked terrified, while the mothers struggled desperately against their restraints. As the net tightened, they were all squeezed together. Despite the net's strength, they couldn't break free, and they were careful not to struggle too vigorously for fear of hurting others in the tightly packed space.
"Pika-Pi!" Pikachu's expression transformed instantly when he saw this scene. He charged forward to rescue the Kangaskhan.
PFFT!
Without noticing the gun barrel aimed at him from the side, a dart whistled through the air. Pikachu heard the sound, but he was too focused on reaching the captured Kangaskhan to react in time.
A syringe struck Pikachu's body. His expression changed, and his charge came to an abrupt halt. He couldn't fight the sudden drowsiness overtaking him, and his entire body began to feel numb.
"Pikachu!" Ash arrived just in time. Seeing what had happened, he rushed forward and cradled Pikachu in his arms. He pulled out the dart and detected a pungent chemical smell.
"Tranquilizer?"
"Hmph! That's right, it's a tranquilizer. This dose can easily knock out even a Kangaskhan, let alone a little Pikachu." A familiar voice rang out, causing Ash to frown as he looked toward its source while still holding his partner.
Three familiar figures emerged from a red off-road vehicle.
"Team Rocket!"
Prepare for trouble!
And make it double!
To protect the world from devastation!
To unite all peoples within our nation!
To denounce the evils of truth and love!
To extend our reach to the stars above!
Jessie!
James!
Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!
Surrender now, or prepare to fight!
Meowth!
That's right!
"It's us. We usually prefer to be in the spotlight, but for the sake of capturing these Kangaskhan today, we'll make an exception!" Jessie, who was driving the vehicle, responded proudly to Ash's identification.
Nearby, Meowth and James were holding tranquilizer guns—obviously used to subdue the Kangaskhan. They had spotted Pikachu approaching and, not wanting interference, had fired at him.
"Let the Kangaskhan go. This is a protected reserve—I don't want to battle you," Ash said coldly.
Despite being hit with a powerful tranquilizer, Pikachu was fighting to stay conscious. His weakened eyes remained fixed on the captured Kangaskhan. Ash understood that his partner cared deeply about these Pokémon, and if Pikachu cared, so did he.
"Team Rocket! You again!" Officer Jenny, Brock, and Misty had caught up. Brock and Misty quickly jumped out of the vehicle and moved to Ash's side, facing Team Rocket with hostile expressions.
"Ha! Are you kidding? We worked hard to catch all these Kangaskhan. We're not letting them go that easily!" Jessie sneered at Ash's demand, ignoring the newcomers. She had no intention of giving up their catch.
James and Meowth raised their tranquilizer guns, ready to fire again. Ash's eyes hardened.
"You asked for it! Devileon, use Phantom Force!"
While holding a Poké Ball, Ash threw it without hesitation. The moment Devileon appeared, purple light enveloped its body, and it vanished from sight in an instant.
James and Meowth had initially planned to target Devileon, but were caught off guard when it disappeared. Just as surprise registered on their faces, a flash of purple light streaked before their eyes.
WHOOSH!
Instead of attacking James and Meowth directly, Devileon flew past them, knocking the tranquilizer guns from their hands before circling back into the air. This maneuver prioritized the safety of the Kangaskhan.
Pikachu sighed with relief when he saw this. He could tell that Ash was also concerned about the Kangaskhan. With weak eyes, he looked up at his trainer with immense gratitude.
"Damn it! You kids always get in our way!" James clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in annoyance after being disarmed.