The Bewilder Forest
"My mom once told me that this forest is really strange. The Stantler living here seem to be guarding something. If outsiders try to enter, the Stantler use their antlers to create illusions, trapping intruders in a mysterious dream world."
Dawn held Piplup tightly, her eyes darting around the dense trees.
It felt like a Stantler could jump out at any second to drive them away.
Meanwhile, a shadow flickered in and out of sight around them—Gengar.
Ever since Ash had sent it out, Gengar showed no intention of returning to its Poké Ball. Fortunately, the journey through the Bewilder Forest would take some time, giving Gengar plenty of space to play.
"Don't worry. Even if the Stantler do try to trap us in an illusion, Gengar can prevent it."
"Pika!"
As Ash spoke, the bushes ahead rustled. A Stantler emerged from the undergrowth.
Dawn and Anabel turned to look at Ash.
He let out an awkward laugh. "Well… guess our luck isn't that great."
The Stantler let out a low cry, and a strange energy radiated from its antlers, distorting the space around them.
Ash and the others immediately noticed the shimmering glow at the tips of its horns.
But before anything could happen, Gengar, who had been floating around them the entire time, let out a mischievous "Heh heh!" and casually reached out with its claw.
It didn't even seem to grab anything—yet the illusionary energy Stantler had released instantly vanished.
Stantler: ???
The Stantler froze, completely dumbfounded.
"Wuuu…"
"Huh?"
Both Ash and Anabel exclaimed in surprise.
Dawn blinked in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"That Stantler just told us… not to go near its child."
Ash's expression turned serious.
"That makes sense," Anabel added. "The Bewilder Forest is home to many Stantler. And right now, it's their breeding season. That's probably why it's being so defensive."
"No… It's not just that."
Anabel's gaze sharpened.
This Stantler hadn't just been warning them about its young—it had been trying to keep them from heading deeper into the forest.
"It also said that there's a wild Ursaring in the forest… one that attacks other Pokémon without reason. If it hears any sounds, it'll come charging in."
"What? An Ursaring?"
"That sounds terrifying…"
"Pipluup…"
Dawn clutched Piplup even tighter, both of them shivering at the thought.
"Wuuu…"
"ROAR!!!"
Just then, a furious roar echoed from deeper in the woods!
The Stantler immediately panicked and bolted back the way it came.
Ash and the others didn't hesitate—they followed right behind it to see what was happening.
When they arrived, they found an Ursaring locked in a tense standoff with several Stantler.
Behind the group of Stantler was a baby Stantler, injured and trembling.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened. This Ursaring had attacked, injuring the baby, and now the adult Stantler were desperately trying to protect it.
"ROOOARRR!!!"
Ursaring suddenly reared up, charging a Hyper Beam!
"That's dangerous! Get out of the way!"
BOOM!
The golden blast tore through the air, heading straight for the Stantler—
But before it could land, a burst of flames struck Ursaring from the side, interrupting the attack!
"ROOOAR?!"
Thrown off balance, Ursaring's Hyper Beam veered wildly off course—
And it was now headed straight for Ash and the others!
"AHH! Ash, Anabel, look out!!"
Dawn's face went pale as she clung to Piplup in terror.
At that moment—
A shadow burst from the ground—Gengar!
With a single movement, it conjured a glowing barrier.
Protect!
The Hyper Beam slammed into the shield and dissipated harmlessly.
Ash and Pikachu immediately turned toward the source of the fire attack.
A familiar figure stepped out of the trees—a purple-haired trainer, his Chimchar by his side.
Paul.
He had been tracking this Ursaring for some time now.
But it was aggressive, and whenever it lost a battle, it ran off, taking its frustration out on the other Pokémon in the forest.
That explained the Stantler's warning earlier—this Ursaring had been terrorizing the area.
"It's you." Paul's gaze locked onto Gengar, his eyes narrowing.
This Gengar… the aura it gave off… was incredibly powerful.
Not far off from Pikachu, even.
So this guy had another ridiculously strong Pokémon?
"I don't think I need to answer that."
Ash's response was cold.
It was the exact same line Paul had once used on him.
Now, Ash threw it back at him without hesitation.
Paul scowled.
Meanwhile, the Stantler had retreated behind Ash and the others.
By now, they understood that Ash, Dawn, and Anabel were trying to protect them. Their previous wariness began to fade.
"Oh no! This baby Stantler is badly hurt!"
Anabel gasped in shock.
She hurriedly dug into her bag and pulled out some medicinal herbs—the same ones Granny Clara had given her.
She quickly got to work treating the baby's injuries.
Paul watched all of this with an unreadable expression.
For a moment, it reminded him of his brother, Reggie—always caring for wild Pokémon, always so soft.
That memory alone was enough to irritate him.
"Tch. Worrying about weaklings instead of catching a powerful Pokémon? What a waste of time."
He turned back toward Ursaring.
"I've been tracking this thing for a while. If you're not going to catch it, then I will. Chimchar, Flamethrower!"
"Gukaa!!"
Chimchar had mastered Flamethrower by now, and it unleashed a powerful stream of fire at Ursaring.
"ROOOOAR!!!"
Ursaring thrashed as the flames engulfed it—then stumbled and fell.
It had already taken damage from previous fights. Paul had simply finished the job.
"Chimchar, Flame Wheel!"
"Gukaa! Gukaa!"
Chimchar spun forward, cloaked in fire, and struck Ursaring once more.
Paul threw a Poké Ball.
The ball hit Ursaring, sucked it inside, and after a few shakes—
Click!
It was caught.
"Gukaa! Gukaa!"
Chimchar jumped up excitedly, thrilled by its victory.
Paul, however, just scoffed.
"Celebrating over beating a weakened opponent? How pathetic."
Chimchar's expression fell immediately.
With an unimpressed look, Paul withdrew it into its Poké Ball.
He then checked Ursaring's Pokédex entry to review its moves.
"…Not bad. I'll keep it."
Then, his eyes snapped back to Ash.
"I want to battle your Gengar!"
His voice was sharp, filled with determination and anger.
His previous loss to Ash had been humiliating.
Now, he was here for revenge.
But Ash barely even glanced at him.
Right now, Paul was not worth his time.
"Bastard… You dare ignore me?! Electabuzz, Thunderbolt!"
Let's see if you ignore me now, Ash Ketchum!
CRACKLE!
The air filled with electricity—
And the battle was about to begin.
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