Electabuzz's Thunderbolt attack never reached Ash and the others.
Because Gengar simply used Protect again, blocking the attack effortlessly.
However, looking at the trajectory of the attack, it was clear that Paul had shown some restraint. He hadn't aimed directly at Ash and his friends, only at the ground near them.
Of course, even if Paul had truly wanted to attack them, he wouldn't have succeeded.
"Fine, let's do this. Your Gengar can fight my Electabuzz! Electabuzz, Thunderbolt!"
Paul was practically forcing the battle to happen.
Now that Elekid had evolved to Electabuzz, its electric energy had increased significantly.
"In that case—Gengar, Shadow Punch!"
BAM!
The speed of Shadow Punch was unmatched. Electabuzz never even got the chance to land its Thunderbolt before getting slammed.
One hit. Just one. And Electabuzz was down for the count.
"If I were you, I'd start reflecting on your own failures. Maybe your Pokémon wouldn't be so weak if they weren't trained by such a terrible Trainer."
Ash delivered the same exact words Paul had once used on him—now thrown back at Paul like a sharp blade.
Paul was nothing more than a 'Player Trainer'—one who only sought power without understanding the essence of true training.
If this were a game, Paul's methods would be fine—always discarding the weak and chasing only the strongest.
But this wasn't a game. This was the real world.
Pokémon had feelings, loyalty, and trust.
There were no 'useless' Pokémon—only useless Trainers.
Paul withdrew his fallen Electabuzz, his fury rising even further.
He convinced himself that this loss was only because his main Pokémon weren't with him. That was all.
Once they left the Bewilder Forest, Paul would have Reggie send over his strongest Pokémon.
Then he would challenge Ash again.
(PS: Giovanni once trained a Beedrill strong enough to challenge Lance's dragons… that speaks volumes.)
Meanwhile, Anabel was busy tending to the injured baby Stantler.
But its injuries were too severe.
"Ash, this won't work. We can use a Heal Ball to stabilize it for now, but we need to get it to a Pokémon Center as soon as possible."
Hearing this, Ash made a quick decision.
"In that case, Anabel, you should catch it. The other Stantler will understand."
He handed her a Heal Ball.
Anabel explained the situation to the Stantler herd. They hesitated, reluctant to part with the baby, but ultimately, they agreed.
They understood—letting the baby recover and explore the world outside was a good thing.
The injured Stantler didn't even resist. It willingly entered the Heal Ball, and with a single shake—
Click!
Anabel successfully caught it!
With no time to lose, Ash, Dawn, and Anabel rushed toward Jubilife City, where the nearest Pokémon Center was located.
By the time they arrived, night had already fallen.
Luckily, Jubilife's Pokémon Center was near the city entrance, so they didn't need to go deep into town.
They handed the baby Stantler over to Nurse Joy, and finally, they could breathe a sigh of relief.
"Alright, now that that's settled—let's get dinner. My treat!"
"Pika Pikachu!"
"Piplup Piplup!"
At the mention of food, Pikachu and Piplup instantly lit up with excitement.
They made their way to a luxurious hotel, where Ash ordered a feast—not just for themselves but also for their Pokémon.
The grand table was filled with food, and their Pokémon enjoyed a premium meal.
Ash's team: Tyranitar, Pidgeot, Sceptile, Gengar, Latias, Aipom, Turtwig, and Pikachu.
Anabel's team: Metagross and Espeon.
As for Dawn… well, she only had Piplup.
At the dinner table, Ash brought up an important topic.
"Dawn, you really need to catch more Pokémon. You should have at least three for Contests. That way, if something unexpected happens, you'll have backup."
Dawn nodded, clenching her fist with determination.
"No problem! But Ash… I didn't expect you to be so rich! I only get to eat in fancy hotels like this when I attend big events with my mom."
"Piplup, Piplup!"
Piplup boasted to Pikachu, promising that it would help Dawn catch a new Pokémon soon.
Pikachu, however, could only give an awkward smile. Knowing those two, this plan was doomed from the start.
Speaking of money, Ash casually mentioned his two hit songs.
Dawn's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Wait—you wrote songs?! No way! That's amazing!"
Then Ash suddenly remembered—he still hadn't sent the third song to Elesa.
So, right then and there, he called her.
Dawn gasped when she saw Elesa on the screen.
"WHAT?! You know Elesa?! I love her music! I listen to both of her songs all the time! Ash, you're incredible!!"
Ash just chuckled sheepishly.
And with that, the night passed peacefully.
The next morning, the team woke up early.
By now, the baby Stantler had recovered, and Anabel could finally relax.
They went for a morning jog along the forest path, enjoying the crisp air.
The morning sun bathed the world in golden light, and wild Pokémon occasionally passed by, creating a perfect scene of nature.
"Phew… Phew…"
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew past them!
Ash's hat was caught in the wind and lifted into the air!
"Pika?"
Pikachu reacted instantly, leaping up and catching the hat perfectly on its head.
No one noticed that, from the shade of a nearby tree, a pair of wide, admiring eyes were watching.
It was a Buneary.
"Mi~~ Mi~~"
Her cheeks flushed red as she watched Pikachu's heroic leap.
So cool…!
Just then—
A motorcycle engine roared in the distance.
Jubilife City's Officer Jenny was approaching at full speed!
She hit the brakes hard, but she was coming in too fast—
And Pikachu was right in her path!
Buneary's eyes widened in panic.
Without a second thought, she leaped forward with incredible speed, grabbed Pikachu, and sprang into the air—
Just in time to dodge the incoming motorcycle!
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T/N:
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