"All units, regroup with me immediately and bring the disruptor!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
There was no other choice. At this point, Hunter J had to resort to her final escape tactic.
J was not one to flee from battle.
But she was someone who acted decisively.
The moment she realized that escaping on her own power was impossible, she immediately opted for her last resort.
The disruptor—a piece of equipment she had recently purchased at an astronomical price—was her trump card.
Its purpose? To instantly interfere with all forms of energy in the surrounding area.
The effect wouldn't last long, but as long as it could sever Ash's tracking ability, it would be worth it!
As Ash rode atop Pidgeot, he quickly noticed that J's scattered subordinates had begun regrouping.
"Pidgeot, use Hurricane to keep them from closing in!"
Whoosh!
A raging storm erupted in the sky.
The sudden force of Hurricane sent clouds swirling and air currents spiraling out of control!
However, despite Ash's efforts, some of J's subordinates managed to push through and reach her.
And the moment they did—
J activated the disruptor!
An invisible wave pulsed through the air.
Ash's Aura, which had originally extended up to five kilometers, was now suppressed to just five hundred meters!
J smirked.
She knew that this alone wouldn't be enough to defeat Ash.
But it didn't matter—this was all she needed to escape!
Ash narrowed his eyes.
"Not bad. But I'm already close enough, J! Pidgeot, use Air Cutter!"
Shh! Shh! Shh!
Countless razor-sharp wind blades tore through the air, cutting straight toward J's escape route!
From the ground, Dawn, Anabel, and Gary could all see what was happening—
Pidgeot's countless Air Cutters merged into one colossal slicing whirlwind!
With unstoppable force, the attack surged forward, directly targeting Hunter J!
"Damn it! Drapion, block the attack! Everyone else, cover me!"
J reacted instantly, sacrificing her Drapion to buy herself time!
Drapion emerged midair, positioning itself as a shield in front of J.
At the same time, J's subordinates released dozens of Golbat and Crobat!
They all unleashed Supersonic waves at once!
BOOM!
The massive Air Cutter struck Drapion head-on!
Drapion tried to counter with Cross Poison, but…
It was no use.
The overwhelming power of Ash's attack shredded through Drapion's armor!
The poisonous scorpion Pokémon was sent crashing through the air, its body covered in dark purple blood!
Its once-impenetrable shell had been torn apart!
J's face remained expressionless as she recalled Drapion into its Poké Ball.
Drapion had been with her for years.
While J was ruthless to others, she genuinely cared for her own Pokémon.
But right now, her life came first.
She had underestimated the boy down below.
Recently, she had been far too careless.
It was infuriating… but for now, she had no choice but to retreat.
Survival came first.
The disruptor's interference continued, and the relentless Supersonic waves from Golbat and Crobat further obstructed Ash's Aura detection.
Ash watched as J tried to flee, surrounded by over a dozen Pokémon actively disrupting his tracking ability.
If he didn't deal with them first, chasing her would be pointless.
"You're all so loyal to J, huh? Then don't blame me for this."
His eyes grew cold.
Pidgeot's speed and power were undeniable, but right now, Ash wasn't playing fair.
One by one, he commanded Pidgeot to slice through each of the enemy's flying machines!
One after another, the air scooters were shredded apart—
J's subordinates, one by one, plummeted from the sky!
From this height, they wouldn't die, but…
Permanent injuries were a guarantee.
As for J—she had escaped again.
Ash exhaled sharply, his gaze cold.
J had fled from him twice now.
But at this point, she was no longer a threat.
She was nothing more than a poacher who ran for her life the moment she saw him.
And with Drapion severely wounded, she wouldn't be making any moves for a long time.
As for the rest of her subordinates—they were all swiftly arrested by Officer Jenny.
Jenny showed no mercy.
Pokémon poachers had no place under League jurisdiction.
__
"Man, Ash, if you hadn't shown up, I don't know how I would've protected those four Shieldon."
Gary grinned as he patted Ash on the shoulder.
"That J woman is seriously dangerous… but the fact that she ran away the moment she saw you? That's crazy!"
Ash smirked.
"You're making it sound like I'm some kind of monster."
"Well, you kinda are. Your progress is insane!"
The two chuckled.
They had been childhood rivals for years.
And now, their conversations carried both friendship and competitive banter.
"But speaking of progress," Ash continued, "you've been making some serious strides in Pokémon research, huh?"
Gary nodded proudly.
"Yeah! Right now, I'm working on a research project with Devon Corporation. We're investigating something called Mega Evolution."
Ash's expression flickered.
Mega Evolution?
So… they had started researching it already?
That was good news.
But even with the information he had provided, it would still take time before they made any real breakthroughs.
For now, he would wait.
Ash glanced at Gary and smirked inwardly.
Gary… I wonder how you'll react when you find out that I'm the one who initiated Mega Evolution research in this world?
But that was a thought for another day.
Nearby, Dawn was excitedly chatting with Officer Jenny and Professor Rowan, sharing her travel experiences with them.
Anabel stood beside her, smiling quietly.
And so—
With their mission complete, Ash and his friends continued their journey forward.
Two Days Later—Arrival in Hearthome City!
"Finally! We made it to Hearthome City!"
Dawn cheered as she ran ahead, eyes sparkling.
"I'm signing up for the Hearthome City Pokémon Contest right away!"
"Piplup!"
Meanwhile, Ash smirked, his determination unwavering.
"And I'm heading straight to the Hearthome Gym!"
"Pikachu!"
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T/N:
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