Chapter 62. Giant Tentacruel
Amp City, Pokémon Center.
Ash spoke at length, recounting their thrilling, almost adventure-like ordeal.
"Huh? Natsume, why put in so much effort?" Misty was puzzled.
Wasn't the League Inspector identity enough?
"From those sailors' reactions, the inspectors have probably come more than once already," Natsume shook his head slightly.
If the inspector identity were useful, they would have halted the project long ago.
Besides, his inspector's pass was fake.
If they wanted to check, they would find out quickly.
Better to get right up in their face and drop the ultimate, throwing them into confusion.
Then even if they reacted, it would be too late.
Reality matched Natsume's thinking.
Without dropping something heavy on Granny Nastina, she wasn't going to stop.
Two days later, a bombshell hit Amp City.
The boss of the Yucho Wharf tourism development project—Granny Nastina—had skipped town!
Overnight, the place was deserted.
Countless workers and crew stood outside the high-rise, raising their hands in protest.
"Wharf Company, Wharf Company! Granny Nastina, Granny Nastina has skipped town! She ran with her Pokémon!"
No wonder the working class can do anything—do they even have rap in there?
Natsume looked down with an odd expression at a few young people in worker uniforms holding mics and a speaker.
"Everyone, quiet!"
In front of the building, Honora held a microphone, sitting atop Natsume's Ultra Ball Rotom, floating in midair.
Her voice drowned out everyone else.
"From now on, the Yucho Wharf development project is being taken over by the Viridian Biopharma Group."
"The Yucho Wharf tourism development will continue, but it will pivot to eco-tourism development."
Last night, Honora had contacted her father.
With Natsume's brilliant proposal and a small connection from Richmont, the League side gave the green light all the way and approved it.
This way, a large number of workers in Amp City wouldn't lose their jobs.
By dusk, at Yucho Wharf, the group was casually fishing here with nothing else to do.
"Natsume, aren't we leaving yet?" Ash watched the departing passenger ship, getting restless.
"No rush.
Things here aren't over yet." Natsume was wearing a Tentacruel mascot costume.
Center-parted waddled over, dragging his little blankie, and lay comfortably on top of the costume's head.
"A project manager arrived to take over on Honora's side, so they should be able to set off too," Brock thought Natsume was talking about Honora.
"I also think things here aren't over.
This kid has been very agitated lately," Misty looked worriedly at the Horsea in her arms.
"Of course it's agitated when you're cradling it to your chest," Natsume glanced at her sidelong.
"…I mean it's like this at other times too." Misty was speechless, but still tossed Horsea into the sea.
It kept diving and resurfacing, looking anxious.
"What do you think Horsea is trying to say?" Misty propped her chin in her hand, staring blankly at it.
"It might be trying to say that in a few days, a monster will be coming ashore."
"How could something like that happen?" Misty glared at Natsume.
"Look, it nodded!" Brock pointed at Horsea in the sea, surprised.
"What?" Misty tilted her head, wondering if Natsume's influence was too strong—had he spoiled Horsea in just a few days?
"Don't worry, Horsea."
Natsume suddenly shook out the mascot costume and stood up.
Center-parted atop his head didn't budge and kept sleeping.
He struck a clawing, menacing pose.
A giant Tentacruel-like shadow fell, making Horsea shiver.
"We have Gengar the superman!"
With that, a red flash flickered at Natsume's waist, and a purple, round-bodied Gengar with its hands clasped behind its back appeared.
Natsume casually passed it a stick of Spicy Mud.
"Hiss—ha!"
One a day—approved!
Soon, night fell.
"Natsume, aren't you going back?" Ash yawned.
He didn't understand why Natsume was keeping watch here.
"You all go on ahead," Natsume waved at them, signaling them to return to the Pokémon Center to rest.
Without the time Ash's group spent stranded on an island, Natsume wasn't sure when the Dynamax Tentacruel would make landfall.
His rough estimate was within the next few days.
To avoid accidents—like a quiet night and the Dynamax Tentacruel suddenly staging a beachhead landing—
there might not be time for Natsume to explain anything before Amp City was done for.
So Natsume planned to keep watch here for a few days.
He didn't even dare use the Rules Field these days, saving it for the unknown hour when the giant Tentacruel arrived.
"Teacher, I'll stay with you!"
Seeing everyone else about to leave, Honora happily sat down beside Natsume.
"The one month is almost up," Natsume yawned.
Honora froze, then lowered her head, aggrieved.
Fine.
She had to go back to the Pokémon Center and catch up on her progress.
After the others left, Natsume took out his phone.
On it was an app linked to the translator Meowth used.
Everything Meowth typed out would be transmitted in real time to the software Natsume developed.
In addition, the software was tied to an account.
Every time Meowth uploaded a language translation for a Pokémon species, a payment would be sent over.
The quick, timely feedback had Meowth utterly hooked.
In less than a week, it had uploaded translations for nearly twenty Pokémon languages.
Just these past few days, Meowth had uploaded language translations related to Tentacool and Tentacruel.
From overhead, center-parted let out a faint snore.
Drowsiness crept in.
The Rotom Phone hovered in the sky monitoring the sea, and nothing special came through.
Maybe tonight would be uneventful—Natsume was thinking just that.
Suddenly, a massive rush of water sounded from behind.
Boom—something enormous seemed to surge up from the sea, the water pouring off it in streams that crashed onto the surface with a deafening roar.
In an instant, many more lights flicked on across Amp City.
A night raid after all?
Natsume started, sleep gone.
But staring at the huge shadow in the dark distance, Natsume felt something odd.
Wasn't Yucho Wharf over here?
Why had the giant Tentacruel appeared on the other side of the city?
Now wasn't the time for Natsume to think about that.
He sent out Gengar and handed it a stick of Spicy Mud.
"Take me over there.
We've got a hard fight tonight!"
"Geng-ga!"
Gengar took a deep breath and answered with vigor, then turned into a streak of light and shot toward that side of the city.
Amp City, another stretch of sea.
After breaching the surface, the giant Tentacruel froze in place, stunned.
It felt a bit dazed.
Wait—where were its underlings?
Just after Natsume left, the waters around Yucho Wharf suddenly lit up with countless pink glows, glittering brightly.
Look closely, and they were Tentacool—one after another!
Their presence made this sea, seen from afar at night, look like a starry sky—gorgeous beyond measure!
Only, all these Tentacool had risen to the surface, and they too looked a little dumbfounded.
Wait—where was their boss?
Weren't they supposed to teach these humans a lesson together?
Suddenly, by that glow, a few Tentacool noticed something orange on the shore.
"Pika?"
When center-parted woke, a ring of UFO-like Pokémon surrounded him.
Rubbing his eyes sleepily and tugging his little blankie, center-parted went right ahead and greeted the nearest Tentacool.
Using both hands and feet, he clambered onto its head.
Sure enough, it was wonderfully comfy up there—cool and slick.
Kneading it twice like a pillow, center-parted toppled over and fell asleep.
Tentacool: "?"
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