Realizing that the Mythical Pokémon Mew was nearby and likely in grave danger, Ash and Serena couldn't sit still for another second. They dropped what they were holding, hastily packed their gear, and sprinted downstream toward the commotion.
It didn't take long for them to spot the source of the chaos. A young man with bright red hair was locked in a tense standoff against an entire squad of uniformed criminals. They wore matching dark gray outfits, each emblazoned with a massive, glaring red "R" on the chest.
It was Team Rocket, the largest and most dangerous illegal Pokémon syndicate in the Kanto region.
Standing at the very front of the Team Rocket grunts was a heavily built man. He wore a bizarre, mechanical eyepiece over one side of his face, making him look like some sort of deranged cyborg villain straight out of a comic book.
A line of intimidating Pokémon stood before him. Sweeping his gaze across the lineup, Ash only recognized one of them—a Dodrio. He had absolutely no idea what the others were.
If this were any other day, Ash would have already pulled out his Pokédex to scan each and every one of them. But right now, his attention was completely captivated by the creature floating directly between the two opposing forces.
A petite frame, pink skin, and graceful, agile movements. It looked exactly like the Pokémon Ash had seen all those years ago.
"Mew..."
"Hmph! Do you really think having a Legendary Pokémon means you can defeat us?!"
The bulky cyborg man sneered. With a furious wave of his hand, he barked an order to his subordinates.
"All of you, attack! Pin him down right now!"
"Yes, Lord Vicious!"
In the next second, the Team Rocket grunts hurled their Poké Balls forward.
"Golbat, use Supersonic!" "Raticate, Hyper Fang!" "Fearow, use Gust!" "Houndour, Beat Up!"
Seeing a massive wave of attacks hurtling toward him, the red-haired young man remained entirely calm. Without a shred of hesitation, he issued his command.
"Urshifu! Wicked Blow!"
In the blink of an eye, a massive, imposing bear stepped in front of the young man. Its black and white fur looked exactly like a martial artist's training uniform, and the fur on its head swept upward like a headband. Its gaze was as unwavering and absolute as a boulder enduring a mountain waterfall.
Facing the incoming barrage, Urshifu dropped into a low, sideways stance and pulled its right fist to its waist. In the very next instant, it unleashed a devastating punch!
"Hoo-Hah!"
A dark red shockwave violently erupted from its fist. Like a hurricane tearing through dead leaves, the shockwave obliterated every single incoming attack. Without losing any momentum, the sheer force slammed directly into the opposing Pokémon.
Boom!
A massive explosion echoed through the riverbank, and every single grunt's Pokémon was blasted into the air, instantly knocked unconscious.
But just as the red-haired young man defeated the grunts, a sudden, chilling numbness crawled up his spine. He whipped his head around.
A Sneasel had silently closed the distance, slipping right past Urshifu. Its claws glowed with a toxic purple light, and its dark, shadowed eyes were locked directly onto the young man's throat.
It was going for a lethal strike!
Click!
In that critical, split-second window, a Poké Ball on the young man's belt popped open on its own. A Pokémon that looked remarkably similar to Sneasel, but significantly larger, leapt out. Its claws flashed with freezing blue light as it viciously clashed against Sneasel's attack.
"That was close!"
Seeing his Weavile block the assassination attempt, the red-haired youth let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. But his relief lasted only a fraction of a second. His face instantly drained of color.
He whipped his head back toward Mew.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Vicious had already commanded his Scizor to pin Mew down. Even worse, Vicious was currently gripping an ominous, pitch-black Poké Ball in his hand.
Seeing the dark sphere, the red-haired youth's pupils shrank to pinpricks. He screamed in pure panic.
"Stop!"
"Go! Dark Ball!"
Vicious completely ignored the warning, flashing a sinister, triumphant grin. Without hesitation, he hurled the Dark Ball straight at Mew.
But just as the corrupted sphere was about to strike the Mythical Pokémon...
"Froakie, use Fling!"
"Fro."
A small rock suddenly shot out from the tree line like a bullet, striking the Dark Ball with pinpoint precision. The impact completely altered the ball's trajectory, sending it veering off course.
Mew instantly snapped back to reality. Executing a rapid U-turn, it vanished from Vicious's line of sight and reappeared a safe distance away.
"Damn it!"
Seeing his foolproof plan ruined by a random pebble, Vicious looked ready to tear someone apart with his bare hands. He violently turned his head to the source of the interference.
Spotting Ash and Serena—and more importantly, spotting Mew floating right next to Ash—Vicious froze for a second before his face twisted into a vicious sneer.
"Just a couple of brats. Listen here, kid. Hand over that Mew behind you right now, or I swear I'll make you regret the day you were born!"
"I'm never handing it over to you!"
Ash didn't back down. He stepped forward, planting himself firmly in front of both Mew and Serena. He glared right back at Vicious, completely unflinching.
Turning his head slightly, Ash offered Mew a confident smile.
"Don't worry, Mew. I've got your back."
"..."
Mew didn't react much, but Serena, standing right next to him, physically froze.
Those exact words instantly violently dragged her memories back to the past—back to when she was a little girl attending the Pokémon Summer Camp in the Kanto region.
She remembered getting separated from the group. She had scraped her knee, and it hurt so much she couldn't walk. She remembered sitting alone in the dark, crying because she was so terrified.
And then, a boy had found her. He had bandaged her leg and carried her out of the forest on his back.
She remembered crying hard into his shoulder, and then she heard him say those exact words.
Don't worry. I've got your back.
The boy's voice had been young, but it made her feel incredibly safe. She had stopped crying and eventually fallen asleep on his back, only waking up when they were safely back at camp.
And now, she was hearing those exact same words from Ash.
It wasn't just the words. The tone, the cadence, the absolute, unshakable sincerity behind them... it was identical!
Serena looked at Ash, her expression completely changed.
"Ash, are you..."
But Ash didn't notice Serena's shifting gaze. The current situation didn't allow him the luxury of paying attention to anything else. He could feel the suffocating, malicious aura radiating off of Vicious. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
This was completely different from a standard Trainer battle. One wrong move here, and Ash felt they might actually be killed.
And yet...
Ash instinctively pressed a hand over his own heart.
Why wasn't he feeling any fear?
He should be terrified, right?
But this scorching, violent pounding in his chest... could this really be called fear?
No. Utter, exhilarating excitement was the only way to describe it.
"Froakie."
Even though Ash kept his voice low, a boundless, fanatical battle lust bled into his tone.
"Let's go."
"Fro, fro."
Froakie looked at Ash's current state. It paused in surprise before a deeply amused smirk formed on its face.
It cast a brief glance at Mew before hopping over to stand directly in front of Ash.
I originally wanted to cut down that Mythical creature. But I suppose that can wait.
The trash on the other side seems just as worthy of my blade.
"It seems you've chosen to do things the hard way." Seeing Ash bring out his Pokémon, Vicious's expression darkened. "Fine then. Scizor, use Bullet Punch!"
Following Vicious's command, Scizor's massive steel claws gleamed with a cold, metallic luster. In the next second, its armored body shot toward Froakie like a fired bullet.
"Then we'll use Quick Attack!"
"Fro."
A layer of shimmering light instantly covered Froakie's body. Moving like a phantom, Froakie used minimal, precise swaying motions to effortlessly weave through Scizor's relentless, bullet-fast barrage of punches.
A few seconds later, the moment Scizor pulled its fist back for another strike, Froakie's eyes narrowed.
The frog's aura sharpened into an unsheathed divine sword. A glowing blade of light materialized in its right hand. Froakie gripped the hilt tightly, spinning half a circle to hold the blade horizontally in front of its chest.
"Now, Froakie! Use Flame Wheel!"
"Fro, fro."
In that instant, it was as if a raging inferno ignited within Froakie's eyes. The pure white blade was suddenly engulfed in a layer of illusory, blazing orange fire.
In the blink of an eye, Froakie closed the distance. Raising the massive sword with both hands, its arm muscles visibly bulged. Froakie unleashed a devastating cross-slash directly into Scizor's chest.
Fourth Stance: Great Severance!
Sizzle!
Two deep, scorched black marks instantly appeared on Scizor's steel armor. Taking a 4x super-effective hit, Scizor suffered catastrophic damage. In a fraction of a second, the massive bug was sent flying backward, completely unable to battle.
"Was that... a Fire-type move?!"
The brief clash snapped Serena out of her daze. Seeing Froakie actually use a Fire-type attack, her jaw dropped in absolute disbelief. She muttered to herself.
"Froakie can't learn Fire-type moves..."
Hearing her shock, Froakie glanced back and gave Serena a very calm, flat look.
Fro, fro.
As long as you are fast enough, anything is possible.
Friction generates heat. That is basic common sense even a child understands.
Once again, Froakie's speed was simply... terrifying.
"Hmph."
Vicious, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as shocked as Serena. While seeing a Water-type use a Fire-type move was certainly surprising, he was a man of the world. He knew there were plenty of anomalous Pokémon out there that defied common sense.
He quickly let out a cold sneer.
"You've got some skills, kid. I'll give you that. But if you think that's enough to stop me, you are dead wrong."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Vicious pulled an entire handful of Poké Balls from his coat.
"Go! Tear them apart and bring me Mew!"
Flash! Flash! Flash!
In an instant, an entire ring of massive, terrifying Pokémon materialized around Vicious.
Metagross, Bisharp, Rhydon, Nidoking, Gliscor, Electabuzz.
The sheer, suffocating ferocity radiating from the group proved that none of these Pokémon were to be trifled with.
These were all Vicious's Pokémon. Or rather, they weren't his Pokémon. Vicious utilized Dark Balls, highly illegal devices capable of forcibly capturing any Pokémon—even those belonging to other Trainers. Furthermore, the Dark Ball forcefully extracted and amplified a Pokémon's latent power, turning them into enraged, hyper-aggressive war machines.
It was precisely because of this technology that Vicious could so casually assemble a team of powerhouses, fueling his terrifying ambitions.
Following his command, the squad naturally split into two groups.
Metagross and Rhydon immediately moved to block the red-haired youth's Urshifu and Weavile. Vicious hadn't forgotten the guy who ruined his first capture attempt. While the youth's Pokémon were strong, the Dark Ball's enhancements meant Metagross and Rhydon wouldn't go down easily.
Vicious was entirely confident that while the red-haired youth was busy, the rest of his squad could instantly crush this brat and secure Mew.
"This is..."
Seeing the remaining four terrifying Pokémon charge straight at them, Ash felt an immense, suffocating pressure bear down on him. He instinctively looked at his partner.
"Froakie, can you handle this?"
"Fro, fro."
Froakie simply pointed its glowing sword at the incoming horde, a wild, bloodthirsty grin spreading across its face.
Today, I shall cut until my blade runs dull.
"...We are in serious trouble." Ash rubbed his forehead, fighting off a headache.
He knew Froakie well enough by now. Despite the incredibly arrogant posturing, Ash could perfectly translate that look: Froakie wasn't entirely confident it could defeat all of them at once.
And that made perfect sense. Every single one of these Pokémon was at least on par with the Scizor from earlier. If Froakie hadn't used its bizarre, physics-defying fiery slash to score a 4x weakness hit, that first fight wouldn't have been nearly as easy.
But besides Froakie, Ash only had...
Ash touched the Poké Ball on his belt, a flash of deep concern crossing his eyes.
Mimikyu had made huge strides during their training. It was definitely capable of fighting now. But against an entire squad of elite Pokémon that even Froakie had to take seriously? Ash honestly wasn't confident he could command Mimikyu well enough to ensure its Disguise wouldn't get broken in the crossfire.
But he didn't have the luxury of second-guessing.
"...I choose you, Mimikyu!"
"Come on out, Delphox!"
Flash! Flash!
"Huh?"
Seeing the elegant, humanoid fox Pokémon materialize right next to Mimikyu, Ash froze. He immediately turned to look at Serena.
Serena was still holding her throwing pose. She slowly lowered her arm. Seeing Ash's surprised stare, she brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and took a step forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
She offered him a confident smile and a thumbs-up.
"Let's fight together!"
In that moment, a sudden rush of warmth flooded Ash's chest. He didn't quite know how to describe the feeling, but a matching, blinding smile broke out across his face.
"Yeah! Let's do this!"
As soon as the words were spoken, Ash and Serena snapped their heads forward in perfect sync. Their expressions shifted to identical, razor-sharp focus. They issued their commands simultaneously.
"Delphox, use Mystical Fire!"
"Mimikyu, use Astonish!"
"Delphox!"
"Mimi—boo!"
Mimikyu wasn't slow to begin with, and after a week of being brutally chased around by Froakie, its speed had improved drastically. It lunged forward, violently throwing up its Pikachu rag to reveal a glimpse of the terrifying darkness beneath.
To a human, the action looked almost cute. But fueled by Mimikyu's bizarre ghostly energy, the four attacking Pokémon felt a wave of sheer, primal terror wash over them. Nidoking and Gliscor visibly flinched, instinctively recoiling.
Nidoking and Gliscor flinched!
In the very next second, a massive wave of scorching flames erupted from Delphox's wand, completely engulfing the entire squad.
The opposing Pokémon's Special Attack fell!
"Sharp!"
Unfortunately, none of the four Pokémon relied on Special Attack. The debuff wasn't completely useless, but it wasn't exactly game-changing either.
With Nidoking and Gliscor temporarily stunned, Bisharp took the lead. It raised a bladed arm and violently cleaved the wall of fire in two. Electabuzz immediately charged through the opening, its fists crackling with volatile electricity as it barreled toward Delphox and Mimikyu like a heavy tank.
"Froakie, use Bubble to blind it!"
"Fro!"
Froakie instantly pulled a clump of thick white bubbles from its neck and hurled it directly into Electabuzz's face. Without pausing, Froakie dashed forward, intercepting Bisharp with its glowing sword.
Clang!
Blocking Bisharp's heavy downward slash, Froakie tilted its head up, its eyes cold and sharp as daggers.
I will sever you!
Crack! Froakie forced Bisharp's blade aside with a violent parry. In the next instant, it tapped into its terrifying speed, engaging the Dark-type in a blistering, high-speed sword duel.
Knowing Froakie had that handled, Ash and Serena locked eyes. Seeing Electabuzz flailing blindly through the bubbles, they issued their commands in perfect unison.
"Now's our chance! Delphox (Mimikyu), use Psyshock (Wood Hammer)!"
"Del! (Mimi!)"
Responding to their Trainers, both Pokémon unleashed their full power without hesitation. Mimikyu leaped up, bringing a massive wooden hammer crashing down onto Electabuzz's face. A split second later, an invisible wave of psychic energy violently detonated against the electric beast's chest.
Unable to withstand the focused, double-team assault, Electabuzz was blown backward and knocked unconscious before it hit the ground.
"Roar!"
"Gligar!"
But before Ash and Serena could celebrate, Nidoking and Gliscor snapped out of their fear. Nidoking lowered its massive horn, and Gliscor bared its fangs. Both of them charged wildly at Delphox and Mimikyu, kicking up a storm of dust.
"Mimikyu, dodge it quickly!"
Seeing Gliscor's fangs inches away from Mimikyu, Ash's face paled. He screamed his command.
"Use Double Team now!"
"Mimi!"
By a hairsbreadth, Mimikyu split into multiple illusions, successfully evading the lethal bite. But its teammate, Delphox, wasn't nearly as lucky.
Thud!
Delphox cried out in pain as it was slammed backward by the glancing blow.
"Delphox!"
"Nido!"
But Nidoking's assault wasn't over. Its heavy, armored tail suddenly glowed with a toxic purple aura. Spinning with massive momentum, Nidoking delivered a vicious Poison Tail right into Delphox's side.
Smack!
Delphox was violently sent flying across the dirt.
"Damn it!"
Ash gritted his teeth. The situation had instantly spiraled out of control. Ultimately, it came down to a simple numbers disadvantage. If they just had one or two more Pokémon, they wouldn't be getting completely overwhelmed like this.
The burning desire to catch a new partner flared stronger than ever before.
But wishing for a new Pokémon wouldn't fix the immediate crisis. Ash's mind raced at a million miles an hour, desperately calculating any possible way to break through the enemy formation.
As Ash focused entirely on the battlefield, a faint, almost imperceptible blue light began to shimmer in the depths of his eyes.
"Mew."
Floating right behind Ash, Mew watched the boy agonize over the battle. It tilted its head. A moment later, Mew seemed to understand exactly what Ash needed.
It floated around and positioned itself directly in front of his face.
"Mew."
"Mew..." The sudden cry snapped Ash out of his thoughts. He stared at the Mythical Pokémon, who seemed to be waiting for him to speak. He blinked, then quickly understood. "Are you... asking me to command you?"
"Mew!"
Seeing the pink creature nod happily, Ash's eyes lit up.
This was their way out!
"Alright! Let's fight together, Mew!"
"Ash, do you have a plan?" Seeing the sudden shift in his expression, Serena asked anxiously.
"Yeah. I know exactly what we need to do." Ash shot Serena a very specific look and lowered his voice. "Serena, when I give the signal, just follow my lead."
"Understood." Serena nodded without a second thought.
"Froakie!" Ash yelled toward the dueling frog.
"Fro."
Froakie parried Bisharp away and threw a quick glance over its shoulder. Seeing the specific look in Ash's eyes, Froakie paused for a second before giving a slight, approving nod.
With everything in place, Ash roared his final command.
"Mew! Use Hurricane with maximum power!"
"Mew!"
In an instant, Mew summoned a massive, localized cyclone. A violent storm of sand and debris exploded outward, completely destroying everyone's visibility and plunging the battlefield into total chaos.
"Now's our chance!"
"Serena, hurry!"
In a flash, Ash recalled Mimikyu into its Poké Ball. Seeing this, Serena immediately did the same for Delphox. Before she could ask what the next step of the plan was, she saw Ash wave his hand toward Froakie in the distance.
Then, Ash grabbed Serena by the arm, violently spun her around, and threw her directly onto his back.
Ash activated an explosive burst of pure leg strength and sprinted away from the battlefield.
Serena was completely stunned by the sudden action. Clinging to Ash's back, her expression went totally blank.
"Um, Ash... what exactly are you doing?"
"Running away, obviously!"
Ash replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"We clearly can't win a straight fight right now, so running is our only option! Damn it! Once I catch some new Pokémon, I'm definitely coming back to kick his butt!"
"Uh..." Feeling the solid, reassuring warmth of Ash's back, a slight blush crept onto Serena's cheeks. "Then why are you carrying me?"
"Because you run way too slow."
Ash answered with brutal honesty. At that moment, he noticed Froakie had effortlessly caught up and was running right beside him. Ash quickly shouted to the floating pink Pokémon above him.
"Mew! Grab my hair and hold on tight!"
"Serena, you hold on tight too!"
"Huh?"
"Hold on! We are accelerating!"
Boom!
Like a cannonball fired from a siege weapon, Ash blasted forward. Tearing through layer after layer of wind resistance, his speed continuously climbed higher and higher.
"Waaaah!"
A violent, howling gale slammed into Serena's face. Even though Ash's body was blocking the brunt of the wind, the sheer force of the slipstream still stung her cheeks. All other thoughts completely vanished from her mind. She pressed herself flat against Ash's back, wrapping her arms around his neck in a death grip, absolutely terrified she might be thrown off.
And the most terrifying part was... Ash's speed was still increasing!
Ash used Agility!
It was super effective! Ash successfully fled the battle!