Leaving behind the romantic atmosphere of Victorian Town, Ash and his group set off on their journey toward the Trovita Gym.
They passed through the town and entered a vast, boundless plain. The wide open view was refreshing. A gentle breeze swept through the knee high grass, creating waves of green, and in the distance, herds of Tauros could be seen grazing leisurely.
"What a wide open place!" Misty spread her arms, enjoying the breeze brushing against her face.
"The Pokémon ecosystem here must be very rich," Tracey said, already taking out his sketchbook to record the wild Pokémon he spotted.
However, the weather took a sudden turn.
The clear sky was quickly swallowed by massive dark clouds rolling in from afar, spreading like spilled ink across the horizon. Strong winds rose, flattening the grass, and the air filled with the earthy scent that comes before rain.
"It's going to rain," Ash looked up at the rapidly darkening sky, frowning slightly. His Aura ability could sense the restless, unstable electric particles in the air.
No sooner had he spoken than large raindrops began to fall, quickly turning into a torrential downpour. Thunder roared, deafening and constant, while lightning tore across the sky as a violent thunderstorm engulfed the entire plain.
"Find somewhere to take shelter!" Ash shouted. The three of them struggled forward through the storm, battling wind and rain across the muddy grassland.
Fortunately, they soon spotted a wooden cabin with lights on.
A middle aged man dressed in cowboy attire, wearing a wide brimmed hat and with sun darkened skin, stood under the eaves, waving at them. "Over here! Come inside and take shelter!"
The three of them rushed in as if granted a reprieve.
Inside, the cabin was warm and dry, in stark contrast to the raging storm outside.
"Thank you!" Ash said, wiping the rain from his face.
"No problem. I'm the ranch owner of this plain, name's Ethan," the cowboy said with a hearty laugh, flashing bright white teeth. "I mainly herd… well, some rather special livestock."
He pointed out the window. Through the rain blurred glass, Ash and the others were surprised to see that inside the ranch enclosure were not ordinary cattle or sheep, but groups of floating Magnemite.
They seemed especially active in the thunderstorm, sparks flickering from their bodies as they subtly resonated with the lightning in the sky.
"You herd Magnemite?" Misty asked in surprise.
"That's right," Ethan explained. "These Magnemite can absorb energy from lightning. It benefits both them and helps maintain the electrical balance of this land. Plus, the electricity they generate is very stable."
Just then, the phone rang. It was Officer Jenny from a nearby town.
"Mr. Ethan! The town's power substation was struck by lightning and has failed. There's a widespread blackout! It's urgent. Could you have your Magnemite come and provide temporary power?" Officer Jenny's voice was filled with urgency.
"No problem! I'll get ready right away!" Ethan hung up, his expression turning serious. "Everyone, it's an emergency. I need to take the Magnemite to the town for support. But in this storm, the road ahead might not be safe…"
A thought flashed through Ash's mind. The events from the original storyline surfaced instantly. Team Rocket would never miss this opportunity. They would definitely try to steal these Magnemite.
"Mr. Ethan, please let us help," Ash said immediately. "More people means more strength. We can help escort the Magnemite. And…" he paused, a knowing look in his eyes, "I have a feeling someone might try to interfere. We should prepare in advance."
Ethan looked at Ash's steady gaze. Though slightly puzzled, he nodded. "Alright, I'll leave it to you then! Time's tight, we need to move out immediately!"
Under Ethan's direction, the Magnemite gathered together, forming a floating "cloud" crackling with electricity, and began moving toward the town. Ash and his companions followed closely behind.
While Ethan led the way in front, Ash quickly explained his plan to Misty and Tracey.
"Team Rocket will definitely come after the Magnemite. They'll most likely ambush us in the rocky area ahead. Pikachu, when we get there, climb up to a high rock and use the storm to call down lightning when needed. Tracey, have your Venonat release some Sleep Powder near the edges of the rocky area. It doesn't need to cover a large area, just keep it hidden. Misty, use Starmie's Water Gun to create mud and slow them down."
Although Misty and Tracey were surprised by how certain Ash sounded, they trusted him completely and nodded in agreement right away.
Sure enough, when the group of Magnemite passed through the rugged rocky area, three familiar figures suddenly jumped out!
"""Prepare for trouble!
And make it double!
To protect the world from devastation!
To unite all peoples within our nation!
To denounce the evils of truth and love!
To extend our reach to the stars above!
Jessie!
James!
Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!
Surrender now, or prepare to fight!
Meowth! That's right!"""
"They're here, just like you predicted!" Misty shouted.
"Ash, your guess was spot on!" Tracey said in admiration.
"Ha ha ha! So many Magnemite, they're all ours!" Jessie said smugly.
"With them, we'll have endless electricity, meow!" Meowth's eyes gleamed.
"Now!" Ash gave a low command.
Already in position, Pikachu stood on a high rock, raising its tail like a lightning rod toward the sky.
"Pika… Chu!" Instead of attacking directly, it guided the lightning. A brilliant bolt of lightning was drawn down, striking the ground just in front of Team Rocket, blasting up scorched earth and forcing them to stumble back in fear.
At the same time, Venonat's Sleep Powder spread silently through the air. Jessie and James inhaled a small amount, and their movements immediately became sluggish.
Starmie's Water Gun turned the ground beneath them into thick mud. The moment Arbok and Weezing came out, they sank into it, struggling to move.
"What's going on?! The ground is so slippery!"
"I feel… so sleepy…"
"Pikachu, keep it up!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu called down lightning again. This time, the bolt struck right beside them, and the scattered electric sparks left their bodies numb.
"Waaah! Why does lightning keep striking us?!"
"What a terrible feeling!"
Team Rocket tried to fight back, but with the muddy ground, the lingering Sleep Powder, and the constant threat of lightning, they couldn't mount any effective attack. The moment they brought out their capture device, Pikachu guided a third bolt of lightning straight onto it, destroying it instantly.
"We can't take it anymore, meow!"
"Retreat! Fall back!"
The Team Rocket trio, charred and disheveled, scrambled away in a panic, rolling and crawling back behind the rocks, completely abandoning their plan to capture the Magnemite.
"That takes care of that." Ash smiled slightly.
Ethan stared in shock at what had just happened, utterly impressed by Ash's foresight and command ability. "Kid, you're incredible! It's like you could predict the future!"
With Team Rocket gone, the Magnemite group safely reached the town.
Under Ethan's direction, the Magnemite gathered around temporary conductive equipment, their bodies glowing steadily as they generated a continuous supply of electricity. Before long, power was restored to the town's essential facilities. The residents came out of their homes, cheering and thanking the Magnemite.
Officer Jenny personally expressed her sincere gratitude to Ethan and Ash's group. "Thank you so much! If you hadn't arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
As the storm passed, the dark clouds dispersed, and sunlight once again bathed the land.
After completing their task, the Magnemite happily followed Ethan back to the ranch.
"Ash, this time it was all thanks to you," Misty said sincerely, looking at him smiling under the sunlight.
"That's right, your predictions were incredibly precise," Tracey agreed.
Ash looked up at the clear blue sky, breathing in the fresh air after the rain, and smiled. "It's nothing. I just figured they wouldn't pass up an opportunity like that. Let's keep moving. The Trovita Gym is still waiting for us."
After this battle of protection in the thunderstorm, Ash and his friends, filled with a sense of accomplishment, set off once again on their journey to the Trovita Gym.
If I remember correctly, the Gym Leader at Trovita Gym in the original story seemed to have a bit of a crush on Misty. Should the protagonist teach him a lesson? Of course, not physically, but through a Pokémon battle so thorough that he won't forget it.
...
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