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"Thank you both for your hard work!" Ash smiled warmly as he knelt down to affectionately pat the heads of Pikachu and Fraxure.
"RAWR!" Fraxure growled appreciatively.
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu chirped happily.
As his Pokemon basked in the praise, a man approached the trio with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry, Ash," the citizen said remorsefully. "The trainers from Kaz's Gym suddenly fought back and managed to escape. Their associates took advantage of the confusion and fled too. We simply couldn't stop them!"
The man looked genuinely distressed. After all, they had invested considerable effort to capture those troublemakers, only to have them slip away.
"Don't worry about it," Ash replied reassuringly. "The main issue has been resolved. When trouble comes, troublemakers flee—that's just how it works. There won't be any more problems now."
Those escaped trainers were merely hired help anyway. They had been battling endlessly throughout Dark City, causing illegal destruction wherever they went. The lack of an official Gym likely explained why Officer Jenny hadn't been stationed here yet.
Otherwise, how could trainers from rival gyms engage in such blatant street warfare? Now that Kaz and Yas had been defeated by Ash and their makeshift gyms destroyed, they wouldn't dare display such arrogance again. Considering their previous actions, they wouldn't be thinking about causing more trouble—only about escaping the consequences!
And if they were affiliated with Team Rocket, their escape was hardly surprising. Team Rocket's resilience was legendary—if they could break out of police custody, escaping from a group of concerned citizens would be child's play.
"You'll pay for this!" Kaz bellowed suddenly. "We'll never let you get away with what you've done!"
Both Kaz and Yas had recovered from their initial shock and were now glaring at Ash with unbridled fury. The destruction of the gyms they had worked so hard to establish had pushed them over the edge.
Beyond caring about proper conduct, and with their Pokemon defeated, they resorted to physical violence. Each grabbed a fallen branch from the ground and charged toward Ash and his companions.
Witnessing this desperate attack, Ash remained calm. Pikachu and Fraxure exchanged determined glances, preparing to defend their trainer. Just as they were about to intercept the charging gym leaders, a figure suddenly stepped between them.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
The intervening figure wore a trench coat, a face mask, sunglasses, and a hat pulled low—making identification nearly impossible. But when they spoke, a woman's voice emerged.
Misty and Brock immediately recognized this person as the same mysterious individual they had spotted in the restaurant earlier. At the time, they had assumed she was just another customer enjoying her coffee and paid her little attention.
Confronted by this unexpected obstacle, Yas and Kaz halted their charge instinctively.
"Who do you think you are, getting in our way?" Kaz demanded.
"I am an enforcement officer assigned by the Pokemon League," the woman announced authoritatively.
She produced an unusual-looking Poké Ball from her coat. This wasn't just any unusual Poké Ball—it bore the distinctive emblem that represented official Pokemon League enforcement authority. Upon seeing this badge, Kaz and Yas's expressions transformed to ones of shocked recognition.
The woman tossed the Poké Ball into the air while simultaneously removing her disguise. Only then did everyone see her true identity: she wore a white uniform dress, a nurse's cap with a red cross, and had distinctive pink curled hair. It was Nurse Joy.
The Pokemon that emerged from the League-emblazoned Poké Ball was none other than Chansey, the pink egg-shaped Pokemon exclusively associated with Pokemon Centers.
"Nurse Joy?!" Misty exclaimed in surprise, never having imagined that the enforcement officer would be the town's nurse.
"Such beauty! My heart races!" Brock immediately swooned, his usual lovestruck reaction kicking in automatically.
Meanwhile, Kaz and Yas's expressions sank further. They clearly hadn't expected Nurse Joy to be the enforcement officer—which meant she had been aware of their transgressions all along. They hastily dropped the branches they had been wielding.
"Officer, this young trainer destroyed our gyms!" Kaz protested desperately. "He must be severely punished!"
The two disgraced gym leaders had shifted to playing the victim, shamelessly crying out for justice against Ash. Hearing this transparent ploy, the surrounding citizens displayed expressions of disgust. Ash simply observed their desperate performance in silence.
"That's quite enough," Nurse Joy stated firmly.
"I've been monitoring your activities for some time now. What you may not realize is that Officer Jenny will be taking up her post here in just a few days, and Dark City's Police Department will be officially established at that time."
"All of your recent actions will be subject to appropriate legal consequences," she continued. Obviously, Nurse Joy couldn't be swayed by their one-sided accusations.
Even setting aside their confrontation with Ash at the restaurant today, she had gathered more than enough evidence to make her judgment—not to mention their previous disruptive activities throughout the city.
Upon hearing this news, Kaz and Yas visibly paled. They had been exploiting the absence of Officer Jenny to act with impunity, but the announcement of her imminent arrival meant their chances of avoiding consequences had evaporated—especially now that their gyms were gone.
"Now, as a representative of the Pokemon League, I hereby declare that your applications for official Gym status are rejected," Nurse Joy announced with authority. "Compared to self-serving individuals like yourselves who seek to use Gym status solely for profit, there is someone far more suitable to serve as a Gym Leader."
Nurse Joy turned to look at Ash, who appeared startled by the implication. Brock and Misty exchanged surprised glances.
After hearing this, Kaz and Yas's expressions twisted with indignation. The very trainer who had destroyed their gyms was now being considered for Gym Leader status by Nurse Joy herself?
"The true responsibility of a Gym Leader is to test whether traveling trainers are qualified to participate in the Pokemon League competition," Nurse Joy explained. "Additionally, a Gym Leader must genuinely care for Pokemon and take responsibility for protecting their town."
"You have used Pokemon merely as tools for fighting and have utterly failed to fulfill your protective duties toward this community."
"In contrast, Ash's bond with his Pokemon, coupled with his demonstrated concern for protecting innocent civilians, proves beyond doubt that he possesses the qualities necessary to be a Gym Leader!"
Nurse Joy concluded her assessment with a smile, clearly revealing her personal recommendation.
"I appreciate your kind offer, Nurse Joy," Ash responded respectfully, "but I'm preparing to continue my journey to compete in the Pokemon League. I don't currently have plans to serve as a Gym Leader."
Although Ash was surprised that Nurse Joy had chosen him over the two established trainers, he politely declined. Perhaps someday he would settle down, but certainly not now. He was still young, and since arriving in this world, his primary desire had been to explore its vastness.
"He... he actually refused?" Kaz and Yas muttered in disbelief. Many trainers dreamed their entire lives of becoming Gym Leaders, yet this young trainer had casually declined such an opportunity.
The gathered crowd murmured in amazement. Ash stood firm in his decision, with Pikachu perched on his shoulder and Fraxure standing proudly by his side. His journey was far from complete—there were still countless battles to fight, badges to earn, and regions to explore before he would consider putting down roots anywhere.