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"Charizard, turn back!" Ash glanced toward Green and the others below, gritted his teeth with determination, and called out his command. Charizard didn't question its trainer's decision and immediately wheeled around, diving toward the falling explosive device.
However, during that crucial moment of hesitation, the rocket bomb had already plummeted to a dangerous depth within the volcanic crater. Archer sneered with satisfaction upon witnessing this development, raising his hand to signal the retreat while speaking with cold triumph.
"Ash! Let's call this encounter a draw! I'm certain we'll meet again soon."
Although Team Rocket had successfully captured Moltres, they had also initially captured Ash, only to have him escape and now found themselves unable to recapture him. This made it a stalemate, but Archer had an ominous feeling that their paths would cross again in the future.
Ash ignored the taunting words and focused entirely on pursuing the falling bomb downward. Green felt conflicted emotions as she watched Ash abandon his chase of Team Rocket to save them instead.
If they allowed him to continue his pursuit, Moltres would be taken away, but Ash had chosen to rescue them. She couldn't bring herself to say he didn't need to save them, could she?
Although Ash was descending rapidly at that moment, the explosive device was falling with tremendous speed as well. After his earlier hesitation, Ash found it nearly impossible to catch up. If he had pursued it immediately before it fell toward the lava chamber, he might have had a chance. Still, Ash didn't reduce his speed.
The mysterious figure in the cave passage seemed somewhat disappointed by this turn of events and was preparing to take action herself.
"Dragonite, use Twister!"
At the critical moment, a commanding voice rang out clearly. A powerful hurricane suddenly erupted from the volcano's mouth, directly below where Blaine and Green were positioned. The frozen lava was shattered into countless fragments by the tremendous wind force.
An enormous Twister formed from the swirling air currents. This massive tornado moved with purpose like a living creature, rushing directly toward the falling rocket bomb. The Twister engulfed the explosive device completely, carrying it up through the volcano's opening past Ash's position and high into the open sky.
BOOM!!!
A tremendous explosion erupted in the air above them. Due to the Twister's incredible power, the frozen lava burst apart and molten rock began flowing again, but rather than causing a catastrophic eruption, it simply resumed its normal volcanic activity within the crater.
In the sky overhead, an astounding explosion formed a massive mushroom cloud. However, by this time, Team Rocket's helicopters had already vanished beyond the horizon.
Ash and Charizard came to a hovering stop simultaneously, and Ash instinctively looked toward the source of the rescue.
He spotted a man with striking red hair wearing a dark blue cape, standing confidently behind a powerful Dragonite. The stranger regarded Ash with an appreciative smile spreading across his features. Both trainers remained airborne on their respective Dragon-type partners, studying each other as they gradually descended.
"Sorry I'm late, Blaine! But it appears everyone is safe and sound," the man said apologetically after dismounting from Dragonite.
"It doesn't matter at all. You traveled a long distance and arrived at exactly the right moment!" Blaine certainly wasn't angry with the newcomer.
This person was notoriously difficult to locate, always busy with important duties. The fact that he had made a special trip to come here suggested it was specifically related to Ash's situation.
"I observed Team Rocket's helicopters during my approach. They seemed to be..." the man began, having noticed the criminal organization's aircraft flying away from this location in the distance.
However, he had been more concerned about Blaine and the others' safety than pursuing the escaping criminals.
"Moltres was captured by them," Blaine didn't conceal anything and explained the situation directly.
"So I'm still too late?" The man blamed himself upon hearing this news. If he had arrived earlier, the situation wouldn't have deteriorated to this point. He possessed that level of confidence in his abilities.
"ROAAR!!!" "DRAAAGON!!!"
Ash had more or less deduced the identity of the person before him—the iconic red hair, cape, and Dragonite were unmistakable signatures. Although the two trainers had exchanged only brief eye contact and hadn't yet engaged in formal conversation, their Charizard and Dragonite were already sizing each other up intensely.
Both powerful Pokémon roared simultaneously, locking gazes with what seemed like electrical currents crackling between their eyes. Their fighting spirits blazed with immediate intensity.
Just like their human partners, Pokémon were naturally drawn to worthy opponents. Sensing the incredible power radiating from that particular Dragonite, Charizard's competitive instincts erupted to the surface.
This evolved Charizard wasn't disobedient like some of its kind could be, but its temperament had become more fiery and battle-hungry. This wasn't necessarily a negative trait for Ash, as long as it didn't become overconfident like it had immediately after evolving from Charmeleon.
"Oh my..." Green nearby also sensed the tense atmosphere developing between the two Dragon-types.
"Ha ha! Dragonite, mind your manners!" The red-haired man not only wasn't concerned by this display but showed a generous smile, speaking gently to his partner.
"Charizard," Ash also addressed his Pokémon with a slight shake of his head, and both creatures gradually settled down.
"Ha ha! This is quite fascinating indeed. Allow me to make proper introductions! This is Lance—you must have heard of him. And these two are Ash and Green, both trainers who began their journeys from Pallet Town this year."
Blaine observed this scene and couldn't help but privately reflect on how wonderful it was to be young. At the same time, he looked at Ash with admiration. When facing Lance, the young trainer showed no inferiority in terms of presence or composure.
"This is our first meeting. Please treat me favorably!" Lance greeted them warmly.
Green sounded somewhat surprised upon hearing the name. Lance! Wasn't he the legendary trainer rumored to be the leader of the Kanto Region Elite Four, the Johto Region Elite Four champion, and holder of the title Dragon Messenger?
She had felt a sense of familiarity earlier. Although she heard about him frequently and occasionally saw him on television, she hadn't recognized him during their first face-to-face encounter.
She just hadn't expected such a legendary trainer to seem like a friendly older brother next door, completely without pretense or arrogance.
"Hello, I'm Green!"
"I'm Ash!"
Ash and Green took turns introducing themselves properly, while Lance regarded Ash with evident surprise.
"I heard that you were captured? Did Blaine rescue you?" Lance asked, having come to provide assistance at Elite Agatha's request after learning about Ash's capture.
"Ha ha! Lance, you're underestimating this young man. He escaped entirely on his own, and thanks to him, Green and I would have been in serious danger otherwise."
After hearing Lance's question, Blaine smiled and waved his hands dismissively. Upon hearing Blaine's explanation, Lance, who had already held Ash in high regard, found his evaluation of the young trainer rising to an even higher level. A vague sense of expectation began forming in his heart.
"It's remarkable to possess such capabilities at such a young age!" Lance praised him with genuine sincerity.
He should know—when Lance himself was ten years old, he had been focused on his studies, but he hadn't expected that Ash would already be taken seriously enough by Team Rocket to warrant their direct attention.