"Huh? Jigglypuff?"
Misty froze. Was that sound real, or was she imagining it?
With that thought, she jolted awake, scrambled to her feet, and looked around wildly for the pink demon from her memories.
As she listened more carefully, she realized the singing wasn't coming from nearby. It wasn't inside the inn—it was coming from farther away.
That realization brought her some relief.
That must be why they hadn't immediately fallen asleep. If it had been any closer, they would have been out cold, just like last time.
She turned to Natsui and asked cautiously, "Natsui, what do we do now?"
"We go check it out, of course," Natsui said through gritted teeth. "If we leave it alone, who knows how many people will suffer. Besides, that thing drew all over our faces. I haven't gotten my revenge yet. How could I let it go?"
Seeing Natsui's reaction, it was obvious he was holding a grudge against Jigglypuff.
Does Natsui want to catch it?
They got out of the hot spring, ran back to the changing room, put on their clothes, and met up in the inn's courtyard.
To avoid being put to sleep, Natsui and Misty both put on headphones. They wouldn't block the sound completely, but they would at least dull its effect.
Following the sound, they left the courtyard and headed out onto the hot spring street.
It was about 10 PM. The normally lively street was now littered with people, asleep all over the place.
They were all fast asleep, smiling blissfully. Some even had snot bubbles.
The singing continued, drawing nearer.
When the two reached the end of the street, they saw it: a round, pink Pokémon beneath a large rock. It set down its microphone, uncapped a marker, and started drawing on people's faces.
It really was Jigglypuff!
And he was sure it was the same one from the anime—the one that followed Ash from Kanto to Johto, and now to Hoenn.
If it was here, that meant Ash must have arrived in Hoenn as well. Though Natsui didn't know where he was, he must have started his journey here.
To be safe, Natsui sent out Gengar and Gardevoir, having them circle around to flank it. This time, he couldn't let Jigglypuff escape.
After that, he took out Combusken's Poké Ball.
Just as Misty thought—he was going to catch this Jigglypuff.
Unlike his other captures, this one wasn't about strengthening his team; it was purely about catching it.
After traveling for so long, only this Jigglypuff and the Celebi from the enchanted forest had stirred this urge in Natsui.
Combusken's appearance caught Jigglypuff's attention.
Maybe because it was so used to its Hypnosis working—every Pokémon falling asleep to its song—it didn't feel threatened and barely paid Combusken any mind.
It wasn't until Combusken was right in front of it that Jigglypuff puffed up its cheeks, staring at the Pokémon with wide, unblinking eyes.
Before Jigglypuff could fully register what was happening, Combusken lifted its foot and kicked it.
Caught off guard, Jigglypuff went rolling backward, tumbling again and again until it slammed into a large rock.
Combusken looked at Natsui, confused.
That's it?
Its expression seemed to ask why its opponent was so weak.
In truth, despite Jigglypuff's many appearances, it wasn't very strong. Its moves were limited; it was mostly a mascot character.
But Natsui didn't let his guard down. He signaled Gengar and Gardevoir to close in from both sides, boxing Jigglypuff in.
Jigglypuff stood there, dazed for a moment. When it snapped out of it, it saw the Pokémon that had attacked it. Furious, it puffed up and charged at Combusken.
When it got close, it raised its small pink hands and used Double Slap, swinging at Combusken's face.
Jigglypuff was only 50 centimeters tall, while Combusken was around 90 centimeters. Jigglypuff had to stand on tiptoe just to reach.
But such a straightforward, head-on attack… how could it possibly land?
Natsui didn't even need to command it. Combusken simply took one step back and dodged.
Jigglypuff refused to give up. It rushed forward again and tried to Tackle Combusken.
"Use Detect!"
At Natsui's command, a light flashed in Combusken's eyes. Instantly, Jigglypuff's movements seemed to slow, riddled with openings. The next second, as Jigglypuff got close, Combusken suddenly shot out an arm, grabbed Jigglypuff by its round head, and redirected it—sending it crashing into the rocks again.
Thud!
Jigglypuff smacked into the rock and was left reeling.
When it recovered, rubbing the sore spot, it finally realized this opponent wasn't easy to deal with.
Without thinking, it reached behind itself and pulled out its microphone from nowhere.
This was the moment Natsui had been waiting for.
His eyes narrowed. Without a word, Gardevoir—reading his intent—instantly used its psychic power and yanked the microphone away.
Jigglypuff felt its hand go empty. The microphone, as if grabbed by an invisible hand, flew away from it and toward the human.
Startled, it tried to chase after it, but after only a few steps, that annoying Combusken blocked its path again.
"Alright!"
Misty shouted when she saw the microphone was gone.
As long as it doesn't have that thing, the pink demon can't use its overpowered song.
"Jigglyyypuff!"
Jigglypuff stood in place, fuming. It puffed up with anger, seeming to swell larger.
But being angry changed nothing.
As Combusken's belly expanded and it fired an Ember at it, Jigglypuff felt the heat and knew it couldn't beat this Pokémon. It decided to run.
But Natsui wasn't about to let it.
Gengar and Gardevoir closed in from both sides. Jigglypuff didn't get far before it was forced back to its original spot.
Then Natsui commanded Combusken to strike again.
"Combusken, use Double Kick!"
Combusken sprinted forward and kicked Jigglypuff twice.
Jigglypuff was hit again, sent flying like a broken kite, and rolled across the ground.
Seeing the opening, Natsui quickly threw a Poké Ball.
A red light enveloped Jigglypuff and pulled it in. As Natsui and Misty watched, the ball shook a few times… then flashed red, and Jigglypuff popped back out!
"Oh? Still has some fight left?"
Natsui was slightly surprised, but it didn't matter.
He was about to order Combusken to finish it, but as he opened his mouth, something clicked in his mind.
That's right!
His eyes lit up. Instead of throwing another Poké Ball, he took out Beldum's Poké Ball.
As Natsui opened it, Beldum appeared at his side.
Misty was confused when she saw him pause. But when she noticed Beldum, she immediately understood what he was thinking—and couldn't help but smile.
Natsui picked up Beldum and walked toward Jigglypuff with a grin.
This was a golden opportunity!
Normally, Beldum—knowing only Tackle—couldn't beat anyone. But with a nearly defeated Jigglypuff right in front of it, how could he pass up the chance?
He'd done this before. He was very good at it.
More importantly, Jigglypuff had scribbled all over his face. He still hadn't gotten revenge. Now that he could pay it back personally, there was no way he'd miss it.
Beldum really lived up to its "dumbbell" name.
Despite being less than 50 cm tall, it weighed a staggering 95 kg.
Thankfully, Beldum could float, which made it easier for Natsui to carry. Otherwise, he couldn't have lifted it on his own.
He walked up to Jigglypuff, held Beldum high overhead, lined it up with Jigglypuff's round body, and dropped it.
Jigglypuff, weakened by Combusken's attacks, could barely move. It could only lie there as the man looked down at it—then a dark shadow fell straight onto it.
The rock-solid Beldum slammed into the soft, pink Jigglypuff.
With a loud THWACK, the weight was too much. Jigglypuff's eyes rolled back, and it fainted.
"Got it."
Natsui clapped his hands, picked up the Poké Ball, and pressed it against Jigglypuff.
This time, after being pulled in, Jigglypuff clearly had no strength left to struggle. The ball shook once, then clicked, sealing shut.
Excellent!
Not only did I get revenge, but I also caught the pink demon. Double victory!
Most importantly, I never have to worry about it ambushing me again!
He looked back at Misty and saw her smiling. Only then did Natsui notice that, in her rush to leave the inn, Misty had buttoned her shirt wrong.
He himself had been in a hurry, terrified Jigglypuff would get away.
Looking around, the people who'd been put to sleep were still scattered across the street, their faces covered in graffiti.
Figuring they'd wake up soon, Natsui and Misty didn't bother them and returned to the inn.
But after all that excitement, neither of them was in the mood for the hot spring anymore.
To Misty's slight disappointment, they said goodnight and went to their separate rooms.
…
The next morning, after a refreshing Japanese-style breakfast, Natsui and Misty went to the Pokémon Center to retrieve their healed Pokémon.
After leaving Lavaridge Town, they entered Jagged Pass, located northeast of town.
This mountain path led toward the summit of Mt. Chimney on one side, and away from the mountains on the other.
True to its name, Jagged Pass was full of steps and uneven stones, making it difficult to traverse.
But for trainers, it was only exhausting—nothing they couldn't handle. They were used to intense travel.
However…
Natsui wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but as they walked—especially near the middle of the pass—he felt as if many unfriendly eyes were watching them.
Thinking for a moment, he vaguely recalled that a Team Magma base was somewhere around here.
But he wasn't in the mood to go looking for trouble, and he hoped they wouldn't bother him either.
He stayed tense and alert the whole way, but fortunately, nothing happened. After walking for half the day, they safely reached the plains.
Their next destination was Mauville City, to the southeast. It was the central hub of Hoenn—one of its largest cities—and home to the Mauville Gym.
But it would still take another day or so of walking to get there.
Out on the plains, the number of trainers they ran into increased noticeably. In a single day, they met at least a dozen.
The people here were hungry for battles. Seeing Natsui and Misty's outfits, they knew they were trainers, and many challenged them.
Of course, it wasn't because they recognized Natsui—just because they wanted to fight.
Since he was in a good mood, Natsui accepted every challenge.
Thanks to them, Torchic and Eevee grew steadily stronger. Even Feebas got a chance to battle, though it lost badly after only a short time.
He and Misty also teamed up for several Double Battles. Through practice, their coordination improved greatly, and they defeated everyone they faced.
However, at Natsui's request, Misty never sent out Psyduck again. It stayed firmly inside its Poké Ball.
Because of all the battles, their progress was painfully slow.
In one day, they had barely covered a quarter of the distance. It was ridiculously slow.
At this rate, it would probably take another day or two to reach Mauville City.
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