Chapter 96. Getting Less and Less Reliable
"No."
Natsume shook his head.
"Ah—"
Ash immediately deflated.
"But the one who wins the championship belt can get a personal promise from Bruno of the Elite Four."
Natsume said this while shaking the newspaper in his hand.
"If I win the championship belt, will Bruno accept my challenge?"
Ash brightened at once.
"Duh. A tiny ask like that, of course he'd agree."
Misty rolled her eyes and yanked Ash back into his seat.
"Natsume, let's enter the P1 Grand Prix!"
Ash begged.
"Pika!"
Pikachu looked to Natsume as well.
"Pika—pika."
Only center-parted in the back was frantically shaking its head at Natsume.
"Hold it, Ash. Do you even have a Fighting-type Pokémon?"
Honora suddenly spoke up.
"The fighting tournament isn't limited to just Fighting-type Pokémon," Rebecca's voice came from the side.
"Other Pokémon can participate too, but they can only use Fighting-type moves."
"What if they don't know any Fighting-type moves?"
Ash asked, curious.
"If they don't have any Fighting-type moves, then they can only rely on pure physical strength…"
Rebecca's voice trailed off.
Judging from this group's reactions, they didn't seem to have any Fighting-type Pokémon.
That basically meant no chance.
"I've got Geodude. Its body is as hard as rock. Please believe in us!"
Brock spoke up.
"Sigh, a Rock-type entering a fighting tournament… hopeless."
Misty covered her face.
Clearly, Brock had been blinded by a pretty face.
Natsume grabbed the back of Ash's collar, walked up to Rebecca, and asked:
"Can a Trainer step into the ring?"
"Uh—no, sir."
The corner of Rebecca's mouth twitched. The people in front of her were starting to seem a bit unreliable.
"But it doesn't say that anywhere in the rules."
Natsume rattled the poster in his hand.
"Natsume, where did you even get that poster?"
Misty noticed the publication date on it seemed to be from a year ago.
"Found it in her drawer."
Natsume said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Rebecca: "?"
She suddenly felt a little scared.
Thankfully, these people weren't some big-time crooks.
They just asked where the P1 Grand Prix would be held and then left.
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
On the road, Misty couldn't stop shaking her head.
"Natsume, if I enter the tournament, who should I send out?"
Ash tilted his head, troubled.
"You can send center-parted up to take a nap and get beaten up, wear the opponent out."
Natsume suggested.
"Pi—"
On Ash's shoulder, center-parted covered its face.
It knew it.
Fighting Spirit Gym, in front of the main doors.
"What a rundown Gym, meow?"
Right after Natsume's group left, three figures showed up.
"What is this? Doesn't even make me want to rob the place."
James waved dismissively.
"Hey, hey, hey! Watch your image! Rob this, rob that—can you two not be so low-class!"
Jessie roared.
"We're the Super Team Rocket Special Operations Unit now!"
"That's right! And Meowth is the Boss Giovanni's favorite now, meow!"
Meowth puffed out its chest.
Around its neck was a gold collar.
After the string of twists and turns in Celadon City, the three of them had gone from the Team Rocket Special Operations Unit to—the Super Special Operations Unit!
The name didn't sound that different, but the promotion and pay raise were very real.
Especially for Meowth—Giovanni even gifted it a gold collar.
"Hmph, you don't know this—even the Boss's Persian only wears an ordinary leather collar."
Meowth was unbearably smug, strutting around every waking moment these past few days.
"Creak—"
The Gym's wooden door opened.
A frail-looking girl poked her head out.
"Um… would you help me?"
A while later, Team Rocket's trio stormed back out in a huff.
Jessie especially was fuming:
"Unforgivable! What kind of man abandons his own daughter like that!"
Because of her own childhood, Jessie sympathized deeply with Rebecca's experience.
"I feel bad for her too, but Jessie… are we really going to enter that P1 Grand Prix?"
James sounded hesitant.
"Enter it. We have to!"
Jessie still hadn't cooled down.
"But we don't have a Fighting-type Pokémon, meow."
Meowth spread its paws.
"There are so many competitors. Just snatch one at random."
Jessie said offhandedly.
"You just told us not to be low-class and—ow!"
Before James could finish, a new lump sprouted on his head.
"Wow. If the fighting tournament let people enter the ring, you'd definitely have a chance, Jessie, meow."
Fighting Spirit Gym, in front of the main doors.
"Sigh…"
Rebecca shook her head slightly.
Those three didn't look very reliable either.
Footsteps sounded in the distance.
Rebecca blinked, slipped back inside the Gym, and hid.
A while later, the girl peeked out again, looking as delicate as ever.
"Could you hel—huh?"
Rebecca froze.
Standing at the door weren't Trainers at all, but two Pokémon.
A Drowzee.
And a Primeape!
"Uh, you—what are you doing?"
Before Rebecca could react, Primeape was already dragging Drowzee into the Gym.
After all, that's exactly what it saw Natsume and Ash do earlier.
A while later, a seething Primeape came stomping back out, towing Drowzee along.
Hanging from Drowzee's hand was a little basket stuffed with Berries and pastries.
"Waa—ho-ho!"
Primeape punched at the air, looking ready to brawl.
"Mmm—"
Drowzee yawned, not very interested.
Even so, it still let Primeape haul it along toward the P1 Grand Prix.
If you eat someone's food, you do them a favor!
At the door, Rebecca watched Primeape set off, speechless.
What do I do?
This was getting less and less reliable…
The next day, in a small town not far from Celadon City.
A huge stadium was packed to the rafters.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the site of the Fifth P1 Grand Prix!"
The host stood atop a Pokémon that looked like a UFO, floating in midair.
Microphone in hand, he announced to the entire venue.
"So shiny and metallic… what Pokémon is that?"
In the warm-up area, Ash curiously pulled out his Pokédex.
"[Magnezone, the Magnet Area Pokémon. It evolves from Magneton when exposed to a special magnetic field.]"
"Please welcome our panel of judges!"
As the host spoke, countless eyes turned toward a tunnel in the stands.
Ash, Brock, and—up in the stands—Honora and Misty all stared hard at that tunnel.
Natsume hadn't shown up since this morning…
"What are you looking at?"
Natsume appeared behind Ash.
"I was wondering if you secretly got hired as a judge—Natsume!"
Ash turned and saw Natsume.
And behind him—a massive Dragonite.
"Natsume, you actually showed up by the book."
Brock was surprised.
"Otherwise what? How should I be making my entrance?"
Natsume waved a hand.
He'd always thought his behavioral pattern was very consistent.
What was so strange about that?
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