"That just now… must have been the Smuggler working this area!"
"Pika pika!"
Pikachu was already dashing ahead.
The four of them ran over—and found a large crate lying on the ground. Inside was a Scatterbug.
Because of the violent jolting during the chase, this poor Scatterbug—still shut inside the box—had fallen from the Smuggler's truck. Now it was dizzy and disoriented.
Judging by its state, it had likely been attacked by the Smuggler earlier as well. The moment it was freed from the crate, it collapsed unconscious.
"Unbelievable… how could they be this cruel?! Ash, let's hurry and get it to a Pokémon Center. The map says there's a field Pokémon Center not far from here!"
Serena carefully scooped Scatterbug into her arms, speaking urgently.
"Right. We'd better move fast."
Ten minutes later…
At the Pokémon Center, Scatterbug was already receiving treatment from Nurse Joy's Pokémon.
"You don't need to worry—it's just completely exhausted, which is why it fainted," Nurse Joy reassured them gently. "Also, this Scatterbug isn't native to this area."
"I know," Ash nodded. "Scatterbug from different habitats have subtle differences in appearance. This one must have been captured by the Smuggler somewhere else."
"Wow, Ash! You know even that?"
"Yeah, I didn't know Scatterbug varied like that—it's amazing!"
"That's exactly why Vivillon have so many different wing patterns," Clemont added, as the Gym Leader in the group. "It's all determined by their habitat."
SWISH!
A rope came whipping through the air—straight toward Ash!
He stepped aside calmly, and a moment later, Officer Jenny—the same one chasing the Smuggler earlier—charged at him like she was ready for hand-to-hand combat.
Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and even Nurse Joy jumped in shock.
Pikachu looked at her with a pitiful, almost "please-don't-hurt-my-trainer" expression.
But Ash's movements were too fast to follow.
In an instant, he was behind her—his hand clamping onto the nerve points at both sides of her neck like an iron vise.
Jenny broke into a cold sweat instantly.
She hurriedly apologized.
After all, a Pokémon Ranger—especially an honorary one—was absolutely not going to be in league with a Smuggler.
Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were stunned. They had no idea Ash held such a prestigious title!
Ash released her, and after a quick exchange, they learned why she had attacked him—
Earlier, Jenny had lost track of the Smuggler on the road. When she came back to search for the crate he had dropped, she spotted Ash's group carrying Scatterbug.
Naturally, she had assumed they were accomplices.
"I'm so, so sorry—this was entirely my mistake," Jenny bowed repeatedly.
The truth was, the relationship between the police and the Rangers was… delicate. In fact, the Rangers actually held greater jurisdiction in certain matters.
Jenny's blunder had been more than just a work error—it was essentially insubordination.
But Ash didn't have the time or interest to fuss over such things.
While they spoke, the now-recovered Scatterbug suddenly began to glow—evolving right there on the table into Spewpa!
Clemont examined its body and found a small chip capable of emitting a signal.
Everyone quickly realized—the Smuggler must have planted it to track any stolen Pokémon that escaped or were misplaced.
Ash suggested they use the chip to trace the signal back to the Smuggler's hideout.
The plan was quickly put into action.
Spewpa, brave and determined to rescue its companions, volunteered to act as bait.
Sure enough, the Smuggler came for it.
When he saw the evolved Spewpa, he was thrilled—because once it became a Vivillon, it could be sold on the black market for a high price.
But when he took Spewpa back to his hideout… Ash and the others were already closing in, following the signal.
The smuggler—named Dolan—was startled at first. But seeing there were only a few people, he sneered and called out his Diggersby. His plan was to steal their Pokémon too for extra profit.
Unfortunately for him… Ash was there.
Pikachu's Iron Tail smashed into Diggersby with such force that it was left sprawled on the ground, completely defeated.
"Dolan, it's over! You've been smuggling Vivillon species in this area for far too long. Today, you're finally brought to justice!"
Jenny bound him tightly, while Spewpa rushed inside to free the other Spewpa that had been caged.
"All right, everyone—you're safe now. Be careful from now on, and don't let someone like this catch you again!" Serena said gently, smiling at the rescued Pokémon.
The Spewpa were overjoyed, expressing their gratitude one after another.
By now, the sun was setting—its warm glow bathing the scene in gold.
And then—it began.
One Spewpa evolved… then another, and another—like a beautiful chain reaction.
In moments, the air was filled with Vivillon of every color, their wings catching the sunlight as they soared into the distance.
"What a beautiful sight… all the different wing patterns together like that!"
"Pika…"
The sight under the evening sky was nothing short of breathtaking.
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T/N:
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