A terrifying explosion echoed through the forest east of Songzao City!
The sheer force of it was so great that even the city itself could hear it.
"What just happened?!"
"The east side? That's where Gym Leader Red went to deal with the poachers!"
Officer Jenny's expression turned extremely anxious.
"Oh no… don't tell me something happened to Gym Leader Red ?!"
"I have to go check!"
She immediately mounted her Arcanine and rushed off.
At the same time—
She ran into Nurse Joy from Songzao City.
Without a word, the two of them headed toward the forest together.
Meanwhile, in the sky not far from Songzao City—
A cute-looking Dragonite streaked across the air at high speed.
This Dragonite was none other than Professor Oak's partner from his younger days.
"Sorry to trouble you again, old friend."
Dragonite shook its head casually.
Unlike Professor Oak, who was already past middle age—
Dragonite was still in its prime.
At that moment—
From the sky, they saw the rising mushroom cloud in the forest.
Professor Oak's expression changed.
"Old friend, looks like we need to pick up the pace."
Dragonite's previously gentle eyes sharpened.
Its small wings burst with astonishing speed—
Cutting through clouds like a blue streak.
On the ground—
Agatha leaned on her cane, narrowing her eyes.
"A self-destruction from a Quasi-Elite Four-level Pokémon… that's comparable to a full-force strike from an Elite Four Pokémon."
"Where did such a strong opponent come from in Songzao City?"
She tapped her cane on the ground.
"Faster. Something big has happened."
A dark, ghostly vortex opened beneath her feet—
And she vanished instantly.
Back at the battlefield
"That lunatic…"
Red had underestimated just how ruthless these outlaws were.
They didn't hesitate to sacrifice a Pokémon they had raised for years just to escape.
At the moment of the explosion—
Red used Viridian Power to form a protective barrier.
Though incomplete, it still blocked most of the shockwave.
The cost—
His face was now deathly pale.
As the smoke cleared , Red quickly assessed the situation.
Ash and his Pokémon were far away—safe.
Poliwrath and Mudkip had used Protect together—also unharmed.
Larvitar, however, was in rough shape.
Being weaker and closer to the blast, it was covered in dust and clearly injured .
But the unluckiest one—
Was Castform.
Despite being farther away, it had exhausted too much energy maintaining the storm and couldn't defend itself—
It was the only Pokémon that had lost the ability to battle.
But Red 's focus was on the center of the explosion.
Where Golem once stood—
There was now a massive crater.
The ground was scorched black.
At the very center, rocks had melted into lava.
"Tyranitar, are you and Gary alright?"
From a corner of the crater—
Tyranitar emerged from the charred earth.
With its battle experience, it had burrowed underground at the last moment—
Letting the earth absorb most of the damage.
Combined with its incredible defense—
Its injuries weren't serious.
A few days of "eating dirt" would be enough to recover.
Gary, protected by Tyranitar, was also safe.
His Pokémon had already been recalled into their Poké Balls.
But—
His broken arm made Red frown.
"You joining Songzao Gym already made your grandfather unhappy…"
"And now you're like this… if he sees it, I'm finished."
Red wasn't stupid.
He had already guessed who the "high-ranking figure" Joey Xue mentioned was.
Looking at Gary's pale face, he sighed.
"Get some rest."
"Who would've thought a poacher could be this strong… in Team Rocket, he'd probably be a squad captain."
Ash stared at the scorched battlefield—
Then at himself, who had been nearly useless in the fight.
A powerful desire to grow stronger surged within him.
He looked at Red with determination—
Then suddenly knelt.
"Gym Leader Red … I want to become your disciple!"
"I want to get stronger too! You're the strongest trainer I've ever seen!"
"I may not have Gary's background or talent… but I have the determination to become stronger! Please accept me!"
Looking at Ash kneeling before him—
Red finally let out a breath of relief.
'Finally, something good happened today.'
[Ding~ Congratulations to the host for accepting the chosen protagonist as a disciple. Reward: 30 Points, Viridian Power (Completed), Shop Unlocked]
[Ding~ Disciple-exclusive training quest for Ash has been activated]
Red looked at Ash, thought for a moment, then said:
"You're still a bit lacking… but considering your contribution today, I'll accept you as a registered disciple for now."
"Thank you, Gym Le—… Thank you, Master!"
At that moment, Gary slowly opened his eyes and said weakly:
"Master… now's not the time to relax. We can't let that guy escape."
Red glanced in the direction the poacher boss had fled.
"Don't worry."
"I'm not the only one who came."
"And he was closest to the explosion—he won't get far."
◇ You can read 60+ chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/ElaraVance1
✨ Bonus Chapter Goals ✨
10 Reviews = 1 Bonus Chapter
100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter