While Victor was enjoying the comfortable life at the Breeding House, the Pokémon Center in Twinleaf Town was in complete chaos.
Nurse Joy watched as a steady stream of people and their Pokémon, all with different injuries, kept coming in.
Her delicate face under her nurse's cap was etched with worry.
She and her Blissey moved tirelessly through the crowds of injured people and Pokémon.
Officer Jenny leaped off her Arcanine outside and hurried into the Pokémon Center.
"Joy, what's the situation?" she asked, walking over to Nurse Joy, who was treating a Shinx.
"They're still out there, blocking the road. The League has already sent several trainers, but the results weren't good. Now it seems they're preparing to call in stronger trainers from other places."
Nurse Joy first comforted the Shinx, then handed the rest of its treatment over to Blissey. She stood up and replied to Jenny.
Officer Jenny frowned.
"I'm going to take a look."
With that, she turned sharply, hopped onto her Arcanine's back, and sped off toward the scene.
On the way, she radioed her colleagues for a status update.
Today was supposed to be her day off, and she had been enjoying her break elsewhere when Nurse Joy had called her back.
"Be careful!"
Hearing Joy's worried voice from behind her, Jenny simply waved her hand, signaling that she would.
Watching Jenny and Arcanine disappear, the worry on Joy's face deepened. She looked back at the crowd in the Pokémon Center.
"Where can I find a strong trainer...?"
Just then, she saw a trainer with a Haunter by his side.
That's it!
She took out her phone and called Victor.
...
Victor, who was lounging lazily in his chair reading, answered the call.
"Hello, Joy."
"Victor, there's an emergency!"
Victor saw the urgent look on her face and heard the anxiety in her voice. He sat up straight.
"What's wrong?"
Nurse Joy explained the situation as quickly and concisely as possible.
"Don't worry. I'm on my way," Victor said, reassuring her. He stood up and headed for the backyard.
"Gengar!"
Hearing the serious tone in his voice, Gengar immediately floated over from the distance.
"Gengar?"
It came to Victor, asking what was wrong.
"There's trouble in Twinleaf Town. We're going to check it out."
Hearing this, Gengar nodded.
Lilligant and the others also heard the change in his tone and gathered around.
"What's wrong?" Cynthia's voice rang out.
Victor shook his head, but saw Cynthia squinting at him.
"I am the Champion, and you are the Champion's friend."
That simple sentence gave Victor an immense boost of confidence.
He looked down at the worried faces of Shana, Lilligant, and the others.
He briefly explained what Joy had told him.
Cynthia nodded. "I'll go with you."
Victor nodded, not refusing.
"Shana, I'm counting on you to stay here and look after the Breeding House for us."
"Don't worry, uncle!" Shana, understanding that she couldn't go and get in the way, nodded firmly.
Victor mounted the Rapidash and, taking Gengar, Lilligant, Staravia, and Luxio, set off for Twinleaf Town.
He reached into his pocket, but realized he didn't have Lilligant's Poké Ball.
He had forgotten that he had never officially caught Lilligant.
Just then, Lilligant smiled and held out a Poké Ball to Victor, then pressed the button herself.
Ding!
Looking at the unmoving ball, Victor was momentarily dazed.
Then he smiled.
He squeezed the Poké Ball in his hand, and once again struck his dramatic pose and shouted his catchphrase.
So, this is another way to catch a Pokémon. This simple, natural way.
No battle, no long discussion.
Just... it was meant to be.
Cynthia, standing nearby, watched with wide, beautiful eyes.
He hadn't even caught Lilligant yet?
She looked at the Pokémon gathered around him.
He has such a deep bond with so many Pokémon, even those he hasn't caught.
Victor put Lilligant's Poké Ball in his pocket and mounted the Rapidash.
"Alright everyone, let's go!"
The Rapidash took off towards Twinleaf Town.
Cynthia gave Dali and the others a few instructions to look after Shana, then hopped onto her Garchomp's back and followed Victor.
Shana obediently went back inside and sat in the lounge area, just in case any customers came by.
Heracross, Pinsir, and the other Pokémon stayed with her. Even the Gliscor was there.
...
Victor, following the address Joy had given him, arrived at his destination quickly thanks to the Rapidash's speed.
From a distance, he could see Jenny and her colleagues with megaphones, managing the situation. The area had been cordoned off.
Several trainers were discussing strategies with her.
The officer at the barricade, seeing Victor, was momentarily surprised, but let him through.
Victor went to Jenny's side, glanced at her Arcanine, and nodded.
The Arcanine, which had been standing guard, looking brave and alert, instantly deflated the moment it saw Victor and Gengar. It lowered its body and let out a big stretch.
"Arf~"
Thank goodness, the big guns are here.
Victor patted Jenny's shoulder.
"Jenny, what's the situation?"
Jenny, startled, turned and saw Victor and Gengar, along with several other of his Pokémon.
"Vic... Victor? What are you doing here?!"
"Oh, I forgot. Joy must have called you. I completely forgot about you. I was just wondering where we were going to find a strong trainer," Jenny said, slapping her forehead.
Forced out of her vacation time and into overtime, Jenny had, in her stress, subconsciously forgotten about the Breeding House.
She then explained the situation to Victor in detail.
Two rival groups of Zangoose and Seviper, who originally lived in two different forests, had somehow met on this road to Twinleaf Town today and had immediately erupted into a fight.
At first, passing trainers thought it was just a normal Pokémon scuffle and ignored it.
But it soon escalated into a full-blown swarm battle.
Victor understood immediately.
He remembered that Zangoose and Seviper were natural, mortal enemies. It was in their genes to fight on sight.
Victor remembered it well because Ash's Infernape had overcome its own fear thanks to a battle between a Zangoose and a Seviper.
"After it turned into a swarm battle, they started treating any person or Pokémon that got close as an enemy. A lot of people and Pokémon have already been attacked. If this continues, the damage will be even greater."
"So we're trying to figure out how to stop them. We sent in a few trainers at first, but they're all acting as a group, and they're too strong. All the trainers we sent were defeated."
Victor nodded. It made sense. Facing an entire swarm of Zangoose or Seviper was nothing like a normal battle.
At any other time, Victor might not have been confident either.
But now?
With the Champion at his side, he had nothing to fear.
"Do you have a plan?" Jenny asked, looking at Victor with some worry.
"Their strength is..."
"Don't worry, Jenny. Since I'm here, I've got this."
"Then... be careful."
Victor nodded.
"Don't worry. I've got backup today," he said, looking up at the sky.
Jenny followed his gaze.
...
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