"Pidgeooo—"
Pidgeotto folded its broad wings and landed steadily beside Ash from the azure sky.
Its sharp gaze swept over the restless flock of Spearow before it, and it let out a series of low, rhythmic cries.
It was attempting to communicate in the manner of bird Pokémon, trying to quell the other party's hostility and panic.
Normally, Pidgeotto flocks and Spearow flocks would often fight over territory and food... The relationship between the two sides was not friendly.
But Ash's Pidgeotto had calmed down significantly under his long-term training.
For Pokémon captured by Trainers, the most important thing to do most of the time is to overcome their natural instincts.
Most Pokémon instincts are not adapted to human society.
"Mis, mis..." Misdreavus hovered at Ash's shoulder, the purple mist around its body fluctuating slightly as it tried hard to translate the chaotic exchange between Pidgeotto and the Spearow.
[They won't listen.]
[Pidgeotto said we have no ill intentions, just passing through... but the Spearow don't believe it at all!]
[They say humans are all liars; humans drove them away and injured them earlier!]
[They think Pidgeotto is an enemy, helping humans to deceive them!]
Once hatred is born, it often does not distinguish specific targets.
The Spearow were reckless by nature, and at this moment, stimulated by fear and pain, they had lost their reason.
They screeched shrilly, flapping their scarred wings, turning a deaf ear to Pidgeotto's benevolent appeasement. Instead, they viewed it as a traitor colluding with humans, their hostility intensifying.
In this world... wild Pokémon indeed hold a certain hostility toward domestic Pokémon.
As for the reason?
Currently unknown.
The result... Pidgeotto's efforts failed.
It looked at Ash somewhat helplessly and shook its head.
The territorial consciousness and suspicion between bird Pokémon, especially in this frightened state, were far harder to resolve than imagined.
However, this intense exchange between Pidgeotto and the Spearow flock also caused other consequences. Those high-pitched, piercing cries spread outward like ripples, reaching the distant woods.
Unlike their previous high-speed flight, now that they had stopped, it was very easy to pinpoint their location.
...And this was exactly Team Rocket's plot.
"Feeaaar—!!!"
A cry, even louder and filled with rage, exploded from the forest like a clap of thunder.
This sound contained a powerful oppressive force, instantly drowning out the clamor of all the Spearow.
A massive gray shadow rushed out of the forest like an arrow leaving the string. Its wings flapped, whipping up strong air currents that sent dust flying from the ground.
It was a Fearow with a body size far exceeding its kin, a ferocious gaze, and a beak glinting with cold light.
It was clearly the leader of this Spearow flock. Startled by the commotion of its clan and the aura of the "outsider" Pidgeotto, it boldly revealed itself.
Fearow's sharp gaze instantly locked onto Pidgeotto, who was blocking the front of the Spearow flock, and Ash's group behind it.
In its simple mind, this group of people and this powerful Pidgeotto were the culprits who had harmed its kin and invaded its territory.
Explanations?
In front of a furious clan leader, any explanation was pale and powerless.
Of course, this Fearow's strength wasn't very high.
After all, this was a key road connecting Celadon City to Saffron City; it was impossible for a powerful Pokémon Overlord to live here.
Normally, powerful Pokémon Overlords would stay far away from human living areas.
This was also a way to reduce friction between the two sides.
"Fear!!!" Fearow beat its wings violently, initiating a charge toward Pidgeotto like a gray storm.
Its sharp, long beak aimed straight for Pidgeotto's vitals.
There had always been serious conflict between Pidgeotto and Spearow in the Kanto region.
The leader of Pidgeotto is Pidgeot.
The leader of Spearow is Fearow.
For Fearow, since there was no Pidgeot present... then it would take out this Pidgeotto!
The leader's action was a command.
The already restless Spearow flock seemed to find their backbone. Their morale instantly surged, and they screamed one after another, launching indiscriminate, violent attacks at Ash's trio.
"As expected, it's no use... Onix, prepare to Dig!" Brock reacted extremely quickly, throwing a Poké Ball the moment he confirmed communication was ineffective.
The massive Onix crashed to the ground, letting out a deep roar as its huge tail slammed into the earth.
Crushed stones flew, and it quickly began excavating a temporary underground shelter.
This was the safest defense method—it could dodge aerial attacks and avoid unnecessary harm.
"Misty, where's your Gyarados? It should be able to intimidate a scene like this!"
Brock called out to Misty while commanding Onix to speed up the digging.
Misty's Gyarados's [Intimidate] should have an extremely strong deterrent effect on these wild bird Pokémon.
Yet, Misty bit her lip and shook her head rapidly. "No!"
"Gyarados's pressure is too strong!"
"These Spearow are already panicked. If they feel that terrifying aura, they might be scared out of their wits, or even suffer cardiac arrest!"
"They were just driven away and injured; they don't deserve death!"
"We'll dodge if we can. There's no need to use lethal force!"
She always upheld the principles of a Water-type Gym Trainer, holding reverence for life and unwilling to cause slaughter lightly.
Moreover, although this Gyarados had low-power moves, it really wasn't that obedient.
"Then there's no other way..." Brock had the same reason.
Rock-type Pokémon also tended to lack restraint when they took action.
Especially when Rock-type Pokémon fought flying units like birds; mostly, they could only throw rocks.
If thrown lightly, they wouldn't hit.
If thrown heavily, they could easily kill.
Using Sandstorm wasn't impossible, but how would they clean the road afterward?
Scattering sand all over a main road?
That would easily cause traffic accidents!
So it is said that a gentleman can be deceived by integrity.
Some moves could only be used against good people.
"You're right!" Ash also agreed with Misty's decision.
He quickly issued orders: "Pikachu, use Thunder Shock to warn them, force them back! Control the power!"
"Pidgeotto, use Gust to disrupt their flight trajectory!"
"Misdreavus, use illusions to create chaos!"
Drive them away if possible; lethal force was the last resort.
So Ash didn't release the Golden Gyarados either... The nature of Gyarados made them prone to lacking restraint once they started fighting.
Gyarados was not a naturally kind Pokémon.
Once it got annoyed, killing the opponent was simply too normal... helping a Pokémon overcome its nature didn't mean intentionally torturing it.
If he let Gyarados fight every time but forbade it from striking hard... that would be like deliberately tormenting Gyarados.
...Ash suddenly felt a bit melancholic. He really should get a Grass-type or Bug-type Pokémon.
Stun Spore and Sleep Powder were really useful when one didn't want to kill.
Otherwise, trying to control the power of other moves was indeed quite troublesome.
As for Thunder Wave, which could cause paralysis... the essence of that thing was a weak electric current.
If the opponent's strength was slightly higher, or if they were too far away... the probability of it taking effect was very low, practically negligible.
"Pika—chu!" Electric light exploded from Pikachu's cheeks.
A thick serpent of electricity whistled out, striking the ground precisely not far in front of Fearow, blasting open a scorched pit and sending mud splashing.
This warning strike successfully forced back Fearow's first dive.
Pidgeotto flapped its wings with all its might. Strong air currents turned into a small whirlwind, sweeping toward the incoming Spearow flock, throwing their formation into chaos and blowing many Spearow askew.
"Mis!" Misdreavus's eyes bloomed with ghostly blue light, and invisible mental fluctuations spread out like ripples.
Several Spearow charging at the very front seemed to see something extremely terrifying. They let out panicked screams, their offensive coming to an abrupt halt, and they even collided with each other.
They coordinated tacitly, their tactics clear—focusing on dispersal and defense, avoiding fatal damage as much as possible.
However, the manic bird flock was numerous, and attacks surged from all directions like a tide.
One particularly ferocious Spearow seemed to identify Ash as the core. It cleverly bypassed Pikachu's electric blockade and, using the chaos created by its companions, pecked fiercely toward Ash's face from a tricky angle on the side, screaming!
That sharp beak reflected dangerous light under the sun!
It was [Peck]!
When Trainers fought in the wild against Pokémon... it was a very normal situation for the Trainer themselves to be attacked.
In the nick of time—
Hum
A red-and-white Poké Ball at Ash's waist opened automatically without any warning, and blazing red light burst forth.
That red light was not the usual light of recall or release; instead, it carried a scorching will that seemed ready to ignite.
Roar—!!!
A roar, distinct from Charmander's previously tender cry and filled with power and violence, shook the entire field!
Within the red light, that petite figure expanded rapidly the moment it leaped out, elongating!
The orange-red skin became deeper, and the flame at the tip of its tail, which had originally flickered somewhat, exploded violently, turning into a raging, incredibly hot blaze.
In the center of its forehead, a sharp horn protruded, and its eyes were filled with burning battle intent.
Evolution!
At the moment the Trainer faced a crisis.
Charmander evolved into Charmeleon!
...This Charmander was indeed the type very suitable to be a partner.
If not for Cross's foolish messing around, perhaps it would have evolved during the previous Gym Battle, right?
"Wh...?!" Ash's pupils contracted abruptly.
The sudden change caught him off guard as well.
He had been ready to deal with the Spearow's attack... Don't underestimate the combat power of a Pallet Town native bolstered by four Gym Badges!
But Charmander suddenly evolving into Charmeleon was indeed somewhat unexpected.
That sneaking Spearow clearly hadn't anticipated this change either.
Its sharp beak was about to peck the target, but instead, it met a pair of eyes burning with fury, and a sharp claw covered in hard scales and wrapped in searing flames!
"Char!" Charmeleon let out a furious roar, the power brought by evolution filling its body.
It didn't even need Ash's command. The instinct to protect its Trainer drove it, and its flame-wreathed right claw swung forward with the speed of lightning covering one's ears.
But this time, the sharp claw was entwined with the power of evolution and scorching flames, gaining a fire enchantment enhancement.
Srrra—!
A shrill scream.
The Spearow's peck was forcibly interrupted.
Its entire body was swatted away ruthlessly by that heavy, flaming claw.
Feathers flew, and a scorched claw mark was left on its body.
It tumbled several times in the air before barely stabilizing its form.
It looked in terror at this Charmeleon that had suddenly appeared and was radiating a menacing aura, daring not to advance again.
At this moment, the air seemed to freeze.
The originally noisy and chaotic battlefield experienced a momentary stagnation due to this sudden evolution and Charmeleon's deterrent strike.
All the Spearow, including that ferocious Fearow, looked with uncertainty at Charmeleon, who blocked the front of Ash. Its eyes were fierce, the flame on its tail burned ragingly, and it emitted an aura far stronger than before.
Even for Pokémon, a sudden evolution was something worthy of praise.
This is the most miraculous thing in this world—Evolution.
Misty and Brock were also stunned. They looked at that Charmeleon with determined eyes and a brave posture... they could almost not connect it with the little fellow who had been dying on the sickbed with hollow eyes before.
So-called conviction is truly a magical thing.
Pikachu and Misdreavus also temporarily stopped their actions, looking at their reborn partner in surprise.
Charmeleon panted slightly; its body still needed to adapt after evolution.
But it stood steadily in front of Ash, glancing back at him. That look seemed to say—Leave it to me.
After evolving, it seemed that even its mind had suddenly become mature and steady.
...This was also the reason Misdreavus didn't want to evolve.
Then it turned its head abruptly, facing the flock of Spearow and the Fearow in the air. It opened its mouth, and scorching light brewed deep in its throat.
[Ember]?
No, after evolution, the scale and power of this flame were already different.
Roar—!
A pillar of fire, several times thicker and hotter than before, sprayed out.
Although it wasn't a wide-range attack, that condensed flame and high temperature were enough to make the Spearow in the air feel a fatal threat, and they flapped their wings in panic to dodge higher.
Fearow let out an unwilling cry.
It looked at the fierce-eyed, blazing Charmeleon, then looked at the Pikachu and Pidgeotto waiting in battle array below, and that Misdreavus who brought it a faint sense of unease. Then, feeling the vibrations coming from underground...
A trace of calculation flashed in Fearow's eyes... these guys were not to be trifled with.
Although these birds were irritable, they weren't truly stupid.
Being able to live beside a human city road without being completely driven away, it clearly had some brains.
Continuing to fight, even if they won, would inevitably lead to heavy losses... not to mention they might not necessarily win.
The clan was already injured and could not withstand more casualties.
Moreover, once a fight started and didn't resolve the problem quickly...
The human patrol team would likely be arriving soon.
"Feeaaar—!" Finally, Fearow let out a cry, taking the lead to turn around and fly toward the forest they came from.
With the leader retreating, the remaining Spearow had no will to fight.
They followed Fearow, flying back into the woods in panic, leaving only a few drifting gray feathers and a faint smell of scorching in the air.
The battle started abruptly and ended just as abruptly.
The sunlight spilled onto the asphalt road again, illuminating Charmeleon's upright figure burning with fighting spirit.
Ash walked forward.
Looking at Charmeleon, whose image was much fiercer than the Charmander stage.
Indescribable complex emotions surged in his heart.
He reached out and gently placed his hand on top of Charmeleon's head, feeling the hardness of the scales and the warmth of the flames.
"Well done... partner."
He didn't say anything overly sentimental, but these few simple words made the fierceness in Charmeleon's eyes fade gradually, replaced by the satisfaction of being recognized and finding belonging.
It rubbed its head against Ash's palm, a satisfied purr emitting from its throat.
In this moment, a gentleness identical to the Charmander stage was revealed beneath the ferocious exterior.
"Pika Pi!" Pikachu jumped onto Ash's other shoulder, tapping Charmeleon with its tail in a friendly manner.
"Mis, mis~" Misdreavus also floated over, circling Charmeleon curiously.
Misdreavus: After evolving... it seems there isn't that big of a change?
Misdreavus: Evolution... is it somewhat different from what I thought?
Brock and Misty also gathered around.
"Truly amazing willpower..." Brock lamented. "To evolve in that situation and immediately throw itself into battle..."
"It has found a Trainer truly worth protecting." Misty looked at the way Charmeleon leaned reliantly against Ash, feeling happy from the bottom of her heart.
Ash looked at the new partner beside him, then gazed toward the direction of the forest where the Spearow flock had disappeared, his eyes becoming profound.
The abnormality of the Spearow flock, the driver behind it... someone was causing trouble.
Considering his own situation, there was a sixty percent probability it was that Cross, and the remaining forty percent probability was a Pokémon Hunter.
After all, he hadn't offended anyone else.
If it was a Pokémon Hunter attack, then it should be for the Golden Gyarados... This kind of thing was actually within Ash's expectations.
"Alright, crisis resolved." Ash clapped his hands and turned the brim of his hat back to the front.
"Rest a bit, then we continue setting off! Target, Saffron City!"
"Pikachu!"
"Mis!"
"Char!"
____
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