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he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_1096_en
Chapter 205
Chapter 1086: Team Rocket's Team Building!
The next day, Ash and his two companions met up with Wally, once again arriving at the plaza on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town.
By now, wrap-around spectator stands had been set up, and the audience was gradually filling the seats.
Judging by the lively discussions all around, it seemed the Ring Competition was quite popular.
"Alright, you all do your best~!"
After offering some final encouragement, Brock caught a scent and darted into the crowd, vanishing without a trace.
Female Pokémon Breeders were simply everywhere!
Meanwhile, Ash and his two companions successfully reached the designated area for competitors to await the start of the battle.
The previous night, Ash and Blue had completed their tournament registration at the last minute.
"Your Wingull is pathetic. Didn't you get taught enough of a lesson yesterday? How dare you show your face and compete again today~?"
Just then, a rather arrogant voice came from the waiting area.
Ash raised an eyebrow; that voice sounded incredibly familiar.
"Hmph! Yesterday was just a fluke! Today, my Wingull will win back all the allowance money I lost!!"
The Youngster retorted indignantly.
Wagering allowance money on a Pokémon Battle was a practice from the earlier days. It didn't happen very often anymore.
"Hmph, in that case, I'll win the very shorts off your legs today~! Ahahaha!!"
The man with seaweed-like blue hair laughed boisterously, his hands on his hips.
His face was quite handsome and refined. He wore a white uniform with a large, purple "R" emblem on the chest.
"James?!"
Ash couldn't help but blurt out.
The arrogant man was none other than a member of the Team Rocket Trio, and he was brazenly competing without any disguise whatsoever.
James: "!"
Ash's voice made James jolt, and his wild laughter came to an abrupt halt.
He instantly looked around as if facing a great enemy, terrified that a few Officer Jennys might pounce on him at any moment.
It took a while for James to realize the situation.
He was here today to compete legitimately.
"That's right, what am I panicking for?"
This damn muscle memory!
Today, he wasn't stealing or robbing; he was a perfectly law-abiding citizen.
Besides, Team Rocket were basically neutral figures in the Hoenn Region, so they weren't on Officer Jenny's blacklist anyway.
"The Twerp? And the Twerpette? Are you two here to compete too?"
James's gaze immediately turned fierce as he condescendingly scanned the two of them.
Since childhood, he had received a private, aristocratic education. One part of that was training for the Pokémon Ring.
In this field, James was brimming with confidence!
"Hmph, this time I'll defeat you fair and square!!"
With that, James haughtily turned his head away, ignoring Ash and the others.
Hovering gently above his shoulder was a large, multicolored moth, its appearance not particularly endearing.
It was a Pokémon called Dustox, roughly the Hoenn Region's equivalent of a Beedrill.
Ash & Blue: "?"
Why was this guy so fired up today?
They hadn't seen the Team Rocket Trio in a long time and had only come over to say hello.
In a manner of speaking, it was like bumping into folks from back home.
"By the way, where are Jessie and Meowth?"
Ash looked around curiously.
He couldn't help but feel that without the trio's high-intensity targeting of his Pikachu, it... it almost felt like his Pikachu was losing value.
"Pika, pika."
Pikachu nodded in agreement.
As for the other two members of the Team Rocket Trio...
"Come one, come all~ This is the Flying Pokémon Care Center~!"
Among the specialty shops surrounding the Battle Arena, a red-haired woman was energetically shouting in front of a rather shabby storefront.
On a small platform in front of her, a "Wingull" was perched.
It was actually Meowth in disguise, fitted with a pair of white wings and a bird-beak mask.
Since the Ring Competition hadn't started yet, the shopping street was quite busy.
"Trainers, you can head off to watch the upcoming Pokémon Ring without a worry~ As for your Flying-type Pokémon, you can temporarily leave them with us to enjoy the best quality massage service, free of charge~!"
Jessie said cheerfully, while Meowth flapped his wings cooperatively.
When the crowd heard the word "free," they were immediately interested.
The Ring Competition would last all day, so it was a perfect opportunity for their Pokémon to relax.
"Don't worry in the slightest, we're an official shop~ Everything is guaranteed~"
Jessie continued to fan the flames.
It was indeed official—an officially disguised Team Rocket shop!
"Oh~ Even if they're not a Flying-type Pokémon, you can still leave them in our care for free~"
Seeing that only Flying-type Pokémon were being handed over, Jessie announced she would take them all.
Hmph, she would use the Ring Competition as a cover to collect Trainers' Pokémon...
...and when the competition was halfway through, they'd make a quick getaway!
Their days in the Hoenn Region had been far too peaceful; even Giovanni hadn't sent any follow-up instructions.
He must be disappointed in them!
So this time, they would capture a whole bunch of Pokémon, pack them up, and mail them all back to Team Rocket Headquarters!
While James was fighting for his dream, Jessie and Meowth were busy with their own brand of team-building!
"Oh, I'll entrust my Taillow to you!"
"My Magikarp, too!"
The surrounding people began handing over their Pokémon and Poké Balls one after another.
Jessie and Meowth were naturally grinning from ear to ear, while Wobbuffet, behind them, helped collect the Poké Balls.
Meanwhile, at the Main Stadium.
A short while later, the Ring Competition officially began.
The battle order was determined randomly on the spot; there was no first-come, first-served system.
*Beep, beep, beep...!!*
On the large screen in the center of the Battle Arena, four avatars began to spin and change rapidly.
The number of participants in the Ring Competition was quite large, so it started with groups of four, with only one advancing from each group.
Only after that would the 1-on-1 elimination tournament begin.
*Click!*
Soon, the screen locked into place, revealing the avatars of four contestants.
"Oh, am I in the first group?!"
Ash's eyes lit up when he noticed his own avatar appear in the top-right corner of the screen.
He waved to Blue and Wally, then, under the guidance of a Staff Member, Ash and the other three competitors each boarded a hot air balloon.
The Pokémon would engage in battle high in the air, while the Trainers would stand in their respective hot air balloons, issuing commands from above.
*Pshooo!*
Only after Ash and his three opponents had fully ascended did a smaller hot air balloon in the very center of the Battle Arena begin to rise slowly.
It rose until it was about twenty meters higher than the contestants' balloons before stopping its ascent, hovering high in the air.
A small ring was hanging beneath this hot air balloon.
"Is that the target for this battle?!"
Ash's gaze sharpened, and at the same time as the three other competitors, he threw out his Poké Ball!
"Tail-low~!!"
Taillow's small body appeared in a flash of red light. Nimbly flapping its wings, it was the first to charge toward the ring target high above!
(end of chapter)
The next day, Ash and his two companions met up with Wally, once again arriving at the plaza on the outskirts of Verdanturf Town.
By now, wrap-around spectator stands had been set up, and the audience was gradually filling the seats.
Judging by the lively discussions all around, it seemed the Ring Competition was quite popular.
"Alright, you all do your best~!"
After offering some final encouragement, Brock caught a scent and darted into the crowd, vanishing without a trace.
Female Pokémon Breeders were simply everywhere!
Meanwhile, Ash and his two companions successfully reached the designated area for competitors to await the start of the battle.
The previous night, Ash and Blue had completed their tournament registration at the last minute.
"Your Wingull is pathetic. Didn't you get taught enough of a lesson yesterday? How dare you show your face and compete again today~?"
Just then, a rather arrogant voice came from the waiting area.
Ash raised an eyebrow; that voice sounded incredibly familiar.
"Hmph! Yesterday was just a fluke! Today, my Wingull will win back all the allowance money I lost!!"
The Youngster retorted indignantly.
Wagering allowance money on a Pokémon Battle was a practice from the earlier days. It didn't happen very often anymore.
"Hmph, in that case, I'll win the very shorts off your legs today~! Ahahaha!!"
The man with seaweed-like blue hair laughed boisterously, his hands on his hips.
His face was quite handsome and refined. He wore a white uniform with a large, purple "R" emblem on the chest.
"James?!"
Ash couldn't help but blurt out.
The arrogant man was none other than a member of the Team Rocket Trio, and he was brazenly competing without any disguise whatsoever.
James: "!"
Ash's voice made James jolt, and his wild laughter came to an abrupt halt.
He instantly looked around as if facing a great enemy, terrified that a few Officer Jennys might pounce on him at any moment.
It took a while for James to realize the situation.
He was here today to compete legitimately.
"That's right, what am I panicking for?"
This damn muscle memory!
Today, he wasn't stealing or robbing; he was a perfectly law-abiding citizen.
Besides, Team Rocket were basically neutral figures in the Hoenn Region, so they weren't on Officer Jenny's blacklist anyway.
"The Twerp? And the Twerpette? Are you two here to compete too?"
James's gaze immediately turned fierce as he condescendingly scanned the two of them.
Since childhood, he had received a private, aristocratic education. One part of that was training for the Pokémon Ring.
In this field, James was brimming with confidence!
"Hmph, this time I'll defeat you fair and square!!"
With that, James haughtily turned his head away, ignoring Ash and the others.
Hovering gently above his shoulder was a large, multicolored moth, its appearance not particularly endearing.
It was a Pokémon called Dustox, roughly the Hoenn Region's equivalent of a Beedrill.
Ash & Blue: "?"
Why was this guy so fired up today?
They hadn't seen the Team Rocket Trio in a long time and had only come over to say hello.
In a manner of speaking, it was like bumping into folks from back home.
"By the way, where are Jessie and Meowth?"
Ash looked around curiously.
He couldn't help but feel that without the trio's high-intensity targeting of his Pikachu, it... it almost felt like his Pikachu was losing value.
"Pika, pika."
Pikachu nodded in agreement.
As for the other two members of the Team Rocket Trio...
"Come one, come all~ This is the Flying Pokémon Care Center~!"
Among the specialty shops surrounding the Battle Arena, a red-haired woman was energetically shouting in front of a rather shabby storefront.
On a small platform in front of her, a "Wingull" was perched.
It was actually Meowth in disguise, fitted with a pair of white wings and a bird-beak mask.
Since the Ring Competition hadn't started yet, the shopping street was quite busy.
"Trainers, you can head off to watch the upcoming Pokémon Ring without a worry~ As for your Flying-type Pokémon, you can temporarily leave them with us to enjoy the best quality massage service, free of charge~!"
Jessie said cheerfully, while Meowth flapped his wings cooperatively.
When the crowd heard the word "free," they were immediately interested.
The Ring Competition would last all day, so it was a perfect opportunity for their Pokémon to relax.
"Don't worry in the slightest, we're an official shop~ Everything is guaranteed~"
Jessie continued to fan the flames.
It was indeed official—an officially disguised Team Rocket shop!
"Oh~ Even if they're not a Flying-type Pokémon, you can still leave them in our care for free~"
Seeing that only Flying-type Pokémon were being handed over, Jessie announced she would take them all.
Hmph, she would use the Ring Competition as a cover to collect Trainers' Pokémon...
...and when the competition was halfway through, they'd make a quick getaway!
Their days in the Hoenn Region had been far too peaceful; even Giovanni hadn't sent any follow-up instructions.
He must be disappointed in them!
So this time, they would capture a whole bunch of Pokémon, pack them up, and mail them all back to Team Rocket Headquarters!
While James was fighting for his dream, Jessie and Meowth were busy with their own brand of team-building!
"Oh, I'll entrust my Taillow to you!"
"My Magikarp, too!"
The surrounding people began handing over their Pokémon and Poké Balls one after another.
Jessie and Meowth were naturally grinning from ear to ear, while Wobbuffet, behind them, helped collect the Poké Balls.
Meanwhile, at the Main Stadium.
A short while later, the Ring Competition officially began.
The battle order was determined randomly on the spot; there was no first-come, first-served system.
*Beep, beep, beep...!!*
On the large screen in the center of the Battle Arena, four avatars began to spin and change rapidly.
The number of participants in the Ring Competition was quite large, so it started with groups of four, with only one advancing from each group.
Only after that would the 1-on-1 elimination tournament begin.
*Click!*
Soon, the screen locked into place, revealing the avatars of four contestants.
"Oh, am I in the first group?!"
Ash's eyes lit up when he noticed his own avatar appear in the top-right corner of the screen.
He waved to Blue and Wally, then, under the guidance of a Staff Member, Ash and the other three competitors each boarded a hot air balloon.
The Pokémon would engage in battle high in the air, while the Trainers would stand in their respective hot air balloons, issuing commands from above.
*Pshooo!*
Only after Ash and his three opponents had fully ascended did a smaller hot air balloon in the very center of the Battle Arena begin to rise slowly.
It rose until it was about twenty meters higher than the contestants' balloons before stopping its ascent, hovering high in the air.
A small ring was hanging beneath this hot air balloon.
"Is that the target for this battle?!"
Ash's gaze sharpened, and at the same time as the three other competitors, he threw out his Poké Ball!
"Tail-low~!!"
Taillow's small body appeared in a flash of red light. Nimbly flapping its wings, it was the first to charge toward the ring target high above!
(end of chapter)
