After finishing lunch, the group planned to follow Elite Four member Drake to his ship for a tour. Unexpectedly, the restaurant's waitstaff also expressed a desire to join them. After a brief moment of hesitation, Drake agreed.
Rex immediately recognized the waitstaff as Team Rocket in disguise. He knew they were looking for an opportunity to snatch Pikachu but chose not to expose them, believing that Team Rocket wouldn't be able to cause trouble under the watchful eyes of an Elite Four member.
They followed Drake to the docks, but there were no ships docked there. Without offering any explanation, Drake simply gazed into the distance.
Soon, a massive sailing ship appeared on the horizon, with a crew waving at them. It was evident that this ship was Drake's vessel.
"What a huge sailing ship! It looks like a pirate ship!" Ash exclaimed as the ship approached.
"My ship is about to set sail, so I ordered my crew to prepare in advance," Drake explained.
"Captain, the preparations are complete," a young man in a sailor's uniform shouted from the ship.
"Thanks for your hard work!" Drake replied. "This is Fitzwilliam, my top disciple," he introduced the young man.
Upon boarding the ship's deck, everyone curiously observed their surroundings. It was clear that Drake maintained the ship well; the deck was spotless and had no unpleasant odors.
"Drake, can I see your Pokémon?" Max asked curiously.
"I'd love to see them too!" Ash added excitedly.
"Alright, but just looking might be boring. Ash, how about a battle?" Drake suggested, surprising everyone.
Ash readily accepted. He had been dissatisfied with the strength of recent opponents and eagerly looked forward to battling a powerful trainer like Drake.
Rex watched this unfold and connected it to their encounter with Drake. He realized Drake saw potential in Ash but also noted his arrogance. Drake likely wanted to humble Ash and teach him a valuable lesson.
Understanding this, Rex recognized Drake as someone who enjoyed mentoring younger trainers, even those he met by chance.
They decided on a 3v3 Pokémon battle, with Fitzwilliam acting as the referee.
Drake sent out his first Pokémon, Shelgon, a pseudo-legendary Pokémon. Although it hadn't evolved into Salamence yet, its impressive demeanor showed it was well-trained.
Ash chose Pikachu, his most important partner. Pikachu's power had always been a mystery; sometimes it struggled against beginner trainers' Pokémon, and other times it could stand up to legendary Pokémon. However, electric attacks weren't particularly effective against the Dragon-type Shelgon.
Ash started by having Pikachu use Thunderbolt. Drake didn't command Shelgon to dodge but instead had it take the hit directly. When Ash ordered a second Thunderbolt, Drake had Shelgon use Double-Edge to charge at Pikachu. Although Shelgon avoided the Thunderbolt, it found it difficult to hit the agile Pikachu.
Pikachu dodged the Double-Edge with Quick Attack, making Ash feel confident about his imminent victory.
May and Max, watching from the sidelines, thought Shelgon's performance was unimpressive, but Brock and Rex, with their keen eyes, knew Ash's excitement was premature.
"Use Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash commanded, thinking Shelgon was significantly weakened and slow.
As Pikachu leaped into the air for Iron Tail, Drake ordered Shelgon to use Dragon Breath. The attack hit Pikachu mid-air, making it an easy target for a powerful Dragon Claw that followed, knocking Pikachu out.
As an observer, Rex saw clearly that Drake used a seemingly clumsy strategy to make Ash overconfident, leading him to a risky move. Once Pikachu was airborne, it lost its speed advantage and became an easy target for Shelgon's powerful attacks.
"How did this happen?" Ash muttered, unable to accept the sudden change in the battle's outcome.
In the second round, Drake used Altaria while Ash chose Grovyle, eyeing the ship's tall masts for strategic advantage.
Ash had Grovyle use the masts to jump high and confront Altaria, attacking with Bullet Seed. However, Altaria also used the masts to dodge and avoid Grovyle's attacks. When Ash had Grovyle use Leaf Blade, Altaria had already moved out of sight, using the masts for cover. Altaria then hit Grovyle with Take Down, followed by a powerful Dragon Breath, sending Grovyle crashing to the deck and rendering it unable to battle.
Ash's confidence began to crumble as he questioned how he lost so decisively despite his perceived advantage.
"In battles, unexpected situations can occur, catching you off guard. It's often due to distractions or overconfidence. Confidence is good, but overconfidence can cloud your judgment," Drake advised.
This was why Drake invited Ash to his ship—to teach him not to be blindly confident.
"I see. Drake must have seen Ash's overconfidence and decided to teach him a lesson," Brock realized, finally understanding Drake's motives.
"Wow, the Elite Four are truly amazing!" May said, enlightened by the explanation.
At that moment, Team Rocket, disguised as waitstaff, seized Pikachu and tried to escape in a hot air balloon. Drake, of course, wouldn't let them get away. He quickly deployed his powerful Salamence, which swiftly rescued Pikachu and sent Team Rocket blasting off again with a Flamethrower.
After the Team Rocket interruption, Drake had no mood for a third battle and suggested Ash take the injured Grovyle to the Pokémon Center for treatment.
"Drake, could my Swellow have a battle with your Salamence?" Rex, who had been a passive observer until now, suddenly stepped forward with a request.
(End of Chapter)