A few minutes later, Jessie and James were successfully captured.
The two looked utterly defeated.
They had just managed to capture Pikachu and the others, only to fail due to their own blunders.
What they didn't realize was that Ash had allowed their plan to succeed briefly. After all, Team Rocket's antics often turned out to be unexpectedly helpful to him.
After the exchange of Pokémon, the chaos continued.
"You two are so useless, meow! I had Pikachu in the bag, but you two ruined it!" Meowth complained bitterly.
"Don't act like you didn't foresee this happening during your brilliant plan!" Jessie retorted.
"Enough! Let's fight them head-on and snatch their Pokémon! Go, Seviper!"
"Cacnea, you too!"
Jessie and James, furious and humiliated, sent out their Pokémon.
Cacnea, however, turned around and tightly hugged James. Its spiny embrace caused James to cry out in pain.
Misty and May, fed up, immediately reached for their Poké Balls, ready to step in.
But someone beat them to it.
"You guys are despicable! How dare you pull such a stunt! Alakazam, use Psychic!"
"Alaka~zam!"
Anabel's Alakazam swiftly took control, slamming Seviper and Cacnea into each other. Seviper hissed in pain as it experienced James' agony firsthand.
"Now, use Psybeam to send them flying!"
With a brilliant flash of Psybeam, Jessie, James, and Meowth were launched into the sky.
"I knew this would happen…" James muttered with resignation.
"Why do we always lose?!" Jessie cried out in frustration.
"It's because you're both idiots, meow!"
"What a rotten day!"
Ding!
Team Rocket vanished into the sky once more, leaving behind a satisfied group of trainers.
Misty and May couldn't help but admire Ash. His newfound calmness and strategic thinking were a far cry from his reckless approach in the past.
Anabel, too, found herself increasingly impressed by Ash.
"Ash, since you're challenging the Battle Tower, let's head there now. But don't expect me to go easy on you just because we're acquainted," she said with a teasing smile.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu added enthusiastically.
"You're challenging the Battle Frontier?" Misty asked, surprised. "That's amazing! You've already reached the Battle Tower?"
"Exactly!" Anabel chimed in. "I was going to invite you all to my home, but let's head to the tower first."
Both Misty and May cheered, excited to witness what promised to be an incredible battle.
The Battle Tower stood tall on a secluded island opposite Cremini City.
The island had only a handful of houses, including Anabel's home, which wasn't far from the tower.
After a short ferry ride, the towering structure came into view. Its peak disappeared into the clouds, leaving Misty and May in awe.
"This is incredible!" Misty exclaimed, taking photos with the multifunctional smartwatch Ash had gifted her.
May, not wanting to be outdone, began snapping pictures as well.
Anabel chuckled at their enthusiasm. "Let's go inside. My assistant informed me that Mr. Anabel is already waiting for us. He's very excited about the match."
As they entered the Battle Tower, a familiar notification rang in Ash's mind.
Ding! Congratulations, host! You've successfully arrived at the Battle Tower. Initiating check-in...
Ding! Check-in complete. Rewards received:
500,000 Poké Coins
Intermediate Aura Power
+1 to personal charisma
+1 bond with all Pokémon
1 random lottery ticket
Ash was intrigued by the random lottery reward but decided to focus on the present. The deeper bond he felt with his Pokémon was already an incredible bonus.
Inside the Battle Tower, a man with a confident demeanor greeted them.
"Ash! Looks like you met Anabel before arriving here. Let me tell you, beating her is no small feat. Very few challengers have managed it. The last one to succeed was someone named Palmer. That guy was something else," Mr. Anabel said, giving Ash a firm pat on the shoulder.
But Ash, brimming with determination, replied, "I know Anabel is strong, but my Pokémon and I are no pushovers either."
Hearing this, Anabel smiled and stepped aside. "Very well. Let's begin!"
"Now commencing the three-on-three elimination battle between Challenger Ash and the Battle Tower Brain, Anabel! Only the challenger may switch Pokémon. The battle ends when one side's Pokémon are unable to continue. Begin!"
Anabel smiled confidently as she sent out her first Pokémon.
"Come on out, my friend!"
Her Alakazam reappeared, its spoons spinning as it readied for battle.
Ash grinned. "Alright, let's make this an interesting start. Go, Kirlia!"
"Kirliaaa~"
Kirlia gracefully took the field, her posture exuding confidence. Since Ash had caught her, she had been training extensively, even sparring with Mewtwo. Her abilities had grown exponentially.
May released her own Kirlia to watch.
"Kirlia, this is a great chance to learn. Watch closely and take notes," she said.
"Your Kirlia is beautiful, Ash. But don't expect me to hold back. I'll be giving my commands through telepathy!" Anabel declared, linking her mind with Alakazam.
"Alakazam, be cautious. The opponent is also Psychic-type. Start with Psybeam!"
"Alakazam!"
Alakazam crossed its spoons, unleashing a dazzling beam of psychic energy.
But Ash remained calm, using Aura Power to telepathically instruct Kirlia.
"Kirlia, it's likely a probing attack. Use Teleport to dodge and reappear behind Alakazam. Then, set up with Calm Mind."
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T/N:
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