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"Coconut egg!"
Exeggutor cried out, concentrating as a small stone from the garden floor began to float into the air.
Gary's eyes widened. "You've already awakened the Confusion skill!" he exclaimed.
Confusion, a Psychic-type move with 50 base power, was a versatile and practical skill. While it seemed simple on the surface, its effectiveness depended on a Pokémon's mental strength. For example, a powerful Psychic-type like Mewtwo could use Confusion to cause immense damage or create shields to block even the fiercest attacks.
Gary crouched to examine his newly evolved Pokémon, giving it a pat. Checking Exeggutor's updated stats, he noted the improvements:
[Pokémon: Exeggutor ♂]
[Type: Grass, Psychic]
[Level: 10]
[Potential: Quasi-Elite]
[Ability: Chlorophyll]
[Skills: Absorb, Hypnosis, Reflect, Leech Seed, Confusion]
[Intimacy: 201/255]
Gary smiled as he read through the data. Exeggutor's potential had increased from Gym-level to Quasi-Elite after evolving with the premium Leaf Stone. While the boost seemed modest, it was incredibly valuable for competitive battles.
"The bronze crown can wait," Gary muttered. The crown, capable of increasing a Pokémon's potential further, was too precious to use immediately.
For now, his focus was on completing the system's capture task. If he received a low-potential Growlithe as a reward, he'd need the crown to enhance it. Gary decided to save the item for an emergency.
"Exeggutor, focus on adapting to your new body and practice Confusion more," Gary instructed.
"Coconut egg!"
Exeggutor nodded and began stretching its legs and moving its body while using Confusion to lift and manipulate nearby objects.
Gary turned his attention toward the Viridian City Pokémon Center, where his next challenge awaited.
---
Night at the Pokémon Center
Inside the Pokémon Center, Ash sat anxiously in the waiting area, his eyes fixed on the red light above the operating room door. Pikachu had been severely injured, and the treatment had been ongoing since morning.
Misty sat beside him, trying her best to comfort the young Trainer. Despite her earlier frustration with Ash, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.
Suddenly, the light on the operating room door turned off, and Nurse Joy emerged, pushing a trolley with Pikachu lying on it.
"Pikachu!" Ash and Misty rushed forward. Pikachu was hooked up to a charging device, with batteries hanging beside the trolley.
"Don't worry," Nurse Joy reassured them. "Pikachu is stable now. He just needs some rest to recover his energy."
Ash let out a sigh of relief, grateful that his partner was safe.
---
An Alarming Attack
The calm was short-lived as the Pokémon Center's alarm blared.
"Emergency alert! Emergency alert! Viridian City is under attack by suspected Pokémon kidnappers!"
Outside the Pokémon Center, Kai stood in the shadows, observing a large hot-air balloon floating in the sky.
He sighed. "Seriously? They're using a hot-air balloon? How blatant can they get?"
Kai recognized the familiar logo on the balloon—a red "R." It was Team Rocket. Their audacity was unmatched, especially given Viridian City's heightened security.
The balloon hovered above the Pokémon Center, and three figures leaped down through the glass ceiling. Black smoke began billowing from the ventilation system.
Kai turned to his Pokémon. "Exeggutor, Squirtle, let's go!"
"Coconut egg!"
"Squirtle!"
Kai and his Pokémon rushed toward the Pokémon Center.
---
Confrontation
Inside, Jessie, James, and Meowth stood opposite Ash and Misty.
"Our mission is clear," Jessie declared. "We'll take all the Pokémon under treatment here. Surely, there must be some rare ones among them!"
James nodded. "Right! Let's gather them all!"
Ash clenched his fists in anger. "You cowards! How can you target injured Pokémon?"
Jessie smirked. "Oh, please. Who's going to stop us? You?"
James chuckled. "Koffing, use Poison Gas!"
Before Koffing could act, it froze mid-air.
"What's going on?" James shouted.
"Koffing! Move!" Jessie added, equally confused.
From behind, Nurse Joy called out, "Look behind you!"
The trio turned and saw Kai standing confidently at the entrance. Exeggutor and Squirtle flanked him.
Kai's expression was cold. "As long as I'm here, you won't harm any Pokémon."
Ash's eyes widened. "Kai!"
Jessie dismissed him with a wave. "Another brat? Abraxas, deal with him!"
The snake-like Arbok lunged toward Kai.
"Exeggutor!" Kai shouted.
With incredible precision, Exeggutor used Confusion to grab Koffing and hurl it into Arbok, knocking them both back.
"What?!" Jessie gasped.
"Leech Seed!" Kai commanded.
Exeggutor fired three seeds, which rapidly grew into vines, wrapping around Koffing and Arbok. The vines drained their energy, leaving them immobilized.
"Arbok, use Poison Sting! Koffing, use Smog!" Jessie and James shouted simultaneously.
"Squirtle, counter with Water Gun! Exeggutor, throw Koffing away!"
Squirtle's Water Gun neutralized the incoming Poison Sting, while Exeggutor used Confusion to fling Koffing into a nearby pillar.
Bang!
The impact knocked Koffing out instantly.
"Koffing!" James cried, rushing to his fainted Pokémon.
With Koffing defeated, only Arbok remained. Exeggutor's Confusion pinned Arbok in place, and Squirtle finished it off with another Water Gun.
---
A Narrow Victory
The Rocket trio was stunned. Their usual antics had been effortlessly countered by a single Trainer.
"This isn't over!" Jessie yelled as she recalled Arbok.
"We'll be back!" James added.
The trio scrambled back to their balloon, retreating into the night.
Kai smirked. "Good riddance."
Ash approached him, still stunned by what he had witnessed.
"Kai, that was incredible. Thank you for saving everyone," Ash said sincerely.
Kai shrugged. "Don't mention it. Someone had to step up."
As the Pokémon Center staff and Trainers began to recover from the ordeal, Kai quietly slipped away, ready to face whatever challenges awaited him next.
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