Chapter 322: Touching the Dragon’s Inverse Scale, Jessie’s Death-Defying Moment

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Chapter 322: Touching the Dragon's Inverse Scale, Jessie's Death-Defying Moment

The thick, heavy dust within thePewter Gymbegan to settle, coating the floor in a fine grey silt. In the center of the cratered arena, the massiveOnixremained motionless, its mountainous stone head buried deep within the floorboards. A single, agonizing twitch of its tail signaled the end; the titan of stone had completely lost its will to fight.

Silence, absolute and suffocating, gripped the hall. Brock, thePewter City Gym Leader, stood frozen. His gaze drifted from the jagged, terrifying crack splitting hisOnix'shardened jaw to the small, crimson fish on the other side of the field. TheMagikarpstood—if a fish could be said to stand—with an air of predatory arrogance, its red scales gleaming under the gym's spotlights without a single scratch or chip. In that moment, the logical foundations ofBrock'sworld didn't just crack; they disintegrated.

"I... I lost,"Brockwhispered, his voice like grinding gravel.

With movements as mechanical as a programmed droid, he reached into his vest and produced a small, octagonal grey stone—theBoulder Badge. He walked toward the tremblingLilly, his footsteps echoing in the hollow gym. As he handed over the badge, he wasn't just giving her a trophy; he was handing over a piece of his shattered sanity.

"This... this belongs to you now," he muttered, his eyes never leaving the fish.

Back inFoosha VillageatMakino'sPartys Bar, the atmosphere was electric. Fleet Admiral Sengokuwas practically leaning into the screen, his fingers digging into the wooden counter. His face was a mask of pure, unadulterated disbelief as he stared at the "dead-fish king" who was currently eyeing thePokémonworld with the disdain of a conqueror.

"Is that... is that really aMagikarp?"Sengokustammered, his voice climbing an octave. "By all known laws of nature, that thing should be useless! All it does isSplash! So how in the five seas did it just perform a ground-shakingTacklelike some kind of armored battering ram?"

"Bwahahahaha!"Monkey D. Garproared, his laughter booming so loudly it rattled the bottles on the shelves. TheMarine Herowas doubled over, clutching his stomach as he nearly slid off his stool. "Look at him! Even as a fish, Kaidois still a stubborn bstrd! That's the 'Strongest Creature' for you!"

Sengokuignored him, rubbing his temples as he spiraled into a deep skepticism of biology. "This isn't scientific. This violates every rule of theDungeon Shopsystem... or perhaps, it's the ultimate proof of it."

Lillystepped out of the gym, the cool evening air ofPewter Cityhitting her flushed face. In one hand, she clutched the heavyBoulder Badge; in her other arm, she cradled the surprisingly heavyKaido. The setting sun bled across the horizon, painting the sky in shades of bruised purple and gold.

She raised the badge toward the fading light, her eyes shining with a mix of leftover terror and new-found pride. "I did it! I got my first badge!" she shouted, her voice ringing out across the quiet street. "I'm really going to do it... I'm going to become aPokémon Master!"

Kaidogave a sharp, annoyed twist in her arms and blew a face-full of pond water directly into her eyes. Shut up, you noisy brat, his dead-fish eyes seemed to say.

Yet, as he felt the girl's heart racing against his scales—a rhythm of pure, unshielded joy—something shifted. Deep within the frozen, jagged tundra of theYonko'ssoul, a microscopic spark of recognition flickered. This tiny human, who had been ready to bolt in terror, had stayed. She had commanded him. Perhaps... she wasn't entirely a waste of space.

The moment of peace was short-lived. A sudden, neon-pink explosion of smoke erupted from the alleyways, swirling around them in a gaudy, chemical mist.

"Prepare for trouble!" a sharp, feminine voice rang out.

"And make it double!" a melodic male voice echoed.

Three figures emerged from the fog, striking poses so flamboyant they would have madeDoflamingoblush.

"To protect the world from devastation!" "To unite all peoples within our nation!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love!" "To extend our reach to the stars above!" "Jessie!" "James!" "Team Rocketblasts off at the speed of light!" "Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!" the talking cat added with a wicked grin.

At the bar, Garpwas literally crying tears of laughter. "What the f*ck are those three?! They look like they fell out of a circus and hit every branch on the way down!"

Kaido, however, wasn't laughing. His pupils narrowed into pinpricks. He didn't know who these fools were, but he recognized the stench of "trouble" anywhere.

"Weezing, go! UseSmokescreen!"Jamesshouted, tossing a sphere.

Acrid, black soot filled the air, blindingLillyinstantly. In the chaos, a massive mechanical claw—painted with a mocking red "R"—shot down from a hidden hot air balloon.

"Ah!"Lillycried out as the metal pincer slammed into her. She was knocked sideways, her knees scraping painfully against the pavement. The impact toreKaidofrom her arms. Before he could even flop, a specially reinforced, insulated net dropped from the sky, entangling him in its cords.

"Give him back!"Lillysobbed, reaching toward the ascending balloon. "Give me back my partner!"

"Finders keepers, brat!"Jessiecackled from the basket, looking down with a sneer.

In the bar, the atmosphere had turned cold. The pirates were no longer laughing; seeing a child bullied by such underhanded tactics sparked a low, dangerous rumble of indignation. EvenDoflamingoadjusted his shades, his smile turning sharp. "Crude... but effective. I suppose there's a certain charm to such shamelessness".

High above, Jessiebegan to rummage through the net. "Alright, let's see what kind of 'powerhouse' this kid was hiding!" She dumped the contents onto the floor of the basket.

Her face fell. Her excitement turned into a mask of pure, vitriolic disgust. She looked down at the red fish flopping helplessly at her feet.

"Are you kidding me?!" she shrieked. She reached down, grabbedKaidoby the tail, and hoisted him up like a piece of stinking laundry. "All that effort for aMagikarp? This is the world's weakest waste! All it does isSplasharound like a moron! It's utterly useless! Even if we made it into sashimi, there'd be more bone than meat! You garbage fish!"

The insults hitKaidowith the force of a physical beating. Garbage. Useless. Waste. The image of being hung from a tree like "cured meat" byDoflamingoflashed in his mind. The humiliation of being poked by aRattata. The shame of being squeezed by a common stone snake. It all built up into a singular, white-hot point of absolute, world-ending fury.

"Jessie, don't waste your breath on a stupid fish, meow,"Meowthsaid, pointing toward a grimy sewer grate below. "Just toss it in the gutter where it belongs".

"Hmph. You're right,"Jessiesneered. She swungKaidotoward the edge of the basket, ready to discard theYonkolike a piece of trash.

That was the final mistake.

The dead-fish king's eyes, once dull and vacant, suddenly flared with a terrifying, crimson light. His pupils contracted into lethal slits. The dragon's inverse scale had been touched.

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