Chapter 25: V2 (1)

A sudden commotion erupted in the crowd.

Some Trainers instinctively shielded their Pokémon behind them, while the more timid ones quietly slipped toward the exit.

Nurse Joy hurried to the front of the crowd, her usual gentleness gone, and said sternly, "Rocket Team! The Pokemon Center is a place for treating and rescuing Pokémon, not for your rampage! Leave immediately, or I'll contact Officer Jenny!"

"Officer Jenny?" Musashi scoffed, waving his hand nonchalantly. "If she shows up, we'd have already left with our Pokémon! Besides, with her limited ability, how could she stop us?"

Ash could no longer hold back; he stepped forward, positioning himself before Nurse Joy, and glared at Musashi and his two companions: "Don't even think about it! As long as I'm here, you won't harm a single Pokémon in this place!"

He reached for the Pokeball at his waist. Though he currently owned only Pikachu, which was still in treatment, his fiery spirit would not tolerate the Rocket Team's misdeeds in front of him.

Huo La watched the tense standoff, shaking his head helplessly. He hadn't wanted to tangle with these three Rocket Team clowns again, but now they'd stormed the Pokemon Center, and he couldn't just stand by.

Moreover, this might be his chance to complete that damned "join the Rocket Team and become an Executive" mission.

He stepped half a pace forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Ash, and said calmly, "If you want to snatch the Pokémon here, you'll have to get past us first."

Musashi froze for a moment upon seeing Huo La, then narrowed his eyes, a flash of resentment appearing in his gaze.

"It's you! You little brat!" Musashi snarled, "I didn't expect to run into you here again! Looks like today we'll settle the score properly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Musashi yanked out a Pokeball and hurled it forward: "Go, Arbok! Show this brat our strength!"

"Hiss~" A sharp screech rang as a violet silhouette burst from the Pokeball—an almost two‑meter‑long Arbok, its scales glinting coldly, its forked tongue flicking rapidly, and a pair of yellow vertical pupils locked onto Huo La with hostile intent.

It writhed agilely on the ground, its tail tip slightly raised, ready to strike. Kojiro, unwilling to be outdone, tossed his own Pokeball into the air with a sneer, adding, "Since you insist on meddling, we'll deal with you first! Come out, GasBomb!"

"Gas~" A plump, purple‑gray creature drifted out lazily—it was the GasBomb.

It hovered mid‑air, occasional black wisps seeping from its surface, emitting a faint acrid odor. It swayed its body toward Huo La and Ash, as if taunting and flaunting its presence.

Ash, watching Musashi and Kojiro release Arbok and GasBomb, hurried to Huo La's side and whispered, "Huo La, be careful! Both Arbok and GasBomb are Poison Type; they'll use Poison Gas and Poison Needle attacks. If you get poisoned, it'll be trouble!"

Huo La shot him an irritated glance; the guy was always lagging behind at the academy, yet now he was reminding him of the danger from Arbok and GasBomb.

"Your Pikachu is still in treatment; stop worrying about me and protect Xiao Xia and Lilian first." He paused, his tone tinged with disdain. "As for those two Rocket Team trash, dealing with them won't take much effort—use poison? I'm not clueless."

As soon as he finished speaking, Huo La's gaze refocused on Arbok and GasBomb, and his system instantly displayed the detailed Attribute Panels of the two Pokémon.

Pokemon: GasBomb

Gender: Male

Level: Lv15

Aptitude: B

Status: Healthy

Nature: Relaxed

Type: Poison

Ability: Floating (rises from the ground, avoiding Ground‑type moves)

Height: 0.6 m

Weight: 1.2 kg

Carried Item: None

Moves: Smokescreen (25% mastery), Tackle (71% mastery), Mud Attack (65% mastery), Poison Gas (74% mastery)

Improvement Count: 0

Pokemon: Arbok

Gender: Male

Level: Lv16

Aptitude: B

Status: Healthy

Nature: Lonely

Type: Poison

Ability: Molting (sheds skin, sometimes curing status conditions)

Height: 1.89 m

Weight: 6.8 kg

Carried Item: None

Moves: Dig (11% mastery), Tackle (47% mastery), Bite (64% mastery), Binding (39% mastery), Poison Needle (53% mastery), Toxic (66% mastery)

Improvement Count: 0

"B‑rank Aptitude, no wonder they're so brazen." Huo La finished reviewing the panels, now having a clear picture.

GasBomb's Poison Gas sits at a 74% mastery, clearly a staple move, while Arbok is trickier—its level is higher, it knows the controlling move Binding, and its Molting ability can cure ailments; getting tangled with it would indeed be troublesome.

But trouble is still far from deterring him.

Seeing Huo La fixated on his Arbok, Musashi assumed he was scared and taunted, "What's the matter, brat? Too afraid to act now that Arbok's here? I'd suggest you hand over the Pokémon peacefully, lest you suffer flesh‑and‑blood wounds!"

"Exactly! Our GasBomb can spew Poison Gas that knocks out every Pokémon; if you're sensible…" Kojiro's words were cut off by Huo La's cold stare.

"Annoying." Huo La placed his hand on his Pokeball, two red flashes flickered, and Bulbasaur and Beedrill instantly appeared before Arbok and GasBomb.

Huo La addressed the Beedrill, "Beedrill, this is your first battle after evolution against a Trainer; you must not lose."

"Sting!" Beedrill shouted, brimming with fighting spirit.

"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip! Deal with the GasBomb first, don't give it a chance to use Poison Gas!" Huo La's gaze hardened as he gave the order.

Compared with Arbok's Dig‑based surprise attacks, the floating GasBomb is the greater immediate threat; its Poison‑type moves must be curtailed first.

"Bulbasaur!" Two emerald‑green vines shot out like serpents, wind‑charged, lunging at the airborne GasBomb.

"GasBomb, dodge! Use 'Smokescreen' to block sight!" Kojiro panicked, hurriedly ordering the GasBomb to evade. The GasBomb thumped its round body, spewing a dense black smokescreen—instantly spreading, enveloping both itself and Bulbasaur's vines, rendering vision a blur.

"Bulbasaur, charge into the smokescreen and use Sleep Powder!" Huo La hesitated not a moment; Poison‑type Pokémon are highly resistant to Poison Powder, making Sleep Powder the key to countering the GasBomb.

Just as Bulbasaur prepared to dive into the smokescreen, Musashi shouted at Arbok, "Arbok, use Poison Needle on Bulbasaur! Don't let it get near the GasBomb!"

"Cross!" A Bo She spat, its tail tip shooting several purple‑glowing Poison Needles, straight toward the back of Miao Wa Seed.

"Da Zhen Feng, we'll also use Poison Needles! Block!" Huo La was already prepared.

Da Zhen Feng flapped its wings and swooped, Double Needle firing Poison Needles, colliding in the air with A Bo She's Poison Needles—"Ding ding ding ding......" the crisp sounds rang continuously, the Poison Needles fell to the ground in droves, and the fight turned out to be evenly matched.