"I didn't expect you to let us go." Ash didn't care; he had known this situation would arise long ago.
"You knew I wouldn't let you go, yet you still came here to throw yourselves into the net?" Athena frowned slightly. From the previous battle, this young man didn't seem like someone who would act impulsively.
"If not this way, how else to buy time?" Ash said, lightly adjusting the brim of his hat, a meaningful smile on his face.
"What??" Athena frowned instinctively upon hearing Ash's words, thinking to herself, Is this kid buying time? Does he have backup?
"Thud!!!!"
Just then, a violent noise reached everyone's ears, and the ground trembled. Everyone sensed that something was amiss, and Ash's smile grew wider.
"Just in time!"
Hearing the tremor, Ash knew his plan had succeeded. He looked up behind Athena, who also sensed something was wrong, feeling a shadow fall over her with the tremors and sounds.
She immediately turned her head. The moment she turned, she saw a colossal figure approaching step by step. Every step that landed on the ground caused a violent noise and tremor.
"This is..."
Misty, Brock, and the others also looked. Before their eyes, a massive body with orange skin and a pair of wings on its back continuously approached.
"This is... Charizard?"
They recognized this Pokémon as Charizard at a glance. Charizard was the final evolution of Charmander, but its size was extraordinarily large, just like the other Pokémon they had seen before.
"Grawrr!!!"
Looking again at the foot of the Charizard in front, a figure scurried forward frantically. It was Ash's Charmander. Evidently, Charizard had been attracted by it.
"Boom, boom!!!"
At the same time, a huge commotion came from the side again. Athena and Team Rocket were once again distracted. The moment they turned their heads, they first saw a gigantic figure.
Its entire body was covered in brown armor, and the huge scythe-like claws on its hands were eye-catching. It was the giant Kabutops they had seen before, also approaching from this direction. Eevee's figure rapidly weaved through the trees behind Kabutops.
Subsequently, commotions came from other directions as well. Giant Venusaur, the Electric-type Pikachu, Zapdos and Moltres in the sky, were all attracted by Ash's other Pokémon, slowly forming a situation where everyone was surrounded.
"It's over! We're surrounded!" Jessie and James, who still didn't know these were mechanical Pokémon, were terrified.
Misty and Brock were also similar. Faced with such a situation, few people wouldn't panic. The other Team Rocket members, although they knew these were mechanical creations, still had a bad premonition upon seeing such a scene.
"Every... everyone, don't worry. These artificial Pokémon are intelligent. They... they won't attack us!" A Team Rocket member said instinctively, looking at the situation.
Intelligently programmed, these mechanical Pokémon would only attack outsiders, so they were safe.
"But they will attack us!" Ash chuckled upon hearing this. Athena frowned immediately.
At this moment, Ash's Pokémon had all gathered around everyone, freely weaving among Team Rocket and the others, leaving Team Rocket members somewhat at a loss. And just then,
"Screech!!!"
In the air, Zapdos and Moltres looked towards Pidgeotto and directly launched an attack, simultaneously releasing lightning and spitting out scorching fire pillars, striking directly towards Pidgeotto.
Pidgeotto, seeing this, suddenly ascended high into the sky, but its attacks fell towards the ground and couldn't change direction. The Team Rocket members below, unprepared, had no time to dodge.
"Rumble!!!"
Two streams of energy fell, and astonishing power instantly erupted. The clustered Team Rocket members were immediately sent flying by the force of the explosion.
Misty and Brock were also affected somewhat, but suffered no serious harm. Seeing this, Ash seized the opportunity.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!!"
"Pi~~ka!!!"
Pikachu, upon hearing the command, charged out, approaching Misty and Brock. Then it swung its tail at Misty and Brock. A metallic glint flashed, directly severing the ropes binding Misty and Brock.
On the other side, Jessie's Weezing, Arbok, and Meowth also took advantage of the chaos and entered the arena. Meowth used Fury Swipes to free Jessie and James from their ropes.
The two and their three Pokémon immediately hugged each other and cried bitterly, while Misty and Brock successfully broke free and came to Ash's side.
"Are you two okay!" Coming to their side, Ash asked.
"We're fine, Ash, thanks to you." Misty and Brock were relieved, but still grateful to Ash for thinking of such a method.
"Don't say too much, let's leave here first!" The situation was becoming chaotic. These mechanical Pokémon were, after all, targeting them, so they had to find a way to escape quickly.
"You won't escape!" Athena saw Ash and the others, and quickly took out her Poké Balls, preparing for battle.
"Charmander, use Smokescreen!!" Ash, seeing this, looked at the Pokémon who had come to his side, and immediately ordered Charmander.
"Growl!!!"
Charmander exhaled black smoke, which instantly spread everywhere. Athena's vision was also obstructed. Seeing this scene, Athena was about to step forward, but then she saw a stream of fire fall from the sky on the other side.
It was the gigantic Charizard, spewing a fire pillar that swept across. Athena instinctively dodged. Ash and the others also quickly fled and dodged.
The energy of the flames rushed to one side. Jessie and the others, who had been hugging and crying, didn't react in time and were directly hit by the fire pillar.
"Bang!!!"
Under the huge explosion, amidst the smoke, Jessie and the others were directly blasted into the air by the explosion.
"Why is it always this outcome??"
"Forget it, as long as everyone's okay."
"You're right! Then let's happily shout..."
"What a nasty feeling!!"
Team Rocket still couldn't escape their fate, but for them, it was fortunate. Although the Pokémon here attacked outsiders, their massive size and attack range inevitably affected others.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).