Alex looked at Ash with concern and couldn't help but frown.
"I am the most beautiful Jessie~" Jessie declared, lounging on a high mound outside the construction site.
"No, now is not the time to sign up! Look at how many Trainers have gathered!" Alex replied.
"But even so, it's still fewer than my registration number," James said proudly.
"That's not important," Jessie countered.
"Oh, James, there are so many Trainers here. How many Pokémon do you think will appear?" she wondered.
"If each person has six, oh my goodness, that's six times the number of Trainers!" James exclaimed, pointing at a calculator.
"You don't need to calculate that. Meowth needs gold coins, and Pokémon also need gold coins," Meowth added.
"It's been ages since we've encountered so many treasures!" James said, rubbing his hands together. "We're going to get rich! Let's make a huge profit!"
"Ah, no, no! There's a problem!" James suddenly stopped laughing and squatted on the ground, looking troubled.
"Huh? Why are you shouting about a problem now?" Jessie looked shocked and confused.
"Do you think our Pokémon can defeat so many Trainers?" James turned his head, his eyes welling up with tears.
"I have Ekans," he said, "and I have Koffing."
"Alas, it won't work," they both said in unison, slumping to the ground.
"Then let's just trick them like we usually do!" Jessie suddenly stood up with a smile.
"But how many times have we succeeded with that method?" James asked, unenthused by Jessie's plan.
"Doesn't seem like it," he muttered, starting to draw circles in the dirt.
"Since that's the case, we can only use that method," Jessie insisted.
"Are we going to use it?" James asked.
"That's right! The Law of Pokémon Evolution!" they all said in unison.
At this moment, the foreman on the stands lowered a picture depicting a Diglett with a big cross drawn over it.
"This, you see, is the biggest pest Pokémon of this century, called Diglett," he explained.
"Wait a minute! Diglett is not a Bug-type Pokémon. I think it would be more appropriate to refer to it as a Ground-type Pokémon," Gary interjected, raising his hand.
"Ten centimeters tall and weighing 0.8 kilograms, it's the smallest Pokémon of this century. I alone am more than enough to deal with it," Gary said confidently, holding up his Poké Ball.
"That guy Gary is getting more and more arrogant," Ash muttered disdainfully as he listened to Gary brag.
"Don't underestimate them because of their small size. When they're in a big group... Ah, here they come! The Diglett swarm is coming!"
Before the foreman could finish speaking, he suddenly noticed a bulge on the ground ahead and shouted in panic. The bulge rushed straight toward the bus at the camp, causing it to collapse underground.
"Leave this to me!" Gary shouted.
"Go, Gary! Go, Gary!" the ladies in the support group cheered him on.
"Come out, my favorite Pokémon! Show your power!" Gary kissed his Poké Ball and threw it.
But a shocking scene unfolded: after a red light flashed from the Poké Ball, the Pokémon didn't appear; instead, it retreated back into the Poké Ball.
"What?" Gary exclaimed, bewildered, as a Diglett popped up below and returned his Poké Ball to him.
"Thanks—no, that's not how it should be!"
"In that case, my best... my favorite Pokémon! If I switch to you, everything will be fine," he said desperately.
But the situation remained unchanged; a red light flashed, and no Pokémon appeared.
"Since that's the case, it's you, it's you, it's you!" Gary said in a panic, throwing out new Poké Balls.
"Anyone will do! Just get rid of these Diglett!" the foreman yelled impatiently.
"Go, Magikarp! Arcanine! Zubat!" Gary and others shouted as they tossed their Poké Balls.
In a short while, the Poké Balls piled up into a small mountain in front of them, but no Pokémon emerged.
Suddenly, many Diglett appeared, pushing everyone's Poké Balls back to their respective Trainers with their heads.
"There's actually such a thing," Alex said in shock.
He had never encountered a situation like this and didn't know what mysterious force was preventing everyone's Pokémon from being released.
"But it really happened; it's too strange," Brock said, scratching his head.
"Hmph, the opportunity has finally come! It's my turn to perform. Since Diglett are in the ground, I choose you, Squirtle!" Ash shouted, throwing his Poké Ball.
To his dismay, Ash's Pokémon also did not come out.
"They're resisting!"
"All the Pokémon are resisting fighting these Diglett," Alex said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Huh? They don't want to fight?" Ash asked, picking up his Poké Ball.
"I think so too; this should be the only possibility," Gary agreed, running over.
"Is that so, Pikachu?" Ash squatted down, asking his partner.
"Pika!" Pikachu nodded.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" the foreman shouted, swinging a large hammer at the Diglett underground.
"It's useless! Diglett's retraction speed is 299,792.456 kilometers per second, which is incredibly fast! A normal person can't possibly hit a Diglett," Gary explained, watching the foreman swing his hammer in vain.
"What is that?" Alex asked curiously.
"The speed of light. Diglett's combat ability isn't very strong, but its escape speed is top-notch."
"So that's how it is," Alex said, nodding.
"Wow, you've actually been studying!" Ash looked at Gary in surprise.
"Of course! I'm different from Ash, who's in fourth place," Gary replied smugly.
"Pfft!" Ash couldn't help but fall to the ground when he heard this.
"Can you stop bringing that up?" Ash said, exasperated.
"If that's the case, it must be..."
"Since everyone's Pokémon refuse to come out, it seems that only those who specialize in fighting Diglett are needed here."
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