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"You pest!" Proton's eyes flashed with cold fury. He had been so focused on Ash that he'd failed to notice Scyther's approach.
"Go down and capture Dragonair and Dratini!" Proton wasted no time, signaling all Team Rocket members on the helicopter to deploy immediately.
Several groups of Team Rocket grunts jumped down one after another, floating above the water on jetpacks. They quickly pulled explosives from their pockets and hurled them toward the river.
"No! Stop it!"
Kaiser watched in horror. If this continued, not only would Dragonair and Dratini suffer, but all the Water Pokémon living in the lake would be in danger.
"You lot, follow me to stop those kids! The rest of you continue the operation!"
Proton descended on his own jetpack, hovering above the water as he barked orders to several members. Knowing Ash and his friends wouldn't give up easily, he was preparing for their interference.
"Yes, sir!" Six or seven Team Rocket members activated their jetpacks and followed Proton to the river, blocking Ash and his friends' path.
"Some people say they want to deal with you personally," Proton sneered at Ash, "but it seems I can't leave that pleasure to them now."
Ash frowned slightly. Though Proton had a terrible reputation, he wasn't necessarily more dangerous than Archer or Ariana.
Dealing with Proton wasn't what worried Ash—it was the explosions in the river that posed an imminent danger to Dragonair, Dratini, and all the Pokémon living there. There was no time to waste.
Proton clearly intended to delay them while his team forcibly captured the Dragon Pokémon. They didn't care if their targets were injured, as long as they were brought back alive. Ash needed to act quickly.
A wild idea suddenly flashed through Ash's mind. He reached into the basket beside him and pulled out a Poke Ball.
"Let's see if you're as special as they say," Ash murmured, looking at the Poke Ball in his hand. Then he suddenly looked up at Proton and threw the ball directly at him.
"Huh?"
Not only Proton but everyone else was stunned. What was Ash doing? Trying to hit Proton with a ball? If Brock and Misty didn't know Ash better, they might have thought he'd completely lost his mind.
"Boy, are you mocking me?" Proton frowned coldly as he watched the Poke Ball flying toward him.
He reached out to catch it—but just then, the ground began to tremble slightly.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A chaotic rumbling suddenly filled the air. Everyone looked around in confusion, uncertain what was happening. Then one of the Team Rocket members noticed dust clouds rising in the distance.
"What is that?!"
"Here they come!" Ash lowered his hat and smiled. His plan was working.
Misty and Brock turned to see a massive cloud of dust approaching rapidly—a large herd of Tauros charging straight toward them.
"What?!" Proton's expression changed instantly. He quickly activated his jetpack and ascended, but the other Team Rocket members weren't as quick to react.
"AAAHH!!!"
As the Tauros thundered past, many Team Rocket members had no time to escape. The force of the Pokémon was tremendous—some grunts were knocked aside while others were trampled underfoot. Cries of pain echoed across the area.
On Ash's side, the Poke Ball he had thrown at Proton missed its target when Proton dodged. Instead, it struck one of the charging Tauros, capturing it instantly.
The momentum of the Tauros herd was astonishing. Even with one of their number captured, their impact was devastating. Ash had "gotten his wish"—he'd successfully captured a second Tauros for his collection.
Hovering in the air, Proton watched the scene unfold, gritting his teeth in frustration while also feeling bewildered. Had this kid somehow known the Tauros were coming? But if the Tauros had arrived on their own, why throw the Poke Ball? Was he just trying to capture one on impulse?
It almost seemed like the herd of Tauros had been summoned by the Poke Ball this kid had thrown—but how could Pokémon rush toward their own capture?
SLASH!
While Proton was distracted, a sharp sound came from behind him. Scyther had launched another attack, its blades slicing through the air.
"You're in my way!" Proton sensed the attack, spun around, and threw a Poké Ball.
"Golbat, use Wing Attack!"
A Golbat emerged from the Poké Ball, its wings gleaming with silver light as it rushed forward to meet Scyther's attack, their wings and blades colliding violently.
BOOM!
The impact sent both Pokémon reeling backward. Seeing his opportunity, Ash rushed forward as the Tauros herd passed.
"Fraxure, use Draco Meteor!"
At Ash's command, Fraxure Pokémon appeared from its Poké Ball. It immediately began gathering incredible power, orange dragon energy surging from its abdomen to its mouth before bursting forth in a tremendous blast.
BOOM!
The energy soared skyward before exploding like fireworks, scattering smaller energy bursts in all directions. The Team Rocket members who had been setting explosives abandoned their mission, scrambling to avoid the falling dragon energy.
Chaos reigned for several moments. Proton frowned at the sight, glancing toward Ash with a cold snort.
"We're done here for today! Golbat, use Haze!"
After fending off Scyther's attack, Golbat expelled a thick cloud of black smoke from its mouth, instantly obscuring everyone's vision.
Dense smoke filled the air above the river. When no one could see clearly, they heard the sound of powerful rotors. As the Haze gradually dispersed, they saw the armed helicopter completely sealed, its propellers turning rapidly.
The Team Rocket members who had been attacked by Tauros and those who had been planting explosives in the river had all vanished.
The helicopter ascended quickly, generating powerful downdrafts that nearly knocked everyone off balance.
Rising rapidly, it soon disappeared from sight.