Ash's Pokémon Travel Has Big Problems

Amazon: What were we doing this for again?

Kosaburo: Of course, it's to take over Black Cloud City.

Amazon: Why should we fight over this junkyard?

Kosaburo: It's an organizational mission!

Kosaburo: ...Sakaki's orders...right?

Amado: Forget it, let's go to the ship beforehand and take our things.

Kosaburo: That's settled then.

As for Kroos?

do not know.

He has completely transformed into Marshall.

Chapter 163 With so little money, why are you risking your life?

The damp, cold morning mist, like a gray shroud, clung tightly to Black Cloud City.

After their encounter with Li Yong the previous day and the heavy reflections late into the night, everyone's mindset had improved considerably.

In the morning, Ash and his friends received an urgent message from Officer Jenny at the Pokémon Center.

The message was concise: There is important intelligence that needs to be discussed in person.

Stepping back into the temporary guard post, the atmosphere was even more somber than yesterday.

Miss Officer Jenny even has heavy dark circles under her eyes.

Her Arcanine seemed to sense her trainer's emotions, letting out a low whimper and flaring its nostrils.

"You three, please take a seat."

Miss Officer Jenny's voice carried a hint of weariness, but even more so a sense of urgency.

"To make a long story short, we've managed to get Li Yong to talk."

She skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point:

"According to Li Yong's confession and our subsequent investigation, the unusually active 'Friends of Sludge Club' recently has indeed been supported by Team Rocket."

"The funding, equipment, and even some... 'feed additives' with amazing effects all come from them."

In a sense, this was somewhat expected.

The Rockets may not have done anything wrong, but it's unlikely they didn't.

Given that this is the Kanto region, if a problem is found, it's reasonable to suspect Team Rocket.

Ash felt a chill run down his spine; Meowth's warning had indeed come true.

The Rockets have ultimately found themselves mired in this chaotic quagmire.

Miss Officer Jenny's finger traced across the city map on the table, finally landing heavily on Pier No. 3 in the Old Port area.

"They have a batch of critical supplies that will be transported by ship to this abandoned warehouse at Pier 3 this evening."

"Li Yong was originally one of the people involved in the rendezvous."

In theory, the Rockets should change course, but in reality, changing course is not that easy.

Officer Jenny raised her head, her gaze sweeping over the three of them before finally settling on Xiao Gang... who was currently the strongest person in the entire city.

"You've all seen the situation in Black Cloud City."

"Due to geographical and environmental issues, there are very few powerful trainers in the area, and even those who pass through are few and far between."

"To be honest, before you arrived, the strongest fighting force in this city was only my Arcanine and Nurse Joy's Chansey."

There's no need to hide this; the city's defenses are indeed very weak.

"But now, things are different."

"Mr. Xiaogang, as a former gym leader, you are currently the most elite fighter in Black Cloud City."

“Miss Xia, your skill level is on par with mine and Joey’s.”

"Including Ash, you are also an elite trainer, surpassing most of our local trainers."

A trainer's strength will increase more and more slowly; it won't be a smooth process.

For example, during a casual chat, Professor Oak mentioned that among the three who set off with Ash... only Gary was doing relatively well, while the other two were already struggling.

Officer Jenny's words undoubtedly placed a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of the three of them.

When the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up... Now I'm the tall one.

Xiao Gang nodded without refusing.

Back in Nibi City, he was indeed the one who took the lead in confronting such matters.

Xiaoxia clenched her fists... As the acting head of the Cerulean Dojo, this wasn't the first time she'd encountered something like this.

Ash felt Pikachu on his shoulder tense up as well.

"Mwah~" Misdreavus was still as carefree as ever. After noticing that Ash was nervous, it rubbed its head against Ash's face.

“We must intercept this shipment!” Officer Jenny said very seriously.

"We cannot allow them to continue using these things to incite and expand the Mud Clan, further damaging the city!"

"I suggest we act half a day earlier and secretly set up surveillance near the dock to catch them off guard!"

The plan was quickly formulated.

During the day, everyone rested and carefully studied the topographical map of the dock area.

Shortly after noon, a small, elite team consisting of Officer Jenny, Ash, and two others quietly infiltrated the Pier 3 area.

As for Miss Joey?

On the one hand, she is a medical worker and should be stationed in the rear.

On the other hand, someone always needs to look after the house.

-

-

The abandoned warehouses, like the skeletons of a giant beast, lie silently on the rusty and oil-stained shore.

There are actually quite a few places like this in Heiyun City.

The city's industries were abandoned, but the demolition of the city's buildings didn't happen so quickly.

The salty sea breeze, mixed with the rotten moisture unique to the dock, barely diluted the omnipresent stench in the air... This place was actually more comfortable than the city.

The crowd dispersed.

They used abandoned shipping containers and machinery as shelter.

Hold your breath.

Waiting for the target to appear.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The setting sun dyed the sky and the sea a sickly orange-red.

at last.

An unremarkable medium-sized cargo ship, trailing a low engine hum, slowly pulled into its designated berth.

"Action!" Officer Jenny shouted, and she and Arcanine charged out first.

Xiao Gang's Onix appeared like a mobile fortress, blocking the main exit of the warehouse.

Xiaoxia's jeweled starfish spun and scattered the shimmering light of rippling water, illuminating the dim dock.

Ash, Pikachu, and Misdreavus flanked the cargo ship from the side, instantly encircling it.

To be treated with such solemnity.

Even senior Rockets executives would have to back down.

Gang fights have always been the best way for the weak to defeat the strong.

Not to mention that the others present were not exactly weak either.

The few junior Team Rocket members on board were clearly unprepared for such a swift and unexpected attack.

It offered almost no real resistance and was easily subdued by the overwhelming pressure of the Pokémon.

—Rockets minion: You only make so little money a month, why are you risking your life?

"Where is the stuff?" Officer Jenny demanded sharply of the crew leader who was being pinned to the ground by Growlithe.

The leader, his face deathly pale, pointed tremblingly into the cabin: "In...in the lower deck...but, but..."

The group rushed into the lower deck.

Inside, there were some boxes and equipment neatly stacked, but the quantity was clearly inconsistent with the scale indicated by intelligence.

It's as if a large portion of it was moved away beforehand.

"What about the rest?!" Xiao Gang sensed something was wrong, and his voice even carried a sense of urgency.

One of the Team Rocket members almost cried: "It was...it was Lord Amado and Lord Kosaburo...they...they came ahead of us by speedboat and took away the most important boxes!"

After discovering the leaked information, Yamato and Kosaburo, as elites of Team Rocket, would naturally take action.

Since the plan cannot be perfect, then don't try to be perfect; just do what you can.

They acted with remarkable decisiveness.

"Where was it taken? What is it?" Xiao Zhi's ominous premonition grew stronger.

Waveguides are a mysterious thing. Sometimes they can't tell you exactly what's happening, but they can give you a bad feeling.

"It's...it's 'aggregate bait'..." the member confessed in fear.

"It's a... a very potent mixture of arousal agents and pheromones."

"...Once released, it will cause a large area of ​​slime and sludge to have an irresistible urge to eat, and...and they will instinctively attract and graze together, and even...under certain conditions, they will try to merge..."

This is a special item developed specifically for Pokémon like Grimer and Muk.

It fully utilizes the nature of sludge—its ability to disperse and aggregate.

This experiment also tests the stability of the fusion.

"Merge?!" Xiaoxia exclaimed in shock, her mind instantly conjuring up a terrifying image of multiple Sludge pellets sticking together to form a giant monster.

That's what Grimer and Muk are like.

A fallen body will give birth to a new individual.

A large number of individuals will eventually merge into a new individual.

At this moment——

"Woo——!!!"

A piercing alarm suddenly blared from the direction of Black Cloud City, shattering the silence of dusk.

Immediately afterwards, the communicator on Miss Officer Jenny's waist began to vibrate wildly, and the near-collapsed cries of the frontline personnel came through:

"Report! Massive Pokémon attacks have erupted in multiple locations throughout the city! Grimer, Muk, Rumble Sacks... there are just too many of them! They're pouring out of the sewers and garbage dumps like madmen! They're extremely aggressive! Requesting backup! Repeat, requesting backup!!"

On the dock.

Everyone's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

Fell into a trap!

Team Rocket used the transport ship to draw away their main force, while their real killing move—those terrifying poison baits that could trigger Pokémon rage and convergence—had already been deployed in the city by Yamato and Kosaburo.

"Are they trying to create chaos, flood the city with a massive amount of trash Pokémon, or even... create artificial 'aggregate' monsters?" Brock instantly saw through Team Rocket's plan.

It could even be said that this plan is very feasible.

It might be able to solve the entire city's problems at once.

Xiao Gang felt... the situation behind it was a bit complicated.