Chapter 207: 207. The Red-Haired Boy
"It turned out to be like this! This isn't a bad way!" Ash looked at the ice floes, thought for a moment, and then understood what was happening.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"Someone froze the seawater, traveled over to the Sea Hotel this way, caused some damage, and then left the same way." Ash observed the ice on the sea as he spoke.
Although the ice had been broken by the waves, it was still strong enough to withstand the water's impact. This was probably the work of a Pokémon, but there had to be someone directing it. Pokémon wouldn't do this for no reason.
"Ah! So someone else was causing the damage, not Tentacool?"
"That's right! But if things continue like this, sooner or later Tentacool will be provoked." Ash nodded. In the anime, it was Tentacool who launched the attack, along with Tentacruel, to destroy the hotel.
But since Tentacool hasn't appeared yet... who's behind this?
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Just then, the three of them heard a coughing sound over the radio, and they instantly recognized the voice.
"Attention all trainers on the pier! Anyone who catches a trainer with a purple top and red hair can report to my Nastina's group to receive a one-million bonus! The reward goes to whoever catches this trainer!"
Nastina's voice boomed over the radio. Clearly, she was well-known around here and had access to the entire pier's broadcast.
The message echoed throughout the pier, mainly because she was offering a bounty for whoever damaged her hotel.
"It's really man-made!" Misty exclaimed in surprise. Someone had actually gone and damaged Nastina's hotel on purpose. But who would do such a thing?
"Whoever it is, they're in big trouble now." Brock sounded concerned, though he had no idea who the culprit could be.
"Aahhh!!!"
Before Misty could respond, they all heard a sudden uproar. They looked around to see the trainers on the pier growing wild with excitement.
They began shouting and searching for the person Nastina described. It seemed a million-dollar reward was too tempting for many.
"They're really searching for that trainer!" Misty said, a bit worried.
"Well, with such a big reward, it's not surprising," Brock replied. To be honest, he himself was a little tempted, but he chose to stay rational since he knew the truth.
"But Nastina is the one who took over Tentacool's habitat first," Misty said, feeling frustrated.
"These people don't know that! And even if they did, most probably wouldn't care unless it affected them personally." Ash glanced at the frenzied crowd, murmuring.
Misty fell silent, realizing that not everyone thinks about what's best for Pokémon. It was a sad truth.
"Hmm? Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash suddenly turned toward a rock nearby and gave Pikachu an order.
"Pika~~~Chu!!"
Pikachu couldn't see anything behind the rock, but followed Ash's command without hesitation. Electricity gathered in its tail, forming a powerful orb of energy. With a flick of its tail, Pikachu launched the Electro Ball.
"Sneasel, use Ice Beam!"
As Pikachu's Electro Ball shot forward, a voice sounded from behind the reef, and a blue-black figure darted out. Silver-white claws extended from its hands, merging to form a cyan Energy Ball.
The figure thrust its claws forward, launching the cyan Energy Ball, which crackled with bolts of light like cyan lightning. The energies collided midair, creating an instant explosion.
*Bang! Bang!*
The powerful impact left Misty and Brock startled. Ash's sudden attack confirmed that there was indeed a person hiding nearby.
As the smoke cleared, a small, blue-black Pokémon with a yellow gemstone on its chest and forehead fell from the air. Its left ear was larger and red, and it had a thick red tail shaped like a leaf, giving it a distinct, almost tribal look.
"Sneasel!"
Sneasel eyed Pikachu with fierce determination and even motioned with its claws, as if taunting Pikachu to bring it on.
"Pikaaa!" Pikachu crouched, cheeks sparking with electricity, ready for battle.
"Now the whole pier is looking for you—why don't you run away?" Ash addressed the Sneasel's trainer calmly, watching as the smoke dispersed to reveal a young boy stepping out from behind the rocks. Brock and Misty noticed he was around Ash's age, wearing a dark purple top, light purple pants, and had striking red hair and piercing eyes that warned others to keep their distance. He matched Nastina's description perfectly.
Ash studied the boy in front of him and frowned slightly, feeling an odd sense of familiarity. Could it really be…? Though he couldn't be certain, the resemblance was uncanny.
"If I was worried about being found, I wouldn't have done it in the first place," the boy replied, standing defiantly before Ash, Brock, and Misty.
"Why did you do it?" Misty asked, picking up on his admission. "Are you trying to help Tentacool?"
"Don't misunderstand," the boy replied coolly, his expression briefly faltering before he hid it again. "This has nothing to do with Tentacool. I just can't stand that building."
"Oh! If you're going to deny it, you shouldn't do things like this," Ash said, smirking slightly. Misty and Brock may not have caught on, but Ash, having lived through two lifetimes, could see through the boy's act. If anyone understood what it meant to be a bit of a tsundere, it was Ash. After all, he'd known a certain "tsundere god" since he was a kid.