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"Grimer! Grimer!" came hostile cries from the darkness.
Just as Pikachu and the others reached safety, the dark shadows in the sewage launched their attack. Countless mud projectiles were fired through the air toward the group.
"Venusaur!" Ash immediately called out when he saw the incoming assault.
Venusaur understood the urgency and responded with full strength, extending all six Vine Whip attacks from its body. Ash's Venusaur had recently evolved and hadn't yet reached the level of the Venusaur they had encountered in the hidden garden, but it still possessed six powerful vines that were thicker and longer than those it had as an Ivysaur. When all the Vine Whips were deployed simultaneously, they created sweeping motions that formed a protective net in front of the group.
All the incoming sludge attacks were intercepted successfully. Some projectiles were deflected and bounced back into the sewage channel, while others exploded harmlessly in the air before reaching their targets.
After successfully blocking the coordinated attack, Pikachu and the other small Pokemon were able to return safely and took shelter directly beneath Venusaur's large, protective body.
"Pika!" Pikachu called out as it carefully carried Togepi back to Misty's side.
Upon seeing them return safely, Misty quickly took Togepi into her arms with obvious relief.
"Togepi! Thank goodness you're okay. You absolutely cannot run around like that anymore. Thank you so much, Pikachu!" Misty said as she breathed a deep sigh of relief after confirming that Togepi was completely unharmed.
"Jiggly!" Jigglypuff looked at this reunion scene and appeared somewhat upset, since it had obviously rushed to help as well. Even though its contribution hadn't been entirely successful, it had still tried to assist in the rescue.
"Thank you too, Jigglypuff!" Misty quickly added when she noticed Jigglypuff's disappointed expression.
After hearing Misty's acknowledgment, Jigglypuff's face brightened considerably, while Ash and Brock turned their attention toward the threat ahead of them.
"Those Pokemon are..." Brock began to say, but before he could finish his observation, they saw multiple figures gradually emerging from the shadows in front of them.
The Pokemon all appeared extremely aggressive, with glowing red eyes that conveyed intense anger and hostility.
"Grimer?" Brock said in surprise as he recognized the species. A large group of Grimer had positioned themselves in the passage ahead.
Upon seeing the potential battle situation, Pikachu quickly jumped to a position in front of Venusaur. Together with the Grass-type Pokemon, they faced the group of Grimer, ready to defend their trainers at any moment.
"Wait just a moment!" Ash stepped forward when he observed the scene, because he had encountered these particular Grimer before and sensed that something was fundamentally wrong with their behavior. Ash didn't want to cause them any harm if it could be avoided.
"Please calm down and tell us what happened to you," Ash said as he looked directly at the agitated Grimer group.
"Grimer!" came an immediate hostile response.
However, when Ash stepped forward and attempted to communicate peacefully, the leading Grimer immediately launched another attack without any hesitation. When Pikachu witnessed this aggression toward its trainer, it instantly activated Thunderbolt in response.
BOOM!
The two opposing attacks collided with tremendous force, creating a powerful explosion that echoed throughout the underground tunnels. Brock observed the situation from behind and commented with concern.
"They're extremely agitated right now, almost as if they don't recognize us at all!" Brock analyzed the Grimer's current condition and realized something was seriously wrong with their mental state.
"Pika!" Pikachu called out with obvious irritation after seeing the Grimer attack Ash unprovoked.
When Pikachu prepared to launch a counterattack, Ash quickly stopped his partner. Pikachu glanced at Ash with confusion, then Ash turned to address Venusaur with a different strategy.
"Venusaur, use your calming pollen to help them relax," Ash instructed thoughtfully.
Ash didn't want to engage in unnecessary battle with the Grimer. They appeared to have lost their rational thinking due to overwhelming rage, but Ash believed he had a way to address this problem peacefully.
"Venusaur!" the Grass-type responded with understanding.
Venusaur nodded slightly after hearing the command, then released a stream of pink pollen from the large flower on its back.
This particular pollen was somewhat similar to Sweet Scent in its effects. Sweet Scent could lower an opponent's guard during battle and slow down their reaction times significantly.
Venusaur possessed many different types of pollen-based abilities, including Stun Spore and Sleep Powder. The pollen being released now wasn't a specific battle move, but it did have the beneficial effect of calming agitated Pokemon minds.
The pink pollen drifted gently through the air, and gradually the Grimer's intense emotions began to subside. The threatening red glow in their eyes slowly faded away as the calming effect took hold.
Seeing this peaceful resolution, both Misty and Brock breathed sighs of relief. After several minutes, the Grimer slowly returned to their normal state and looked forward, their attention focusing on Ash with much clearer recognition.
"Grimer! Grimer!" one of them called out in a much calmer tone.
During this recovery period, one Grimer swam closer and approached Ash directly. Seeing this change in behavior, Ash also moved forward and crouched down to their level.
"Do you recognize us now?" Ash asked gently.
"Grimer!" the Pokemon nodded immediately and looked at Ash with pleading, desperate eyes that clearly conveyed their need for help.
Seeing this dramatic change in their demeanor, Ash became even more certain that something terrible had happened to cause their earlier aggressive behavior.
"What exactly happened to all of you?" Ash asked with immediate concern after witnessing their distress.
"Grimer! Grimer!" the Pokemon responded urgently.
The Grimer raised one of its slimy appendages and pointed determinedly in a specific direction, then began swimming in that direction. The other Grimer immediately followed when they saw their companion's actions. When Ash observed this behavior, he understood that they wanted to lead him somewhere to show him the source of their problem.
"Venusaur, return for now," Ash said as he took out the appropriate Poke Ball.
Ash recalled Venusaur to make navigation easier, then motioned for Brock and Misty to follow as they pursued the Grimer through the underground passages.
The Grimer obviously trusted Ash completely, and they carefully led the way through the maze-like sewer system. During their journey, they encountered many more Grimer who joined their group.
As they progressed, both Ash and Brock discovered that the direction the Grimer were leading them was nearly identical to their original destination - they were approaching the area directly beneath the Honda Group headquarters.
This discovery made Ash even more certain that Honda must be responsible for whatever had happened to these Pokemon.
"Grimer! Grimer!" came panicked cries from ahead.
At that moment, they reached the underground sewer system directly beneath the Honda Group building. Because this area was located under the corporate headquarters, the sewer space was significantly larger than other sections they had seen. However, instead of the usual flowing sewage, they could see something much more disturbing.
A large net was stretched across the water channel, and trapped within its confines was a substantial group of Grimer who were struggling frantically. The captured Pokemon were making panicked cries as they fought desperately against their restraints.
"What are we even doing with these disgusting creatures?" a female voice echoed through the underground space, clearly expressing disgust.
"They do smell terrible, but they're still Pokemon after all. If we capture all of them, we should receive a substantial reward for our efforts," a male voice responded from another location.
"Then let's hurry up and finish this! I don't want to stay in this horrible place any longer than necessary!"
Flash!
At that moment, a bright yellow blur streaked through the darkness. The rope securing the large net was cut cleanly through, and the net was immediately swept away by the current flowing through the drainage channel.
Although the trapped Grimer hadn't completely escaped yet, they were no longer under direct control of their captors. Seeing this sudden turn of events, the two figures who had been controlling and capturing the Pokemon showed expressions of shock and alarm.