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Weezing and Arbok rushed toward Pidgeotto, their movements swift and aggressive. Seeing this unfold, Ash reacted immediately.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
Upon hearing the command, Pikachu launched into action, using Quick Attack to rush forward in a blur of silver light. The Electric-type crashed directly into Weezing before it could execute its attack.
"Puff!"
Without waiting for Ash's instruction, Jigglypuff took the initiative and leaped toward Arbok with determination.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Its small hands moved in rapid succession, and before Arbok could fully commit to its charge, Jigglypuff's Double Slap sent the Poison-type flying backward.
With the offensive neutralized, Pikachu and Jigglypuff landed on the ground simultaneously. At that moment, Pidgeotto dove down from above.
Crash!
Under the powerful impact of Pidgeotto's Steel Wing, the cage containing the Mr. Mime shattered completely. The Mr. Mime escaped successfully, and upon seeing this, Stella immediately rushed forward.
"Mr. Mime! Thank goodness you're safe!"
Stella ran to her Pokémon and embraced it tightly. Despite everything that had happened, her concern for the Mr. Mime was evident and heartfelt.
The Mr. Mime felt Stella's warm embrace and was deeply moved by her care. Witnessing the reunion between the Mr. Mime and Stella, both Brock and Misty smiled with genuine happiness.
"Curse it all! That's the Mr. Mime we worked so hard to capture!" Seeing their plan fall apart, Team Rocket seethed with frustration.
"Stop your nonsense! This is Miss Stella's Mr. Mime, and we'll never let you have it!" Brock shouted defiantly at them.
"If that's how it's going to be, then we'll just capture your Pokémon and all the other Pokémon from the circus instead!"
Team Rocket responded furiously to this setback, and then all three of them rushed into a nearby wooden shed.
"What are those troublemakers planning now?" Misty watched with confusion, but Team Rocket's intentions soon became horrifyingly clear.
Bang! Boom! Crash!
The wall of the wooden shed was smashed apart from the inside, and an enormous black tank burst through the debris. Everyone stared in shock at the unexpected sight.
"Where did they get a tank from?!" Brock exclaimed in surprise. Tanks were incredibly rare to see.
Ash understood why—because of Pokémon existing in this world, military tanks were actually quite uncommon, and even police forces and military units rarely deployed them.
"Ha ha ha! We spent a fortune to acquire this beauty! Now we'll use it to capture every last Pokémon here!"
Team Rocket's triumphant voices echoed from inside the tank. Then, with the rumbling sound of the tank's treads, the ground began to shake and tremble as if a massive steel beast was charging toward them.
"Pika!"
Pikachu, positioned at the front, saw the approaching threat and launched an offensive without waiting for Ash's command. It released a powerful Thunderbolt that blasted directly at the tank.
Boom!
However, when the electric attack struck the tank's armored exterior, it had absolutely no effect. Pikachu's expression showed clear astonishment.
"Pika?"
"Ha ha ha! As always, we've taken precautions against Electric-type attacks!" The voice called out smugly from within the tank. Misty and Brock felt a wave of panic wash over them.
"Come back, now!" Ash shouted urgently to Pikachu and Jigglypuff.
The two Pokémon immediately turned and ran back toward safety. Seeing the danger, Stella also pulled her Mr. Mime along to follow them, but after running only a short distance...
"Guum!"
Stella's Mr. Mime stumbled and fell to the ground. When Stella saw her Pokémon fall, she instinctively stopped and rushed back to help the frightened creature.
Seeing the tank bearing down on them from ahead, Stella quickly gathered the Mr. Mime into her arms protectively and cried out.
"Don't be afraid! I'll never leave you!"
"Oh no!" Misty gasped, too frightened to watch what would happen next.
"Guum!"
At that critical moment, another figure leaped out and positioned itself directly in front of the Mr. Mime and Stella.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Another Mr. Mime?" The figure standing protectively before Stella and her Pokémon was indeed another Mr. Mime. This Mr. Mime was calling out loudly while waving its hands in front of its body.
The motion resembled someone cleaning a window. As its hands moved through the air, a transparent barrier gradually materialized in front of its body, growing more visible with each sweeping motion.
Within moments, a transparent wall formed completely in front of them, and at that exact instant, Team Rocket's tank collided with it.
Crash!
The entire tank shuddered violently from the impact, but the barrier before it remained completely undamaged. Ash recognized the technique immediately—it was Reflect, a move that created a protective wall capable of withstanding tremendous physical attacks.
"Excellent work, Mr. Mime!" At that moment, a familiar voice called out. Ash felt a jolt of surprise upon hearing it and turned around to discover that the newcomer was none other than his mother.
"Mom? What are you doing here? It's dangerous!"
"Um... well... this little one brought me here. Your mother was worried about you, you know!"
Seeing that Ash seemed somewhat upset, Delia felt a bit embarrassed by her impulsive decision.
"Honestly! You're an adult now—can't you stop acting so recklessly?" Ash scolded, though he couldn't bring himself to stay angry seeing his mother's sheepish expression.
"Sorry, sorry!" Delia maintained her warm smile, which left Ash feeling exasperated. His mother could be so troublesome sometimes.
Brock quickly moved forward to help escort the Mr. Mime and Stella to safety. At that moment, the ground began shaking again, and Misty shouted urgently when she spotted the threat.
"Ash, they're coming again!"
"Take care of my mother!"
Ash waved his hand in acknowledgment, then turned and strode confidently toward the approaching tank. Delia watched her son's retreating figure, and her expression shifted from playful amusement to one of deep maternal pride and affection.
"This boy has become just as reliable as his father without me even realizing it," she thought warmly.
"Move aside, you little brat! Otherwise, we'll flatten you into a pancake!"
Seeing Ash standing boldly in front of the tank, Jessie's threatening voice boomed from inside. After hearing her warning, Ash simply smiled.
"You've taken precautions against Electric-type moves, but I wonder—did you fireproof it as well?"
Ash responded with a confident smirk and reached for a Poké Ball. Inside the tank, Team Rocket froze after hearing Ash's words, sudden realization dawning on them.