Chapter 204: Don't Worry, It'll Be Over Soon
BAM—!
Struck by the attack, Arbok shot through the air like it had been hit by a truck.
Even one of its fangs broke mid-flight.
Ethan shuddered at the sight.
Who would've thought such a pretty girl could be this violent?!
With Green's Blastoise taking out Arbok and Sabrina's Alakazam handling the rest, Team Rocket's Pokémon were swiftly defeated.
Ethan finally realized—he had completely misunderstood Sabrina.
But even if he had been mistaken…
"Can you let me down already?!"
Still held midair by Psychic, Ethan flailed his arms and legs.
Even Aipom, floating beside him, was struggling helplessly.
But Sabrina ignored him.
Clearly, she hadn't forgotten being called an "evil woman."
Seeing that she wouldn't listen, Ethan turned to Asahi—the only person who had spoken up for him earlier.
Asahi, however, simply shrugged, looking amused.
Sabrina had been in a very bad mood thanks to him earlier.
He figured she should be allowed to vent a little.
Ethan: "….."
Even while suspended in the air, he could still talk.
Asahi, curious, asked, "So why exactly was Team Rocket chasing you?"
After all, their real target should've been Professor Elm's lab.
Why were they going after Ethan like he had personally wronged them?
Scratching his head, Ethan chuckled awkwardly.
"Well… heh. I saw them huddled around some document, scheming about something, and I got curious… so I had Aipom snatch it for me."
"I swear I was just curious! But the moment Aipom grabbed it, they went crazy and started chasing me down…"
Asahi: "….."
Oh.
No wonder they had been so determined to catch him.
If he were Team Rocket, and some random kid suddenly stole classified documents, he'd chase them down just as hard.
That being said—
Picking a fight with this many Rocket Grunts just to steal a document?
That was bold.
"Can I see it?" Asahi asked.
He wanted to know what Team Rocket was plotting.
Ethan, however, immediately turned away. "Nope! I'm giving it to Officer Jenny!"
He was still floating in the air, and sure, these people had beaten Team Rocket—
But who knew if they were actually good guys?!
"Giving it to Jenny is the same as giving it to us." Asahi pulled out his badge.
"International Police—Asahi."
Ethan's eyes widened.
"International Police?!"
Asahi nodded, smiling.
Ethan, however, simply scoffed.
"Never heard of it."
Asahi: "….."
Yeah, no. Sabrina was right to keep him floating for a bit longer.
Only after they had finished rounding up Team Rocket did Sabrina finally let Ethan down.
Thud!
Ethan, unprepared for the drop, crashed onto the ground, clutching his side where Aipom had landed on him.
"Ow—! That hurt!"
Asahi crouched beside him. "Alright, now can you give me the document? I promise I'm not a bad guy."
Ethan hesitated, then suddenly smirked.
In a flash of white light, a group of Pokémon surrounded him protectively.
With newfound confidence, Ethan stuck out his tongue and made a face at Asahi and Sabrina.
"Bleh! Do you even know who I am?! I'm the famous Pokémon Trainer around here! I just slipped up earlier, but now, there's no way you'll catch me again, evil lady!"
He had expected them to look at his Pokémon with admiration—
But instead, Asahi just stared at him like he was an idiot.
"…Are you always this brave?"
Sabrina tilted her head. "Asahi, can I turn him into a doll?"
Green sighed. "Maybe just go easy on him… he is just a kid."
---
"Let me go—!"
Ethan floated midair once again, struggling.
A short distance away, Asahi, Sabrina, and Green casually leaned against Salamence, chatting.
Before long, Officer Jenny arrived, leading a squad of police officers on motorcycles.
"Officer Jenny! Help me!" Ethan shouted.
Jenny barely spared him a glance before walking up to Asahi.
"Thank you, Mr. Asahi. This was our failure—we appreciate your help."
Asahi waved a hand dismissively.
"No problem. Just make sure to ask them about their interest in Professor Elm."
"Yes, sir!" Jenny saluted.
Although the International Police and local law enforcement were separate organizations, their ranks were recognized equally within the League.
Ethan, meanwhile, stared in shock.
Asahi had been telling the truth?!
He really was with the International Police?!
Ethan suddenly felt very uneasy.
Would his earlier actions be considered… assaulting an officer?
Thankfully, even after Jenny and her officers left with Team Rocket, Asahi never mentioned it.
Ethan let out a sigh of relief.
"So, do you still doubt my identity?" Asahi grinned at him.
Ethan quickly shook his head.
"Then can I see the intel you took from Team Rocket?"
Since Ethan wasn't a criminal—and had actually done something useful—Asahi hadn't bothered searching him earlier.
Ethan hesitated but eventually nodded.
Sabrina finally set him down, and he handed Asahi the document.
It was an order.
It instructed Team Rocket agents in New Bark Town to abandon their mission at Professor Elm's lab and immediately head to Azalea Town to participate in Team Rocket's search operation.
Asahi raised an eyebrow.
So Giovanni had already figured out Pryce's weakness?
If Giovanni discovered the shrine in Ilex Forest and learned about Pryce's goal, he could set a trap.
Even if Pryce was stronger, that kind of setup could be disastrous for him.
For Asahi, however, this was good news.
It meant the conflict between Team Rocket and the Masked Army was escalating.
Perfect.
Let them wear eachother down—then he could swoop in and clean up.
Asahi handed the document to Green and Sabrina before turning back to Ethan with a smile.
"This intel is actually quite valuable to me. So, I think you deserve a reward."
Ethan blinked in surprise.
He hadn't expected Asahi to be so generous.
But then he recalled how he'd been suspended in the air just moments ago…
Suddenly, he wasn't so sure this "reward" was a good thing.
"Uh… that's really not necessary. My mom's waiting for me to come home for dinner."
Ethan swallowed nervously and tried to inch away.
Then—
Clap!
Asahi placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, it'll be over soon."