Pokémon: Ash's Sinnoh Reset

"Pika?"

"Aipom!"

While running, Aipom and Pikachu looked at Ash quizzically, wondering why he was running away. Their opponents were just Team Rocket, whom they had defeated countless times in the past. Logically, there was no need to run; they could just fight and win, right?

"Let's get ahead and hide in the forest." Ash knew what Pikachu and Aipom were thinking, but he didn't plan to fight Team Rocket directly right now.

In their countless encounters, Ash had learned that Team Rocket often got the upper hand initially. Although things usually turned out well for him in the end, Ash wasn't planning to spend too much time on Team Rocket.

"We don't know what strange gadgets they have, so let's hide in the forest first. That way, their hot air balloon can't advance. If they want to keep chasing us, they'll have to come on foot, and then the advantage will be on our side. After all, it would be troublesome if they got us without any Flying-type Pokémon on our side."

Hearing Ash's explanation, Pikachu and Aipom finally understood.

It seemed they had been too eager to defeat their opponents before. Thinking calmly, hiding in the forest was indeed the better option. In a land battle, Pikachu didn't believe it would lose to Team Rocket, but...

"Pika?!" (When did you get so smart?!)

Ash: "[○･｀Д´･○]"

What did that mean? He didn't understand exactly what Pikachu was saying, but it sounded like a challenge to his intelligence.

Well, I'm back in the past. I shouldn't worry about it too much. But I'll have to punish Pikachu for its rudeness later! I'll skip the ketchup for a few days.

Although Team Rocket was chasing them relentlessly from behind, Ash was thinking more about how to "punish" Pikachu, completely disregarding Team Rocket.

That wasn't surprising. If Team Rocket had ever succeeded even once, Ash wouldn't ignore them so much. But they had never succeeded in the decade or so of their encounters before his time travel. In this situation, it was impossible to take them seriously unless they came up with some new technology, which would earn them some basic respect and consideration.

"Jump!"

As Team Rocket's hot air balloon caught up behind Ash, Ash shouted at that moment, and then jumped into the bushes with Pikachu and Aipom, causing a missile equipped with an insulated capture net to miss its target.

"I told you that you couldn't do it, Meowth~"

Seeing Jessie miss, Meowth mocked her without reservation.

"Argh! Shut up! Who would have thought they would just run away like that! Don't stand there saying sarcastic things! Get down there and chase them!"

"Do we really have to chase them...?"

"Wobbuffet!"

James and Wobbuffet still couldn't make up their minds, but when they turned back to see Jessie's furious face, they knew they were ready to go.

Under Jessie's supervision and urging, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet didn't dare to complain. They simply landed the hot air balloon and jumped out.

With simple coordination, Team Rocket pushed Wobbuffet to the front, letting it face Ash's possible first attack. Wobbuffet was angry but dared not speak, silently concentrating its mind, ready to counterattack at any moment.

The rustling of leaves came from the forest. Team Rocket and Wobbuffet carefully groped their way forward. Although Jessie had shouted so fiercely earlier, she had been blasted off by Ash countless times. Even an idiot would remember, and Jessie was afraid that a Thunderbolt would suddenly burst out of the grass and blast them all away.

But, that shouldn't be possible...

Jessie thought.

The twerp shouldn't be so despicable. Even if it were an opportunity to ambush, he would jump out first, point his finger at them, and then give Pikachu the order to attack.

Perhaps because Jessie felt she knew Ash's personality completely, she suddenly puffed out her chest and walked to the front, in front of Wobbuffet.

"Hey! Hurry up! What if the twerp gets away if we're too slow? Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Meowth James Wobbuffet:

"???"

They didn't know why Jessie had suddenly become so forceful, but since someone was blocking in front, they had no reason to be afraid.

"That's right! Let's hurry up, Meowth! Maybe the twerp will have already escaped while we're carefully moving forward!"

"Yeah, that makes sense."

"Wobbuffet!"

Seeing the team's momentum being lifted so easily by herself, before Jessie could show a satisfied smile, they suddenly heard the sound of colliding electricity from the bushes ahead.

That sound, it's so familiar...

Just as everyone was thinking this, accompanied by a flash of golden light, a strong electric current enveloped them all. Under the stimulation of the current, the voices of Team Rocket became strange.

"Agh~*(@!"

No one knew what they were shouting, but by the time the first jolt ended, Team Rocket had undergone a major image transformation. Jessie's and James's hair was temporarily ruined, becoming a charred Afro.

"They really didn't have any defense. I even thought of other methods, but in the end, I won with the most ordinary move."

"Pika~"

After Team Rocket had turned into "black charcoal," Ash slowly emerged from the bushes with Pikachu, looking speechlessly at the charred group, muttering to himself.

"Cough cough!"

Hearing Ash's voice, Jessie and the others quickly stood up, as if the electric shock from the previous second had been an illusion. They stood up and pointed at Ash, scolding him: "Twerp, that's not honorable!"

"That's right!! How can you ambush?!"

"Meowth! You should be ashamed of this behavior as a Pokémon Trainer!"

"Wobbuffet!"

The group was enraged by Ash's sudden ambush. It should have been a tense Pokémon battle, but Team Rocket's state and tone made it difficult to feel any tension, as if they were children throwing a tantrum.

Pikachu, with a sour face, rubbed its ears, seemingly speechless at Team Rocket's shamelessness. But seeing the trio just as they were "before," Ash couldn't help but smile with nostalgia and relief, though Jessie and the others saw that smile as a provocation.