Pokemon: The Master Of Monsters

"Ash, what are you doing?" Gary shouted.

Ash and his group, who had been chatting with the middle-aged man, heard the voice coming from behind. Ash immediately turned around, surprised to see Gary.

"Gary...!" Ash exclaimed, equally confused.

The two rivals locked eyes, both uncertain of what to make of the unexpected reunion.

Misty and Kai (formerly brock) were equally stunned. They had met Gary once before and knew that Ash viewed Gary as a strong rival, but never had they imagined they would run into him here.

"Ash, what's going on?" Gary asked, still puzzled by the situation.

"We... didn't say anything, we were just asked to help," Ash responded, trying to sound casual.

"Help?" Gary asked, his suspicion growing. "What kind of help? Are you sure you're not causing any trouble?"

"Of course not, I'm very strong! I've already earned 5 badges," Ash said proudly, turning his vest inside out to show the 5 badges.

The badges included the Pewter Badge, Cascade Badge, Thunder Badge, and Rainbow Badge.

"Sorry, I already have 6 badges," Gary said with a smirk, opening his badge case to display the neatly organized badges inside.

"What! Professor Oak said you only had 5 badges!" Ash exclaimed, surprised.

Ash had only received 4 badges a month ago, and had rushed to show Professor Oak. He thought everyone else had also earned 5 badges by then. So, he had quickly challenged Celadon Gym and earned his fifth badge, thinking he had finally caught up to Gary, only to be surpassed once again.

"5 badges were from a while ago, Ash. You're really naïve. The number of badges doesn't define a Trainer's strength," Gary said dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right!" Ash agreed eagerly. He had always believed he was strong, and earning the sixth badge was just a matter of time.

"Enough talk, you two. Since you're both Trainers recognized by the Gym, come help me," the middle-aged man in engineering clothes interrupted their conversation.

"What do you need help with?" Gary asked.

"I need your help with the Diglett around here. If you do, I'll reward you with a free hot spring stay—four days, three nights, all meals and drinks included," the engineer offered.

Coincidentally, Gary and Sabrina (formerly kal ) had also planned to visit the hot spring. However, Gary wasn't about to accept such a reward.

"Why do you need to get rid of the Diglett?" Gary asked, his curiosity piqued.

The engineer sighed. "We planned to build a reservoir here, but the Diglett have been causing too much damage. The project has been delayed for a long time. If this continues, we'll never finish it."

"It doesn't make sense. Diglett are timid Pokémon. They don't usually attack other Pokémon or cause damage. There must be some misunderstanding here," Gary said thoughtfully.

"What misunderstanding? Look at these water pipes. They were supposed to be transported here, but this big hole was made by the Diglett. They're nothing but pests," the engineer said angrily.

Gary flinched at the engineer's outburst, understanding how frustrating it must be for him. Every day the project was delayed meant more costs for the company.

"Then do you want to know why the Diglett are causing this damage?" Gary asked, trying to defuse the tension.

The engineer was momentarily taken aback. "How would we know that? Can Diglett even talk?"

"Sabrina, can you get the Diglett to come out?" Gary asked Sabrina.

"No problem," Sabrina said with a nod. Closing her eyes, she used her telepathy to communicate with the Digletts hiding underground.

Soon, small mounds of earth appeared, and one by one, Digletts popped their heads out of the ground.

"Ah! Damn Diglett," the engineer cursed as he saw the Pokémon emerge. His anger was palpable, but he refrained from lashing out. If he didn't know why they were causing trouble, there was little point in getting upset.

Gary knelt down to the closest Diglett. "Diglett, why are you stopping the reservoir construction? Can you tell me?"

The Diglett responded with a few excited "Hiccup! Hiccup!" sounds.

Ash and the others were left bewildered. They couldn't understand what Gary was doing or what the Diglett were saying.

"Gary, can you understand what Diglett is saying?" Ash asked curiously.

"No," Gary replied with a shrug.

Ash and the others were left speechless. They had assumed Gary could understand Pokémon speech, but apparently, that wasn't the case.

Sabrina, however, spoke up. "Diglett just said that if the reservoir is built, this entire forest will be flooded, and the Pokémon here will lose their homes."

"What! The forest will be flooded?"

"That's terrible!"

"If that's true, we definitely need to stop the construction," Ash said, alarmed.

The engineer was stunned by this revelation. "Is that... true?"

He wasn't a bad person by nature, but he simply hadn't been informed about the possible consequences of the project. All he knew was that the Digletts were interfering with the construction.

Gary explained, "I don't know for certain, but Diglett have a strong connection to the environment. They must have felt that the construction of the reservoir would flood the area, and that's why they're trying to stop it."

The engineer listened attentively, realizing that the Diglett might be reacting to something more serious than just a simple nuisance.

"You're involved in construction, right?" Gary continued. "You must know professionals who can assess the situation. Pokémon in this forest are allowed to be captured, but this is a protected area. If it does get flooded, your company will be held accountable by the Pokémon Alliance."

The engineer seemed to realize the gravity of the situation. "I see... I'll call the company right away and have them send experts to investigate. If it's true, we'll halt the project immediately."

Gary nodded. "Good. I'm sure the Pokémon Alliance will take it seriously if there is any risk of flooding."

"Understood," the engineer said, relieved that a resolution might be possible.

"Then, if you're not going to continue the project, can you send the Trainers you invited back? Otherwise, you'll have to provide them with food and lodging," Gary reminded.

"Yes, of course!" The engineer quickly called his subordinates, instructing them to cancel the task of removing the Diglett.

With the reservoir project halted, the engineer happily invited Gary and the others to the hot spring town. Since they had helped, it was the least he could do.

"Thanks for everything, Gary!" Ash said, grateful for Gary's intervention. The group, including Misty and Kai, followed the engineer to the hot spring town. Though they had been tempted by the reward earlier, now they understood the importance of protecting the Pokémon's home.

As they arrived in the town, the engineer spoke up again, "Gary, who is this girl with you?" He was curious about Sabrina, who had accompanied Gary.

"My name is Sabrina, and I'm the owner of the Saffron Gym," Sabrina introduced herself with a calm smile.

---