"Hehe~!" (╬◣д◢) Corphish raised its bright red pincers and snapped angrily at Ash and the gang. It had only gone for a stroll and returned to find tents set up all over its home turf. Worse, it had just been forcefully yanked out of its territory by some humans! As the strongest Corphish in the area, this was an unforgivable humiliation!
"Huh?! That's..." May quickly pulled out her Pokédex and scanned it:
[Corphish]Type: WaterAbility: Hyper Cutter (Prevents its Attack from being lowered)Strength: Mid-Tier EliteMoves: Bubble Beam, Harden, Crabhammer, Water Gun, TauntDynamax Type: Water
"Wow! This place is full of strong wild Pokémon!" Ash nodded, impressed. "Go, Croconaw! Let's catch it!"
"Wani!" Croconaw stepped forward with a fierce look in its eyes.
"Hehe!" Corphish stared down its opponent with confidence and excitement.
"Croconaw, show off what you've learned! Use Psybeam!"
Croconaw gathered blue psychic energy and fired it at Corphish. But the crayfish Pokémon quickly dove into the sand, dodging the attack, then popped up at an angle, unleashing a sparkling Bubble Beam!
"Wani!" Croconaw gracefully dodged the bubbles—almost like it was dancing.
"Whoa! That's amazing!" May gasped. "Croconaw danced out of the way!"
"Not surprising," Brock said, already used to it. "Totodile's dance moves saved us in a bunch of battles before. It's just continuing the tradition."
"Ash, let's go close-range! Croconaw, Ice Fang!"
"Wani!" Croconaw lunged forward, icy fangs gleaming.
"Heh!" Corphish's pincers lit up with white light—Crabhammer!
The two collided—BAM! Croconaw was knocked back through the air, but Corphish was now covered in ice, temporarily frozen!
"Yikes! That Crabhammer's powerful," Brock exclaimed.
"The stronger it is, the more I want to catch it!" Ash grinned. "Croconaw, now's our chance—Crunch!"
"Wani!" Croconaw lunged again and struck!
BOOM! Corphish was knocked out!
"Go, Poké Ball!" Ash threw the ball, and after a few shakes—click! Capture successful!
"Yes! I caught Corphish!""Wani~!""Pikachu~!"
The Poké Ball immediately teleported away to Professor Oak's Lab.
"I bet Corphish and Kingler will get along great! I'll call them my Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals!"
May pouted. "You're catching so many Pokémon, Ash… and I've only caught one Wurmple so far."
Ash gently reassured her. "That's part of the trainer's journey—meeting new partners and bonding with them. I'm sure you'll catch more soon."
"Yeah! You're right, Ash!" May nodded, feeling encouraged.
Just then, her Wurmple began to glow!
"It's evolving!" Brock smiled. "Wurmple sensed your feelings!"
"Yes!" May looked on with excitement.
As the light faded, a white cocoon appeared.
Elsewhere, Team Rocket's Jessie was also celebrating as her Wurmple evolved into a purple cocoon.
"Ash, is this… Silcoon or Cascoon?" May asked nervously.
Ash inspected it and solemnly said, "Sorry… it's Cascoon."
May slumped. "Aw, man! No Beautifly for me…" But she quickly smiled. "Oh well, it's still my Pokémon!"
Brock chuckled and gave Ash a nudge. "Quit teasing, Ash. Congrats, May—it's a Silcoon."
"WHAT?! That means it can become Beautifly?!" May lit up—then turned toward Ash, cheeks puffed out in frustration. "Ash—!"
"Ah! Ash, your egg!!" Max suddenly shouted.
"Huh?!" Ash looked down and saw his Pokémon Egg glowing brightly in his arms.
"It's hatching! This is my first time seeing a Pokémon egg hatch!" May leaned closer in awe.
Everyone gathered around in excitement as the glow intensified—and with a flash, a small figure emerged!
Two red horns peeked out first—one larger than the other. A white dress-like body, a green, bowl-cut head covering most of its face...
"Ralts~"
"It's Ralts! So cute!" Max cheered.
"Adorable~!" May's eyes sparkled. "She's like a porcelain doll!"
The newborn Ralts nuzzled affectionately into Ash's chest.
[Ralts]Gender: FemaleType: Psychic/FairyAbility: Trace (Copies opponent's ability upon entering battle)Strength: Normal Tier (Infant Stage)Moves: Growl, Disarming Voice, Confusion, Mystical FireDynamax Type: Fairy
Ash couldn't stop smiling. "She's a girl, huh? That's great—if she were a boy, I might have gone for Gallade, but now… she'll be my future Psychic Queen. I'll spoil her like crazy!"
"Ralts~" The little Pokémon smiled, sensing Ash's warmth and affection through her horn.
Everyone melted at the heartwarming sight.
"Bayleef~" …Except for Bayleef, who clearly wasn't thrilled about the new addition. She puffed her cheeks in quiet jealousy—but didn't cause a fuss.
Ash gently touched Ralts with a Poké Ball. "Alright, little one. Take a rest for now." Click! Captured.
"Charizard, you return to Professor Oak's lab for now!""Roar~" Charizard nodded, happy to help.
Ash sighed. "Only six slots at a time… I need to talk to the Professor about this rule."
He then released Ralts again, and this time she took in the world around her—waving at everyone shyly.
The group took turns playing with Ralts, bonding with their new companion.
Under the clear skies and rolling waves, it was a day of joy—Ash caught Corphish, his Egg hatched into Ralts, and May's Wurmple evolved into Silcoon!
The Next Day – The May Exploration Team Begins!
The next morning, the gang walked upstream along a quiet river.
"Calling all mystery fans across the region! Thanks for waiting! This is the May Exploration Team—leading the world into the unknown!" May struck a pose, mimicking a camera crew. "Today's destination—an unnamed river on Dewford Island!"
"If a single drop flows into a mighty river, and then to the sea… isn't that poetic?" Brock gazed thoughtfully at the water.
"Exactly! And following the river upstream might lead us to new Pokémon!" Max grinned, checking the PokéNav.
"The May Exploration Team ventures deeper into uncharted land! What mysteries lie ahead?" May continued her imaginary commentary, hyping up their journey.
After a while, they stopped before a massive waterfall, thundering loudly as water crashed down from a cliff above.
"Whoa! It's a waterfall blocking our way! The exploration team's journey hits a roadblock!" May reported dramatically.
And indeed, if they didn't find a way past this waterfall, their journey would end here.
"Not even a Magikarp could scale that," Max muttered, exasperated.
"But hey, the harder the path, the more likely it is to find rare Pokémon!" Brock's eyes sparkled with resolve.
To be continued...