"Great! The Seedot are all safe and sound!" Max cheered happily.
Beautifly fluttered down and landed gently on May's head.
Professor Birch observed closely and praised, "This Beautifly has an excellent sheen and vibrant color. Very impressive!"
"Thank you, Professor!" May beamed. "Beautifly, let's enter a Pokémon Contest together!"
"Fwoo~" Beautifly nodded sweetly.
Beautifly had now become May's main battling partner—already at the peak of the Basic Rank!
"Oh, right! May, this is for you," Brock said, handing her a small box. "It's a special Pokéblock jelly I made just for Beautifly. I prepped it in advance, knowing it might evolve soon."
(◦˙▽˙◦) "Thanks, Brock!" May said, happily taking it.
She opened the lid and said warmly, "Here, Beautifly, try some!"
Beautifly gracefully floated down from her head and began eating the jelly with joy.
Professor Birch turned to May with a suggestion. "May, if you're planning to enter the Contest, you should start training Beautifly's moves now."
"Let's see… Hurricane, Stun Spore..." Ash quickly accessed Beautifly's move data using his system and told May what her Pokémon had learned.
"Hurricane? Awesome!" May's eyes lit up. "Beautifly, let's give Hurricane a try!"
Beautifly soared into the air, flapping its wings rapidly, kicking up a gust that scattered leaves and dust around them.
"Now try controlling this!" Professor Birch suddenly took out a pink frisbee and handed it to May.
Ash squinted suspiciously. Why does Professor Birch just casually carry a pink frisbee? Does he secretly have a girly side… or was this all planned?
May took the disc and said, "Beautifly, use Hurricane to keep this in the air!"
She tossed it, and Beautifly tried to control it with Hurricane, but the frisbee fell after a short time.
May sighed. "Aw, so close! One more time, Beautifly! Encore—Hurricane!"
So the training continued. May threw the disc over and over, and Beautifly's control time grew longer and longer. The Seedot even began chirping to remind everyone that they still needed to help them find suitable trees to live in.
Ash and the others tested tree after tree throughout the forest—no luck.
"Seems like none of the trees here suit them," Ash said, scratching his head.
"Then let's try a different forest," Birch suggested.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Eventually, they arrived at a new forest. Brock pointed ahead and said, "What about this area, Professor?"
"Let's test it out." Birch gently placed one Seedot on a tree branch. It smiled immediately.
"They like this place," he nodded, pleased. The other two Seedot started joyfully rolling across the ground. "Even the terrain's perfect for rolling!"
But just then—
"Prepare for trouble!""And make it double!"
"Team Rocket again?!" Ash groaned.
Jessie pointed dramatically. "Ash! In order to evolve my Silcoon into Beautifly, I challenge you to a battle!"
Professor Birch sighed and tried again, "Miss… that's a Cascoon, not a Silcoon."
Jessie ignored him. "Go! My Silcoon!"
May reached for her Poké Ball, but Ash stopped her. "Let me handle this."
He knew Jessie's Cascoon wouldn't evolve without a real battle. Helping it evolve might be the best way to end this nonsense.
"Huh? Okay..." Farewell, first win, May thought sadly.
"I choose you—Croconaw!""Wani~!" Croconaw spun happily as it emerged.
Jessie threw out Cascoon confidently.
James and Meowth stood back, already resigned.
"Croconaw, Water Gun!"Croconaw shot a small stream of water at Cascoon.
"Hmph! 'Silcoon', use Harden, then Tackle!"
Cascoon braced itself, then charged in.
"Croconaw, Bite!"
Croconaw lunged forward, catching Cascoon mid-tackle and knocking it backward.
After who-knows-how-many hits, Jessie gave the dramatic command: "Now, my Silcoon, put everything into one final Tackle!"
Cascoon hurled itself forward with all its strength.
Croconaw took a few steps back—and then Cascoon began to glow with brilliant blue-white light.
"Wait… that's—""It's evolving!" Max shouted.
Jessie was ecstatic. "Finally! My Silcoon is evolving into a beautiful Beautifly!"
James and Meowth, meanwhile, were already imagining Jessie's explosive rage when the truth hit.
"Come on, Beautifly—show me your dazzling form, my cutest Beautifly ever!"
The glow faded—revealing a purple-bodied Pokémon with green wings.
Jessie froze. "Wait... is this my Beautifly?"
"That's Dustox," Max stated plainly.
May pulled out her Pokédex:
Dustox – The Poison Moth Pokémon."It flaps its wings to release a poisonous dust. It is attracted to bright light."
"So… it evolved into Dustox," Jessie muttered, stunned.
"That's right," Professor Birch confirmed. "Your Wurmple evolved into Cascoon, and Cascoon evolves into Dustox."
"I caught a Wurmple just like that little girl. Hers became Beautifly… and mine… Dustox," Jessie said blankly.
"They both started the same, but Wurmple can evolve into either Silcoon or Cascoon," James added.
"Yeah, Jessie's just happened to become Cascoon, Meowth," Meowth added with a shrug.
Jessie stared at her Dustox. She was clearly building to something...
James and Meowth braced themselves, arms around each other.
"She's gonna explode any second now."
"Her fury's gonna blow the forest away, Meow!"
"So… CUTE!!" Jessie squealed.
(♡⌂♡) James and Meowth both collapsed in shock.
"Just look at those fierce eyes, those chunky antennae, that wild tail fringe—and those massive googly eyes! So much more charismatic than that girl's Beautifly! Hahaha! Absolutely gorgeous!"
Everyone: Õ_ÕHer taste is... legendary.
"I'll never understand Jessie's preferences, Meow…" Meowth muttered, defeated.
James sighed. "Eh, as long as she's happy, I guess it's fine."
"Well then, Ash! Since I'm satisfied now, I'm done playing. James, we're outta here!"
"Perfect. I didn't want to keep playing either. Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Croconaw, Hydro Pump!"
"Pika-chuuuu!""Wani~!"
The combined blast of electricity and water sent Team Rocket soaring into the sky once again.
"Thank you for everything, my lovely Dustox! You're the best!" Jessie shouted blissfully as they flew off.
"Good thing she likes it… Now I can finally relax," James sighed."But still, Meow…"
"What a disgusting feeling!""Wobbuffet!" (˃ʍ˂)
Back with Ash's group, Croconaw had gained enough experience to reach the peak of the Superior Rank. Ash decided to send both Croconaw and Quilava back to Professor Oak's lab to rest. Once settled, he planned to use Rare Candies to help them reach the Gym level.
That night, Professor Birch also said his farewells and returned to his research lab in Littleroot Town.
To be continued...