Chapter Thirteen: The Naval Fleet and Officer Jenny

Although Zhao Fang very much wanted to throw out a Poké Ball and capture the powerful pseudo-legendary Pokémon, Dragapult, his current priority was to head toward Petalburg City, for he was out of money. Pokémon food and berries required cash, and by his estimation, the supply he had left would only last his two Pokémon a day and a half. To gain Dragapult’s trust—enough that it would willingly let itself be caught—in just a day and a half was a nearly impossible task.

Therefore, Zhao Fang’s most urgent need was not to use food to tempt Dragapult, but rather to find a way to earn money and buy more Pokémon food and berries.

After quickly packing his belongings, he slung his backpack over his shoulders and set out with Magikarp in tow.

Although he could no longer see any sign of Dragapult, Zhao Fang was certain it was lurking somewhere nearby, secretly watching him. The only question was whether Dragapult would dare enter Petalburg City; if not, Zhao Fang would have to leave the city each day to prepare food for it.

He pressed on, and before long a tall building appeared in the distance—a clear sign that Petalburg City was not far away.

At that moment, Zhao Fang noticed two men ahead, commanding their Pokémon in a standoff against a woman wearing a blue cap.

“Aqua Squad! How dare you scum injure so many Pokémon!” Though still some distance away, Zhao Fang could tell the woman was Officer Jenny. Given what Nurse Joy had said earlier, this must be Officer Jenny Aya.

Standing before her was a proud-looking Growlithe. Though it hadn’t yet evolved into Arcanine, its strong physique radiated power.

“Out of our way!” the leader of the two men shouted angrily at the Jenny family member. Aqua Squad and the Jenny family were sworn enemies—whenever they met, it was a fight to the finish. Either the Jennys would capture them, or they’d defeat the Jennys and escape.

Their organization wouldn’t lift a finger for two underlings like them; if they were caught by the Jenny family, prison was the only fate that awaited them.

With that in mind, the man ordered his Pokémon to attack.

“Crawdaunt, use Bubble Beam on Growlithe!” He knew Growlithe’s type well—if Crawdaunt’s attack landed, no matter how strong Growlithe was, it would be hurt, increasing their chances of escape.

“Don’t kid yourself! The League prison is where you’re headed! Growlithe, use Quick Attack to dodge, then strike back at Tentacool! Machoke, I need your help!” Officer Jenny Aya wasted no time; faced with two enemy Pokémon, she drew all her Poké Balls at once.

A wild battle was nothing like a friendly match between trainers; when facing villainous organizations, the only way to avoid being overwhelmed was to send out every Pokémon at once and attack. Otherwise, they’d be outnumbered and outmatched.

Though confident in her Growlithe, Jenny Aya wanted to end the fight swiftly to avoid any accidents. She was going all out.

The Poké Balls flashed, and in the blink of an eye, Machoke, Pidgeot, and Shuckle stood at her side, joining Growlithe. Four Pokémon in total.

“Ashu! Bring out the special one!” the burly man urged, anxious. He was here only for the contribution points Ashu had promised, but facing four powerful Pokémon, he was feeling the pressure.

“I’m on it,” Ashu replied, his face serious as he regarded Officer Jenny Aya.

He was an ordinary trainer from a poor family who had joined Aqua Squad just to receive his first Pokémon—a Tentacool. Later, he’d caught a Crawdaunt. Even counting his partner’s Pokémon, they had just four between them—hardly a match for Jenny Aya’s strength. But fortunately, he had been allowed to borrow a Pokémon from the organization, giving him a sliver of hope.

“I’m counting on you! Sharpedo!” Ashu drew a Poké Ball from his pocket, and a menacing shark with a giant X on its head emerged. Its vicious expression made Zhao Fang shiver.

Seeing that a battle had broken out, Zhao Fang quickly hid behind a nearby tree. He knew his own strength, and rushing in now would only risk being taken hostage by Aqua Squad to threaten Officer Jenny Aya—an outcome he wanted to avoid at all costs. Not wishing to complicate things, he stayed out of sight.

What he had not expected was that these Aqua Squad members would possess a Pokémon like Sharpedo.

While Sharpedo wasn’t exactly a rare Pokémon, it was still an evolved one; even within Aqua Squad, it wouldn’t be common. In the games, ordinary members only brought out Sharpedo in the later stages.

“Sharpedo, is it?” Jenny Aya’s expression grew grim. A Water/Dark-type Pokémon like Sharpedo was a real headache, and it was clear that this one had been raised to a far higher standard than their other Pokémon.

This was a powerful Pokémon that could go toe-to-toe with her Growlithe—perhaps even holding a type advantage. She wasn’t sure if her Growlithe could win.

“Sharpedo, use Crunch on Shuckle! Crawdaunt, tie up Machoke!” Ashu assessed the situation calmly. Shuckle was a Psychic-type; sending Dark-type Sharpedo against it was the fastest way to take an opponent off the field. But he also had to keep Machoke occupied, to prevent it from interfering.

The battle grew fierce in an instant. Although Jenny Aya’s four Pokémon were formidable, she was up against five, including a dangerous Sharpedo. The fight was taxing.

Worse, these despicable Aqua Squad members frequently ordered their Pokémon to attack Jenny Aya herself.

“Battles are truly brutal,” Zhao Fang murmured, licking his lips. Today had been a real eye-opener.

In the games, attacking the opposing trainer directly was unheard of. Yet here, it was just part of the fight.

He stroked his chin. As a bona fide League trainer—even if he didn’t own a Pokédex—he was still on the side of justice. There was no question whom he would help.

The only problem was how best to do it.