Chapter 281: 281. Darth Vader?

Words : 1107 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

---- According to the map, New Bark Town was east of Cherrygrove City, and the straight-line distance wasn't very far. However, the dense forest in between filled with thick vegetation and wild Pokémon made the path somewhat challenging. That said, the area was also considered a paradise for rookie trainers. Many new trainers, freshly given their starter Pokémon would venture into this forest to catch their first wild Pokémon and start building their team. Walking along a narrow countryside path, Kai and Sabrina made their way eastward toward New Bark Town. Kai still wasn't sure what Looker was doing in such a remote town. After all, New Bark Town was a quiet little place with no major targets for Team Rocket, aside from Professor Elm's lab. "Could it be... Professor Elm's lab was attacked?" Kai pondered the possibility as they walked, all while taking in the scenery and observing wild Pokémon along the way. Because Johto was so close to Kanto, Pokémon from both regions roamed freely. Even here, he could spot Pidgey and Rattata darting through the undergrowth of common Kanto Pokémon. But alongside them, Sentret, Hoothoot, Ledyba, and Spinarak classic Johto Pokémon also popped up frequently. After a long walk, they finally entered the outskirts of New Bark Town. And that's when Kai spotted a girl near the forest's edge, attempting to catch a Hoothoot! As they got closer, Kai got a better look at the girl. She was quite pretty, wearing a black and yellow striped jacket, with two long, low ponytails tied neatly behind her head. A white baseball cap rested on her head, while her shorts barely reached her thighs, leaving her long, fair legs fully exposed. In her hand— A baseball bat. Kai's first impression of her? "She looks like some kind of die-hard baseball fan." Standing in front of her was a Chikorita, which was digging its front legs into the ground, preparing to charge at the weakened Hoothoot. Kai paused out of curiosity and pulled out his Pokédex to scan it. Pokédex: "Chikorita, the Leaf Pokémon. A Grass-type. Chikorita has a mild temperament and loves basking in sunlight. It uses the leaf on its head to sense temperature and humidity, seeking out warm places. While it waves its leaf to intimidate foes, the pleasant aroma it releases often calms both itself and its opponent." (Comeback of the Pokedex...) As one of Johto's starter Pokémon, Chikorita was quite popular but personally, Kai wasn't particularly interested in it. He then shifted his gaze to the wild Sentret. The poor thing was already injured and clearly desperate to escape and then, the moment it noticed Kai and Sabrina, its eyes lit up... Without hesitation, it bolted straight toward them! An Unexpected Interruption The girl panicked. "Chikorita, don't let it escape use Tackle!" Chikorita prepared to attack but hesitated the moment Sentret took cover behind Kai and Sabrina. And in that brief moment of hesitation. The Sentret took full advantage, sprinting into the forest and disappearing from sight! "Ahhh!! My second Pokémon—it's gone!!" The girl collapsed to the ground, completely defeated. Kai glanced in the direction Sentret had fled, shaking his head. "That was one smart Sentret... It even used us as a distraction." He was about to walk away, but before he could take two steps... "Hey, you two! Don't leave!" Kai turned back, only to see the girl running toward them. "What's wrong?" Kai asked. The girl puffed up angrily, her face flushed with frustration. "What's wrong?! If you two hadn't shown up, Sentret wouldn't have escaped!" Her voice was high-pitched and crisp, carrying a strong Kansai accent. Kai raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Oh, so this is our fault now? Maybe if you had weakened it properly, it wouldn't have gotten away. The only one to blame here is you." The girl huffed, gripping her baseball bat. "I don't care! You got in my way!" She waved her bat around, looking ready to fight though, honestly, it made her look more adorable than intimidating. Sabrina, however, wasn't amused. Her eyebrow twitched, and she was about to use her psychic powers to teach the girl a lesson & Choke her. "Don't be the Darth Vader" But Kai quickly grabbed her hand, stopping her just in time. "Darth Vader?" Sabrina tilted her head. After getting a good look at the girl's outfit and mannerisms, Kai realized who she was. He had seen her before in the anime she had made multiple appearances, so he remembered her pretty well. That's why he didn't get angry. "Come on, I'm not going to argue with a rookie trainer," Kai thought, amused. Instead, he simply smiled. "Alright, then. What do you want to do about it?" Unexpectedly— The moment Kai smiled, the girl's face turned bright red. "W-Wow... He's really handsome... And that smile...!" The anger in her heart vanished instantly. Truthfully, she hadn't meant any harm she was just frustrated about losing the Sentret. When she saw Kai walking away so nonchalantly, she had acted impulsively. But now that Kai was being so polite and reasonable, she felt guilty. Her eyes darted around awkwardly, and she mumbled. "S-Sorry... I was too impulsive..." She lowered her head, fiddling with her baseball bat. Kai chuckled, dismissing the incident with a wave of his hand. "No problem. Judging by your reaction, I take it you're a new trainer?" She nodded slightly. Kai continued, giving her advice. "If you couldn't catch that Sentret, then maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Instead of dwelling on it, why not explore the forest and try catching a different Pokémon?" The girl hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah... You're right." Seeing that the matter was settled, Kai turned to leave. "Well, good luck with your journey. See you around!" As he and Sabrina walked away... "Ah—w-wait...!" The girl reached out, but her words faltered. She watched Kai disappear into the distance, then realized something. "I never even asked for his name...!" She smacked her forehead, frustrated with herself. "Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" Beside her, Chikorita tilted its head in confusion, staring at its trainer's strange behaviour. Then— She sighed, her face still slightly flushed. "Oh well... I'm sure we'll meet again. I'll ask him next time...!" ---- Don't forget to drop some PowerStones!???????????? For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon. P@treon/iamxeno Thank you so much for your support and for reading!

Chapter 281: 281. Darth Vader?

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