Chapter 176: J’s Escape Route Cut Off—The Airship Falls!

Words : 1173 Updated : Oct 10th, 2025

"Nice to meet you. I'm Gary." Gary introduced himself with a confident smile. Dawn nodded but couldn't help wondering—how did Gary know her name? "You mentioned your grandfather... Who exactly is he?" she asked, puzzled. Ash grinned and answered for him, "Gary's grandfather is none other than Professor Oak. Dawn, haven't you always admired Professor Oak's Pokémon poetry?" Hearing this, Dawn's eyes lit up. She immediately turned to Gary, excited. "Whoa! You're Professor Oak's grandson?! That's amazing! That means you can make Pokémon poetry too, right? Quick, recite one for me!" Gary let out an exasperated sigh, covering his forehead. Of all things, why did she have to bring up his grandfather's weird habit? Ash chuckled, remembering how many times he had called Professor Oak during his journey, naturally leading to Dawn getting introduced to him as well. "Anyway, now's not the time for this conversation," Gary said, shaking his head. "Ash, I'd love to catch up, but I'm in the middle of relocating four Shieldon to a safer area because—" "Because Hunter J is after them, right?" Gary hadn't even finished speaking before Ash cut in, his expression sharp and focused. "Let's go. I'll help you. Last time, Hunter J managed to slip away from me, but this time, she won't be so lucky." A cold determination flickered in Ash's eyes. Back near Eterna City, he had crossed paths with Hunter J while protecting Dawn and Anabel. Because he had been more concerned about their safety, J had used the opportunity to escape. That wasn't happening again. Hearing that Ash had driven off Hunter J before, Gary immediately agreed. As they walked, Gary filled them in on the situation. He was currently conducting research in the Mt. Coronet region, studying the ancient habitat of Shieldon. However, J's team had picked up their presence and targeted them. J had received a job from an unknown client willing to pay a hefty sum for a Shieldon. Since reviving fossil Pokémon was rare and strictly regulated, Shieldon were incredibly valuable and couldn't be captured at will. Anyone trying to obtain one through J's services was bound to be up to no good. "I've already contacted the local Officer Jenny, as well as Professor Rowan at the Sandgem Research Lab," Gary continued. "Right now, Officer Jenny and Professor Rowan are on their way here." "That's the situation. I hid the other three Shieldon behind that giant boulder up ahead—" Gary pointed toward a massive rock formation, but Ash wasn't looking there. His sharp gaze was locked onto the sky. A smirk curled at the corner of his lips. "She's here." "What?" Gary was caught off guard. Then, before he could react, a massive airship appeared in the sky, its dark metallic exterior reflecting the dim mountain light. Hunter J had arrived. "She found us!" Before Gary could finish his sentence, Ash had already thrown out two Poké Balls. "Tyranitar! Sceptile! Take her down together!" With two flashes of light, a towering Tyranitar and a sleek, battle-ready Sceptile appeared. "Chaaaar!" "Tyyyraaaan!" Tyranitar's presence alone caused the environment to shift. At level 70, its Sand Stream ability immediately whipped up a ferocious sandstorm, covering the surrounding area in a blinding swirl of dust and grit. The once-clear sky became a raging storm. Tyranitar didn't wait for orders. Its deep-set eyes locked onto the airborne target, and with a deafening roar, it unleashed a Dark Pulse! A massive, swirling orb of dark energy shot up like a cannon blast. BOOM! The attack struck the airship's left wing, causing an explosion that sent a shockwave through the sky! Inside the airship, alarms blared. At the same time, Sceptile, also at level 70, leaped onto a rocky ledge, its eyes locked onto the ship's right wing. Blades of green energy shimmered around it—Leaf Storm! With a single slash of its arms, a violent surge of razor-sharp leaves tore through the air, slamming into the other wing! Another explosion! The airship shook violently, flames bursting from both sides as it lost altitude. Inside J's Airship— The cockpit was in chaos. A pilot, struggling with the controls, shouted, "Commander J! We're under attack! Two highly powerful Pokémon suddenly appeared! Their energy readings are at Champion level! Both ship wings have been severely damaged—we're going down!" J's face darkened as she clenched her fist. On the screen in front of her, she saw him. The one person she hated the most. Ash Ketchum. Again. She growled under her breath. "It's you... AGAIN." This brat had interfered with her missions twice now. And both times, he had proven to be far stronger than expected. J took a deep breath. "What's the status of our client?" Her assistant connected the call. A shadowed figure appeared on the screen but wasted no time. "J, we're calling off the deal. I've received word that Officer Jenny's headquarters is mobilizing reinforcements to this area. My position is too sensitive—I cannot risk being seen." The call ended immediately. "You're CANCELING?! After I've ALREADY taken action?!" J seethed. Her already foul mood worsened. She immediately turned to her crew. "We're abandoning the airship. Initiate the escape protocol—use Decoy Maneuver!" At her command, dozens of personal flying pods shot out of the ship, each carrying a Hunter J team member. Each one was dressed in the exact same outfit, making it impossible to tell which one was J. Like a swarm of Beedrill, they scattered in all directions. Back on the ground— Ash, still mounted on Pidgeot, turned his head slightly toward Dawn and Anabel. "Gengar, stay here and protect them." "Gengaaaaar." At level 68, Gengar was more than capable of covering Gary and the others. Ash, meanwhile, had only one target. His eyes gleamed as he focused. Hunter J. With his Aura powers, he had already locked onto her true location. "J, your little trick won't work on me." "Pidgeot—one o'clock direction! Full speed ahead!" "PIDGEEEEOOOT!!" Pidgeot let out a sharp cry and burst forward, its speed far surpassing the decoys! A powerful tailwind followed, as Ash closed the distance between him and J. Despite the high-speed chase, Ash's vision never wavered—his body had grown far stronger than before. The rushing wind, the rapid altitude changes, none of it fazed him. Meanwhile— J, in her personal flight pod, scowled as she checked the monitor. Her maximum speed was active, yet Ash was still catching up. Her eyes widened. "What?! How is he tracking me so precisely?!" No matter how much she accelerated or changed directions, Ash was locked onto her like a missile! She gritted her teeth. This was bad. For the first time, she realized she might not escape this time. -------------- T/N: Access Advance Chapters on my P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals

Chapter 176: J’s Escape Route Cut Off—The Airship Falls!

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