Ash Ascendant: Chapter 20

Hi all, 

Here’s the third chapter for the week. The final chapter will be out later today. 

Chapter 20

The morning strategy meeting took place in the hotel's dining room. James stood at the head of the table, his usual rose absent as he addressed the gathered cultivators.

"Our allies will arrive within hours," he announced. "Which means we need to move quickly. Team Rocket's forces are already on their way from Fortree City."

"How many are we expecting?" Marcus asked from his position near the wall.

"Around thirty cultivators, according to our sources." James traced a path on the mine layout spread across the table. "We'll enter through the western tunnel. It will give us time to explore the ruins before they arrive."

Jessie crossed her arms. "The Durant horde is still a problem. We can't fight both them and Team Rocket at the same time."

"What about Super Repels?" Ash suggested. "Could they keep the Durants from attacking us?"

"No," Jessie shook her head. "Not on such a large horde of Pokemon. Especially when it looks like they've been trained to defend the ruins. The stronger the Pokemon’s motivation, the less effect the repellent has."

The room fell silent as everyone considered the problem. Ash studied the map, noting how the tunnels branched out from the main shaft.

"We could lure them away," Ash said. "Get them to follow us to another section of the mine, then collapse the tunnel behind them. Trap them inside."

James looked up sharply. "That could work. But I don't know how long it would hold them. Durant can dig through rock easily with their steel mandibles."

"It doesn't need to hold forever," Ash pointed out. "Just long enough for us to explore the ruins."

Marcus stepped forward, pointing to a section of the map. "This area would be ideal. The rock's unstable—one good blast would bring the whole thing down. But we'd need something to draw them there."

"We could use some of the damaged machinery," Ash suggested. "Rig it to make noise and movement. Something to lead them away without risking anyone's life."

James nodded slowly. "It's worth trying. But we'll need a backup plan if it fails." 

He turned to the other cultivators. "Split into three teams. The first team will set the trap The second team will lure the Durant into the trap. The third team will enter the ruins once the Durants have been lured away. I will be in charge of the third team."

"I want the little rat with us," Jessie said. When James raised an eyebrow, she shrugged. "He’s surprisingly capable. I want to keep an eye on him."

"Fine." James rolled up the map. "We move in one hour. Get your equipment ready."

As the others filed out, James held Ash back. "Your idea about the Durant—you've seen something like this before?"

"No, it’s just an idea I had based on some intel," Ash replied carefully. "I asked Dave about their behaviour. Their aggressive nature can be used against them."

James studied him for a moment. "Jessie was right about you. While most of us are floundering around, you gather information and come up with great ideas.”

Ash shrugged. “Life on the first floor demanded that I be careful. One mistake and I would be dead.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The team gathered in the hotel's courtyard, checking supplies and testing equipment. Ash adjusted his headlamp whilst the researchers packed their sampling kits and surveying tools.

Two vehicles pulled up outside the hotel. Several cultivators emerged, including a man and a woman who radiated power that made Ash's skin prickle. 

"These are our allies from the fifth floor," James said. "Butch and Cassidy."

Butch was muscular with green hair and a perpetual scowl. Cassidy stood with casual arrogance, her blonde hair tied in two long ponytails. 

The woman's eyes raked over Ash dismissively. "This is the Steel-type cultivator you mentioned? He doesn’t look like anything special."

"Play nice, Cassidy," James warned. "He's proved useful so far."

The tension grew when one of the researchers accidentally bumped into Butch whilst carrying equipment. The cultivator's hand shot out, grabbing the man's collar.

"Watch yourself," Butch growled.

"That's enough," James cut in. "Save it for Team Rocket."

They headed for the western tunnel in silence. The first and second teams split off near the entrance, heading deeper into the mines to trap the Durants. Ash's group waited in the tunnel, listening to updates through their walkie-talkies.

"Trap is set," Marcus's voice crackled through the device. "We've got six Pokemon with Explosion ready to bring down the tunnel. Waiting on the second team."

Minutes crawled by as Ash waited, tension coiling in his gut. Though he'd successfully lured the Durant away before, past success didn't guarantee future results. He'd pushed for this plan—if it failed now, the others would never let him forget it. 

His fingers drummed restlessly against his leg as he strained to hear any sign of movement. Then an explosion rocked the tunnel, the deep rumble sending cascades of dirt raining from the ceiling.

"The Durants have been sealed," Marcus reported. "You're clear to move."

"Right then," James said. "Move out. Stay alert—we don't know if they got all of them."

They advanced through the tunnels and into the massive pit where the mining operations had exposed the ruins. 

"Fascinating," one of the researchers breathed, reaching for what appeared to be a preserved chrysalis embedded in the wall. 

Cassidy grabbed his wrist. "Don’t touch anything until we have explored the ruins."

"Well," James said, studying the doorway. "Shall we see what treasure we can find?"

They stepped through the entrance, their lights illuminating a vast chamber. What had seemed like easy access belied the complexity within. 

The chamber stretched before them like the interior of a colossal cocoon. Massive support structures spiralled upward, looking less like pillars and more like petrified silk strands woven by titanic Ariados. 

Near the ceiling, massive carved Bug-type Pokemon seemed to move in the shifting light, their compound eyes reflecting their lamplight with unsettling accuracy. The effect was beautiful and unnerving as if they were standing inside a living organism rather than an ancient ruin.

"Stay close," James warned as they moved deeper inside. "Be on the lookout for traps."

They had only walked a few steps when Ash spotted thin grooves in the floor ahead—likely pressure plates. "Watch your step. The floor's rigged."

They moved carefully, testing each section before proceeding. One of the researchers stepped too quickly, triggering a mechanism. Poison darts shot from the walls. Only Butch's quick reflexes saved the man, yanking him back just in time.

The group paused before another doorway that opened into a circular chamber. Sixteen identical archways were set into the curved stonework, the same number as their group. While examining the walls, Ash discovered an inscription carved into the weathered stone. He paused to read the text aloud to the others.

"A trial of memory. Remember your path or lose the right to proceed further."

Jessie folded her arms across her chest, her expression darkening. "Bloody brilliant. Another trial ruin. They always have strange conditions for obtaining the treasures. I prefer ruins that require brute force.”

"At least we know there's something worth finding at the end," James replied. “Also, the fact that these are trial ruins work in our favour.”  

“What do you mean?” Ash asked.

“It will allow us to negotiate with Team Rocket,” James said cryptically.  

A shimmering pattern materialised in the air before them, displaying an elaborate labyrinth that stretched across multiple levels. The paths twisted impossibly, doubling back on themselves whilst intersecting at various points above and below. Multiple dead ends punctuated the maze, creating a maddening array of possible routes. 

Ash struggled to memorise the complex layout, knowing their success likely hinged on recalling these crucial details. After half a minute, the projection vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

James gestured towards the identical doorways. "Right then, everyone needs to choose an entrance. With any luck, we'll reconvene on the other side.”

Ash entered the doorway, finding himself in a corridor. They were wide enough for one person, with smooth stone walls that offered no distinguishing marks. He closed his eyes briefly, recalling the pattern. First junction—left, then immediate right. 

He followed the memorised route, counting steps between turns. Third junction—straight ahead, ignore the right turn that led to a dead end. The path split into three options. Ash hesitated, visualising the pattern. The left path had seemed promising but ended nowhere. The right path...

"Centre," he muttered, pressing forward. "Then left at the next split."

The maze tried to confuse him. Some corridors looked identical to the ones he'd seen in the pattern but led to different places. Others seemed wrong but matched his memory perfectly. 

After fifteen minutes of careful navigation, he reached a chamber with a door leading onwards. Seven others had already arrived—James, Jessie, Butch, Cassidy, and three researchers.

"We shall wait to see whether anyone else manages to complete the trial," James said. 

"What happens to those who fail to navigate the maze?" Ash asked.

Cassidy's lips curled into a cruel smile. "With any luck, their incompetence proved fatal." 

Ash winced. Her callous demeanour made Jessie seem positively pleasant by comparison.

"More likely they've simply been transported outside the ruins," James replied. "These trial ruins tend to be selective rather than lethal."

After a quarter of an hour, only one additional cultivator emerged, stumbling through the archway moments before the chamber sealed itself with a resonant grinding of stone. Their numbers had been halved—from sixteen down to eight.

The door to the second chamber appeared, promising even greater challenges ahead. 

The second chamber dwarfed the first, its ceiling lost in darkness above. Five platforms rose from a pit that seemed to have no bottom, each one large enough for a proper battle.

"Test of Strength," James read from the wall. "Each challenger must defeat their opponent alone. No Pokemon allowed."

Glowing circles appeared on each platform. Butch went first, facing a Heracross that appeared almost equal to his cultivation strength. His victory came quickly, though he emerged with a broken arm. Cassidy followed, dispatching a Pinsir with clinical efficiency.

James's match against a Scizor proved more tactical, his plant abilities giving him the edge. Jessie's brutal fighting style overwhelmed her Armaldo after a fierce exchange.

When Ash stepped onto the final platform, a Durant materialised— larger than the ones in the mine, its steel carapace gleaming. It fixed him with compound eyes that reflected his image.

The Durant struck first, mandibles clicking as it launched forward with frightening speed. Ash barely managed to coat his arm in liquid metal before those jaws clamped down. The Steelium held, but the sheer pressure sent him staggering.

He twisted, trying to break free, but the Durants’ grip was absolute. Its rear legs scrambled for purchase, seeking to drag him down. Steel scraped against steel as Ash's armoured arm ground between its mandibles.

"Bloody hell," he muttered, realising his mistake. 

He'd responded defensively, letting the Durant dictate the fight. The Iron Echo Shell activated just as the Pokemon heaved, using his trapped arm as leverage. Instead of fighting the throw, Ash let the energy redirect naturally.

He rolled across the platform, coming up in a Mountain stance. The Durant charged again, but this time Ash was ready. He stepped inside its reach, liquid metal flowing down his arm. His reinforced fist struck a joint between carapace plates.

The Durant recoiled, mandibles snapping at the air. It burrowed into the platform with shocking speed, disappearing from view. Ash felt vibrations through his feet but couldn't track its movement.

The platform erupted beneath him. He jumped but wasn't quite fast enough. Steel mandibles clamped around his leg, drawing blood. The Durant emerged fully, using its grip to slam him against the ground.

Pain lanced through Ash's body. His concentration slipped, the Steelium coverage flickering. The Durant pressed its advantage, pincers seeking vulnerable spots.

"No you don't," Ash growled. He drove his elbow down, catching the Durants’ eye. It released him reflexively, rearing back.

Ash rolled away, his leg screaming in protest. The Durant was stronger, faster, and better armoured. But it fought on pure instinct, while he could think tactically.

He formed Steelium spikes along his arms, waiting until the Durant charged again. At the last moment, he dropped and slid beneath it. The spikes raked along its underside, finding gaps in the armour.

The Durant stumbled, green ichor leaking from its wounds. Its next attack was slower, more cautious. They circled each other, both damaged, both looking for openings.

Ash noticed how it favoured its right side now, compensating for the injuries. He launched a flurry of strikes, forcing it to defend that weakness. Each blow rang out like a hammer on an anvil.

The Durant suddenly lunged, mandibles spread wide. Instead of dodging, Ash stepped into the attack. His armoured hands caught the mandibles, straining to hold them apart. Muscles trembled as they grappled, neither able to overpower the other.

Then Ash smiled. While the Durant focused on their deadlock, liquid metal had been flowing down his legs. He drove his knee up into the already damaged underside, putting all his enhanced strength behind the blow.

The Durant's carapace finally cracked. It collapsed, legs twitching, then dissolved into motes of light.

Ash sank to one knee, breathing heavily. His leg still bled, and tomorrow he'd be covered in bruises. But he'd won.

"Rather impressive," James remarked from his position at the chamber's edge whilst idly spinning a rose between his fingers. "That Durant possessed more strength than you."

"I would have wagered good money on your defeat," Jessie added with her characteristic lack of tact.

"Your overwhelming confidence is truly touching," Ash replied dryly, grimacing as he pushed himself to his feet. 

He retrieved a potion from his mind palace, and whilst the healing properties were modest, the medicine proved sufficient to ease his limp.

The researchers, lacking any cultivation, had wisely abstained from continuing the trials. The remaining cultivator had failed to overcome his designated opponent and was transported outside the ruins along with the researchers.

 The third chamber split them up, each person drawn to different rooms. The stone door sealed behind Ash with a final thud. Another message was written on the wall: "Trial of Willpower. Face your past to forge your future."

Reality distorted around Ash, the stone chamber dissolving into a familiar scene that made his stomach clench. 

The acrid stench of rust and decay assaulted his senses as the southern landfill materialised, toxic fog rolling across mountains of refuse. He found himself trapped in the body of his seven-year-old self, watching his father's silhouette fade into the poisonous mist.

"Stay here," his father's words echoed with painful clarity. "I'll be back in an hour. Promise me you won't follow." 

The memory twisted cruelly, forcing Ash to experience every agonising moment. Hours crawled past as his younger self huddled behind a rusted vehicle, throat raw from calling out, fingers bloody from clenching them against the metal. 

The fog shifted, showing him tantalising glimpses of his father struggling against unseen assailants. The scene played out with brutal clarity—his father was cornered by desperate scavengers, fighting to protect the items he’d found. If someone had been there to help, to warn him, to do anything...

His younger self's desperate urge to disobey, to plunge into the toxic fog, felt overwhelming. What if he'd ignored his father's command? What if he'd followed immediately? What if his obedience had condemned his father to death?

The fog parted, revealing a path. One decision could change everything. Save his father. Keep their family whole. Preserve his mother's smile before grief had etched permanent lines around her eyes.

His feet moved of their own accord, drawn towards the vision. The ruins pressed harder, showing him multiple futures—his father teaching him to fight, protecting them as they grew stronger together, being there for every milestone he'd missed. The possibilities felt so real, so achingly attainable, that denying them was like losing his father all over again.

"Enough," Ash managed, though his voice cracked. "I was seven years old. The fog would have killed me before I found him. Then Mum would have lost both of us."

The ruins changed tactics, assaulting him with his mother's tears, her quiet suffering as she struggled to raise him alone. Wouldn't any pain be worth preventing that? Wasn't any risk justified to keep their family whole?

"No," Ash said, each word fighting through the crushing pressure of doubt. "He made me promise to stay because he knew the risks. Because someone had to survive. Because Mum needed at least one of us to return."

The fog writhed, its perfect visions fracturing.

"I lived with that choice," Ash continued, his voice strengthening. "Built myself up from that broken seven-year-old. Learned to protect what I had left instead of chasing what I'd lost. I'm not that helpless child anymore, and I won't dishonour my father's sacrifice by pretending I made the wrong choice."

The illusion shattered violently, reality snapping back into focus. Ash found himself on his knees in the chamber, sweat soaking his clothes, throat raw as if he'd been screaming. 

Whilst the previous trials had tested his abilities, this one had struck at something far more fundamental by forcing him to confront the brutal truth he'd buried for years. The comforting fiction of his father's mysterious disappearance had been stripped away, leaving only the stark reality of what his seven-year-old self had witnessed from behind that rusted vehicle—a memory so traumatic that his mind had locked it away until this moment.

A mechanical voice interrupted Ash's thoughts. "You have successfully passed the trials. You may choose three treasures from the following selection."

Before he could react, a door appeared on the wall in front of him, and over a dozen plinths rose from the floor. All of them had items placed on them—materials, cultivation potions, rare resources, pokeballs, and cultivation manuals.

Ash examined them one by one, taking his time. Each item had a note explaining its effects. Three items in particular caught his attention.

The first was a pokeball holding a Larvesta, a Bug-Fire type. Though he wasn't interested in the Pokemon itself, it would fetch a good price. The note detailed its outstanding potential.

The second was a cultivation manual for mental training, focused on protecting and expanding the mind palace. He'd been searching for something like this ever since learning about mental invasion. The book promised techniques to create multiple layers of defence.

The third was a Metal Coat, a hold item. Not only did it boost steel-type attacks, but it could also help Scyther evolve into Scizor. 

Aside from the Pokemon, the items seemed chosen specifically for him—an unsettling thought. But he couldn't deny their usefulness. He selected his three items and stored them in his mind palace as the plinths sank back into the ground. 

Through the door, he found a small chamber where James, Jessie and Cassidy waited. Butch must have failed the third trial.

"I knew you could do it, Ash," James said, slapping him on the back. 

Cassidy walked up to him. "What items did you get?"

"None of your business."

"What if I make it my business?"

"Cassidy. Stop it," James warned.

"You're protecting the little brat? Are you going to ruin our relationship over it?"

"No one gets to bully the little rat but me," Jessie said. "If he has an item you're interested in, then you have to pay for it."

Ash raised his eyebrows, surprised by Jessie's intervention. Perhaps her training sessions with his mum had softened her attitude towards him.

Cassidy turned to him. "Did you obtain a Pokemon? If you did, I want to buy it from you."

"Didn't you get one yourself?"  

"No. Pokemon are rare in these types of trial ruins."

"She's right," James added. "Neither Jessie nor I got a Pokemon as a choice."

Ash pulled out the card detailing Larvesta's abilities. "I got this Pokemon."

Cassidy snatched it from his hands and read it, greed crossing her face. James and Jessie also studied the description.

"How much do you want for it?" Cassidy asked.

Ash considered. While he could get a good price, there was something else he wanted. "I'll trade it for a healing Pokemon like a Clefairy. Preferably low-level."

"Do you want it for your mum?" Jessie asked.

Ash nodded. His mum's healing abilities were impressive, but having a Pokemon that could assist her would make her even more effective.

"Getting a Clefairy won't be easy,” Cassidy said. “They are too rare outside of the Pokemon Centres. How about a Cleffa? I know where I can get my hands on one."

"As long as it has good potential, I'll agree to the trade."

Cassidy nodded. “We can make the trade when we return to Fortree City.”

James pointed to a circle on the ground. "I believe we can leave through this platform."

As soon as he stepped on it, he vanished from the chamber. They followed James, reappearing at the entrance to the mines in Geosenge Town.

Walking back to the hotel, Ash turned to James. "I managed to get some good items, but aren't the ruins a little disappointing? You have to go through the trials to get some rewards, and even then, it's nothing compared to what you could receive from other ruins."

James smiled. "It may not mean much individually, but that doesn't mean the ruins don't contain a lot of treasures. The real value lies in owning the ruins. You can charge people to enter the ruins and try their luck for themselves."

"Can you take the trials more than once?"

"No. This is why you have to choose carefully when selecting your rewards."

"I thought all ruins had historical value or other valuable knowledge," Ash said. "I didn't know these types of ruins existed."

"They're quite common on the higher floors," James replied. "Whoever owns one earns a lot of money, although there is a limit as there are only so many cultivators."

Ash considered this. These ruins were essentially a business opportunity—a way to profit from other cultivators seeking to test themselves and earn rewards. It was different from what he'd encountered, but no less valuable in its own way.

"Are you going to negotiate with Team Rocket instead of fighting them?" he asked.

"Just wait and see."

They reached the hotel, where several cultivators waited with news. Team Rocket's forces had been spotted on the plains. Within hours, they would arrive, and whatever James had planned would need to unfold quickly.

Ash headed to his room to rest. The trials had drained him both physically and mentally, especially the third one. He needed to be ready for whatever came next.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Team Rocket's convoy of Jeeps approached the town. Every cultivator stood ready, their Pokemon positioned for battle. James, Jessie, Butch and Cassidy waited at the town entrance, while Ash watched from near the hotel with other members of James' team.

A single Jeep pulled ahead and stopped. A man with slicked-back hair stepped out, and Ash felt the hairs on his arms rise. The man's cultivation level exceeded even James and the others. A Persian followed him out of the Jeep, looking as intimidating as his trainer. 

"Who is that?" Ash asked the cultivator beside him, a man named Zander.

"That's Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket," Zander replied. "Not a man you want to cross."

Giovanni stepped forward and hugged James, who stiffened noticeably. He proceeded to embrace the other three as well.

"Do they know Giovanni?" Ash asked.

"They used to be part of Team Rocket."

Ash blinked in surprise, though perhaps he shouldn't have been shocked.

"Why did they leave? Didn't want to be part of a criminal organisation anymore?"

"That's part of it," Zander said. "But the bigger reason is that James' family got into conflict with Team Rocket. They forced Giovanni to let James go. They have a criminal organisation that rivals Team Rocket, and Giovanni doesn’t want to get into conflict with them. Jessie, Butch and Cassidy followed him in leaving."

"It doesn't look like Giovanni holds a grudge. But he did attack them on the plains."

"That's business. Giovanni doesn't hold any personal relationships above his own interests."

The discussion between Giovanni and the four dragged on, but it seemed they wouldn't need to fight. Ash felt relieved—he'd planned to leave if violence broke out. He had no intention of risking his life for their sake.

Finally, they moved into town, their smiles suggesting they'd reached an agreement about the ruins.

James beckoned Ash over. Giovanni cut an imposing figure in his tailored black suit, his sharp features set in a perpetual expression of calculation. Every movement was precise, and controlled, mimicking the Persian standing beside him, as if studying potential prey.

"This is Ash," James said. "He helped us secure the ruins."

Giovanni's dark eyes fixed on Ash, seeming to strip away every defence and secret. "A Steel-type cultivator. Interesting. We don't see many of those anymore."

There was something in his tone that made Ash's stomach clench. Knowledge, perhaps, or speculation about things Ash would rather keep hidden.

"I just provided some ideas," Ash said carefully.

Giovanni's smile never reached his eyes. "Indeed. Well, I look forward to seeing how you develop."

The words felt more like a threat than encouragement.

Ash retreated to his hotel room, eager to put distance between himself and Giovanni. He pulled out the mental cultivation manual and settled onto his bed to read.

The book described mind palaces as more than just storage spaces. They were reflections of a cultivator's mental strength, capable of being fortified like any physical structure. The basic principles involved creating layers of defence, each one designed to repel different types of mental intrusion.

The first step in the technique demanded a fundamental transformation of energy—converting the raw, physical power stored in his Steelium Core into a more refined mental essence. Ash understood this wasn't simply about redirecting energy, but fundamentally transmuting its nature.

He began by visualising his core as a liquid metallic reservoir, its silvery substance. The first challenge was creating a conduit capable of filtering physical energy into a more ethereal, consciousness-based form. The manual described it as similar to distilling a complex liquid into its purest essence.

Carefully, Ash constructed mental pathways that would act as filters. Each pathway was a delicate network of energy channels, designed to strain out the physical aspects of his power while preserving its fundamental vitality. It was like creating the most precise sieve imaginable—one that could separate atomic-level components of energy.

The process was excruciating. As he began to push his core's energy through these nascent mental filters, Ash felt as if molten metal was being drawn through impossibly narrow channels. Pain erupted in waves, threatening to shatter his concentration. Tiny droplets of silvery energy began to transform, shifting from a metallic substance to something more gossamer, more connected to consciousness than physical matter.

When he judged he had refined enough mental energy, he began the next step of the process; mapping his mind palace. What had seemed well-organised now revealed numerous vulnerabilities. 

According to the manual, he needed to build from the outside in. The outermost layer should be a maze—not to keep intruders out, but to drain their energy as they navigated it. The book suggested using memories as building blocks, weaving them into false paths that would confuse and misdirect.

Ash spent hours constructing his maze, using memories from the landfill to create endless twisted passages. He made sure to include traps, forcing any intruder to concentrate on multiple threats simultaneously.

The second layer required creating a guardian—a mental construct that could actively resist intrusion. Ash chose to manifest the Steelix he'd encountered on the first floor, programming its responses using his actual experience of the Pokemon's behaviour. The mental construct would patrol the space between the maze and his core areas.

The third layer proved the most challenging. The manual described it as a mirror realm —a perfect copy of his mind palace that would trick intruders into thinking they'd reached their goal. But creating a convincing forgery demanded incredible attention to detail.

Ash carefully replicated his platforms and storage spaces, then deliberately introduced small flaws. Anyone reaching this level would find what appeared to be his secrets, while his actual mind palace remained secure behind additional protections.

As evening approached, his head throbbed from the mental strain. The manual warned against attempting too much at once—mental cultivation required a delicate touch. Pushing too hard could create instabilities in the defences.

He stepped outside for fresh air, walking through Geosenge Town's quiet streets. The negotiations must have gone well—Team Rocket's cultivators mingled with James' people at the local pub without obvious tension.

But something felt wrong. The hairs on his neck rose, and he couldn't shake the sensation of being watched. His enhanced senses picked up movement on a nearby roof.

Giovanni’s Persian crouched there. The Pokemon's muscles were tensed, ready to pounce. But it made no move to attack, simply observing him with unnerving intensity.

The question was whether it was here on Giovanni's orders or simply satisfying its curiosity.

Either way, Ash had no interest in finding out. He turned and walked calmly back to the hotel, resisting the urge to run. Running would only trigger the Persian's predatory instincts.

Back inside his hotel room, Ash felt marginally safer. He knew the flimsy door wouldn’t hold back Persian if it really wanted to attack. 

Getting entangled with Team Rocket wasn’t a good idea. He needed to get out of town as soon as possible.

So, what do you think? In the next chapter, another time skip, which leads Ash to finally bond with Scyther. 

Thanks for reading.