369 Captured

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A thunderous crash echoed across the battlefield as an incredible force slammed into the ground. Dust and smoke billowed upward, engulfing the two falling figures. Everyone watched the field anxiously, waiting for the cloud to dissipate.

Gradually, the dust settled, revealing two silhouettes still standing amid the chaos. Charmeleon and Scyther remained on their feet, though both were covered in dirt and debris. Where Scyther stood, a deep crater had formed in the ground, with cracks spreading outward from the impact point.

"What? You withstood Charmeleon's Seismic Toss and you're still standing?" Misty exclaimed, her eyes wide with astonishment. Brock looked equally surprised as they both surveyed the damaged battlefield, understanding just how powerful that attack had been.

Ash remained silent, carefully observing the situation while Charmeleon fixed Scyther with an intense gaze.

Charmeleon let out a powerful roar that seemed filled with respect and acknowledgment. Hearing this, Scyther's eyes flickered momentarily.

"Sa! Ugh!"

Finally, Scyther's focus began to waver. He lowered his scythes, driving them into the ground for support. His body pitched forward uncontrollably, dropping to one knee. Yet through sheer determination, he used his blades to prevent himself from collapsing completely.

Seeing this display of willpower, Charmeleon's eyes gleamed with admiration. This was clearly the kind of rival he had been seeking.

"Did we... did we win?" Misty asked uncertainly, watching the scene unfold.

"Yes! What incredible willpower!" Brock couldn't help but admire Scyther, who remained upright through sheer determination despite being on the verge of collapse.

It was clear that Charmeleon had won the battle. Scyther had fallen unconscious, yet his body refused to surrender completely to the ground.

As dusk settled over the landscape, the three trainers returned to Tommy's cabin after their long day of battling.

"In the end, only Ash managed to catch any Pokémon. Unbelievable!" Misty sighed, looking down at the empty box in her hand that should have contained several Poké Balls. She had hoped to catch some Water-type Pokémon but hadn't expected things to turn out this way.

Earlier at the river, she had forgotten to bring these Poké Balls with her when there had been plenty of Water-type Pokémon to catch.

"Don't worry about it, Misty. These things happen during our travels. The important thing is that everyone's safe," Brock reassured her, not particularly concerned about the missed opportunity.

"That's right," Misty agreed reluctantly.

"Alright Ash, come over here and we'll transfer the Pokémon you captured from the Park Balls to regular Poké Balls," Tommy called, gesturing toward a machine.

"Okay!" Ash nodded. Pokémon captured in the Safari Zone were initially stored in Park Balls for record-keeping purposes. If a trainer reached their carrying limit, any additional Pokémon caught with Park Balls would be automatically transferred to Tommy. After the Safari Game ended, trainers needed to transfer their catches from Park Balls to standard Poké Balls.

Tommy asked Ash for the destination address for the Poké Balls, then entered it into the computer. Once the transfer was complete, the Poké Balls would be sent to Ash's designated location—Professor Oak's Laboratory.

"Hold on—this address... so you folks know Professor Oak!" Tommy exclaimed with surprise after seeing the information, his expression turning nostalgic.

"Yes! Ash is a trainer from Pallet Town! Do you know Professor Oak, Mr. Tommy?" Misty spoke up before Ash could respond.

"Indeed I do! When Dratini was first discovered here, Professor Oak was among the researchers who came to study its ecology."

Tommy realized that had he known they were acquainted with Professor Oak, he wouldn't have been so guarded with them earlier.

"I see!" Ash nodded, understanding how Tommy and Professor Oak had crossed paths.

"By the way, could I keep this Poké Ball?" Ash asked, picking up one of the Park Balls that had not yet been transferred.

"Hmm? Sure, that's possible. It's just a different color to distinguish it from regular Poké Balls. The performance is almost identical—it's not a rare or special Poké Ball."

Tommy looked slightly confused at Ash's request. The Park Ball in Ash's hand was the only one that hadn't been replaced yet. The Park Balls were functionally similar to standard Poké Balls, with the color difference serving only as a visual identifier.

"I know, but I'd like to keep this one anyway," Ash insisted, handing it back to Tommy for processing.

"Alright then. I'll just change the registration address for this ball." If Ash didn't want to swap the Park Ball, Tommy only needed to update its destination to Professor Oak's lab.

The modification was completed quickly. Since Ash hadn't used all his allotted Park Balls, the transfer process went smoothly.

"Okay, all the transfers are complete. Everything should be transmitted now. If you need to confirm anything, you can call Professor Oak using that phone," Tommy said, pointing to a videophone nearby.

"Great, thanks!"

Meanwhile at Professor Oak's Laboratory...

The transfer machine beeped loudly, alerting Professor Oak to an incoming Pokémon transmission.

"Hmm? Someone's sending Pokémon over? Let me see... it's from Ash! He hasn't sent any Pokémon in quite a while. I wonder what he's caught this time."

Professor Oak set aside his research notes and walked over to the transfer machine to check the display.

"Wait—TEN... SIXTEEN??" Professor Oak stared in disbelief at the number shown on the teleporter. Ash had always captured Pokémon at a slower pace compared to Gary and the other trainers from Pallet Town. Receiving sixteen at once was completely out of character.

With so many Pokémon arriving simultaneously, Professor Oak didn't have time to identify each one as they came through. He quickly retrieved the Poké Balls one by one, setting them aside as they materialized.

The Poké Balls quickly accumulated into a sizable pile.

When the final ball teleported in, Professor Oak noticed it was different from the others. Unlike standard Poké Balls, this one had a silver-white bottom like a normal Poké Ball, but its top half was dark green with an "S" pattern emblazoned on the front above the central button.