Chapter 6:Greninja!

Rex and Daisy walked toward a restaurant to eat lunch, with Zorua wagging its tail on Rex's shoulder as if to say, 'Finally! That boring show of skeletons at the museum is over.' It had been starving!

Rex patted Zorua's head while Daisy, with her purse over her shoulder — which contained the fossil package as well — looked at her phone.

"This restaurant has nice ratings," Daisy said, smiling.

Soon, they were sitting in the restaurant, eating. Zorua devoured two bowls of Oran Berry Pokéblocks and Pokémon food before looking up expectantly and asking for more.

Rex chuckled, patting Zorua's head. 'Did Zorua used to be a Snorlax in its past life?' he wondered.

While Rex, Daisy, and Zorua were enjoying their meal, two people entered the restaurant. One was a 10-year-old boy wearing a League-official hat with messy black hair and amber eyes. He had a Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

The other was an orange-haired girl who appeared 11 or 12 years old, wearing a yellow top with short shorts and two red suspenders clipped to her outfit.

As they were looking for a table, the boy suddenly pointed at Daisy and shouted, "Sister Daisy?! What are you doing here?"

Rex and Daisy were surprised by the voice as they turned toward the boy with the Pikachu on his shoulder.

Rex raised an eyebrow. "Do you know him?"

Daisy smiled amusedly. "This kid is Ash Ketchum. I mentioned him before — the one who started his journey alongside my little brother."

Rex's eyes lit up with understanding. Daisy had told him before that Gary had started his journey with a person who could be considered his best friend — though Gary was too proud to admit it. This was likely the same Ash Ketchum.

"Ow, ow, ow! Let me go, Misty!" Ash screamed as the orange-haired girl yanked his ear.

"Apologies for my friend ruining your date," the girl, named misty, said, a tick mark twitching on her forehead.

Rex and Daisy blushed slightly. Daisy chuckled. "We're not on a date."

Rex only nodded, suddenly deciding that the ceiling's design was very interesting. 'What design? Isn't the ceiling completely white?' Zorua wondered, watching his trainer stare dumbly upward.

Ash's eyes widened. 'Sister Daisy found a boyfriend?' He made a thoughtful expression. 'How will Gary react to this?'

Daisy smiled and invited them to sit and eat together. Ash readily agreed, while the girl — Misty — sighed and slapped her forehead. 'This idiot!', she thought.

Soon, the four of them were eating while Zorua and Pikachu chatted in their own language.

Ash, curious about Zorua, scanned it with his Pokédex. His eyes widened when no data appeared.

"Your Pokédex only has Kanto Pokémon registered," Daisy explained. "Grampa will upgrade it when you're more mature and ready to travel to other regions."

Ash scowled. "I am mature."

Misty gave him a skeptical look. "Says the guy who battled an eight-year-old's Metapod with his own Metapod — and spent half an hour yelling 'Harden!' over and over."

Ash slumped in his chair as Rex and Daisy chuckled.

Rex handed Ash his own National Pokédex. "Here, you can use mine to scan Zorua," he said.

Ash's eyes brightened. "Thanks, Rex!" He took the Pokédex and aimed it at Zorua.

The Pokédex's mechanical voice spoke:

[Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokémon.

Ability: Illusion.

Gender: Male.

To protect themselves from danger, they hide their true identities by transforming into people and Pokémon.

Moveset: Scratch, Leer, Torment, Hone Claws, Fury Swipes, Scary Face, Taunt, Knock Off.]

Rex took back his Pokédex and smiled. "Zorua's from the Unova region." He patted Zorua's head, making the little fox's tail wag. "Because of some circumstances, my starter Pokémon was delayed, so Professor Oak gave me Zorua — both as my starter and for me to research on its growth."

Misty's eyes widened. "Wait — you're a professor?"

Rex shook his head. "No, I work with Daisy as Professor Oak's assistant."

Ash suddenly made a fist and hit his palm. "Oh! Now I get it! You two must have started dating after working together!"

Daisy's face flushed pink as she reached over and pinched Ash's ear. "He's only been working with me for three days — and we're not dating!"

'Maybe not yet,' Rex thought, blushing slightly. He wouldn't mind dating Daisy, but that was something that would take time.

Misty grinned. "Then what are you two doing here in Pewter City if you're not on a date?"

Daisy sighed. "Since when did kids get so bold about teasing their seniors?"

Ash, still rubbing his ear, muttered, "Well, Daisy's 16, so compared to me, she's old."

SMACK!

Ash's head slammed into the table, swirls forming in his eyes as Daisy's fist connected with the top of his skull.

Misty's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Daisy, you have to give me tips!"

Daisy smirked. "Happily. First, you have to know exactly where to hit…"

Rex sat back, sweat forming on his forehead as he hugged Zorua protectively. 'Maybe dating Daisy is a bad idea', he thought nervously.

Their chatter suddenly halted as a loud explosion rocked the ground beneath them.

All four of them jumped to their feet and rushed outside. Panic filled the streets as people screamed and ran in every direction. Near the city center, where a building had been scheduled for demolition, a massive robot now stood in its place. Its metallic body gleamed under the sunlight, and its powerful arms smashed through buildings with ease.

From its shoulders and legs, nets shot out, capturing Pokémon and dragging them into the large metallic backpack strapped to its back.

Ash's eyes widened in shock. "W-What's happening?!"

"Look!" Misty pointed at the robot's chest, where a large red "R" stood out clearly. "Doesn't that look like Team Rocket's logo?!"

At the mention of Team Rocket, Rex's gaze sharpened. Zorua, sensing its trainer's tension through their bond, growled lowly at the robot, its fur bristling.

Laughter echoed from the robot as its head slid open, revealing Jessie and James of Team Rocket standing inside, with Meowth perched between them.

Jessie tossed her hair and smiled smugly. "Prepare for trouble!"

James struck a pose. "And make it double!"

Jessie spread her arms wide. "To protect the world from devastation!"

James followed, mirroring her stance. "To unite all people within our nation!"

Jessie twirled dramatically. "To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

James knelt and crossed his arms. "To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

Fireworks blasted from behind the robot, lighting up the sky with the words "Team Rocket" sparkling in bold red letters.

Ash stood slack-jawed. "Where did these idiots get this robot?! And why are they wasting time with fireworks?!"

Daisy crossed her arms. "Did you two run into them before?"

Misty sighed. "Yeah… twice. First at the Viridian City Pokémon Center, and then again in Viridian Forest."

Jessie's eyes narrowed. "Hand over your Pikachu, brat!"

Ash clenched his fists. "I'll never give you Pikachu!"

James smirked. "Then we'll just have to take it the hard way!"

The robot's helmet slid back into place, and its eyes flashed menacingly. Its metal arms swung outward, smashing into nearby buildings. People screamed and scattered as more nets shot out, capturing Pokémon left and right.

Rex's gaze hardened. "Zorua, stay with Daisy."

Zorua let out a low whine as Daisy took it into her arms. "Rex, what are you—?"

But Rex was already running toward the robot.

"Rex, wait!" Ash shouted.

"Are you crazy?!" Misty yelled after him.

Daisy's eyes narrowed. She knew what was coming. "Let's get to cover," she said calmly.

Jessie's laughter echoed from the robot's speaker. "Who do you think you are, running toward us without any Pokémon?"

Rex pressed the button on his PokéTrix. The dial popped up, spinning as he selected a Pokémon.

From the control room, Meowth's eyes widened. "Jessie… James… isn't that the guy the boss warned us about?!"

Jessie and James paled. "Wait… that's him?!"

Rex slammed down the dial.

A flash of red light bathed his form, drawing the attention of the fleeing crowd, Brock (who had arrived to help), the police, and everyone else nearby.

Rex's body began to shift. His face narrowed, becoming sleek and frog-like. His tongue extended and wrapped around his mouth like a scarf. His arms and legs lengthened, his hands and feet becoming webbed. His eyes sharpened into a striking pink color. A sleek black bodysuit with a Pokéball symbol at the center formed over his torso.

When the light faded, gasps erupted from the crowd.

Ash's jaw dropped. "H-He… turned into a Pokémon?!"

Daisy smiled knowingly.

Rex crouched low, his eyes locked onto the robot. "Greninja!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the stunned silence.

Jessie and James stared down from the robot.

"W-What the—?!"

Rex didn't give them time to react. His eyes narrowed as he shot forward with Quick Attack, moving so fast he was a blur. In a flash, he slashed through one of the nets with Cut, freeing the trapped Pokémon inside.

He turned toward the trainers. "I'll get the Pokémon out! You guys evacuate the area!"

Officer Jenny had just finished taking Daisy's phone after Daisy called the Officer Jenny in Pallet Town. After a brief exchange of instructions, Officer Jenny nodded sharply. She raised the microphone to her mouth and shouted, "Assist the hero!"

This was the day Rex was first called a hero.

Rex formed two glowing blue shurikens in his hands. "Water Shuriken Barrage!"

He rapidly flung them toward the robot's arm as it swung toward him. The spinning projectiles smashed into the metal limb with explosive force, cracks spiderwebbing across the steel surface.

Jessie's eyes widened. "James! Fire the rockets!"

Missiles shot out from the robot's shoulders with a loud hiss.

Rex's eyes sharpened. He crouched low, then launched himself into the air with Bounce. He twisted midair, hurling more Water Shurikens that struck the rockets head-on, causing them to explode before they could reach him.

Rex kicked off the side of a nearby building with another Bounce, using the momentum to flip over a missile. His arms glowed as he slashed through the air with Slash, cutting a missile cleanly in half. The pieces exploded harmlessly behind him.

A cameraman and a reporter stood nearby, capturing everything on live television. The reporter's voice trembled with excitement. "Who is this mysterious hero?! Will he be able to stop Team Rocket?!"

The broadcast spread like wildfire across the world. Millions of people were watching, stunned as the footage showed a human transforming into a Pokémon and fight a giant robot!

In his office, Giovanni's face darkened as he stared at the live feed. His hands slammed down on the desk. "What are those three idiots doing?!" His gaze narrowed as he watched Rex demolish the missiles and save trapped civilians and Pokémon.

Rex landed on the ground, his hands glowing with blue energy. He raised them, and a swirling current of water formed around him. "Waterfall!"

The torrent of water surged forward and slammed into the robot's side, causing it to stumble and sparks to fly from its joints.

The crowd erupted into cheers. "Hero! Hero! Hero!"

Daisy's eyes narrowed as she studied the robot. Then she cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Rex! Target the knees!"

The reporter's eyes widened as the shout was picked up on the live feed. "It looks like we've just learned the hero's name—Rex!"

Rex's eyes flashed as he heard Daisy's call. He leaped forward, using Aerial Ace to dodge a barrage of missiles. Then, twisting his body midair, he slammed into the robot's knee with full force. Metal groaned and twisted under the pressure, and the robot collapsed onto one knee.

James's face paled. "Meowth! Do something!"

"I-I'm trying!" Meowth's claws scrambled over the controls. All three of them were clearly panicking.

Rex's hand glowed with blinding white light as he conjured a massive energy blade. With a fierce shout, he swung Cut in a wide arc. The giant metal backpack on the robot's back was sliced open. The captured Pokémon spilled out and quickly fled toward their trainers, who ran forward to comfort them.

Jessie and James stared in horror through the robot's glass visor.

Rex narrowed his eyes as water gathered in his palm, spinning rapidly. The energy swirled larger and larger until it was nearly the size of the robot itself.

"Giant Water Shuriken!"

He flung the massive shuriken with a powerful throw. It cut clean through the robot's chest. An explosion erupted, sending Jessie, James, and Meowth flying into the air.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

With a twinkle in the sky, they vanished.

The crowd roared with excitement. "Rex! Rex! Rex!"

Rex dropped from the air, landing smoothly on one knee like a ninja. His PokéTrix symbol flickered and beeped before a red light engulfed him. In a flash, he returned to his human form, standing breathless as the crowd erupted into even louder cheers.

The reporter and cameraman zoomed in on Rex's face. The reporter's eyes were wide with excitement. "This… this hero named Rex just saved the entire city! Who is he? Where did he come from?"

Rex's eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced toward the camera. He sighed. 'I should have been more careful....'