Chapter 114: The Pokémon Who Refused to Fight
*Wooooo~*
In the parking lot, countless strange wails echoed.
"Car thief, where do you think you're going?"
Walter charged ahead, followed by a crowd of Machop, Machoke, and workers wielding hoes and shovels, surrounding the entire lot.
"Mr. Natsume, Ash, Gary—what are you three doing here?"
Walter didn't spot the thief, but he did see some familiar faces.
"Gary's sports car was stolen. We came to check it out," Natsume said calmly, without a hint of guilt.
Gary squinted at him suspiciously.
"I see. Losing a car in my lot… that's truly my fault."
Walter's face showed a trace of shame.
"Oh, it's fine, Mr. Walter. I've got a tracker on it, I'll find it soon. I'll head off first," Gary said, quickly shoving Natsume along.
"Goodbye, Mr. Walter," Ash waved.
"Alright. Don't forget, ten o'clock today under the dam, we're holding the big Diglett removal meeting!" Walter's voice carried from afar.
"Good thing nothing worse happened this time."
Once they were further away, Gary shivered hard.
He didn't dare imagine what would've happened if all those heavy trucks had stood up at once—how could they possibly stop them?
"Luckily, the mist there was thin, just enough to make the headlights flicker."
Ash let out a breath, hand pressed against his chest, his heart still pounding.
"Even if those trucks had gotten up, they might not have attacked people. Your sports car was stable enough."
Natsume's tone carried a hint of regret.
That divine-like crystal had appeared inside Rotom, but just like Pikachu before, the system couldn't identify its effects.
He had hoped that with enough Mecha Rotoms, he could glimpse some clue.
Yet at the parking lot, all he heard were honks, not a single trace of Cybertron speech.
Regrettable, truly regrettable.
Gary twitched at the corner of his eye, watching Natsume's disappointed look.
"Natsume, you're starting to feel like one of those evil scientists from Pokémon Mobile Suit Gundam."
The words slipped out of Gary's mouth.
"What? You're still watching that?" Ash peeked curiously.
"You wouldn't understand—it's season five, the brand new season!"
Gary's face turned red, muttering about passion and nostalgia.
When the three returned to the workshop, the black mist had almost cleared, and the sports car that had been moving earlier had gone still.
*Clang!*
The Mecha Rotom lost power and collapsed.
Gary turned, staring straight at Natsume.
"Rotom." Natsume called it out.
After a period of rest, Rotom's condition had clearly improved.
Catching Natsume's look, Rotom understood and dove into the powerless Mecha Rotom.
With a screech of grinding metal, the Mecha Rotom shifted back into the form of a sports car.
"There, Gary. At least it's still usable," Ash said, patting him on the shoulder.
As it reverted, Rotom popped back out, carrying a massive chip that fell into Natsume's hands.
"It's getting late. Let's head to the dam."
Natsume placed the chip carefully into a box.
Behind him, Gary was already trying to start his car—but no matter how he turned the key, nothing happened.
"Natsume, why won't it start?" Gary asked, puzzled.
Not only that, the key felt loose in the ignition.
"Here." Natsume handed him a Z-shaped rod.
"What's this?" Gary looked dumbfounded.
"It's a tractor starter rod," Natsume said without even turning his head.
"What are you giving me this for?"
A bad feeling rose in Gary's chest.
Professor Oak often sent him to haul things around the lab, so he was all too familiar with this tool. What Natsume had handed him looked like it had been fished out of the workshop's scrap bin.
"This? To save space, I reworked some of the wiring," Natsume explained, pausing before continuing.
"I cut a new slot under the steering wheel. Just stick it in and twist."
Gary's sports car, after all, had been fitted with autopilot by Natsume himself. The steering wheel was packed with circuits, which only wasted space instead of helping.
Gary: "..."
*My beloved has been turned into a farmhand's tractor.*
...
After some chaos, the group arrived at the base of the dam.
Many trainers had already gathered there.
"Mr. Natsume!" From the crowd, Giselle waved at them.
As they approached, they saw Walter standing on a small mound in the distance, shouting through a megaphone:
"Trainers, today I've gathered you all here for—ah!"
The ground suddenly gave way beneath him, and Walter fell hard into a hole.
"Mr. Walter, are you alright?" Ash rushed forward to help him up.
"Cursed Diglett! It's them!"
Walter pointed furiously toward an open patch of ground.
Everyone followed his gaze. The once-flat earth was now bulging and shifting.
*Dig, dig, dig-dig!*
A chorus of cries rang out as Diglett popped their heads up one after another.
**Diglett, my favorite Pokémon! Diglett, my favorite Pokémon!**
"Ash, you switched it back again?!" Misty shouted, covering her ears in frustration.
"It wasn't him—it was Gary."
Brock pointed at Gary, who was fumbling, trying to hide his Pokédex with nowhere to put it.
"Ohhh, so Gary, you're a fan too! Good taste!" Ash gave him a big thumbs-up.
Gary flushed red, hammering the buttons until the device finally went silent.
"I'm not a fan—I just pressed the wrong button! I don't even know how to change it back…"
Noticing the stares of nearby trainers, Gary immediately shut his mouth.
"Ahem. Everyone, our mission is to drive away the Diglett. Go, Wartortle!"
Gary threw a Pokéball, trying to shift the attention.
"Let's go, Gary, you can do it!"
Somehow, his cheer squad had appeared behind him again.
The Pokéball hit the ground, flashed red—yet no Wartortle appeared.
"What's going on?" Gary was stunned.
"Go, Pidgeot!"
"Go, Raticate!"
Other trainers tossed their Pokéballs too, but just like Gary, none of their Pokémon came out.
*Dig, dig!*
One Diglett nudged Gary's Pokéball back toward him, as if politely returning it.
"This is…" Gary froze for a moment.
"Natsume, what's happening? Why won't anyone's Pokémon come out?" Ash asked, bewildered, hand slipping off his own Pokéball.
"Yeah, my Wartortle refuses to come out," Gary added, turning to him.
"That's because your bond isn't strong enough. Here."
Natsume handed Gary a small slip of paper.
"Read this aloud, and Wartortle will come out."
"Oh, it's poetry," Gary glanced at the note and immediately understood.
Professor Oak loved poetry, and under his influence, Gary had picked up a bit himself.
He kissed the Pokéball lightly, then began a heartfelt recitation.
"Wartortle~ my beloved, my dearest partner, through the years of wind and snow…"
*Splat.* Misty covered her face.
"Isn't he Professor Oak's grandson? Why is he just like Ash, believing anything Natsume tells him?" she muttered.
"Maybe Natsume's the boss of Pallet Town kids?" Brock guessed.
*Bzzzt!* a red light flashed from Gary's belt.
A Pokémon resembling Squirtle but with a cloud-like pattern on its tail appeared.
"It's Squirtle's evolved form, Wartortle!" Ash's eyes lit up as he pulled out his Pokédex.
"Natsume, it really came out!" Gary said in delight.
*Warto!* Disgusting!
Wartortle roared. Seeing Gary about to continue reciting, it couldn't stand it anymore and smacked him with its tail.
Snatching the paper from his hand, Wartortle threw it on the ground and stomped on it hard.
Then it turned and clung tightly to Natsume's leg.
*Thud, thud, thud!* Wartortle rammed its head against him.
After taking its frustration out on Natsume, Wartortle pressed its own Pokéball and returned inside.
"Huh? Why still unwilling to battle?"
Gary covered his face, dazed.
You can read more (around 100+ free chapters) of Natsume's adventure ad-free at [https ://ravenarchives .com/book/pokemon-who-let-him-leave-pallet-town]. Bulk uploads is a mess here, so updates here might be irregular.