After leaving Lavender Town, Ash and his group chose a pleasant clearing by the river to rest and eat while on their way to Celadon City.
Brock skillfully set up the stove and prepared a delicious lunch, the tempting aroma wafting through the air.
"Wow, Brock's cooking is great no matter where we are!" Misty said, looking expectantly at the food bubbling in the pot.
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu also happily circled around Brock.
Just as everyone was getting ready to dig in, a swift brown figure suddenly burst out from the nearby bushes, lunging straight for Ash specifically, the iconic hat on his head!
"Whoa!" Ash felt a weight lift from his head; his hat had already been snatched away by a wild Mankey. The Mankey held the hat, turning it over curiously and even trying to put it on its own head while making "kee-kee" sounds.
"Hey! My hat!" Ash jumped up. "Give it back, that's a very important hat!"
Mankey, however, treated the hat like a new toy, hopping around the clearing with no intention of returning it.
Ash realized that this was the same Mankey from the original story that had a soft spot for his hat. Soon, it would be enraged by the meddling of the Team Rocket Trio and evolve into Primeape...
As the saying goes: speak of the devil and he shall appear.
Just as Ash was about to send out a Pokémon to get the hat back in a friendly way, the familiar noisy voices rang out again.
"To prepare for the world for devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
The Team Rocket Trio made a grand entrance from behind the trees, striking their eccentric poses.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
Jessie put her hands on her hips and pointed at Mankey. "That Mankey and the hat, we of Team Rocket are taking them both!"
James pulled out a Poké Ball. "Go, Ekans/Koffing!" the two of them shouted in unison.
Mankey was startled by Team Rocket's sudden appearance. Seeing Ekans and Koffing approaching menacingly, it was instantly enraged. It hated bullies the most! Mankey's eyes began to turn red, and its breathing became heavy and violent. It beat its chest furiously, and its body emitted a dazzling white light of evolution!
"Oh no! It's evolving!" James cried out in panic.
The white light faded, and a taller, stronger, and absolutely furious Primeape appeared! The first thing it did after evolving was unleash its full rage on Team Rocket!
"Roar!" Primeape used a powerful Karate Chop, sending Ekans flying! Immediately after, a Low Kick sent Koffing spinning, leaving it completely dazed!
"Waaaaah! Run!"
"We're blasting off again!"
The Team Rocket Trio scrambled away, turning into stars in the sky once more.
Having chased away Team Rocket, Primeape's anger hadn't subsided. It suddenly turned its head, glaring at Ash with blood-red eyes, clearly seeing him as an enemy trying to take back the hat (which it viewed as its toy). It clutched the somewhat deformed hat tightly and let out a threatening growl.
"Oh no, it's completely pissed off!" Misty said worriedly.
"Once a Primeape gets angry, it's hard to deal with. Ash, be careful!" Brock became tense as well.
Ash looked at his beloved hat in Primeape's hands and then at Primeape's rage-consumed state. He took a deep breath and made a decision. He didn't take out a Poké Ball. Instead, he took off his jacket, tossed it aside, and began to seriously rotate his wrists and ankles, performing warm-up exercises!
"Ash?! Wh-what are you doing?" Misty gasped.
"Don't tell me you want to fight Primeape hand-to-hand?!" Brock thought it was insane too.
"Pika-pika!" Pikachu called out anxiously.
Ash finished his warm-up and looked firmly at Primeape. "Primeape! I know you're angry because of Team Rocket! But that hat is mine, and I have to take it back! Besides, I can tell that in your soul, you crave a real contest! Come on, let me be your opponent!"
Primeape seemed to understand Ash's challenge, or perhaps it was attracted by the "aura" suddenly rising from Ash's body. It roared, tossed the hat aside, and lunged at Ash, bringing down a sharp Karate Chop!
Ash's eyes narrowed. His body slid sideways like a swimming fish. His right hand shot out like lightning not to meet the blow head-on, but to skillfully deflect and pull, using Neutralizing Force (Hua Jin) to redirect Primeape's momentum to the side! This was the technique from his memories of his past life!
Primeape's attack missed, making it even more irritable. It spun around and unleashed a series of Fury Swipes! Ash's footwork was agile, weaving through the wind of the claws. Each dodge was timed perfectly, showing incredible anticipation and physical coordination.
"Oh my god... Ash is..." Misty covered her mouth.
"This... this isn't just dodging. These are... martial arts?!" Brock rubbed his eyes in shock.
Primeape, unable to land a hit, leapt into the air and unleashed a powerful Low Kick! Ash saw his chance, ducked low in a swift burst, and slammed his shoulder precisely into Primeape's unbalanced center of gravity while shouting!
Bang!
Using the opponent's strength against them! Primeape's massive body was skillfully knocked to the ground by Ash!
Primeape lay on the ground, the red in its eyes gradually fading. It panted heavily, looking blankly at Ash, who was also breathing slightly hard but whose eyes were bright. It had never met a human like this one who didn't use Pokémon but relied solely on his own skill and strength to neutralize all its attacks and even knock it down.
Ash walked up to Primeape. He didn't pick up the hat immediately. Instead, he reached out his hand, his tone sincere and filled with the mutual respect of the strong. "You're very powerful, Primeape.
But rage blinded your eyes and your skills. Come with me, and I can take you to see even more powerful opponents and engage in more satisfying contests like this! Let's get stronger together, what do you say?"
Primeape looked at Ash's outstretched hand and then into his clear, determined eyes. It could feel that this human was different from other trainers; he understood its warrior spirit. It let out a low grunt no longer angry, but showing a hint of respect and extended its fist to bump Ash's hand.
Only then did Ash pick up his hat, pat off the dust, and put it back on his head. Then, with a smile, he took out a Poké Ball. Primeape reached out and touched the Poké Ball. It was drawn inside without even a shake a successful capture!
[Ding! The host has impressed Primeape with his own martial arts skills and understanding, successfully capturing it. Reward: 200 World Origin Points.]
[Ding! The host has demonstrated extraordinary martial arts talent and will. Affinity with Fighting-type Pokémon has significantly increased.]
[Current World Origin Points: 11,650.]
"Great! I caught a Primeape!" Ash cheered, holding up the Poké Ball.
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu jumped for joy.
Misty and Brock crowded around, still looking incredulous.
"Ash, those moves just now... were amazing! When did you secretly learn such powerful martial arts?" Misty asked curiously.
Ash adjusted the brim of his hat and gave a cheeky grin. "Well... that's a secret! Anyway, I'm looking forward to working with you, Primeape!"
With this new companion, bonded by a hat and won through a pure contest of strength, Ash's group continued toward the vibrant Celadon City.
Having the protagonist personally capture Primeape this time has firmly established his persona as a Super Pallet Townian.
Don't worry, I won't be giving this one away!
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