Chapter 62: Trapped and Tested

I kicked a loose rock down the dirt road, watching Pikachu's yellow form hop ahead, his tail twitching as he scouted the way. Ash and Brock were deep in conversation, Ash as usual, arms flying everywhere while Brock nodded along, his eyes scanning the horizon. Misty, a few steps behind, had taken to whispering something to Erin, her voice low and irritated. Erin walked beside her, expression unreadable—too calm, as usual. 

Brock glanced back at me. "The town's not far now."

I nodded, my gaze shifting ahead. There was a faint shimmer of heat in the distance, signaling the approach of civilization. But just as I let myself relax into the rhythm of walking, Ash's foot plunged into the ground with a sickening crunch.

We all froze, dumbfounded.

"What the—" Ash barely managed before the earth beneath us gave way. My stomach lurched as the ground collapsed, and I was suddenly weightless, air rushing past my ears as we plummeted into a deep hole. Dirt flew everywhere, and Misty's scream punctuated the fall.

"Not again!" Misty groaned as we hit the bottom with a rough thud. She spat out dust and sat up, arms flailing in frustration. "I'm so done with this! I swear, if it's Team Rocket—"

Ash winced, rubbing his head as Pikachu landed beside him, shaken but unharmed. "Why can't Team Rocket just dig their holes somewhere else? Seriously!"

I stood, dusting off my jeans, glancing around the pit. My body felt fine—just the usual aches and bruises from falling into a trap. I turned to Erin, offering my hand. "You okay?"

Erin blinked up at me, her calm expression utterly out of place in this chaos. She took my hand without hesitation, her grip firm. "You okay?" she asked, her voice as flat as always, blending awkward honesty into the moment.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I kept my tone light, giving her a half-smile. "You're behaving different," she noted, her head tilted slightly, hazel eyes narrowing just a fraction.

I laughed softly under my breath. "Maybe it's the hole. I always get philosophical when I fall into pits."

Erin stared at me blankly, not even a flicker of amusement. I sighed, shaking my head. Focus, Punit. This isn't the time.

"Why are you so sure it's not Team Rocket this time?" Brock's voice cut through my thoughts. He was looking at me with a raised brow, his arms crossed over his chest.

I glanced upward, gesturing toward the edge of the pit. "Look up."

Everyone followed my gaze. Perched above us, five Squirtle grinned down, snickering to themselves, their eyes gleaming with mischief.

Misty groaned louder, throwing her hands up. "Great. Now we've got wild Pokémon setting traps. Just our luck."

I glanced at Erin again. "You okay?" I asked, my voice unconsciously slipping into a softer, almost…romantic tone.

She blinked, dumbfounded, and for a moment, her calm facade cracked. "You already asked me that," she said, her brow furrowed in mild confusion.

I smirked. "Just making sure."

"You're behaving different," she repeated, but this time there was a flicker of something—curiosity, maybe?

I ignored it, turning my focus back to the problem at hand. "Kadabra, get us out of here!" I tossed the Pokéball into the air, the flash of light revealing my ever-serious Psychic-type. Kadabra materialized, floating just above the ground, his spoon gleaming ominously.

"Use Psychic!" I shouted up at him.

In an instant, the air around us shimmered. Erin gripped my hand, her calm exterior betrayed by the way her fingers tightened. She stayed quiet, but I could feel the tension in her touch. We floated upwards, the pressure around us lifting us from the pit. Kadabra lowered us gently back to solid ground.

"Thanks, Kadabra," I said, already planning to talk to him later about some new move ideas. But for now, we had other things to deal with. As we dusted ourselves off, Brock shot me an approving look. "Your Kadabra is something else."

I shrugged. "I know."

Misty crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "Hmph."

Ash, however, was already shouting at Pikachu. "Thunder Shock those Squirtle, Pikachu!"

Before Pikachu could act, another Squirtle jumped in front of the leader, taking the hit for him. The others rallied around, forming a protective wall as a sudden siren pierced the air.

The Squirtle squad didn't wait to find out what it meant. In a blink, they grabbed their fallen comrade and bolted into the woods, disappearing like shadows.

I recalled Kadabra into his Pokéball. Erin released her grip on my hand, stepping back slightly. I turned to face her. "You have Pokémon, right?" I asked, still keeping that same playful tone.

She nodded, her voice calm as ever. "Bulbasaur and Pidgey."

Ash's mouth dropped open. "Wait—what?!"

Misty slapped him on the back of the head. "She's a graduate of the Pokémon Technical Institute, Ash. Of course she has her own Pokémon, even if she's…you know, scared of them."

Before Ash could respond, Officer Jenny rolled up on her bike, her blue uniform standing out against the green trees. "Officer Jenny!" Ash blurted. "We met in another town!"

Jenny gave him a tight smile. "That was probably one of my cousins. We all look the same."

Ash blinked. "Uh…family resemblance?"

Misty shook her head, muttering, "At least they remember their own names."

Brock, of course, was already swooning. "Officer Jenny, if you're free later, we could grab some lunch."

Erin turned to him, deadpan. "Shameless."

I burst out laughing along with Misty and Ash. Even Pikachu seemed to chuckle. But Officer Jenny was all business. "I'm afraid I'm too busy for that," she said, eyes sharp. "That Squirtle squad has been causing problems in town, as you've just experienced."

We all nodded in understanding. Jenny sighed, gesturing behind her. "Let's head to the police station. You can rest there and we can discuss things further."

As the others began to gather their things, I shook my head. "You guys go ahead. I've got some ideas for new move experiments with my Pokémon."

Misty shot me a confused look. "What are you up to now?"

I shrugged, keeping it casual. "Just some training ideas. Erin, go with them."

"No," Erin said flatly, her calmness once again throwing me off. "Nooo."

I blinked, surprised. "I'm not leaving you behind or anything. I'll meet you later."

She hesitated, her eyes searching mine before she finally nodded, her calmness masking whatever she was really feeling. "Okay."

As they headed off toward town, Jenny leading the way on her bike, I watched them disappear into the distance before turning to my Pidgeot. I released him from his Pokéball, hugging him briefly. "Time to get stronger, buddy."

I mounted him, the wind already ruffling my hair. "Take us into the sky."