Pokémon Padea Adventure: The Journey Continues

Chapter 284 Temporary Agent of the Academy

After leaving "Bakero Town", Ash and his friends headed towards "Mt. Frosty".

Xiaoqing asked Papa curiously.

"Pippa, we're going to Frostbite Mountain, right? Why does this direction seem to be getting closer and closer to Orange & Grape Academy?"

Pipa scrolled through the map of Padia on Rotom's phone and replied.

"We are currently in the south of Padiya, while our destination, 'Frosty Mountain,' is in the north of Padiya. There's no problem with us heading north, and we're essentially returning the way we came from 'Begu Town.'"

"There are four entrances to the mountain path leading to 'Mt. Frostbite': east, south, southwest, and northwest. The southern entrance, 'Mountain of Brocade,' is a deep, vertical pit, where Ash's Spinecropler fell. Without a Flying-type Pokémon using the 'Fly' move to ascend vertically, there's simply no chance."

"The northwest entrance is in North District 3, which was originally the base of the 'Pavilion Road Third Squad,' the territory of the 'Fairy Gang.' That's the furthest entrance from us. The second furthest entrance, to the east, is in North District 1, which is unknown territory that we've never set foot in before."

"Given our time constraints, to avoid the last entrance in the northwest, we should avoid directly traversing the difficult-to-access vast plains of West District 1 and the 'Baking Desert.' Instead, we'll pass through the relatively easier-to-access 'Tabletop City,' detour around the 'Padia Abyss,' and then cross 'Golden Harvest Town' to reach the northwest entrance."

"That entrance is also the route from 'Icebound Town' to 'Mt. Frosty.' Because of the heavy snow that had blocked the mountain, we didn't challenge the 'Frosty Gym' at the summit after Ash finished challenging the 'Icebound Gym.' Instead, we chose to detour through 'Lake Cauldron' and head towards the farthest eastern entrance, where we also challenged 'Fairy-Friendly Teammate,' which was a lucky accident."

Listening to Pipa's analysis, Ash and his friends realized that they had unknowingly traveled to so many places and experienced so many adventures.

"Great! I only need one more gym badge to qualify for the League Tournament! Similarly, Pipa has collected all three 'Taste Badges' and successfully cured the five 'Secret Seasonings' needed to heal Mastiff. Finally, there's Xiaoqing's 'Photography Contest.' As long as the final deadline is announced, and I'm confident that Xiaoqing, with a sufficient number of shortlisted entries, will definitely win the final competition."

"Thinking about our individual adventures and challenges, they are all nearing their end. Along the way, we have met and recruited many companions. Now that this season of heavy snow blocking the mountains is over, we feel a truly refreshing and invigorating feeling!"

Seeing Xiao Zhi's emotional expression, Xiao Qing couldn't help but remind him.

"Wait, Ash! Don't forget we still promised K... Nie Kai, and Cassiopeia that we still have one last team leader to defeat in 'Star Wars'!"

After Xiaoqing reminded him, Xiaozhi remembered the incident and started counting the names of the gang leaders he had previously defeated on his fingers.

"Oh right! There's that too. I remember it was Pina from the 'Bad Gang,' Melok from the 'Fire Gang,' Qiuming from the 'Poison Gang,' and Ordiga from the 'Fairy Gang.' And the last gang leader is..."

Piper added.

"I remember, when Ortega was disbanding the 'Fairy Gang,' he mentioned to his group of underlings that the last gang leader's name was something like 'Pipa.'"

Just as Pipa uttered the name "Pipa," Ash's Poké Ball flashed, a red light faded, and Primeape appeared before everyone, looking furious.

Xiao Zhi asked in confusion.

"Intense Monkey, what's wrong with you?"

The Primeape didn't respond to Ash; its face remained flushed with anger, and its fists flailing furiously in the air. Ash and Pikachu quickly restrained the Primeape and said urgently.

"Hot Monkey, what's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly getting angry..."

"Pikachu, Pikachu..."

Ash and Pikachu's intervention did nothing to quell Primeape's anger. Primeape's strong physique caused Ash and Pikachu, who were tightly gripping its arms, to swing back and forth in the air.

"Pipa? Is it because I pronounced the name Pipa that Fire Monkey is so angry?"

Piper's words elicited a reaction from Primeape. After Primeape stopped waving its arms, Ash and his friends also fell from the air and crashed heavily to the ground.

"Looks like I guessed right!"

Xiaoqing added after Papa's words.

"Oh, right! I remember Miss Amy said before that Primeape was invincible in other regions, but when it came to the Padina region, it was defeated by a trainer's Pokémon. Wasn't that trainer Biwa from the 'Fighting Team'?!"

Ash and his friends, who were in pain after landing, rubbed their faces that had touched the ground and said...

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... I know! Intense Monkey, I understand how you feel. We accepted Mr. Nie Kai's 'Stardust Operation' commission, and we will definitely have this battle with this last leader of the Celestial Star Team. Then we'll avenge our previous defeat!"

The Infernape stared intently at Ash's resolute face, while Ash looked back at the serious-looking Infernape. After their eyes met, they seemed to understand each other perfectly.

Their gazes gradually hardened and became serious, just as Ash and Primeape reached a peak in their emotional expression. Ash suddenly lunged at Primeape, wanting to embrace it, but he noticed that Primeape's way of encouraging itself was different from Ash's. Primeape's emotional release wasn't through a hug, but by raising its fist in a vow.

Unfortunately, the Primeape's raised fist made intimate contact with Ash's face as he lunged at it, sending Ash flying into the air once again... The Primeape, having accidentally injured Ash, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

On the other side, Pikachu, Xiaoqing, and Pipa were also powerless, covering their faces with their hands in unbearable pain, unable to watch the heartbreaking scene.

"Ouch, that hurts..."

Xiao Zhi's cries of pain echoed across the sky.

On their way to "Mount Frosty", Ash and his friends passed by "Orange & Grape Academy". Due to the long journey, Xiao Qing was panting heavily.

"Ash, Pippa, now that we've arrived at the academy gate, shall we go in and rest for a bit?"

Xiao Zhi was focused on getting on his way, and the pain in his face prevented him from speaking for a while. After waiting for a moment, he finally spoke.

“No, Xiaoqing. Your ‘Photography Contest’ doesn’t have a deadline yet, so there’s no rush. But my contest with Pipa only has a month left until the deadline, and Pipa has already qualified… Compared to you guys, I’m the slowest. Time is tight, the task is heavy, and I still have one last gym badge left. I don’t want to fail at this crucial last step.”

Xiaoqing understood Xiaozhi's feelings and didn't argue, but the long journey had left her a bit tired. Finally, Pipa mediated and said...

"Alright, Ash, as the saying goes, 'haste makes waste,' and 'proper rest is for better progress.' Compared to traveling, I'm more worried about your injuries from being accidentally hit by Primeape, and everyone's physical exhaustion. At the same time, I believe Ash will easily obtain the Frost Badge..."

At Xiaoqing and Pipa's suggestion, Ash and his friends returned to the "Orange & Grape Academy" they had passed by for a short rest.

"Principal Claver?"

"Teacher Ginya!...Teacher Leiho!"

"Teacher Tim, Teacher Serge, Teacher Savaro..."

As Xiaozhi and his friends passed by the principal's office and the classrooms where the teachers were, they tried to greet the teachers, but they couldn't see any of them.

"That's strange. Why aren't all the teachers at school...?"

After searching in vain, a bewildered Ash and his friends arrived at the entrance of the "school nursery".

"Head Nurse Mimosa, are you there? We're coming in..."

Opening the door to the inpatient room, I still couldn't see Nurse Mimosa. Instead, I saw different students and Pokémon lying on different beds, all receiving treatment. They were bandaged and looked pained, as if they were seriously injured.

"Students! What happened to you? How did you get such serious injuries..."

Under Xiaoqing's urgent questioning, a classmate in the bed closest to them struggled to sit up and slowly spoke.

"We weren't seriously attacked; it was just minor injuries and pains. Thanks to Nurse Mimosa's treatment, the condition gradually worsened..."

Xiao Zhi and his friends were completely confused by the classmate's explanation.

"That's puzzling me. Why would treatment actually make my condition worse?"

Just as the other party spoke, a figure rushed over in a hurry outside the infirmary. Ash and his friends turned around and saw that it was Mimosa who was busy and frantic. She rushed over in a hurry and collided with Ash who had turned around. The books that Mimosa was holding were scattered all over the ground.

"Ouch...it hurts so much!"

Mimosa rubbed her aching forehead and looked up to see Ash and his friends. Before Xiaoqing and Pipa could speak, Mimosa launched into a long, rambling monologue, as if pouring out her grievances.

"Oh, it's Ash, Blue, and Pappa! Sorry, I've been a bit busy lately. Savaro and Hachisaku-sensei are busy with the cooking and photography competitions. Tam, Ginya, and Sergei-sensei have been asked by Reiho-sensei to investigate the three shrines in the Padia region that seal the 'Treasure of Calamity.' Chairperson Madam Yaji has also returned to the League to handle various matters. Principal Claver is missing..."

"I'm the only one left in the entire academy, and I'm swamped with work as the temporary acting head of the academy..."

Faced with Mimosa's endless chatter, Xiaoqing and the others hadn't yet figured out what to say when Mimosa noticed Xiaozhi's injuries as he fell to the ground and asked him about them.

"Ash, you're hurt! Are you alright? This injury shouldn't have been caused by the collision just now..."

Ash said reassuringly after getting up.

“Nurse Mimosa, I’m fine. This is an injury I sustained earlier, and that’s why we came to you. Please treat me…”

The story unfolds smoothly, the dialogue flows naturally, everything happens so naturally and effortlessly. Xiao Zhi, who is about to receive treatment, is completely unaware of the student on the hospital bed who is looking anxious.

"Wait... wait a minute! Please don't..."

A moment later, a shrill scream came from the treatment room.

"It hurts!"

Upon hearing the screams, Xiaoqing and Paipa immediately rushed into the treatment room.

"Xiao Zhi, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Only then did they see that Xiao Zhi, who should have been receiving treatment, was lying on the ground, his body stiff and numb, his condition worsening despite treatment.

After Xiaoqing and Pipa helped Xiaozhi up, Mimosa gave an awkward explanation.

"No, I'm sorry... Due to my role as an academy representative, I'm a bit overwhelmed with my work. The Dream Eater's mental healing, the Sea Urchin's paralysis treatment, the Sprout Deer's aromatherapy, the Ice Ghost's freezing treatment... I've mixed them up again!"

Looking at the dejected Mimosa and the group of Devil Triggers behind her, heads bowed in shame, Ash and his friends finally understood why their classmates' conditions kept getting worse with treatment at the infirmary.

After a while, Ash finally recovered from the intensifying pain. Having received proper treatment, Ash also sensed Mimosa's self-blame and exhaustion, and said comfortingly.

“It’s alright, Head Nurse Mimosa. I know you didn’t mean it. I’ve recovered after receiving the correct treatment…”

Mimosa said dejectedly.

“I knew it. I couldn’t take over Mimolly’s job from her, and I couldn’t get a permanent position at the academy…”

Hearing Mimosa's dejected words, Xiaoqing comforted her by recounting their previous experience of encountering a snow disaster in "Frosty Mountain".

"...Ms. Mimolly said that Mimosa, as her sister, has always been her pride!"

Hearing Mimoli's positive evaluation of her from Xiaoqing, Mimosha regained her confidence.

"So... my sister has always trusted me this much!"

At this moment, Pipa also spoke up at the opportune moment.

“That’s right, it’s just that the workload of treatment and nursing, as well as the work handled by the academy, all piled up on Head Nurse Mimosa, which is why you occasionally made mistakes…”

Xiao Zhi nodded and continued.

"At the same time, I would also like to thank you for receiving Ms. Mimoli's message about the snow-melting passage on Frostmoil Mountain and passing it on to Teacher Huangbo, which prevented me from missing this important matter!"

Encouraged by Ash and his friends, Mimosa regained her morale.

"Okay, thank you for your encouragement. I am now confident that I can balance my work at the Nursing and Extracurricular College!"

As she spoke, Mimosa and her Pokémon came to the bedside outside the treatment room.

"Students, I'm here to re-treat you and speed up your recovery!"

"No, please don't..."

Outside the bustling infirmary, somewhere within the academy, the Team Rocket members were peeking around, doing something mischievous.

"Since there isn't a single teacher in the academy, we'd better hurry up and collect all the wealth within the academy, meow!"

Musashi quietly echoed.

"It's all because Kojiro's money-grabbing spirit has taken all the money we earned from our part-time jobs! I need the travel expenses to get to the next town for the cooking competition and to win my last 'Taste Badge'!"

“Sonams…”

"How can you blame my money-gathering spirit? Collecting wealth is its nature... What's wrong with you all? Musashi, meow meow!"

Kojiro looked at Musashi and Meow Meow with a puzzled expression, while also sensing the rapid breathing coming from behind them.

Kojiro slowly turned around, and in the darkness appeared a giant Pokémon named Ripple, with a distinctive horn on its forehead, supporting its weight on only its hind legs, walking on two legs, two long tails, and thick fur on its neck.

Before Team Rocket could react, Ripple unleashed a Water Cannon attack, sending them flying into the air with screams of pain.

"What kind of weird Pokémon is that?!"

"This feeling is so awful, meow..."

“Sonams…”

Team Rocket, transformed into shooting stars, departed the field, leaving behind their belongings that they hadn't taken with them, as the waves roared in unison.

"Howl!"

This startled Ash and his friends, who were about to leave the academy.

"What...what is that sound?"

"Are there any Pokémon in the academy that make that sound?"

Meanwhile, at the entrance to "Padia District Zero", Reiho and Yeci led a group of Alliance staff.

"In the 'Great Pit of Parthia'",