Strongest Lottery System in Pokémon World

Chapter 8: Metagross vs. Spearow Flock

Ash stood his ground, arms spread wide, shouting in a desperate attempt to scare off the aggressive Spearow flock.

But Spearows were naturally irritable and fearless creatures. How could they possibly be intimidated by him?

"Caw! Caw!"

With a sharp cry, the flock of Spearows seemed to receive an unspoken command. In perfect unison, they dove toward Ash, their sharp beaks gleaming with menace.

"Pikapi!"

Pikachu, standing behind Ash, was deeply moved by his trainer's bravery. Without a moment's hesitation, it leapt in front of Ash, prepared to risk its life to protect him.

At that critical moment, a commanding voice echoed from above.

"Metagross, use Psychic!"

The voice was familiar, but Ash didn't have time to place it.

Before he could react, the air above began to distort. An invisible force surrounded the entire flock of Spearow, halting them mid-flight. The birds froze in place as though struck by a colossal hammer before plummeting to the ground like a sudden downpour.

"Whoa… amazing!"

Ash's mouth hung open as he stared, dumbfounded, at the scene.

"Pika!"

Pikachu's wide eyes mirrored his amazement.

Both Trainer and Pokémon turned their gaze skyward in unison, locking onto the enormous, hovering Pokémon and the person riding it.

"Marcel?!" Ash exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.

It was Marcel. But how had he become so strong?

[Defeated wild Pokémon (52/50). Reward: Normal Lottery Ticket ×1.]

[Task complete. Rewards have been distributed. Please check, Host.]

Metagross descended smoothly, its massive frame gleaming in the sunlight as it lowered itself to the ground. Marcel and Misty jumped down gracefully.

"How are you? Are you hurt?" Marcel asked as he approached Ash.

"Thanks to you, Marcel," Ash said weakly, his voice trembling with gratitude.

For Ash, who had just endured relentless pursuit by a wild flock of Spearow, Marcel's timely intervention felt nothing short of miraculous.

"It's no big deal," Marcel replied with a nonchalant wave of his hand. He gestured toward Misty. "Actually, I ran into your creditor. When she heard you were in trouble, we decided to check it out."

"Creditor?" Ash froze, his expression stiffening.

Only then did he notice Misty, who was kneeling beside her bicycle, inspecting its condition.

When she lifted the battered bike, her expression darkened as she took in the sight of its mangled front wheel bent frame.

"My bicycle!" Misty cried, her voice a mix of disbelief and anger.

Ash winced. He knew he was to blame. Not only had he taken Misty's bike without asking, but he had also wrecked it to almost a scrap.

"We'll talk about the bike later," Marcel interjected smoothly, diffusing the tension. "Pikachu looks pretty bad right now. Should we get it to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City?"

Ash glanced down at Pikachu, whose small body was covered in scratches. Its breathing was shallow, and it looked utterly exhausted from its earlier act of courage.

"You're right. Pikachu needs help!" Ash said anxiously, cradling the injured Pokémon in his arms.

Marcel quickly assessed the situation. "Metagross can't carry three people and a bike," he explained. "How about this? I'll take Pikachu to the Pokémon Center first. You and Misty can catch up later."

Ash hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded. He trusted Marcel completely.

"Pikachu, hang in there. Marcel will get you treated, and I'll be there soon," Ash said gently, his voice filled with concern.

"Pika…" Pikachu nodded weakly, its earlier trust in Ash deepened by the ordeal.

"Just don't shock me, Pikachu," Marcel muttered as he carefully took the injured Pokémon into his arms.

With a single leap, Marcel mounted Metagross. The massive Pokémon shot into the sky, flying swiftly toward Viridian City.

A vibrant rainbow arced through the clearing sky behind them as the storm subsided.

---

When they landed at the Viridian City Pokémon Center, Metagross immediately drew a crowd.

"What is that Pokémon? It looks so powerful!"

"Isn't that a pseudo-legendary from the Hoenn region?!"

"I want one!"

Ignoring the excited whispers, Marcel recalled Metagross into its Poké Ball and rushed inside, Pikachu still cradled securely in his arms.

At the front desk, Nurse Joy greeted him with a look of concern.

"Miss Joy, this Pikachu needs immediate treatment!" Marcel said urgently.

"Is this your Pokémon? It's hurt so badly!" Nurse Joy frowned, taking in the extent of Pikachu's injuries.

"No, it belongs to a friend. He's on his way, but the situation was urgent, so I brought it here first," Marcel explained quickly.

"Understood. Leave it to me!" Nurse Joy replied, summoning Chansey to assist her. Together, they carefully moved Pikachu into the operating room.

"Will Pikachu be okay?" Marcel asked, his voice tinged with worry.

"Thanks to your timely arrival, it should recover without major issues," Nurse Joy reassured him with a kind smile.

The Pokémon world's advanced medical technology was truly remarkable. As long as a Pokémon wasn't mortally wounded, its chances of recovery were exceedingly high.

"Thank you," Marcel said sincerely.

"It's my duty," Nurse Joy replied before turning back to her other tasks.

---

With Pikachu in capable hands, Marcel found himself with some free time. He settled onto a sofa in the corner and opened the system interface.

"System, show my ticket count."

[Remaining Tickets: Normal ×1, Silver ×0, Gold ×0, Platinum ×0.]

Marcel's lips twitched at the unnecessary zeroes. "System, don't display categories with no tickets. It's just depressing."

[Display settings updated.]

Satisfied with the system's prompt response, Marcel gave his next command.

"Use the Normal Lottery Ticket."

[You have used a Normal Lottery Ticket… Drawing…]

[Congratulations! You have…]