CR040: Notorious Noctowl

Notorious Noctowl (VSカブトプス) (known as Mighty Flight, Noctowl! in Chuang Yi version) is the 2nd chapter of Pokémon Adventures: Volume 13.

Synopsis
The battles continue, as Whitney faces Misty, though Starmie manages to defeat Miltank. Next are Falkner and Janine. Janine makes a lot of pressure on Falkner, who is determined to win against all odds, for he followed his father to become a Gym Leader. Janine, realizing she also followed her father, sees someone in the audience and goes after him!

Chapter Plot
Brock returns to the bench, slightly ashamed. The next battle is Misty vs. Whitney. Meanwhile, Gold reports there are no suspicious characters, but know the Masked Man is the Gym Leader. Crystal reminds him Oak wanted him and her to enter the League to find the Team Rocket's leader, for it spreads more evil for selfish desires. The leader is the Masked Man, who is a Gym Leader, for his mask is metallic, crafted by the same material as the Gym Badges are. Gold remembers his first encounter, when Aibo scratched his mask to recover some samples. Oak also told them the convention of the Gym Leaders is actually to uncover the mastermind of Team Rocket. Gold was ordered to observe the Gym Leaders, for they should find out who is the culprit, while Crystal was sent to watch over Gold, who can get carried away sometimes.

Due to that, Gold and Aibo go down, wanting to catch the Masked Man, even if Crystal warns him they must not be seen. On the battle field, Miltank uses Rollout, but is countered by Starmie's Rapid Spin. Using a combination of Flash and Hyper Beam, Miltank is defeated, so Misty wins. Gold thinks that even if he is the first time at the League, he considers it like a big party, for it does not show the responsibilites of a Gym Leader. However, he knows well Pokémon lovers came to watch the battles and for someone that uses Pokémon for selfish reasons, he will not forgive them.

The third battle goes underway. Janine faces Falkner, as they send Grimer and Noctowl. Falkner introduces himself as an expert of Flying-type Pokémon. Grimer minimizes, boosting its evasiveness. Grimer uses Sludge Bomb, hitting Noctowl. Falkner realizes Janine is a Poison-type Pokémon expert. Grimer continues the attacks, as Falkner cannot retaliate easy. However, Noctowl uses Foresight, having Grimer locked on. Janine calls it back, sending Ariados instead. Falkner continues the attacks, for Noctowl pecks Ariados. Noctowl stops, as Ariados crafted a web. Falkner realizes when Noctowl was hitting Ariados, it managed to spin the web. Ariados uses String Shot, binding Noctowl and causing it to fall down.

Falkner calls it back and sends Skarmory. Skarmory is still affected by String Shot and binded to the Spider Web, for Janine plans to cut the metal shell. Falkner is frustrated, as he does not want to give up, taking his father's example to become a Gym Leader. Janine hears that and looks in the audience, finding a man. With that distraction, Skarmory breaks out, for Falkner attached the winged Poké Balls that cut through string. Falkner goes to launch another attack, but Janine calls Ariados back and leaves the battle field, promising to finish the battle another time surprising everyone.

Janine tries to search for her father, being certain she saw him among the audience. Falkner comes to her, but Janine apologises for interrupting the battle, knowing she battled a similar opponent, for they both looked up to their fathers. Falkner feels there is an unwanted presence among the audience and swears, as a police officer, to catch that man. Erika, meanwhile, remembers Lt. Surge and Sabrina were their enemies, but they do not seem distrubed of their past, being Kanto's representatives. Lt. Surge stands up, ready for his battle. Erika asks Sabrina did she see Red at Mt. Silver, for she was treating her injuries there. Sabrina confirms she did see Red there.

Pokémon
Janine's Grimer

Move

 * Sludge Bomb
 * Foresight