1. Ash's Story (Part 10: Galar)

Chapter 14: Grass Badge

Route 4 greeted us with golden grass, open fields, and the distant shape of Turffield Stadium rising beyond the hills. After the dust and echoes of Galar Mine, the wide sky felt almost too bright. Alice stopped near the path, eyes fixed on the stadium's Grass-type emblem.

"That place is huge," she said. "You can see it from all the way out here."

"It gives everyone something to walk toward," I said, though my attention shifted when metal scraped sharply near a farm fence.

A rough-furred Meowth was clawing at a stack of worn tools beside the field. At first, it looked like it was damaging them for fun, but then I noticed it kept choosing the hardest pieces: bent fence hooks, dull spades, and battered metal rings.

Our Meowth jumped down from beside me, whiskers twitching with offended curiosity. "Hold on. Are you trying to tell me you are also a Meowth?"

The Galarian Meowth spun around, coin dark and hard against its forehead. It dragged its claws proudly across a dented spade, sparks snapping from the edge, "Soft claws do not earn respect. Hard work leaves harder marks."

Meowth folded his arms. "I have plenty of respect without ruining farm tools."

"It is not just ruining them," Alice said, watching the scratches. "It is drawn to the metal."

The farmer explained that the tools had been left near the fence because repairs were planned for later. Galarian Meowth had not chosen shiny decorations or soft metal signs. It kept testing the parts that had worked longest in the field, as if scratches, dents, and rust told it which pieces deserved attention.

Alice crouched near a broken latch while our Meowth watched from a suspicious distance. The Galarian Meowth's whiskers were rough enough to look like a beard, and every movement carried pride rather than ordinary mischief. It was not asking to be cute. It wanted its strength noticed.

The farmer nearby hurried over, worried until Galarian Meowth shoved a cracked hinge toward him. The hinge split completely when the farmer lifted it, revealing rust hidden under the surface. Elena raised one brow. "It found the weak pieces."

I nodded. "Then we help before it tests the whole fence."

Meowth battled it before the farm lost another tool. Night Slash met Metal Claw in a burst of sparks, and both Meowth looked personally insulted by the other's style. When our Meowth finally knocked it back, Galarian Meowth stayed upright, breathing hard but proud.

"You like strong work, right?" I asked, holding out a Poké Ball. "Come with us. There will be better things to test than one tired fence."

Galarian Meowth eyed our Meowth, then tapped the ball with a claw.

Pokédex Entry Updated — Ash and Alice's Shared Galar Record

Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokémon. Steel type. These daring Pokémon have coins on their foreheads. Darker coins are harder, and harder coins garner more respect among Meowth.

Our Meowth stared at the ball. "Great. Another me, but pointier."

Pikachu patted his arm with a grin, "You survived worse than sharing a name."

Meowth sighed. "That is not as comforting as you think."

The farm trouble did not end with tools. A shout carried across the fields, followed by a rolling wave of Wooloo scattering through grass, around fences, and straight toward us. Milo came running after them, boots thudding against the path.

"Wooloo, where do you think you are going?" he called.

One Wooloo rolled directly into Alice and bounced against her legs. She caught it before it knocked her over, and her own Wooloo hurried forward, pressing its side gently against the frightened one. The wild rush slowed almost at once.