9. The Sevestar Prince

Chapter 85

"Alice, you need to take a break. Don't worry about the race; I'll make sure we win," Ash assures her before urging his Rapidash forward. His opponent notices them closing in and retaliates, saying, "I won't lose this race. Sandstorm!"

A swirling sandstorm engulfs the field, obscuring Rapidash's vision. Ash clicks his tongue in frustration and says, "Dirty tricks... Although attacking the Pokémon is against the rules, using weather effects isn't. Rapidash, stay calm and follow my lead. Use Flame Charge, then Agility."

Rapidash accelerates, creating a gust of wind that blows away the sand, allowing it to catch up to Steelix.

"Frustrating... Steelix, Iron Head!" The opponent attempts an attack, but Ash reminds them, "Attacks are against the rules, Rapidash! Double Team! Confuse them!"

Rapidash obeys and splits into multiple copies, causing Steelix to miss its target. Ash crosses the finish line first.

"Alright!" Eve and Flora cheer, hugging each other. "Rapidash Racers are the best!"

Ash quickly rushes to Alice, who is still on the ground, with Trenor supporting her. Worriedly, he asks, "Alice, are you okay?"

Alice replies, "I'm fine, but I think I may have a broken bone..."

"No one messes with my wife and gets away with it," Ash says with anger as he turns to face the Dark Raiders, who are clearly upset about losing the race. The referee intervenes, stating, "Considering the Dark Raiders also broke the rules, it's only fair to declare the Rapidash Racers the winners of the horse race."

The angry team attempts a coordinated attack with all three of their Pokémon simultaneously. However, Trenor quickly reacts, shouting, "Mudsdale, use Earthquake!"

The powerful tremor shakes the ground and causes the opposing Pokémon to faint. Just then, Officer Jennys arrives on the scene and promptly arrests the team for their misconduct. The referee offers an apology, saying, "I'm sorry that everyone had to witness this, but with the Rapidash Racers as the winners, please come to the stage to receive the trophy."

After a while, Trenor steps forward to accept the trophy on behalf of the team, while Ash and Alice stand to the side. Alice, with limited mobility due to her injury, speaks up, saying, "Ash, we need to get an X-ray to assess the severity of this injury."

Ash, concerned, asks, "Can you guide me on how to heal this type of injury?"

Alice replies, "We need to have an X-ray to properly diagnose it... I have to understand how serious it is."

At that moment, they are surprised to hear a familiar voice. They turn around to see Brock, one of Ash's former traveling companions, who speaks with a reassuring tone, "It's really you, Ash and Alice. Don't worry; I can help with this. I'm a doctor, and I have the necessary equipment."

Ash, both surprised and a little irritated, questions, "Brock? What are you doing here?" as he continues to assist Alice with her injury.

"I was called here as part of the medical team," Brock explains while conducting a thorough examination of Alice. "You don't need to worry; your wife just has a minor bone fracture. It will take some time to heal, but she'll be perfectly fine."

Ash nods in agreement as he assists in applying a cast to Alice's arm and carefully securing it with a bandage. Shortly after, Eve and the others arrive on the scene.

"Eve, I'm relieved to see that you're okay," Alice says, though she refrains from hugging her sister due to her injury. "I'm sorry for causing you all worry. And thank you, Brock. Although I could have managed it on my own..."