The forest road to Azalea Town was quiet except for the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional cry of distant Pokémon. Ash walked at the head of the group, Pikachu riding his shoulder while Eevee kept pace beside Ash's leg.
Misty carried Togepi in her arms, the little one cooing happily at every new sight. Daisy, Erika, Melody, and Sabrina followed close behind, chatting lightly about the gym battle that still waited ahead.
A strange, skittering noise suddenly cut through the trees. Everyone stopped. High among the branches a dark shape leapt from trunk to trunk with startling speed wide wings, a long tail, and a pair of large pincers glinting in the dappled light before vanishing completely into the canopy.
Giselle already had her Pokédex out. The device chimed.
"Gligar, the Fly Scorpion Pokémon. A Ground- and Flying-type. It clings to trees and glides down on its victims from above. It is said to be temperamental and to dislike most humans."
Daisy raised an eyebrow. "Temperamental and dislikes humans? That sounds like a handful."
Sabrina's voice was calm. "Many of its kind prefer solitude. Approaching one carelessly can be dangerous."
Togepi chose that moment to wriggle free of Misty's arms. With a cheerful "Togi!" the baby Pokémon marched straight down the path, arms waving in delight. Before anyone could react, the ground beneath its feet gave way into a steep, leaf-covered slope. Togepi slid with a startled cry.
"Togepi!" Misty shouted.
Ash and the girls lunged forward. Pikachu and Eevee were faster. The Electric-type and the Normal-type streaked down the incline, catching Togepi by the arms just inches from a sheer drop.
For a heartbeat it seemed they had made it then the entire slope crumbled. All three tumbled into open air.
A dark blur shot from the trees. Gligar's wings snapped open, claws catching Pikachu, Eevee, and Togepi in one smooth motion. It glided in a wide arc and landed lightly in front of the group, depositing the three shaken but unharmed Pokémon on solid ground.
Giselle's Pokédex was already scanning again, confirming the same entry. Before anyone could speak, a second figure appeared on a low branch above them a man dressed head-to-toe in a costume that mirrored Gligar's colors and shape.
He struck a dramatic pose, one fist raised high.
"I am the protector of the unprotected, the defender of the undefended, the champion of the righteous, and the sworn enemy of all evildoers everywhere! With Gligar at my side I fight for goodness, and I am known worldwide as Gligarman!"
Ash's face went completely deadpan. The girls, however, stared with open curiosity.
Melody tilted her head. "What kind of hero are you, exactly?"
Daisy grinned. "That's quite the motto."
Erika's voice was polite but puzzled. "A hero of justice… dressed as a Gligar?"
Gligarman puffed out his chest. "Exactly! The hero of justice himself!" He leapt from the branch, landed beside a bush, and pulled aside the foliage to reveal a sleek motorcycle. From a pouch he produced a small silver whistle and pressed it into Ash's hand.
"If evildoers ever trouble you again, blow this whistle. I will be at your side in an instant!" He called to Gligar, who scrambled onto the back of the motorcycle. Engine roaring, the pair sped off toward a city visible in the distance.
The group stood in silence for several seconds, staring at the whistle.
A female voice suddenly called out. A young woman on a bicycle rolled to a stop, slightly out of breath. "Excuse me did you happen to see Gligarman around here?"
Ash nodded. "Just left."
The woman looked relieved, then worried. "I hope he didn't cause too much trouble."
Misty shook her head, still holding Togepi close. "Actually, he saved Togepi… and Pikachu and Eevee too. They almost fell off a cliff."
The woman's expression softened at once. "I'm glad. My name is Latoya."
Melody stepped forward. "Why are you so interested in him? Is he really a superhero?"
Giselle added, "He seemed very… committed."
Latoya gave a small, almost embarrassed smile. "He sometimes believes he is one."
Daisy's eyes narrowed with interest. "Do you know his true identity?"
Latoya's face flushed. She pushed off on her bicycle at once. "I've probably already said too much!" she called over her shoulder, pedaling quickly away.
Sabrina watched her go. "She's hiding something."
Erika nodded. "But Gligarman's ability to handle that Gligar is impressive. Most people couldn't get near one."
Later the road brought them into the nearby city. A brightly painted storefront caught their attention shelves visible through the windows were stacked with Gligarman toys, masks, capes, and posters. A clerk at the door beamed.
"Gligarman is extremely popular here! Please, come inside!"
They stepped in and found Latoya behind the counter. She looked startled to see them again.
Melody leaned on the counter. "We want to know more about Gligarman."
Giselle's tone was polite but firm. "Everything, if possible."
A middle-aged man emerged from the back room, wiping his hands on a cloth. "I know everything about Gligarman," he announced proudly. "I'm Latoya's father Mr. Parker."
He led them to a small television and played an old video. On the screen a slightly younger Gligarman and his Gligar battled a giant insectoid monster, defeating it in dramatic fashion. Erika frowned.
"That Gligarman looks different from the one we met."
Mr. Parker laughed a little too quickly. "The video was made several years ago!" He thrust armfuls of merchandise into their hands, clearly trying to change the subject. Togepi, however, had taken an immediate liking to the man and kept reaching toward him with happy coos.
Misty's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I think you might be Gligarman."
Mr. Parker sputtered. "That's ridiculous, Misty!"
Misty pointed a finger. "Gligarman is the only person in this town who knows my name. We never introduced ourselves to anyone else."
Before Mr. Parker could protest further, Sabrina's eyes glowed. A Gligarman mask floated from a nearby shelf and settled perfectly over his face. The resemblance was exact.
Melody and Giselle both gasped.
"It is you!" Melody exclaimed.
"How long have you been doing this?" Giselle asked at the same time.
Mr. Parker yanked the mask off, looking desperately around the empty shop. "Please… you must never reveal my secret. The people need Gligarman to remain a symbol."
Latoya stepped forward with a resigned sigh. "You'd better come with us."
They were taken to a large building on the edge of the city that Latoya called Gligar Mansion. Inside, she finally explained everything. Years ago the toy store had been failing. Her father invented the character of Gligarman, created stories, and sold the merchandise. One day the stories stopped being enough. He put on the costume himself because being Gligarman felt more meaningful than simply being a businessman. He had no intention of stopping.
"People need someone like him around," Mr. Parker said quietly. "Even if the hero is only a man in a costume."
They stepped into a surprisingly high-tech laboratory where Gligar lounged on a padded platform. Melody looked around with open admiration.
"You have the coolest job ever."
Latoya and Mr. Parker exchanged a glance.
"Actually… would any of you like to become the new Gligarman? Or Gligirl?"
Ash shook his head without hesitation. "I appreciate the offer. But my dream is to become a Pokémon Master… and to build a bright future with my wives."
The girls all looked at him with soft, warm expressions. Misty's smile was especially bright.
Daisy gave him a playful nudge. Erika's eyes softened. Melody clasped her hands together. Giselle's quiet pride was clear. Sabrina's usual reserve held a rare flicker of affection.
An alarm suddenly blared through the lab. Multiple screens lit up with live footage of the toy store under attack. A group of robbers was inside.
Mr. Parker was already pulling on the Gligarman costume. "I'm going. Ash come with me if you want."
They arrived to find chaos. One female robber in an elaborate supervillain costume directed two men dressed as Metapod. The store workers had been tied up and forced into Metapod costumes of their own. Gligar launched itself at the goons, latching onto their faces with sticky claws and sending them stumbling.
The female robber, however, activated a large Spinarak-shaped robot. Thick strands of artificial webbing shot out, wrapping Gligarman, Ash, and the entire group of girls before they could scatter. The robot lifted them high above the town square and hung them in plain view of the gathering crowd.
"Today the true face of Gligarman will be revealed!" the female robber shouted.
Before she could pull off the mask, the store workers still half-dressed as Metapod burst out of the building.
"We believe in you, Mr. Parker!" one yelled.
"We've always known!" another added.
"You're our hero either way!"
Mr. Parker's eyes widened. They had known his identity all along.
A new figure suddenly dropped from a rooftop a young woman in a Gligar-inspired costume. "Gligirl, reporting for duty!" she announced. Gligar hesitated only a second before recognizing Latoya and flying to her side. "Cut them free!" she ordered.
Gligar's claws sliced through the webbing. At the same time Pikachu and Eevee darted beneath the Spinarak robot, running figure-eights around its legs until the machine tangled itself. Gligar and Pikachu launched a coordinated assault while Eevee formed a dark sphere of energy.
"Thunderbolt! , Shadow Ball!" Ash called.
The combined attack overloaded the robot. Sparks flew, the machine shuddered, and then it exploded in a burst of smoke and metal. The three robbers were sent blasting off into the distance in classic fashion.
The town erupted in cheers.
Later, as the sun began to set, Mr. Parker and Latoya walked the group to the edge of the city. A small argument had already started between father and daughter over who truly "owned" Gligar's loyalty. Both claimed the Pokémon listened to them more.
Ash smiled and raised a hand in farewell. "Take care of each other. And of Gligar."
The girls echoed the goodbye. With the whistle still in Ash's pocket and the memory of a very unusual hero behind them, the group turned back toward the forest road. Azalea Town and the gym that waited there lay only a short journey ahead.