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Outskirts of Rustboro City, Hoenn Region.
"Wow, I didn't think Hoenn had so many TCG fans!"
James had just won a few cards from an elementary schooler, grinning from ear to ear. "A mission and card games? This is amazing!"
"Child's play," Jessie scoffed.
"Exactly! James, you're way too childish, meow!" Meowth chimed in.
"You two just don't get the charm!" James pouted.
While they bickered as usual, the communicator suddenly buzzed.
The trio immediately put on their serious "meeting the boss" faces.
"Mentor, awaiting orders!"
The screen lit up with a young man whose looks rivaled Steven and totally outshone Raihan.
Floating beside him was a Gengar. He looked slightly serious. "You guys didn't run into any trouble, did you?"
"Trouble?" Meowth scratched his head. "Everything's calm and quiet lately, meow!"
"Well I have a problem—I gained a kilo! It's all Meowth's fault!" Jessie shouted.
"Could you not bring up unrelated stuff, Jessie?!" James was sweating bullets.
Jessie's eyebrow twitched. "You calling that a small thing?!"
Watching them mess around, Lu Ye let out a breath of relief, "As long as you're all okay… Things in Hoenn have been unstable lately. Poachers have been sighted. You three should stick to the city for now. Hold off on missions for a while."
They were his subordinates, after all. Naturally, he cared deeply.
More than that… deep down, Lu Ye didn't want them to release Arbok and Weezing.
But that wasn't something he could control.
Since that storyline hadn't happened yet, It was better to clear out the threats early.
'I just worry… those three blockheads might go picking a fight on their own.' Lu Ye frowned slightly and glanced at the little ones around him.
Truthfully, Team Rocket's love for their Pokémon was no less than Ash's.
That's exactly why, when they saw a battered Arbok or Weezing, they'd charge in without thinking.
"Gengarr?" Gengar looked at the silent Lu Ye, pulled at the corners of his mouth, and made a goofy face to cheer him up.
Hoenn wasn't far.
Lu Ye smiled slightly and muttered to himself, "Guess I better head over. After all… I am the Team Rocket's Mentor!"
---
"There are poachers around here?"
Jessie scratched her head. "James, what's your take?"
"Isn't Team Rocket's 'Rainbow Project' all about wiping out poachers?"
James rubbed his chin. "Using 'darkness to fight darkness,' we can easily clean up and rehab a bunch of Pokémon."
"And if we present those Pokémon to the Mentor, meow…" Meowth's eyes lit up.
The three of them exchanged a glance, then chuckled in unison.
As the sun dipped low, the raspy cries of Fearow echoed above the forest.
The trio stood on a slope.
"Why are we still using pitfall traps?"
"Because they're cheap," James said, setting down his binoculars. "But there's not a soul in sight."
"If they're poachers, they'll be hiding deep in the woods. We just gotta wait them out~~" Just as he was feeling smug, Meowth's paw slipped and he tumbled down the slope.
"You okay, Meowth?!" Jessie and James rushed after him.
"Ow…" Meowth rubbed his head, then tilted it at the camo tarp in front of him.
Pulling it back revealed an iron cage—and Meowth froze.
Inside were Arbok, covered in wounds and crying out in pain.
"You got caught and badly hurt by the poachers?" Meowth translated, his tone furious.
"Don't worry. Leave this to me!" He pounced at the cage, trying to open it—but was shocked back by an electric current running through the bars.
Jessie and James caught him just in time, standing with him in front of the cage.
"The bars are electrified, and these poor Arbok got seriously hurt, meow!" Meowth growled.
"That poacher must be a total amateur—to abuse Pokémon they worked so hard to capture!" Jessie snarled.
"Right?" James looked heartbroken at the Arbok inside. "Maybe… we should let them out?"
"Great idea!" Jessie's eyes sparkled. "If we give them to the Mentor, we might even get a bonus!"
"Arbok…" Jessie's own Arbok looked at her with teary eyes. She patted him and smiled reassuringly.
"I know these are your comrades. We will get them out!"
"Arbok!" He nodded fiercely.
But no matter how they tried—Acid, Sludge Bomb—none of it could damage the cage.
Just as they prepared to try again, a Fearow swooped in and sent Arbok flying.
A jeep roared into view.
A green-haired man leapt out, gun in hand, and said coldly, "What do you think you're doing to my prey?"
"It's trash like you that gives Team Rocket a bad name!" James shouted. "Weezing, Sludge Bomb!"
But Weezing hovered in the air, staring at the caged Weezing on the jeep—frozen.
James followed his gaze and saw the wounded Weezing. He smiled wryly, "Yeah… they're your comrades too."
"Then it's my turn!" The poacher, Rico, sneered and opened fire with his SMG.
At the same time, Fearow dove at Meowth.
"Don't underestimate Team Rocket's elite!" The trio dodged bullets with remarkable agility and commanded Arbok and Weezing to counterattack.
Rico scowled. "Fine. I'll just sell your Arbok and Weezing to my clients too!"
"Don't be ridiculous—Arbok's my beloved Pokémon!" Jessie yelled.
"Meowth, Fury Swipes!" James barked.
Meowth launched into action, slashing Rico's right hand.
Clatter—his gun hit the ground. Aaron grabbed a Poké Ball with his left hand, snarling, "You asked for it!"
"Go, Pupitar!"
The gray-scaled Pupitar took the hit and stared down arrogantly.
But Rico spun around—Meowth was lunging at the cage.
Electric sparks flickered. Rico sneered, "The bars are high-voltage, idiot!"
Bruised and battered, Meowth bared his teeth and trembled, saying, "Compared to Pikachu's Thunderbolt… this is nothing!"
Rico's eyes widened.
Meowth endured the shock, unlocked two cages, and the captive Weezing and Arbok burst out in a panic.
"You've pissed me off now, Team Rocket!" Rico growled. Pupitar knocked Arbok aside and started to glow.
"No way…" Jessie and James were hoarse.
Tyranitar, eyes red and scales monstrous, roared with unrestrained fury.
"I held off its evolution just to trap justice-loving fools like you!" Rico laughed.
"Tyranitar, Giga Impact!"
Faced with overwhelming force, Jessie and James could only flee in panic.
At that time, Wobbuffet still couldn't live up to its future "God Wobba" potential—easily knocked aside.
Despair crept into the trio's hearts.
But they remained calm-faced.
"Go on, Arbok." At the forest edge, Jessie released his ball. "Take your friends and run."
"You too, Weezing," James smiled. "There's no way I'm handing over my precious Pokémon to scum!"
Arbok and Weezing looked at each other, then at their injured comrades—tears filled their eyes as they shook their heads.
Another explosion. Tyranitar's roar was closing in.
"I told you to run, didn't you hear?!" Jessie shouted.
"Get as far as you can. We'll hold off Tyranitar, meow!" Meowth clenched his fists.
The two Poison-types exchanged one last glance, tears in their eyes.
Rico arrived with Tyranitar, "Trying to run? None of you are getting away!"
Tyranitar glowed white and charged with a furious roar.
Jessie and James exchanged a look and nodded in sync.
They opened their arms and stood in front of Arbok and Weezing, eyes shut tight.
But the searing pain never came.
Meowth trembled and peeked open his eyes.
Standing in front of him—was a snow-white Sirfetch'd, holding up a shield against the rampaging Tyranitar.
Despite the size difference, Sirfetch'd wore a calm, breezy smile… and even had the strength to look back.
With his bold eyebrows and shining eyes, Sirfetch'd nodded slightly. (My lance fights for those who cannot!)
"Th-this is…" Jessie and James were frozen in place.
"Made it just in time."
From the treetop, rustling sounds—like a Viet Cong recon unit peeking through leaves.
A handsome Trainer crouched on the branch and sighed. "Good thing your communicators still had GPS."
The trio looked up and gasped in unison.
"Mentor!"
"Save the tears for later," Lu Ye's eyes sharpened. "As your mentor, I am not happy!"
Schwing!
Sirfetch'd parried Tyranitar's Giga Impact and swept his lance in afterimages—
Close Combat!
Five hits in a flash. Even though Tyranitar blocked, it howled in pain.
Rico's face changed. Just as he was about to shout commands, a chill crept down his spine.
"I'm a street-fight guy too," Lu Ye murmured. "Gengar, Shadow Punch!"
"Gengarr! (σ;Д)=3⁼³₌₃⁼³₌₃⁼³₌₃"
"Ugh—!" Rico's stomach caved in. He spat and flew several meters back.
"Keep going. Leave him alive." Lu Ye said coldly. "Sirfetch'd, Detect!"
Schwing!
That's how Sirfetch'd blocked Giga Impact earlier—with Detect.
Now, he tucked his leek back in his belt, eyes flashing, and slashed like a swordsman—
Leaf Blade!
A perfect horizontal cut across Tyranitar's belly.
Critical hit! It's super effective!
BOOM!!
Tyranitar collapsed with a deafening crash.
The trio gulped audibly.
That brutal street-fighting style, that freakishly calm command presence, that sharp, heroic figure—
Jessie, James, and Meowth all had tears in their eyes, choked up with emotion.
They looked back—Arbok and Weezing, battered and bruised, were smiling warmly at them.
"Thank goodness!" The trio hugged their Pokémon and wept.
Lu Ye nodded toward Gengar, who bundled up the half-dead poacher and handed him off to Officer Jenny.
Jenny saluted Lu Ye, then walked up to the Rocket trio.
"W-what do you want?" Jessie said nervously.
"We're just regular citizens! We didn't do anything illegal!" James was sweating bullets.
Jenny glanced at their Team Rocket uniforms and smiled, saluting, "Thank you—for helping apprehend the poacher. I'll report this credit to the League under Team Rocket's name."
"Huh?" The trio blinked, dumbfounded.
"Told you already," Lu Ye walked up, arms crossed, shrugged. "Team Rocket's a legal org now."
The trio froze, then rushed forward.
"Mentor! ﾍ(;´Д｀ﾍ)"
"Hey—don't hug me! Don't wipe your snot on me!!"
The incident wrapped up.
Team Rocket was taken to the station to give statements, grinning like idiots beside Arbok and Weezing.
They weren't arrested. In fact, they were even awarded a banner of commendation for helping stop the poacher.
Lu Ye twitched at the temple.
For some reason, that banner made him remember the "Master of Gynecology" flag...
As for the poacher, he fell into Lance's hands. That guy was not gonna have a good time.
Outside the station, Lu Ye and Lance stood side by side. Lance smiled, "You came all this way just for those three Team Rocket members?"
Lu Ye nodded without hesitation. "I never want to leave regrets behind."
Lance folded his arms, 'The "Rainbow Project" had been making headlines lately, and now the Rocket trio was being awarded? Maybe… public opinion about Team Rocket had already started to shift...'
Lance shook his head. "I'm starting to think… with Team Rocket around, the League might actually be more stable."
Lu Ye gave no comment.
Team Rocket would never be the face of the League—but like the Italian Mafia.
There might be a Mob Star.
Or even a Godfather.
"Some people are in it for money. Some for survival. And others… just because they love Pokémon, even if they can't be Trainers," Lance looked back at his cape, "I've still got a long way to go…"
Lu Ye scratched his head, 'Honestly, none of that mattered. What mattered was that his people weren't going to be bullied anymore!'
"Hehe." Jessie, James, and Meowth walked out of the station, dumb grins on their faces, holding their banner.
They lit up at the sight of Lu Ye.
Then saw the stone-faced Lance and slunk away.
Lu Ye burst out laughing.
Everything was finally settled. Time to head home.
Although… Lu Ye looked to the sky, 'Can someone please explain why Sirfetch'd suddenly learned Leaf Blade? Was it because I stuck his leek in a potted plant and he got mad?!'
"Sir~fetched~" Sirfetch'd wiped down his lance like a proud Holy Knight, expression cool and serene. (That Tyranitar was super scary, quack~! (´థ౪థ)σ Just a little more and Duckie would've been roast duck!)
Today.
Was another day Duckie fought hard to avoid being eaten!
Not far away.
Jessie and James looked down at their Poké Balls and smiled sincerely.
At some point, the person they were working for had changed. No longer a suit-wearing man—But a young man with a warm, kind smile.
"If we can catch Pikachu… and give it to the Mentor…"
"That'd be the perfect way to thank him for saving us!"
"Cute Pikachu—bet the Mentor would love it!"
The trio cheered together:
"Such a great feeling~!"
"Wooobbuffet~!"