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"Even if you're strong, don't underestimate us!" Jessie shouted defiantly, releasing her backup Pokémon. "Lickitung, use Lick!"
"That's right! Even if we're going to lose, we can't lose our dignity!" Jessie declared, matching his partner's determination. "Weezing, use Sludge Bomb!"
"Exactly, meow!" Meowth chimed in, striking a dramatic pose. "You can cut off our heads, you can make us bleed, but you can never mess up our hair! Wait, that doesn't sound right, meow... Anyway, we're going to fight! Take this - Fury Swipes!"
The three Team Rocket members launched their desperate final assault, with Jessie and James sending out their secondary Pokémon while Meowth joined the battle personally. Despite knowing they were outmatched, they were determined to preserve what little pride they had left.
"Listen carefully, you three," Eddie said with a cold sneer, his tone carrying an unmistakable threat. "The next time we meet, if your strength hasn't grown to a level that satisfies me, I won't bother beating you up anymore. Instead, I'll take you directly to the police station. Do you understand me?"
Without waiting for their response, he pointed toward his Eevee. "Eevee, use Thunderbolt and send them on their way."
"Vui!" Eevee responded eagerly, having grown impatient waiting for this moment. In a brilliant flash of transformation, the small Evolution Pokémon became Jolteon, its yellow fur crackling with electrical energy. The Electric-type immediately unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt that struck all three attacking Team Rocket members and their Pokémon simultaneously.
Lickitung and Weezing collapsed instantly under the devastating electrical assault, completely unconscious before they even hit the ground. The three Team Rocket members themselves were caught in the attack's range, their bodies convulsing as electricity coursed through them, making them spark and smoke.
However, this time they managed to show some resilience, gritting their teeth and somehow remaining upright instead of being immediately blasted away as usual.
"Not bad at all," Eddie commented, genuinely impressed by their newfound determination. "You've developed some real perseverance. Remember what I told you - if you're still this weak the next time we meet, well..." He let the threat hang in the air with a meaningful smile.
To reward their improved tenacity, Eddie decided they deserved a proper send-off. "Gardevoir, give them another Thunderbolt to help them on their way."
"Wait! We're sorry! Please don't—" James began desperately.
"No! I'm going to get blasted off again!" Jessie wailed in anticipation.
"Curse it all, meow! This time I'm really going to get stronger!" Meowth declared with fierce determination.
After barely surviving Jolteon's initial Thunderbolt, the trio knew they had no chance of withstanding another attack from the even more powerful Gardevoir. Their fears proved justified as the Psychic-type gathered crackling electrical energy between her hands.
"BOOM!"
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they screamed in unison as they were launched high into the sky.
But this time was different. As they soared through the air, their expressions showed resolve rather than just defeat. They were genuinely prepared to train seriously and improve themselves, because they understood that Eddie's threat wasn't empty. If their strength remained inadequate during their next encounter, they really would find themselves behind bars.
"What a tedious battle," Eddie muttered with a shrug, though he wasn't entirely disappointed. "Well, I suppose it served as a decent warm-up for Gardevoir before more serious battles."
Gardevoir nodded in agreement, seeming to understand her trainer's assessment perfectly. While the fight hadn't been challenging, it had provided some practical experience.
"You're all Pokémon from Stone Town, aren't you?" Eddie addressed the group of rescued Pokémon that had been watching the battle with wide eyes. "Follow me. I'll take you back home."
Before leading them away, Eddie gathered up the pile of Evolution Stones that Team Rocket had stolen, securing them carefully. The liberated Pokémon were absolutely overjoyed when they heard his offer to escort them home. Nearly all of them expressed their gratitude in various ways - some with cheerful cries, others by nuzzling against Eddie affectionately, and a few by performing little celebratory dances.
Among the rescued Pokémon, three particular ones caught Eddie's attention: a Flareon, a Vaporeon, and a Jolteon. These three immediately recognized the Eevee resting in Eddie's arms, understanding that this was their trainer's younger brother's cherished partner. Seeing that their friend had also been found and was in safe hands made them even more jubilant.
Gardevoir could sense the overwhelming gratitude emanating from all the rescued Pokémon toward Eddie. This emotional feedback only strengthened her own appreciation for her trainer. She felt more certain than ever that choosing to follow him had been the right decision.
"Something I've always wondered about," Eddie mused as they began walking toward Stone Town. "There are supposedly many Pokémon much stronger than Team Rocket's members. So how do they manage to capture all these Pokémon in the first place?"
This question had puzzled him when watching the anime series, and it continued to confuse him now that he was living in this world. The most logical explanation seemed to be that Team Rocket's technology really was among the most advanced in the world.
"Actually, now that I think about it," Eddie continued his analysis, "Team Rocket did study Mew's genetic material to create Mewtwo. They researched space virus DNA to develop Deoxys. And they've even created devices capable of controlling and fusing the three Legendary Birds..."
As he considered these achievements, Eddie realized that Team Rocket's technological capabilities genuinely seemed to be unmatched anywhere in this world. Whether comparing them to legitimate research institutions or other criminal organizations, few could match their scientific prowess.
They had used advanced technology combined with various schemes to capture the three Legendary Birds. Their laboratories had created the incredibly powerful Mewtwo. And without Team Rocket's interference with the space virus, the mysterious Pokémon Deoxys might never have come into existence.
"So really, there's nothing particularly surprising about them developing devices to capture ordinary Pokémon," Eddie concluded with a thoughtful nod. "Their technology truly is world-class."
Twenty minutes later, Eddie arrived in Stone Town with his parade of rescued Pokémon trailing behind him. Such a large group entering the town would have attracted attention under normal circumstances, but given that the townspeople were currently mobilized and searching for the Team Rocket criminals, their arrival caused an immediate sensation.
Eddie had barely set foot in the town when he found himself surrounded by grateful residents. The townspeople weren't foolish - seeing that Eddie had returned with their missing Pokémon rather than the three Team Rocket members, they quickly understood that this young trainer had successfully rescued their beloved partners. The gratitude in their voices was unmistakable.
"This is incredible! These are our Pokémon! Thank you so much for bringing them back safely!"
The three Eevee brothers - Sparky, Rainer, and Pyro - approached Eddie first, their relief and appreciation evident in every word.
"Wait a minute, brother," Pyro suddenly exclaimed, his attention focusing on the Eevee nestled in Eddie's arms. "That's an Eevee! It's our little brother's Eevee!"
While Eddie also had an Eevee perched on his head, Pyro could easily identify that the one in Eddie's arms belonged to their younger brother Mikey. This wasn't due to any special ability to distinguish between Pokémon, but rather because Mikey's Eevee wore a distinctive name tag around its neck.
"You didn't just rescue our town's Pokémon," Sparky said, carefully taking the Eevee from Eddie's arms. "You also found our little brother Mikey's precious partner. I honestly don't know how we can ever thank you properly."
But Sparky knew that words of gratitude alone weren't sufficient to express their appreciation. He was already planning to offer Eddie some tangible rewards for his heroic actions.
Eddie had just finished returning all the stolen Evolution Stones to their rightful owners, demonstrating that he wasn't motivated by personal gain. He clearly didn't need money, and he had plenty of Evolution Stones of his own. The fact that he had returned such valuable items rather than keeping them showed his honorable character - he wouldn't lose face by appropriating stolen goods.
"Please, let us do this," Sparky insisted, selecting several stones from their collection. "Our town's specialty is Evolution Stones. Accept these as a token of our gratitude."
Despite Eddie having just returned their stones, Sparky was determined to give him a proper reward. He carefully chose a variety of high-quality specimens.
"Here's one of each type we produce: Fire Stone, Water Stone, Thunder Stone, Leaf Stone, Sun Stone, Shiny Stone, Dusk Stone, Dawn Stone, and Ice Stone," Sparky explained, presenting the collection to Eddie.
The only notable absence was a Moon Stone, but those were primarily found and produced at Mt. Moon in the Kanto region, not in their small town.
"Oh, and I have something else," Sparky added, still feeling that his gift wasn't adequate. He reached into his belongings and pulled out an item that he considered somewhat precious, though he had never figured out how to use it properly. "I found this strange disc a while back. You can have it as well."
When Eddie saw what Sparky was offering, he maintained his calm exterior, but internally his excitement soared. While he had accepted the Evolution Stones at a normal pace, his hand moved with lightning speed to secure this particular item.
The reason for his enthusiasm was immediately clear - Sparky had just given him a Technical Machine, and not just any TM, but one containing an extremely powerful move.
TM68 - Giga Impact: A devastating Normal-type move with a base power of 150. The user charges at the target with tremendous force, but the overwhelming exertion leaves the user unable to move on the following turn.
"Excellent," Eddie thought to himself, barely containing his satisfaction. "Now Snorlax can learn this move, and I'll have another trump card in my arsenal. This could even serve as the base for a Z-Move combination."
The gift was far more valuable than Sparky could have possibly known, but Eddie accepted it graciously, knowing that this powerful technique would significantly enhance his team's capabilities in future battles.