Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
Eddie gazed at these two comedic characters with obvious amusement dancing in his eyes.
The moment they had been triggered into their automatic introduction routine, Eddie had instantly recognized who they were. That's exactly why he had deliberately mispronounced their names. While it might have seemed like harmless teasing, he was genuinely enjoying getting under their skin.
"Hey, kid! It sounds like you're making fun of us!" Cassidy snapped, her temper flaring.
"Looks like we need to show you just how powerful Team Rocket really is," Butch added with a menacing grin.
Seeing Eddie's barely contained laughter, both agents quickly realized what was happening. While Team Rocket didn't encounter many people bold enough to openly mock them, they had initially assumed Eddie simply hadn't heard their names correctly. But now, with Eddie chuckling openly at their expense, only complete fools would miss his true intentions.
"Team Rocket's power? Can't say I've witnessed it personally," Eddie replied with a casual shrug, clearly unimpressed by the two agents standing before him. "All I've ever seen is Team Rocket getting defeated."
They appeared somewhat more competent than the infamous trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth, but no matter how skilled they claimed to be, could they really overcome their organization's track record of constant failure? Eddie suspected their confidence in capturing an entire Pikachu colony with just two operatives stemmed from Team Rocket's technological advantages.
Unlike the bumbling trio, these agents had a reputation for utilizing sophisticated equipment and gadgets more effectively. Eddie assumed they had brought specialized anti-electric gear specifically designed for capturing Electric-type Pokemon like Pikachu.
"You've got some nerve, kid. Alright, Butch, let's teach this brat a lesson he won't forget," Cassidy growled.
"I haven't encountered such an arrogant little punk in ages. Time to knock him down a few pegs," Butch replied with equal irritation.
Both Team Rocket agents simultaneously drew multiple Poke Balls and hurled them forward. In brilliant flashes of light, four imposing Pokemon materialized before Eddie: Houndoom, Raticate, Infernape, and Hitmontop—all clearly high-level specimens.
"All around level 35," Eddie observed, glancing at his Pokedex readings with mild disinterest. "Stronger than the trio, sure, but still pretty pathetic overall."
He stifled a yawn, genuinely bored by the prospect of this battle.
"By the way, haven't these two ever seen me before? Team Rocket's internal communication system must be worse than I thought," Eddie mused to himself.
In reality, Cassidy and Butch had missed several important briefing sessions and had been operating in remote areas for weeks. Since they weren't affiliated with the Rainbow City branch and had no access to Eddie's file, they remained blissfully unaware of his reputation. This ignorance explained their misplaced confidence in threatening him.
"Still looking down on us, are you? Houndoom, use Flamethrower!" Cassidy commanded, her volatile personality making her even more hot-tempered than Jessie.
The fierce-looking Dark/Fire-type Pokemon opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of blazing flames directly at Eddie.
Behind him, the entire Pikachu colony cowered in terror, watching Houndoom's attack with obvious fear in their small, dark eyes.
"What are you so afraid of? Oh, right... you probably got traumatized during their last attack," Eddie realized, understanding dawning on him.
The previous Team Rocket assault had likely involved specialized machinery designed to capture Electric-types. Even though the colony's strongest member had eventually repelled the attackers, the experience had clearly left lasting psychological scars on these gentle Pokemon.
"Garchomp, use Flamethrower!" Eddie called out calmly.
Eddie couldn't understand whether his opponents suffered from poor eyesight or simple stupidity. His Sceptile and Garchomp were both clearly visible, and even if they didn't recognize his notorious reputation, what kind of fools would dare attack a Trainer accompanied by such powerful Dragon-type Pokemon?
"ROOOOOAR!" Garchomp rumbled with disdainful contempt, then unleashed flames far more intense and scorching than anything Houndoom could produce.
Houndoom's Flamethrower was immediately overpowered and forced backward. The superior attack engulfed the Dark-type Pokemon in a raging inferno that should have caused significant damage.
However, Houndoom emerged from the flames seemingly unharmed, having been pushed back only a few steps.
"Ha! Naive little brat! My Houndoom has the Flash Fire ability!" Cassidy boasted triumphantly. "Don't think having some unknown Pokemon gives you any advantage over Team Rocket!"
"That's right! Some mysterious Pokemon we've never seen before gave you the confidence to challenge our organization? How pathetically naive," Butch added with mocking laughter.
Both agents cackled as if Eddie's defeat was already guaranteed.
"Wait... you seriously don't know what species Garchomp is? Your ignorance is actually impressive," Eddie replied, rolling his eyes at their display.
Now he understood the source of their overconfidence—they had no idea they were facing Sinnoh's pseudo-legendary Dragon/Ground-type. While this level of ignorance seemed almost impossible, Eddie had to admit that not everyone carried a Pokedex. Many Trainers struggled to remember Pokemon native to their own regions, let alone species from distant areas.
Perhaps they had heard Garchomp's name mentioned before, but without actually encountering one, their lack of recognition made sense.
"Thanks to Flash Fire, Houndoom's Fire-type moves are now boosted! Houndoom, use Fire Fang on that unknown Pokemon!" Cassidy commanded smugly, convinced victory was within her grasp.
Houndoom howled and charged toward Garchomp, its fangs wreathed in supernatural flames as it prepared to deliver a devastating bite attack.
"Garchomp, Sand Tomb," Eddie said with casual indifference.
Before Houndoom could reach its target, the ground beneath its paws suddenly gave way. Swirling quicksand erupted around the Dark-type Pokemon, trapping it completely in an inescapable earthen prison.
"Finish it."
Following Eddie's simple command, Garchomp's expression twisted into a predatory grin. The Dragon-type moved with lightning speed, closing the distance to the trapped Houndoom in an instant.
A single, devastating Dragon Claw struck Houndoom with tremendous force, launching the helpless Pokemon through the air. The sound of its body hitting the ground echoed through the forest, followed by absolute silence as everyone realized Houndoom had been knocked unconscious in just a few moves.
"Damn it! He took down Houndoom in seconds!" Cassidy snarled, recalling her defeated Pokemon with visible frustration.
"He's got more skill than I expected. No wonder he acts so cocky," Butch admitted, his frown deepening as he reassessed the situation.
Despite this setback, neither agent considered the possibility of actual failure. Losing individual battles meant nothing to Team Rocket operatives. As long as their overall mission succeeded and they secured their target, these minor defeats were merely inconveniences.
"Hitmontop, Primeape , attack together! Use Close Combat and Mach Punch!" Butch ordered, sending both his Pokemon charging directly at Garchomp, hoping to overwhelm the Dragon-type through sheer numbers.
"Raticate, you join in too! Super Fang!" Cassidy added, unwilling to be left out of the coordinated assault.
Team Rocket had never believed in fair fights—overwhelming opponents with superior numbers was simply standard operating procedure.
"Also, let's grab those Pikachu while he's distracted!" Cassidy shouted to her partner.
"Perfect timing! Fire the signal flare! We'll bag all these Electric-types and get out of here!" Butch responded enthusiastically.
While their Pokemon engaged Garchomp in battle, both agents prepared to execute their primary objective. Butch produced a flare gun and fired it directly into the sky, the bright red signal streaking upward through the forest canopy.
Within moments, a helicopter bearing Team Rocket's distinctive "R" logo descended toward their location. The aircraft deployed a massive net that successfully ensnared the entire Pikachu colony behind Eddie.
Many of the trapped Pokemon instinctively unleashed powerful Thunder Shock attacks, but their electrical assaults had no effect whatsoever on their prison.
"Hahaha! This net is specially constructed from insulating and anti-electric materials!" Cassidy gloated.
"That's right! No matter how hard you try, your electrical attacks can't damage this specialized equipment!" Butch added gleefully.
"And the only person who might save you is currently busy fighting for his life! Nobody's coming to your rescue!"
"Hahaha! I can already picture the look on Jessie and James's faces when we show them what real success looks like!"
Both agents burst into triumphant laughter, already imagining their moment of glory back at headquarters.
"Garchomp, Sceptile—Hyper Beam."
Eddie's calm, almost bored voice cut through their celebration like a blade. Two devastating explosions immediately followed his words.
Cassidy and Butch's laughter died instantly, their smug expressions freezing in shock and horror.
Before them lay all four of their Pokemon, completely defeated and unconscious. But even worse, their helicopter had been utterly destroyed by the twin Hyper Beam attacks, reduced to burning wreckage scattered across the forest floor.
They should consider themselves fortunate that the aircraft had been operating on autopilot—otherwise, the pilot's fate would have been far grimmer.