"You can surrender on your own… or would you like me to help you do it?"
Nozomi looked at the Team Rocket grunts in front of him with a faint smile.
There were five of them in total, plus the two stationed outside—seven altogether. Not a large force, but not small either.
The Team Rocket members stared back, drenched in cold sweat.
Though Nozomi's tone sounded calm and even polite, the smile on his face made their blood run cold—it was the kind of smile that hid a blade. Behind that calm expression lurked something terrifying.
"Damn it! Do you even know who we are?" one of the apparent squad leaders barked at him.
"Of course I do. Team Rocket, right?" Nozomi replied casually.
"Then… then you—" The small-time leader's voice faltered.
He wasn't stupid—one didn't become a Team Rocket squad leader without a bit of sense. This guy clearly knew who they were. And if he still dared to confront them head-on, it could only mean one thing—he had absolute confidence in his strength.
That thought alone made the man's expression turn ashen.
What could he even do now? Fight back? Impossible.
Even ignoring the rest of Nozomi's team, the sight of that towering Steelix and the massive Metagross glaring at them was enough to make his knees tremble. With those two bearing down, they couldn't even reach for their Poké Balls.
Escape?
Even less realistic. The entire cargo hold had only three exits, all behind Nozomi. The loading bay had already been sealed. Under Steelix and Metagross's watchful eyes, there was no chance of slipping away.
In an instant, the Rockets' faces were drained of all color.
"Do I need to ask you again?" Nozomi's smile faded. "Will you surrender yourselves, or should I make you?"
He was getting impatient—his time was too valuable to waste on their hesitation. With a flick of his hand, Steelix and Metagross moved in menacingly.
That was enough.
"W-we surrender! We surrender!" the Rockets shouted in panic.
They were elite within Team Rocket, yes—but this situation was hopeless. Fighting back now would be no different from throwing themselves under a Snorlax's feet.
They raised their hands in defeat as Nozomi's Ivysaur extended its Vine Whip, deftly collecting their Poké Balls. None of them dared to move a muscle.
After confiscating their Pokémon, Nozomi knocked each of them unconscious and tied them up with rope, dumping the lot neatly in a corner.
Then, opening the cargo hatch, he called out, "Lorelei! It's done. They were a lot weaker than I expected."
Lorelei approached, looking a bit uncertain. "Then… what about our plan?"
She hadn't entered the cargo bay herself, so the situation caught her off guard. With fewer enemies than expected, perhaps the strategy needed adjustment.
"No change to the plan—just the approach." Nozomi replied calmly. "Hide in the ship's interior for now. I'll engage the first wave of reinforcements from Team Rocket. Once one of their higher-ranking officers shows up, that's your cue to strike."
The strategy itself was solid. Their goal was to draw out the upper ranks of Team Rocket. As long as Lorelei shifted her ambush position, everything would go smoothly.
Moments ago, Nozomi had already forced the captured Rockets to contact their comrades above. It wouldn't be long before reinforcements came down to investigate.
"Understood."
Lorelei nodded immediately.
Working with Nozomi was… surprisingly easy. She didn't have to worry about anything—he handled it all with calm precision. Compared to the troublesome subordinates she'd worked with on League missions, this was heaven and earth.
Soon, Lorelei was in position, concealed and ready.
Meanwhile, on the S.S. Anne, in the grand banquet hall above—
"Captain, something's wrong!"
A Rocket grunt dressed as a waiter whispered urgently to a man in a merchant's suit.
"What happened?"
"The lower cargo hold just sent a distress signal! Someone's broken in! The intruder's incredibly strong—they're barely holding them off!"
Nozomi had, of course, made sure his captured Rockets exaggerated his strength when sending their message—if they reported the intruder as weak, the upper ranks might not bother responding.
"What!? How could anyone have gotten into the cargo hold!? Are the patrols completely useless!?" the "merchant" Rocket captain snapped, his voice rising before he forced himself to lower it.
He was seething. How could this happen now, of all times? Didn't those idiots on patrol understand how critical this mission was?
He'd placed five rotating patrol teams throughout the passenger area. There should have been no gaps. Yet somehow, an intruder had slipped through!
"Should we send a squad down to help?" the waiter-Rocket asked timidly.
"How many enemies?"
"Just one person…" The waiter's tone grew awkward even as he said it.
"Pathetic. They can't even handle a single opponent." The captain's eyes narrowed. "Forget it. Keep one squad here to continue monitoring the passengers. Cancel the plan to steal Pokémon from the guests for now. Get Teams Two and Three to follow me below—I'll deal with this personally. We must resolve this before the Executive arrives."
Just as Nozomi and Lorelei suspected, the Rockets upstairs weren't concerned with the passengers at all. Their real objective lay in the cargo hold—the secret equipment stored below.
"Yes, Captain!"
The disguised waiter saluted quickly.
The two of them hurried down the corridor, gathering reinforcements from the hall.
But neither of them noticed a pair of sharp eyes watching from around the corner.
When their footsteps finally faded, a familiar voice muttered softly, "Huh… I only went to the bathroom, and I stumble on a Team Rocket conspiracy? The S.S. Anne… and Team Rocket? Now this is interesting."
Gary Oak stepped out from behind the corner, a grin forming on his face.
He hadn't planned on anything like this—he'd just needed a quick break. But fate apparently had other ideas.
"Well, well… looks like my chance has come," he mused, rubbing his chin.
Back in Cerulean City, he'd heard how Nozomi had thwarted Team Rocket's plans and taken down multiple operations. Gary had been secretly envious ever since.
And now, an opportunity to stop a Team Rocket scheme himself? No way he was letting that slip by.
His excitement grew as he clenched his fists.
"Let's follow them and see what they're up to."
Confident in his own strength, Gary released his Growlithe, now mostly recovered, and began tracking the Rockets' scent trail down the corridor.
(End of Chapter)