Chapter 154: Half Blind, Half Mute
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
"Big Sis Blue, why are you boosting his morale and deflating our own! If we tie up this detestable intruder and present him to Lord Zeus, we might get promoted to Gold Rank next week. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Blue looked unconvinced, already seeing Red as the prey that would lead to her promotion and raise.
"Besides, this guy doesn't even have any Pokémon. This is a sure win for us!"
Blue (manga character): "..."
Why does this girl seem so frenzied again?
Besides, weren't you the intruder from the very beginning? The security cameras captured your bandaged face in crystal-clear high definition.
Blue couldn't recognize him. But for Blue (manga character), a comrade who had fought alongside Red through years of cannon fire, a few glances at the way he commanded the Rattata were all it took. She could have guessed with her eyes closed that this foolish, bear-like man was Red.
She was just curious, how did this guy manage to possess a passerby's body?
Had he already upgraded to full-on body snatching?
After a long moment of thought, Blue (manga character) finally replied:
"Don't even think about it. You can't beat him, even if he has no Pokémon on him right now."
Blue (manga character) wasn't just trying to scare her. She knew Red was a man who defied all logic. Even in a situation of certain defeat, or any impossible scenario, this man could always find an opportunity to turn the tables and seize victory.
Never mind a small-scale situation like this.
"Let's get out of here. That big guy is probably going to chase after us in a huff."
Blue (manga character) suddenly said, as if the two of them were fleeing someone's pursuit.
Hearing this, Blue no longer set her sights on Red the bodyguard. She recalled her defeated Ivysaur and dashed toward the warp tile behind her.
Now, she was the intruder.
"Oh, right. This is a little bonus my big sis said to give you."
Blue suddenly turned her head and tossed out another Poké Ball. A red light flashed, and a pink Pokémon nearly as tall as a person appeared. It had a chubby physique and a pair of small wings on its back, looking utterly adorable.
It was a Clefable.
"Oh? Are you lending me a Clefable?"
At this sight, Red the bodyguard's eyes lit up. Trying to take on the entire Team Rocket with just a low-level Rattata was far too difficult. After all, this wasn't the game world, where he could endlessly restock on potions.
Although, during the previous battle with the Ivysaur, Red could have employed a different method to wear it down, at the cost of only a small amount of stamina, rather than trading one life for another.
His reason was simple: he wanted speed.
Because he had a new option—to borrow a Pokémon from his former comrade, Blue (manga character). With that, even his grandmother could come and sweep the floor with them.
This was yet another layer of Red's fifty-second level of thinking.
"Not happening."
Blue (manga character) briefly took control of Blue's body. Instantly, her aura changed, taking on the imperious tone of a mob boss as she flatly refused.
She had already heard the news about how Red had toyed with Green's Pokémon until it was a complete mess. Naturally, she wasn't about to hand over her Pokémon for Red to torment as well.
"Clefable~"
As for why she had sent out the Clefable, Blue (manga character) snapped her fingers. The Clefable understood, and with a flick of its chubby little hand, it shook out a large cloud of pink light suffused with a green tint of life, enveloping the Rattata.
"Squeak."
In a short while, the Rattata leisurely awoke and stood up, its poisoned status completely gone.
"That's enough."
Red refused any further treatment from the Clefable. This state was perfect for him.
"Alright, bye-bye then! That one-eyed man is probably about to catch up~"
Blue (manga character) didn't stick around to chat with her compatriot, Red. After recalling her Clefable, she hurriedly stepped onto a warp tile and vanished with a *swoosh*.
The next second, Blue, having regained control of her body, appeared in another room. A few flashes later, she was at the staircase where Red had first descended.
"Ooh, there's a set of clothes here. Hehe."
Blue casually slipped on the outer coat that Red the bodyguard had discarded, covering her Team Rocket Grunt uniform. As she walked toward the stairwell, she casually asked:
"Hey, hey, Big Sis Blue, it's not like we couldn't have beaten that big oaf. Why'd we have to run?"
The "big oaf" she mentioned wasn't Red the bodyguard, but the other person who had been chasing her, the intruder.
"This is something you don't understand. As a thief, er, as a righteous thief, the first thing we do when someone is chasing us is turn and run. Flee with all our might. It's all about the thrill."
Blue (manga character) slowly explained. As she spoke of this, her eyes shone brightly.
"If we really do get caught in the end, that's when we show our muscle and give that person a good beating."
Disguise yourself as a little mouse and let the big cat think it's the superior one in this game of cat and mouse. Then, the instant you're caught, reveal your true form, letting the cat discover that the mouse beneath its paws has suddenly turned into a bloodthirsty wolf.
Their expression would surely be interesting.
"Wow! Woohoo~"
Blue's eyes instantly lit up. Today, she had gained a new understanding.
Red was left alone. Before he could make a move, the warp tile that had brought Blue into the hall suddenly lit up with a white light again.
*Swoosh! Swoosh!*
Two figures appeared before Red at the same time.
To be precise, it was a man and a Pokémon.
The man was incredibly broad and powerfully built, towering two heads over Red's current bodyguard form, estimated to be around two meters tall. The muscle in his limbs was thick and powerful; even when relaxed, the biceps on his arms were probably larger than a Wartortle's head.
His face was rugged and untamed, with a head of short red hair and deep, steely features. A black eyepatch covered his left eye. Just by standing there, he exuded a wild and explosive aura.
And standing next to this hulking man was a Pokémon of a similarly imposing size. Its skin was a mix of red and yellow, with what looked like flames burning on its shoulders and head. Its two hands had transformed into two intimidating flame cannons. With a curl of its mouth, its expression was ferocious, clearly not one to be trifled with.
The temperature in the hall instantly rose by several degrees.
The large man saw Red at first glance. He then noted Red's plain, unadorned sleeves, while the latter's gaze was lazy, having the air of "rotten wood that cannot be carved." Next to him was a scrawny Rattata that looked like a gust of wind could knock it over. This caused him to frown slightly.
It wasn't without reason that the quality of Team Rocket's lower-ranking members needed improvement.
"Kid, did you see a man with a bandaged face?" the big man asked.
Red didn't answer him, merely looking the brown bear-like man and the Magmortar behind him up and down. A flicker of interest arose in him; this person before him looked to have considerable strength.
This reaction further infuriated the big man, who couldn't help but curse:
"Hey, kid, are you mute?"
Red's expression didn't change in the slightest. He looked down, thought for a moment, then slowly replied:
"Just like you're half-blind, I suppose I'm half-mute."
The big man: "?"
The big man instantly flew into a furious rage!
(end of chapter)