Chapter 155: Art Comes From Shenanigans
Author: Samsung Charmander
In the Game Corner's main hall, Ash and his group, who had been left outside the secret hideout, were still wandering aimlessly through the garish, neon-lit hall.
"Damn it! Can't you just give me a 7! Get lost, Pikachu!"
A roared complaint from nearby caught Ash's attention. The content made him jump; if his own Pikachu wasn't currently recuperating at the Pokémon Center, that man would probably be twitching on the floor by now.
Ash leaned in to get a better look and saw a man playing a slot machine, his bloodshot eyes glued to the screen, face flushed and breath coming in ragged gasps.
The slot machines here were all three-reel models, simple to operate. You just had to roll the reels, and if three identical symbols appeared on the middle row, you'd win a prize.
The prize amount varied depending on the symbols.
Three Sitrus Berry symbols were the lowest payout, at 1:1 odds—breaking even.
Next were three cute Squirtle head symbols, paying out at 1:10, a tenfold return.
Further up were three Pikachu symbols, a 1:100 payout for a hundredfold return.
And the highest prize was for three sevens, 777, with a 1:1000 payout—a thousandfold return, an instant jackpot.
Of course, there were also some bizarre symbols, like three purple letter 'R's, which would reward you with a 'friendly' mugging by Team Rocket upon leaving the casino today.
Right now on the man's screen, two 7s were already lined up on the left and in the middle. He was on the verge of hitting the jackpot, but after the third reel spun for a moment, it finally landed on a Pikachu symbol.
"Damn it! You damn Electric Mouse!"
The man was furious, and it was clear this wasn't the first time this had happened to him.
They'll give you two 7s, but you'll never get three in your lifetime. This wasn't just an unwritten rule of the Game Corner; it was an ultimate law of nature.
In the great unseen, there exists the will of the 7. All cause and effect are bound by its will.
Ash shook his head and walked over to an area where a dealer was dealing cards. A few people were gathered around a green-felt table, taking cards from the beautiful dealer. They rubbed the cards together with some strange, self-taught gestures before slamming them down, then immediately began pounding the table and howling in anguish.
Clearly, they had gone bust on the spot. The House took all.
Unable to resist, Ash offered a kind reminder:
"Buddy, one minute at this table can cost you ten years of work outside."
The man shot him a hateful glare before turning his eyes back to the table, his tone unfriendly.
"What does a wet-behind-the-ears kid like you know? Ten years of work is still just work. I'm going all-in on one round and I'll be living in a palace."
Another degenerate gambler next to him retorted:
"Exactly! You see kids crying every day, but do you see gamblers losing every day?"
"Did you come from the library, kid? 'Cause you're full of stories."
Ash: "..."
He shook his head, no longer looking at these people with any sympathy.
Degenerate gamblers are doomed.
"Make a scene."
Those two words suddenly appeared in the mind of the idle Ash.
It was what Brother Red had told him before he left—to make a scene outside. Ash clenched his fist, a new sense of purpose filling him. He couldn't just stand by and watch like this.
At worst, he'd just get blacklisted from the Game Corner and thrown out. The thought immediately filled him with confidence.
Art comes from life, and life comes from shenanigans.
Ash's eyes darted around as a strategy formed in his mind. A smirk played on his lips as he walked towards the counter in the main hall.
He went up to the counter, picked a friendly-looking woman, and slapped his hand on the surface. In a tone that brooked no argument, he said:
"Get your boss out here. I have some big business for him."
The woman at the counter saw that Ash was just an unremarkable, wet-behind-the-ears kid. She continued to fiddle with her nails and casually fobbed him off.
"Little boy, the playground is out the door and to your left."
Ash wasn't annoyed. He simply lifted his jacket slightly, revealing his 'great treasure' underneath. The counter lady's mouth formed a perfect 'O'. She stared at Ash in disbelief, never having expected someone so young to have already developed to such a degree.
After a moment's hesitation, she hurried towards the backstage area.
"Brother Hu, there's a Trainer outside who wants to see the manager."
This man, called Brother Hu, was built like a bear, clearly some sort of head of security. He was squatting on the ground having a smoke and waved his hand impatiently.
As if any random Trainer could just demand to see their boss.
"Brother Hu, that Trainer has five Badges," the counter lady explained.
In this world, for someone of his age to be carrying five Badges was no simple feat.
Hearing this, the bodyguard named Brother Hu's expression grew serious. He didn't dare to be dismissive now. After hearing that the person had 'big business' to discuss, he hesitated for a moment before walking through an inner door.
He passed through two doors and entered an office. The decor was luxurious and extravagant, clearly a place for the upper crust.
One wall of the office was a massive one-way, floor-to-ceiling window. You could see outside, but no one could see in. It faced the Game Corner below, offering a panoramic view of the entire floor.
"Boss, there's a Trainer with five Badges outside. He wants to discuss a big business deal with you."
"Oh? A big business deal?"
A man was sitting behind the desk. Hearing Brother Hu's words, he swiveled his chair around with great interest and slowly stood up.
He had flashy purple hair and a matching purple goatee. With his slightly stooped figure and sinister, cunning appearance, it was none other than one of the four core executives of Team Rocket, who hadn't been seen for many days.
Lambda.
Due to a string of recent failures, he had fallen out of favor with Giovanni. There were even rumors circulating within Team Rocket that he was going to be transferred to an overseas branch next year—the branch in the India region.
Better safe than sorry.
So the ever-cautious Lambda had stopped going to Viridian City to report to Giovanni, choosing instead to remain in Celadon City and act as a local kingpin.
"Five Badges..."
A disdainful smile played on Lambda's lips. Five Badges might be impressive to an ordinary person, but to him, it was completely unremarkable.
He was more interested in the 'big business deal' the kid mentioned. Perhaps he could score a major success and get back into Giovanni's good graces.
If all else failed, he could make one last score and flee. He was already prepared to sell Team Rocket's information at a moment's notice and jump ship to the neighboring Team Galactic; he'd even lined up a contact.
Lambda walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window with great interest and looked out. Following the direction Brother Hu was pointing, he saw a familiar face.
"Tsk, it's this kid again..."
Lambda recognized Ash, and his voice gradually filled with annoyance.
His memory of the Pokémon Tower incident was hazy because some woman called "Granny Uchiha" had used an illusion on him, but he clearly remembered being defeated by this boy's companion in the Silph Co. Building. This fact annoyed him.
So Lambda had no memory of a direct confrontation with Ash himself and just thought he was some ordinary, hot-headed Trainer.
"I seem to remember he's friends with that Archer kid...?"
Lambda remembered that Ash was quite close with another one of Team Rocket's core executives, which made an even more sinister smile spread across his face.
(end of chapter)
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