Green had headed northeast of Pallet Town, already aware that Viridian City's Gym Leader was out of town on personal business. How did he know that? Well, he'd seen it on the news.
Now, the better question was: why did Green even care whether the Gym Leader was away?
He and Red were always competing with each other — who had better grades, who was faster, stronger, and so on. Even after receiving their license exam results, they couldn't help but compare scores.
Green had earned an 88, beating Red by a single point. Of course, Blue had won the whole thing with a perfect score. That shouldn't have surprised anyone — she was easily the smartest kid in all of Pallet Town. Admitting that, though, definitely bruised Green's pride as an Oak. But then again, not every kid had to deal with what she'd gone through.
She rarely spoke about it — not even to him, his sister, his grandfather, or Red. But she had once mentioned being kidnapped when she was three. The only reason she ever found her way to Pallet Town was because another victim of whatever twisted game they'd been part of told her that's where she came from.
Anyway, back to the point. The reason Green was interested in the Gym Leader's absence was because he'd heard that Red was planning to challenge the Gyms. Maybe he'd spent a little too much time listening to Ash ramble about becoming a Pokémon Master.
Whatever that was supposed to mean.
Both he and Ash never got along. In fact, Ash didn't get along with most kids in Pallet Town. His only real friend was Daisy, who was five years older than them. Red was nice to him, sure, but that was about it.
As for Blue—well, even though he'd been the first kid to try and be friendly with her, she never really opened up to him. To be honest, it took her an entire year just to remember his name—and she still got it wrong sometimes. He had to admit, he found that pretty funny.
Then there was Green. While his older sister got along with Ash, Green and Ash were almost always at each other's throats. Green found him unbearably loud—so much that being in the same room with him felt exhausting. Not that Green was any better back then. He used to bully Ash when they were younger, and even as they grew up, he still couldn't resist antagonizing him from time to time.
It wasn't exactly his proudest behavior, but he was trying to change. A little. Okay, maybe not that much—Ash still annoyed him—but next time they met (assuming Ash could even leave his house without getting lost), he'd try not to insult him.
Or at least, not too much.
The truth was, ever since Ash's mother passed away a few years ago, he'd become a shadow of the loud kid everyone remembered. He mostly kept to himself now, rarely talking to anyone except Daisy. It was strange, seeing him like that—quieter, withdrawn, like he'd lost more than just his mom that day.
Who knows, maybe by the time the Pokémon League came around, Ash would grow into someone Green could respect.
Or not.
To be honest, Green didn't really care. The only thing on his mind was finding new ways to beat Red. After that, maybe he could try helping Blue with her problems—assuming she ever decided to tell him what really happened. Or at least enough for him to know what he was getting himself into.
Right now, though, he was still deep in Viridian Forest. He could have moved on to the next town, but the nearest Gym was in Pewter City, and if the rumors were right, that Gym Leader specialized in Rock-types. That alone put him at a disadvantage—Fire-types didn't stand much of a chance against Rock, Ground, or Water Pokémon.
So, Green decided he wouldn't leave the forest until he found a Pokémon that could help him even the odds against Pewter's Gym Leader.
"Growlithe, use Bite one more time!" he ordered the fire-type.
The orange pup barked sharply and lunged forward, sinking its fangs into the Rattata right in front of him. After landing a couple of clean hits, Growlithe tossed the purple rodent back against a nearby tree. The small Pokémon trembled as it tried to stand, but it was clear the battle was over — the fire-type had completely overpowered it.
The Rattata stayed still, panting, waiting for the human to throw a Poké Ball. But strangely, that never came.
Why not?
Green stood there, staring at the weakened Pokémon, weighing his options. He could catch it easily — one toss and it would be his. But he knew right away that this Rattata wouldn't help him much. Sure, he could register its data in the Pokédex like he promised his grandfather he would, but Gramps had also told them not to lose sight of their own goals.
There were plenty of Rattata in Kanto. He'd just find one that suited him better.
He turned to leave, but paused when he saw how badly the small Pokémon was trembling. It wouldn't last long like that. Green sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
He really shouldn't do this… but he had promised to try and be less of a jerk.
Kneeling beside the fallen Rattata, he pulled a Potion from his bag and sprayed it gently over the rodent's wounds. Within moments, the small Pokémon began to breathe easier, its body relaxing as the injuries closed up.
The Rattata blinked in surprise. Was this human really not planning to capture him?
"If you're wondering why I did that," Green said, standing up, "let's just say you're not quite up to my standards. But I wasn't about to leave you like that either. That's all."
It shouldn't have surprised the little normal-type. He was weak, and this human clearly cared only about strong Pokémon.
"Ta… rattata?" it squeaked curiously.
Growlithe tilted his head, stepping forward with a soft bark. "Growl, growlithe."
"Ra, ra ratta!"
"Rrrow?"
"Tata ra!"
"Growlithe!"
Green blinked as the two exchanged what sounded like a full-blown conversation. "What are you two even talking about?" he asked, frowning slightly.
But before he could get an answer, the Rattata suddenly darted north, deeper into the forest, and Growlithe barked once before sprinting after it.
"Hey! Where are you going?!" Green shouted, breaking into a run after his Pokémon. "Growlithe, get back here!"
"Okay, Poli, Double Slap!" shouted Red to his Pokémon.
The tadpole Pokémon obeyed instantly, striking the locks on the cages in front of them with quick, precise hits.
After losing the Rocket duo in the forest, Red had decided to explore the area where he'd first encountered them. It didn't take long before he stumbled upon what looked like their makeshift camp. Inside, dozens of cages were crammed full of Pokémon — Nidoran, Weedle, Pidgey, Spearow, Caterpie, and more.
Without hesitation, Red began freeing them. As the last cage burst open, he told the rescued Pokémon to hide while he dealt with the criminals responsible.
They didn't need to be told twice — they all bolted into the forest as Red realized something:He probably should've tried to catch at least one of them.
Then again, that would've been pretty selfish of him.
"Alright, step one of Operation: Set the Pokémon Free So Team Rocket Actually Has a Reason to Chase Me While I Take Them Down Individually has been completed." He exhaled dramatically. "Meanwhile, Operation: You Really Need to Come Up with Better and Shorter Names for Your Operations is still in progress!"
Poli sighed. Red was really bad at naming things.
"You guys know what comes next, right?" Red asked, looking at both Poli and Pika.
They nodded — though Poli's was noticeably reluctant. Why?
Well, the plan Red had come up with was to separate the two Rocket grunts, making it easier to take them down one at a time. Because if he faced both together, he didn't stand a chance. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Except that it meant they also had to split up.
Poli would lure one of the grunts away, while Red and Pika would take on the other. That part made Poli nervous. He wasn't worried about himself — he could handle a grunt or two — but Red and Pika were another story.
Red was good. In fact, that's probably why the Professor had given him a Pokédex in the first place — because he believed in the boy's potential.
But even so, there was only so much Red could do with a Pikachu that knew two moves — and one of them wasn't even offensive.
Still, this was the safest option. If Poli stayed with Red, they could probably take down one grunt easily, but that would leave the other free to capture Pika. Red couldn't risk that. At least together, he and Pika could coordinate better.
Not long after, they heard rustling in the distance — voices shouting angrily. The trio took their positions.
"That little runt got away!" yelled the blonde criminal.
"The brat's probably on his way to call the cops," said his partner, a brown-haired grunt. "Let's just grab what we've got and—" He froze mid-sentence, his eyes going wide. All the cages were open. The Pokémon were gone.
"That little bastard! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" the blonde one roared, his face twisting with fury.
His partner clenched his fists, trying — and failing — to stay calm. They'd spent all day capturing those Pokémon, and now, because of some spiky-haired kid, all their work had gone to waste.
Suddenly, the bushes nearby rustled.
"Hey, look," said the brown-haired grunt. "There might still be a few Pokémon around."
"Either that, or the little pest's still hiding here," growled the other.
Just as they started toward the sound, more noise came from the opposite side — heavy, uneven breathing.
"The pest is still nearby!" shouted the blonde one.
"Forget him," his partner snapped. "If we go back empty-handed, the boss will have our heads!"
"Screw that! You chase whatever ran that way — I'm taking care of the kid myself! He's not getting away after what he pulled!"
"Why are you so obsessed with him? I was the one who got hit by a Water Gun, remember?"
"Just do as I say!" the blonde one barked, already running in Red's direction.
"Fine! But don't expect me to bail you out when the boss asks what you were doing while I was doing my job!"
And with that, the two grunts split up — exactly as Red had planned.
Phase Two of the operation was officially underway.
A loud scream echoed through the Rocket complex. It didn't take long before several members — including the man in charge of the operation — rushed to the source.
What they found was a girl with red hair kneeling beside the unconscious body of another recruit.
"What is the meaning of this, rookie?!" the man in charge demanded.
"I—I don't… I don't know, sir," the girl stammered, trembling. "One minute we were walking, then I heard something. I went to check it out and when I came back, h-he was lying on the ground, unconscious."
The "rookie" was none other than Blue, hidden beneath her disguise.
"Did you see who did this?" one of the other recruits asked.
"I-I only caught a glimpse," Blue said, voice shaking. "He was tall, I think… black hair. I only saw his back, but…"
She stopped suddenly. The others looked at her expectantly.
"What is it? Was there something else?" the leader pressed.
Blue hesitated, then said carefully, "Sir, I… I saw him wearing a Team Rocket uniform. I think… I think there might be a spy among us."
Gasps rippled through the group. A spy? Here? Who would dare to infiltrate Team Rocket? And more importantly — how much did they already know about the operation?
The leader's expression darkened as a realization struck him. Could it be…?
"You!" he barked, pointing to one of the recruits. "Take him to get treated! Everyone else — be on alert. Whoever did this must still be here. Find him and show him why Team Rocket is the most feared organization in all of Kanto!"
"Sir!" they all responded in unison.
"Be careful, rookie," the leader warned Blue. "If the spy realizes you've exposed him, you'll be his next target."
Blue nodded obediently, though inside she was smiling. Her plan was unfolding perfectly — and so far, it was a complete success.
It didn't take long for Phase Two to begin. Two more screams rang out through the corridors. Moments later, the complex was filled with chaos as recruits ran toward the sources of the noise.
At one scene lay another unconscious grunt. At the other… Blue herself.
She had blood on her forehead — fake, courtesy of a well-placed Jigglypuff prop and some berry juice. When they asked what had happened, she explained breathlessly, "We were searching for the spy when someone hit my partner from behind. I chased after him, but then… someone else struck me too."
"So you're saying there's two of them?" one recruit asked, wide-eyed.
Blue nodded weakly. "Maybe I was dazed, but… the second one seemed to have longer hair. And… a more feminine build."
That statement set the room ablaze with suspicion. The recruits glanced around uneasily — especially at the nine women among them. Blue and the unconscious victims were quickly ruled out, but that still left plenty of uncertainty.
One recruit told Blue to take the injured man to the infirmary while the rest continued the search. Blue nodded and began dragging the unconscious grunt down the hallway, hiding her smirk as she overheard the growing tension behind her.
"Who put you in charge?" one of the men snapped.
"What are you talking about? They need medical help! Or do you expect them to keep searching like that?"
"Well, I find it odd you'd send her off alone — without an escort."
"She's the only one who saw the spies. Do you really think I'd let anyone near her when one of you might be an intruder?"
"That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard!"
"She's right!" another said sharply. "Maybe you don't want her escorted because your partner is planning to finish what she started."
"What are you implying?!"
The argument escalated fast. Voices rose, accusations flew, and within seconds, the corridor erupted into chaos.
The breaking point came when one man tried to follow Blue, insisting he'd make sure she reached the infirmary safely. Another yanked him back, claiming she didn't trust anyone right now. A third stepped in, blocking her path.
And then, all at once — Poké Balls flew open.
The corridor filled with flashes of light and roars of Pokémon as the Rockets turned on each other in a frenzy of paranoia.
From a shadowed corner, Blue watched, a faint grin on her face. Beside her, Jigglypuff giggled softly, puffing up with pride.
"Phase Two," Blue whispered, "completed."
"Where is that Rattata taking us?" Green muttered as he continued to chase after the normal-type and Growlithe.
It was already getting dark — he should've been looking for a place to set up camp. But instead, he was running through the forest, chasing his own starter just because a wild Rattata seemed to have something to say.
After a few more minutes of running, the purple rodent finally stopped and began chattering with Growlithe again. Meanwhile, Green was bent over, catching his breath.
If there was one thing Ash actually had over him — as painful as it was to admit — it was endurance. The guy probably had the best physique out of the four of them. Guess all that tree climbing instead of studying actually paid off for the human Mankey.
"Rattata!" the normal-type shouted suddenly, snapping Green out of his thoughts.
He looked up to see the small rodent pointing toward something ahead. Curious, Green and Growlithe approached — and what they saw made both of them pause.
Standing before them was a humanoid, bipedal Pokémon with gray skin and three brown ridges on its head. Its large red eyes gleamed under the fading light, and the muscles along its arms rippled with every subtle movement. It had a flat face, rib-like marks on its chest, and a short, stubby tail.
Green already had a hunch about what it was, but to be sure, he pulled out the Pokédex his grandfather had given him.
Machop, the Superpower Pokémon.Type: Fighting. Pokédex No. 066.Though small, it possesses remarkable strength. It trains daily in martial arts to become even stronger.
Green's eyes widened slightly. Thanks to his grandfather, he knew Machop were usually found near caves or inside rock tunnels. Seeing one this deep in the forest was rare — extremely rare.
"Was this what you wanted to show us?" Green asked, glancing at the Rattata.
The rodent nodded. While Rattata might not have been the kind of Pokémon Green was looking for, this Machop definitely seemed more his style.
He approached the Superpower Pokémon carefully. When the fighting-type noticed him, the two seemed to communicate — Pokémon and human, understanding one another in their own way. After a brief exchange, Rattata stepped back toward Growlithe and Green, looking quite pleased with himself.
"Ra, Rattata ta!" chirped the small mouse Pokémon.
Growlithe grinned, tail wagging. That reaction immediately put Green on alert.
"What did he just say?" Green asked suspiciously.
Before he could get an answer, Machop let out a sharp cry and dropped into a battle stance.
Green froze for a moment. Then it clicked.
"Wait a second—" he turned toward Rattata, narrowing his eyes. "You told him I was looking for strong Pokémon, didn't you?"
The normal-type nodded proudly. He'd seen Machop's strength firsthand — how easily it had defeated another trainer's Growlithe not long ago. To him, this was an opportunity for Green to test his own might.
Green couldn't help but smirk. From the looks of it, Machop was strong. And being a fighting-type, it'd be perfect for his upcoming Gym challenge.
"Thanks," he said simply to Rattata, then turned to his partner. "Alright, Growlithe — let's show him what we've got."
The Rattata stepped aside but didn't leave. He wanted to see what this human — and his fiery companion — could really do.
The forest fell quiet, tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The two Pokémon glared at one another, muscles tensed, waiting for the first move.
Green was the one to break the silence.
"Bite, now!" he commanded.
Growlithe roared and charged forward, flames flickering between his fangs as he lunged at Machop — who met his attack head-on.
The battle had begun.
"Sandshrew, use Rock Slide!" shouted the blond Rocket recruit.
At his command, the small yellow mouse-like Pokémon surrounded itself with rocks, then hurled them straight at Red and Pika.
The two dodged just in time, tumbling down a nearby slope. As they rolled, Red felt something fly out of his pocket. His heart skipped a beat.Please don't let that be the Pokédex. Please don't let that be the Pokédex.
When they finally stopped, the Rocket grunt was the first to stand, charging at Red alongside his Sandshrew. The two attackers lunged forward, but Pika darted ahead, sparks flaring from his cheeks.
"Thunder Shock!" Red ordered.
Electricity crackled through the air, striking the Sandshrew head-on. It screeched but managed to stay standing, digging into the dirt to ground itself. The Rocket took advantage of the distraction and tackled Red to the ground.
Red rolled aside, kicking up dust as the man grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it into his eyes. "Argh—!" Red staggered back, blinking rapidly, trying to clear his vision.
The Rocket smirked, spotting a rock nearby. He snatched it up, raising it high above his head. "End of the line, kid!"
Before he could bring it down, a bright flash of light burst between them. Pika's tail whipped forward, glowing with energy, and a bolt of lightning shot through the man's arm, making him drop the rock and cry out in pain.
"Pika!"
The blond man spun, trying to retaliate, but Pika's tail glowed again — Iron Tail this time — and struck both the man and his Sandshrew squarely, launching them backward into a tree with a loud crack. The two collapsed instantly, unconscious.
Red blinked away the last of the dirt in his eyes, seeing his partner standing proudly. "You… you learned Iron Tail?"
"Pikachu!" Pika chirped proudly, tail still sparking faintly.
Red laughed in disbelief and scooped him up in a hug. "You're amazing, Pika! You actually did it!"
"Pikaaa!"
After a few moments, Red remembered something that wiped the grin off his face. "Wait—" He reached into his pocket, panicking again. "Please, please still be here…"
He pulled out the Pokédex, sighing in relief when he saw it was still intact — except for a small smudge near the corner. He really didn't want to think about what caused that stain.
But then another thought hit him. If the Pokédex is still here… what fell out of my pocket?
"Hmm…" Red frowned and began searching the bushes around the slope. After a few minutes, he spotted a familiar glint of red and white — a Poké Ball, lying half-buried in the grass.
He picked it up, brushing off the dirt, and flicked the Pokédex open to scan it. The screen flashed to life, displaying new data:
Krabby, the River Crab Pokémon.Water Type.Its pincers break apart rocks and shells. It can live in both fresh and salt water.
"Wait, I caught this?" Red blinked. "When did that happen?"
It dawned on him that it must've been during the chaos with the Rockets. One of the Poké Balls he'd been carrying must've activated mid-battle.
"Well… welcome to the team, Krabby," he said with a grin. "Guess fate wanted you around."
Pika gave a cheerful "Pika pika!" in agreement.
Red chuckled. "Alright, new plan — let's find Poli before he slaps that Rocket into next week."
Meanwhile, a short distance away, Poli was already standing victorious over his opponent's fainted Venomoth — still smacking the Rocket grunt across the face with Double Slap just for good measure.
When the man tried to bargain, promising him some berries, Poli paused — only to scowl the moment he realized they were Wepear berries. He promptly resumed slapping.
Red sighed when he and Pika arrived to find the scene. "Yeah, that tracks."
Yet another clash erupted before Rattata's eyes.
On its left stood a proud Machop — how one had ended up in Viridian Forest was beyond its understanding. On its right was the fire canine, Growl the Growlithe, and beside him stood his trainer. If Rattata remembered correctly, his name was Green.
After the pair had defeated and healed him earlier, Rattata decided to guide them to the strongest Pokémon it knew. And Arceus, what a good call that had been — the battle unfolding before him was nothing short of incredible.
It was a duel between raw power and discipline — Machop's trained strikes against the precision teamwork of Green and his fire-type partner.
"Growl, use Roar once more!" Green commanded.
Growlithe obeyed instantly, unleashing a thunderous bark that shook the trees. The sound reverberated through the forest, and a blue shimmer rippled over Machop's form — his strength reduced once again.
Machop growled, grinding his teeth. That was the fourth time they'd lowered his power. With an angry snarl, he rushed forward, fists flying in a furious barrage of Karate Chops. But Growl was nimble, weaving between each strike with practiced grace.
Green was ready to counter, but before he could, Machop's eyes flashed crimson — Leer. A chill ran down Growl's spine as a purple aura briefly enveloped his body, lowering his guard.
Taking advantage of that hesitation, Machop landed a flurry of heavy blows, the last one sending the fire-type tumbling backward.
"Growl!" Green shouted, alarm flashing across his face.
For a brief moment, Green feared the worst. But then Growl staggered back to his feet, battered but unbroken. His breathing was ragged, yet his eyes blazed with determination. He wasn't done. Not until he won.
Machop charged again, readying another chop — but Green was faster. "Sidestep left, then use Bite!"
Growl dodged to the side, his fangs glowing faintly as he lunged, clamping down on Machop's arm before tossing him backward.
Machop hit the ground, skidding through the dirt. Instead of anger, though, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. This was the most fun he'd had in ages. If this human wanted him, he'd have to earn it.
Across the clearing, Growl steadied himself. His body trembled with exhaustion, but his spirit burned hotter than ever. He raised his muzzle and barked to the sky, the flame in his throat flickering brighter, hotter—
—and then it burst forth.
A small but fierce fireball shot from his mouth, streaking through the air and striking Machop square in the chest.
Green blinked, wide-eyed, before breaking into a grin. "You just learned Ember."
Perfect timing.
"Alright, let's end this! Growl, circle him and keep using Ember!"
Growl barked in acknowledgment, darting around Machop in a tight ring, launching one fireball after another. The attacks weren't individually strong, but they came in rapid succession, forcing the fighting-type onto the defensive.
Machop tried to push through the heat, but his movements were slowing.
"Now! Close in—Bite, then point-blank Ember!" Green shouted.
Growl sprinted forward, sank his fangs into Machop's arm once more, then unleashed a final burst of flame at near-zero distance.
The explosion of heat sent Machop sprawling backward. He tried to rise, but a red-and-white sphere struck him on the head. The Poké Ball snapped shut, wobbled once, twice—
—and dinged.
Green exhaled in satisfaction, picking up the Poké Ball and glancing at his Pokédex. "Guess we won," he said, a rare smirk tugging at his lips.
"Growlithe!" barked Growl, tail wagging proudly—right before his legs gave out.
"Whoa—easy there," Green said, catching him before he hit the ground. The fire-type looked up at him with a tired grin.
"It was quite the battle, huh?" Green said softly as he knelt to treat Growl's wounds. Once he was done, he released Machop from his ball to tend to his injuries as well.
When both Pokémon were patched up, Green set the Poké Ball aside. "Alright, I guess introductions are in order. I'm Green, this is Growl. From now on, the three of us are going to work together."
Machop nodded firmly, looking between his new teammates. Something told him this was going to be a partnership worth having.
Green stretched, noticing how dark the forest had gotten. "Looks like our battle took longer than I thought."
He set up a small camp at the edge of the clearing, lighting a modest fire and pulling out food — both for himself and his Pokémon. When he looked up, he noticed Rattata still lingering nearby, watching them curiously.
"You know," Green said, smirking slightly, "you can stick around for the night. I've got enough food for an extra mouth."
Rattata blinked in surprise, pointing at itself as if to ask, Me?
Green nodded. "Think of it as a thank-you. If not for you, I wouldn't have met this guy." He patted Machop's shoulder.
Neither Machop nor Growl minded sharing, so Rattata cautiously approached and accepted the offer.
Dinner passed quietly. Green wasn't exactly talkative, but the stillness of the forest, the crackling of the fire, and the soft rustle of the night made it… peaceful.
For the first time since leaving Pallet Town, Green felt like a real trainer — not just someone chasing his rival's shadow, but someone beginning his own path.
The Team Rocket daycare was a disaster.
It was already bad enough that two of their members (well, supposedly three, but Blue doesn't count) were already out cold. But now, practically every member had beaten each other until they all lost consciousness. Only two people remained conscious—Blue and the operations leader.
While the operations leader had tried to stop the fighting among the members of the organization (and also avoided getting caught in the crossfire), Blue was busy taking every piece of evidence she could find, as well as things she found interesting.
She was just about done until she heard someone calling out for her. When she turned, she saw her superior covered in bruises and with some of his clothes torn up. Guess he wasn't lucky in avoiding the crossfire.
"YOU!" he said angrily.
"Me!" she replied with a mocking tone and a smile on her face.
"You! You were the spy all along! Just who do you work for?! Plasma!? Magma!? Or is it that masked man!?" he demanded.
"Oh, so you believe me now?" she asked. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the answer is none of the above. If you're interested in knowing, well... let's just say that I have unfinished business with him. I came here to see if you lot had something that might help, but as it turns out, you really didn't know anything. But don't mind me, I was just on my way out, so if you could move out of the way, that'd be great."
"Heh, do you really think you could just walk out of here just like that after the stunt you pulled?!"
"Yeah, pretty much," said Blue.
"Kid, the only way you're leaving is inside a bag!" shouted the operations leader.
"I wouldn't recommend you do that. Well, that is unless you want to add child murder to the pile of crimes that are already under your name," said Blue.
The operations leader was confused. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Jeesh, and here I thought Bash was slow," she said, only to realize something. "Dammit, Blue, you screwed up again!" she thought to herself.
It's been two years; how can she still get it wrong?!
"Whatever," she muttered. "What I'm trying to say is that the police are already on their way. So, unless you want to spend the rest of your life behind bars, you'll let me be and start running."
"Fat chance, kid. I'm not leaving until I make you pay for what you did. I'll deal with the police later," he said, his tone menacing. He was livid—the fact that a small little girl made a fool of him and ruined his operation as if it were just a game. His blood was boiling. But Blue remained unfazed by his threat.
"Suit yourself. Just don't blame me if you end up catching a cold," she said, confusing the Rocket member yet again.
Blue then signaled the man to turn around. When he did, he was hit in the face by a Sing attack. Courtesy of a Jigglypuff that had gone under his radar. The soothing melody made him wobble and collapse to his knees, his eyes struggling to stay open.
When the song stopped, and the man was barely conscious, he saw the Jigglypuff signaling him to turn around. The man did—and the last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Blue swinging a piece of wood at him.
After knocking the man to the ground, Blue sighed in relief. "Finally, I can get rid of this stupid wig!" she shouted as she took off the object in question. "You have no idea how itchy that thing was... I hope you rot in the Distortion World," she said as she threw the wig away.
"Nice one, Jiggly! I knew I could count on you!" she said to her partner.
"Jiggly! Jiggly!" said Jiggly as she jumped into her trainer's arms.
"Alright, alright, I get it—you're happy!" Blue said, giggling.
After putting Jiggly down, Blue pulled out her Pokédex from the pouch on her belt. She'd read that, as a safety precaution, Professor Oak had installed an alarm that would go off if it detected a member of Team Rocket. Good thing she didn't pull it out while sneaking in—otherwise, things could've gone bad for her.
And to be honest, that would've been quite embarrassing.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Viridian Forest…
Red suddenly sneezed, no idea why. Poli, Pika, and the newcomer turned to him, wondering if he'd caught a cold.
"That's odd. Do you guys think someone's talking about me?" he asked.
But his Pokémon dismissed the thought. It was probably his imagination.
Back at the Rocket hideout, Blue was just about done calling for help using the Pokédex's distress function. Once that was done, she decided to make sure the operations leader stayed put. She pulled out some duct tape she'd packed for emergencies. "Remember, Jiggly—always prepare for whatever situation you might encounter," she said, and Jiggly nodded.
Truly, her trainer was wise beyond her age.
Once that was taken care of, Blue and Jiggly decided to look around again. They soon found the safe where the daycare money was stored.
Blue contemplated it for a bit—it isn't stealing if you're stealing from thieves, right?
"No… it wouldn't be fair to the people they took it from... Goddammit, Red, this is your fault!" she said. Had he not been such a good example, she would've already taken all that money for herself.
Once again, Red sneezed.
"Hey, kid, I think you're starting to catch a cold," said a man with brown hair—one of two who were currently tied up with rope Red had packed for emergencies.
"Either that, or someone's talking about you," said the blonde one.
"Oh really? Wow, I never thought about it before," said Red sarcastically as silence took over for a few seconds.
"...Well, you don't have to be such a jerk about it."
"YOU TRIED TO HIT ME WITH A ROCK!"
Back at the Rocket base, Blue thought of something more… morally acceptable.
She started checking the purses and wallets of all the unconscious recruits. Now she had enough money to last a month or two, a discount at a family-sized pizza, a free smoothie, an expired coupon for a taco, and a free jelly-filled donut if she visited a place called Wigglytuff's Bakery. That one definitely interested her.
After all, nothing beats a good jelly-filled donut, right?
It didn't take long before the police arrived. After explaining the situation, the officers quickly arrested every member of the operation, as well as freed all the captive Pokémon.
"Can't believe it—they were right under our noses, and we didn't even notice. And to make matters worse, a kid ended up doing a better job stopping them than us. No offense," said a police officer to Blue.
"Some taken," she said with a grin.
"Aren't you supposed to say 'none taken'?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, which one of us was the one that stopped Team Rocket?" she asked.
"Alright, I get it—jeesh, that's some attitude you got there, kid."
"I'm just messing with you, sir. Truth is, I wasn't planning on doing this—it all... just happened, you know," she said with a shrug.
"...You do know that just makes me look worse at my job, right?" he asked.
Blue was about to answer, but then she heard someone calling out to her. When she turned around, she saw Erika being taken away by another police officer.
"You! Look at what you did to me!" she shouted, anger in her voice.
Both Blue and the police officer immediately saw what she meant. The Rocket member was missing several large chunks of hair across her head. They couldn't help but laugh — it was probably unprofessional coming from the law enforcer, but he couldn't stop himself.
"I don't know, I think that look suits you! It really brings out your inner beauty, ma'am," Blue said between laughs, making sure Erika heard that last part.
Erika's blood started to boil. She could only see red as a vein popped at the top of her head."WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?! I SWEAR, WHEN I GET OUT, I'M—"
"You have the right to remain silent," interrupted the police officer escorting her, much to her annoyance. The two of them soon disappeared down the hall.
After laughing for another couple of minutes, Blue wiped a tear from her eye. "Well, that's that," she said with a grin. "Guess everything's finally wrapped up."
"Almost," said the police officer. "There's one more thing left to do."
That made Blue blink in confusion. But when the officer nodded toward something behind her, she turned around and understood.
The Ditto that had been kept in a cage was nervously inching closer to them.
"You said that Ditto was a wild one, right?" asked the officer.
"Yeah, that's what the operations leader said. Why?" Blue tilted her head.
"Well, we're going to take care of the other Pokémon until their owners come to reclaim them," he explained. "But this little guy doesn't seem to belong to anyone. I was thinking... why don't you take him with you?"
Blue's eyes widened. "What?! No, I mean—well, that does sound kind of nice, but shouldn't you guys be the ones looking after it or something?" she stammered, completely caught off guard.
The officer smiled. "Normally, yes. But considering you're the one who took this whole operation down, we figured you've earned it. Think of it as our way of saying thanks for cleaning up after our mess, kid."
"Y-you really mean that?" Blue asked.
He nodded. "And to be honest, I think the little guy's pretty fond of the idea himself," he said, gesturing toward Ditto.
When Blue looked back, the pink blob's eyes were filled with hope. She crouched down, smiling gently.
"Do you really want to come with me?" she asked.
Ditto nodded, then cheerfully bounced up onto her shoulder. Blue laughed softly and patted his squishy form.
"Then welcome aboard, Ditty!" she said as she pulled out an empty Poké Ball and lightly tapped him with it. A flash of light followed, then a soft ding — the capture was complete.
Blue stared at the Poké Ball in her hand, smiling. She couldn't help but wonder what new trials lay ahead of her.
Whatever they were, she knew one thing for sure: she wasn't facing them alone anymore.
And, for the first time in a long while, she simply felt happy.