Chapter 34 The League's rules couldn't stop Team Rocket
After dealing with his Pokémon, Bai Yu
left the gym, taking with him all the Pokémon he wasn't using.
Just as he stepped outside, he heard an explosion.
Instantly, flames shot into the sky, thick smoke billowed, and commotion erupted around him. Many trainers were running from the blast site, clearly something serious had happened.
The entire sky above Marsh City was covered in thick smoke, the scene resembling an apocalypse.
Even Bai Yu had never seen an explosion of this magnitude before.
"Hmm?"
"Would such a commotion occur in Marsh City?"
Bai Yu frowned.
In his memory, how could such a disturbance possibly occur in such an inconspicuous little city as Marsh City?
Bai Yu looked in the direction from which the smoke was rising, referring to his Pokédex; the location was Professor Oak Azure's research lab.
Trainers throughout the city were fleeing in panic.
The police officers originally responsible for Marsh City were also mobilized in full force, constantly evacuating the crowd.
Even Nurse Joy, who was inside the Pokémon Center, ran out to heal the crowd and their Pokémon using Chansey.
Officer Jenny emerged from the crowd, accompanied by a Growlithe.
She had already reported the situation to the League and believed they would send reinforcements.
Team Rocket hadn't been seen in the Kanto Region for a long time, and many League officials assumed they were planning something big. They hadn't expected to see such a large group of Team Rocket in Marsh City.
Those guys were lunatics, absolute lunatics.
"Meow~"
A meowing leader charged out of the crowd, standing before the trainers.
Its face was fierce, its front paws glowing white, seemingly threatening the fleeing crowd.
A blond-haired trainer, skeptical, tried to force his way out, but upon seeing the meowing leader's eyes, fear gripped him. He swallowed hard and huddled in the crowd, trembling.
Bang! A muffled thud rang out as the blond-haired man in the crowd was kicked away.
Then, a man in a black uniform with a prominent 'R' symbol on his chest slowly stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the noisy crowd. His
fierce gaze alone silenced the commotion.
Nobody wanted to provoke this group of lunatics. This group of lunatics—stealing Pokémon, fighting the League, researching various genetic processes, creating unique Poké Balls—who in the entire Kanto Region didn't know the name Team Rocket?
Even wealthy merchants didn't want to mess with these unscrupulous lunatics.
"We don't have much ill will towards you, we just need your cooperation."
"Stay here for a while and hand over the Pokémon you have, and we'll spare your lives."
"I think…this deal shouldn't affect your daily lives."
From Team Rocket, a man who appeared to be a leader stepped forward.
He looked around at the crowd, as if his actions were solely for the sake of the Pokémon.
"Team Rocket, do you know what you're doing?!"
"Stealing Pokémon from other people's hands, is this what a trainer should do?!"
"Have you forgotten the rules set by the League?"
Officer Jenny stared at the Team Rocket leader before her,
her eyes filled with anger. This kind of problem had occurred in her jurisdiction.
If she didn't handle it properly, her police uniform might be implicated.
She herself had been relegated to an insignificant small town by her family because of her lack of strength.
If she were implicated because of this, she might not be able to continue as a police officer.
Even if she was weaker than them, Officer Jenny wouldn't allow Team Rocket to cause trouble in the city under her jurisdiction.
"Isn't this the famous Officer Jenny?"
"I thought the Officer Jenny in the city had already gone into hiding."
The Team Rocket leader couldn't help but laugh after hearing Officer Jenny's words. In this situation, only the Officer Jenny family under the League would dare to act heroically.
"As for the League's rules? Do you think you can control Team Rocket?"
"I advise you to be quiet, Officer Jenny. If you keep making such a racket, I don't know what I might do!"
The Team Rocket leader sneered upon hearing this.
Since when did the League have the right to govern Team Rocket? The Meowth beside her extended its front paws, its fierce gaze fixed on the Growlithe next to Officer Jenny.
Growlithe's limbs trembled uncontrollably. Despite its efforts to maintain its balance, Growlithe was ultimately intimidated by the Meowth's gaze and hid behind Officer Jenny.
"You—"
Officer Jenny clenched her small pink fists.
At this moment, she could only watch as Team Rocket subdued the surrounding trainers.
She alone couldn't possibly contend with the Team Rocket members before her.
The traveling trainers dared not speak out.
Even if they used all their Pokémon, they were no match for Team Rocket. They
might even get into unnecessary trouble. Even some passing, somewhat well-known entrepreneurs were discarded like trash.
They all gripped their Pokémon tightly, prepared for a desperate fight.
Meanwhile, a number of ferocious Pokémon appeared around the Team Rocket leader, eyeing the travelers intently. If they released their Pokémon, it would surely cause a great commotion! Currently, Team Rocket was merely controlling the crowd, not taking any substantial action.
The two sides remained in a stalemate, without much conflict.
"Just for those Pokémon?"
"This doesn't seem like Team Rocket's usual style."
Bai Yu frowned, his gaze fixed on the research institute.
Team Rocket did indeed like to snatch Pokémon from passersby, but such a large-scale operation was unprecedented in Bai Yu's memory.
If Bai Yu wasn't mistaken, what Team Rocket wanted wasn't here.
It should be in the direction of the research institute.
But what exactly did Team Rocket want, that they went to such lengths and caused such a commotion?
Was it for the foster Pokémon in the research institute?
Or Professor Oak Azure himself, or perhaps the materials he had researched?
Bai Yu couldn't immediately determine Team Rocket's purpose in this operation.
"A direct assault would take a lot of time."
"With so many people, my Pokémon would easily get scattered."
"The League should have received the news by now, so I don't really need to manage this."
Bai Yu glanced at the surrounding crowd.
Team Rocket's targets weren't here, so they naturally wouldn't make a move.
They were just controlling the crowd to prevent people from running around and causing unnecessary trouble.
Macha City wasn't far from Fuchsia City and Rustboro City, so it wouldn't take the League's people long to get here.
The League would probably send an Elite Four member to handle this disturbance.
An Elite Four member's strength would sweep away these Team Rocket minions in no time.
"Go to the research institute."
"Professor Oak Azure, don't let Team Rocket capture you."
"If you get captured, my Pokémon won't have a suitable place to be fostered."
Bai Yu slowly walked away from the crowd, heading towards the research institute.
Once he reached the research institute,
he would know what had happened in Macha City.
Team Rocket should be coming out soon, and the story of the protagonist and Sabrina will be told later.
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(End of this chapter)