Archer and Proton were both about to crack. Why? Why did they encounter this person again?!
"Dylan, I think we can talk this out," Archer said, trying to remain calm. If it weren't for the sweat dripping down his forehead, he might've pulled it off.
"Oh my, oh my~ Archer, you're not joking, right?" Before Dylan could respond, Leah's sarcastic voice rang out.
Archer's eyes immediately darkened as he looked at the girl standing behind Dylan. It was that clown of a girl again!
"Ah~ Archer's gaze is so terrifying, like he's about to eat someone," Leah pretended to shrink back in fear, though her face bloomed with a radiant smile like a spring flower.
Archer's face twitched, while Proton watched with amusement, clearly enjoying the scene.
"Heh~ Dylan, even if you capture us, it's useless. Our boss can get us out anytime he wants," Archer said coldly, ignoring the noisy girl and directing his words at Dylan again.
"No way! Archer, you still expect your boss to save you? And you're proud of that? How useless are you?" Leah said, looking at Archer in disbelief.
"Pfft..." Archer's face turned even darker as he heard the stifled laughter—coming from Proton.
How could he laugh at a time like this?! Sure, it's embarrassing that he needed the boss to rescue him, but wasn't Proton in the same boat?
Lillie gave a strange look at the two senior Rocket executives. So, this is what evil organization's officers are like?
"Sorry, I just remembered something funny," Proton said awkwardly, turning his head away to avoid Archer's death glare.
"So, Dylan, if you let us go, I promise Team Rocket won't be your enemy," Archer said, swallowing his pride and trying to reason with Dylan.
They had no choice. Fighting was definitely not an option, so negotiation was all they had.
"Sorry, Archer. I know you're sincere," Dylan said, his tone still polite.
Two flashes of white light appeared, and Dragonite and Goodra materialized in front of Dylan. The sheer pressure from the two Dragon-type pseudo-legendaries made both Archer and Proton's scalps tingle.
This was even more ridiculous than the last time with Salazzle and Nidoking!
"But I am, after all, a Gym Leader of the League," Dylan added with a gentle smile.
"Dylan! Leave a way out for future encounters!" Archer's face turned pale as he looked at the imposing Dragonite and Goodra.
"Do you really need to be this harsh?"
"No worries. I'll visit you two in prison if I have time. But for now..." Dylan smiled, his eyes narrowing at the two.
"Let's go over your crimes, shall we?"
"Damn it! Dylan! Do you really think you have us cornered?" Archer gritted his teeth. Surrender was not an option; at the very least, they had to put up a fight!
"Let me show you the strength of the Rocket Executive!" Proton said, his expression serious. After all, as Rocket officers, they couldn't just roll over and give up. It was a matter of pride!
"Come on, Dylan!"
And then...
"Well done, Dylan. As expected of you," Officer Jenny said, arriving just in time to cuff Archer and Proton. She couldn't help but be impressed.
"I'll leave them to you, Officer Jenny. I have to check on something else," Dylan responded with a smile.
"Rest assured! We'll keep a close eye on these two top criminals!" Officer Jenny pounded her chest confidently.
Dylan nodded and, with Leah and Lillie, headed off in another direction.
"Um, Officer Jenny, these cuffs are a bit too tight. Could you loosen them a little?" Proton raised his hand to show the cuffs, which were digging into his wrists.
"Tight? Handcuffs are supposed to be tight! Now behave!" Officer Jenny said, hands on her hips, glaring at him.
"But the ones in Celadon City were perfectly fitted…" Proton grumbled.
"Why are they so tight in Saffron City? We criminals have rights, too!" he argued, trying to defend his case.
Archer, his face drained of all color, looked up at the sky in despair, completely numb to the conversation.
…
Meanwhile, in an alley, Colress and N were making their escape.
"Seriously, how could the security have been this lax? Even the Champion showed up!" Colress adjusted his glasses, glancing back at the distant explosions that indicated the fierce battle raging behind them.
"Rocket's leader is truly remarkable, though, to be able to fight Lance to a standstill."
Colress was amazed. Even from Unova, he had heard of Lance, the current Kanto Champion, considered the strongest Champion in Kanto's history!
N remained silent.
"But this is troublesome. I need to contact Ghetsis and figure out our next move," Colress muttered to himself. The collaboration with Team Rocket hadn't even officially started, and already they were in this mess. Unbelievable!
Still, Colress couldn't deny his fascination with Rocket's genetic research. Even with just a brief overview, he could see its potential value to his own studies.
Just then, the wind suddenly grew icy, and the temperature plummeted.
Colress looked up sharply, and what met his eyes was a blizzard, filling his entire view.
An Ice-type Blizzard!
"Zoroark," N's hollow eyes flickered with focus.
In a flash, the dark shadow of Zoroark leaped in front of N, its claws gathering black energy.
With a piercing screech, a Dark Pulse shot out.
The Dark-type attack collided head-on with the Blizzard, black and white energies clashing furiously, before finally exploding and sending shockwaves rippling in all directions.
"Such a powerful Blizzard!"
Colress raised his arm to shield himself, squinting through his glasses. Zoroark was one of N's strongest Pokémon, a Champion-level fighter!
But Zoroark's Dark Pulse couldn't overpower that Blizzard!
The only known Ice-type trainers in Kanto... could it be? No, she's supposed to be an Elite Four member, not a Champion!
A path of ice extended toward them, and a massive Lapras swam forward slowly. Riding on its back was a striking woman with long red hair, dressed in black.
It really was her, the first of Kanto's Elite Four, Lorelei of the Ice-type!
"This is troublesome," Colress muttered, his brows furrowing. It wasn't just Lance they had to worry about.
"Looks like I've caught you little mice," Lorelei said, stepping off Lapras and casting a cold smile as her gaze swept over N and Colress.
She'd been in Saffron City, and when Lance contacted her, she happened to catch two big fish.
"Elite Four Lorelei, we're not with Team Rocket," Colress said, adjusting his glasses with a narrowed gaze.
"Attacking us without warning like this is uncalled for, don't you think?"
"Heh…"
Lorelei let out two cold laughs, her icy gaze unchanged.
"Team Rocket is nothing but filthy rats, and you of Team Plasma are the same — maggots in the sewer. There's no difference."
Lorelei had specifically researched Unova's Team Plasma, and upon learning that their ideology was to "liberate Pokémon from humans," she immediately saw through their sinister intentions.
Their slogans were loud and clear, but in the end, they simply wanted others to give up their Pokémon so they could use them to fulfill their own ambitions and desires.
Just another trash organization that needed to be eradicated.
"Do you think perhaps Elite Four Lorelei has some sort of misunderstanding about us?"
A bit exasperated, Colress felt he was being unjustly dragged into this. He had joined Team Plasma mainly because Ghetsis supported his research, but now he was suddenly being labeled a "maggot in the sewer"?
Colress had always considered himself a genius, especially in scientific research — it was his pride.
But this time, Lorelei didn't respond to him. Instead, she released another Pokémon, Dewgong.
"Dewgong, Lapras, Blizzard," Lorelei said calmly. Her gaze toward N and Colress was cold and indifferent, as if she were looking at two corpses.
Dewgong and Lapras opened their mouths simultaneously, ice-blue energy condensing before a fierce blizzard erupted from them.
An Ice-type Blizzard!
In Colress' perspective, the immense Blizzard seemed to cover the sky. If they were hit directly by this, how could they possibly survive?
This crazy woman! How could she attack humans like this? Even if they were members of an evil organization, this was too much!
Colress was stunned!
As a well-known "dark scientist" in the industry, he had long been on the blacklist of the Pokémon League, but the Unova Elite Four weren't this insane!
"Protect."
N's lifeless eyes flickered slightly, his voice calm.
Zoroark stepped forward, positioning itself in front of the two. A green Protect barrier appeared, capable of blocking all standard attacks.
Of course, if the difference in power was too great, Protect might not be able to fully defend, as demonstrated in the anime.
The howling Blizzard devoured everything in the alley, and after a while, the storm gradually subsided.
The scene had completely transformed, with the road and walls covered in thick snow, and even the air filled with scattered snowflakes.
Crack~
It sounded like glass shattering as the green Protect barrier cracked and dissipated into light particles, revealing Zoroark, Colress, and N.
"It seems you really are quite skilled, little rats."
Lorelei's icy gaze didn't change much. Based on the intelligence she had gathered, the green-haired young man in front of her was the leader of Team Plasma.
"N, we can't afford to delay here. Her strength is abnormal."
Colress glanced at their surroundings. This Lorelei was definitely a Champion-level trainer!
And yet Lorelei was only the first of Kanto's Elite Four. No wonder the rumors said Kanto had the strongest Elite Four in the world.
If Lorelei was at Champion-level, then the others above her — Bruno and Agatha — must be at Champion-level too.
"I understand," N nodded silently, comprehending Colress' point.
"We'll leave now, and no one will get hurt."
N took a step forward, signaling Zoroark to stand down, and spoke calmly to Lorelei. He was not someone who preferred violence.
The reason he had awakened Zekrom was to draw upon Unova's founding legend, but the road to ideals was never easy.
"Oh?" Upon hearing this, a cold smile once again appeared on Lorelei's icy face.
"You're nothing but the leader of an evil organization. Scum like you should all be turned into ice sculptures."
Lorelei's voice grew colder. She despised evil organizations, loathed humans with darkness in their hearts, and hated all those who harmed Pokémon and nature!
"We are not an evil organization."
N pursed his lips, slowly raising his right hand.
As N made this motion, a massive black cloud suddenly drifted over the once-clear sky, blue arcs of lightning crackling within it.
A heavy pressure spread across the sky and earth, difficult to describe.
Lorelei sensed something was wrong and looked up at the sky. This massive black cloud had appeared without any warning. Something was off!
"My ideal is for Pokémon to achieve everlasting freedom and happiness."
N continued to gaze at Lorelei, unable to agree with her perception of him. His ideals had always been for the sake of Pokémon.
Roar~!
A deafening dragon roar echoed through the sky, and a blue bolt of lightning descended. A massive black dragon god soared down from the heavens, landing heavily behind the green-haired youth, exuding an awe-inspiring Dragon-type aura!
Lorelei's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the pitch-black dragon. This overwhelming presence — it was a Legendary Pokémon!
"I am N! N. Harmonia!"
N slowly lowered his arm, his usually lifeless eyes now shining with dazzling brilliance.
"This is my best friend and partner, the one who shares my ideals and supports me in achieving them..."
"Zekrom!"
The Dragon of Ideals from Unova's founding legend!
Lorelei's expression became incredibly dark at this moment. A guy willing to cooperate with trash like Team Rocket had been recognized by the Dragon of Ideals? How could that be?!!