"Oh?"
Dylan watched Lt. Surge with great interest.
"Now, I'm rather curious to see the gap between the Rocket Executives."
So there were differences in strength even among Rocket Executives? How amusing.
"Hahaha~ You'll find out soon enough!"
Lt. Surge laughed heartily as he opened a Poké Ball. In a flash of light, a humanoid, yellow-and-black Pokémon appeared before him.
An Electric-type: Electivire!
Alongside it were Will's Jynx and Karen's Umbreon. The three Pokémon stood ready to fight, their piercing gazes fixed.
"An Elite-level Electivire, an Elite-level Jynx, and a Champion-level Umbreon. Interesting."
Dylan's sharp gaze swept over the three Pokémon.
"Hm?" Karen looked surprised. It was true her Umbreon was Champion-level, but just from its aura alone, most wouldn't be able to discern that.
"Dylan, my boy, if you turn a blind eye, we can avoid any unnecessary trouble," Lt. Surge said, raising an eyebrow as he subtly glanced at Karen.
If he could avoid a clash with Dylan, it would be ideal. That 'Zapdos' had to be fake. Though Lt. Surge looked like a musclehead, he wasn't stupid.
There were Pokémon capable of mimicking others, and one that could transform into 'Zapdos' while also using Frenzy Plant? It could only be that mythical Pokémon.
"So, what do you think?"
Though the mission was already a failure, Lt. Surge prioritized reporting to their boss. Despite his itching desire to fight Dylan, he restrained himself.
"You're quite the joker. I'm not interested." Dylan shrugged casually.
Lt. Surge's brow furrowed. If that's the case, there was no choice but to fight. As long as they could take Dylan down quickly, it would be fine. Hopefully, Officer Jenny hadn't been alerted yet. If she showed up, things would get complicated.
"No matter how impressive your lineup looks, before my Kyurem, you're all just ants."
With a smirk, Dylan opened his Luxury Ball.
"ROARRR!!!"
A deafening roar shook the ground as a massive gray dragon landed heavily before Dylan. Its golden, fearsome eyes gazed disdainfully at the humans before it.
The strongest dragon on land—Kyurem!
An overwhelming dragon aura mixed with freezing pressure descended upon the area, sending chills straight to everyone's core. Even breathing became a struggle.
What incredible pressure!
Lt. Surge and Will widened their eyes in shock, staring at the enormous gray dragon.
Even Karen frowned. This… this was over the top!
"Wow! Dylan, your Pokémon looks insanely strong!"
Leah exclaimed, patting Dylan on the shoulder with amazement. The sheer pressure was overwhelming, even from the sidelines.
"Hehe~ This is Kyurem, the legendary Pokémon from Unova. My brother recently captured it there. It's super strong!"
Lillie whispered proudly to Leah, her voice filled with excitement.
"That's amazing~" Leah's wide, sparkling eyes reflected her astonishment. In just over a month, Dylan had grown even stronger. His progress was incredible.
"Don't panic; it could just be a paper tiger," Lt. Surge said, trying to calm Will and Karen.
"Well, let's test that theory."
Will nodded, though he was frowning. The pressure was overwhelming, but they had to confirm its true strength.
"Electivire, Thunder!"
"Jynx, Psychic!"
And then…
"ROARRR!!"
Kyurem's furious roar was accompanied by a flash of icy light.
Before their eyes, Electivire and Jynx were frozen solid, turned into lifelike ice sculptures.
Lt. Surge and Will fell silent, their expressions immediately clearing.
No need to test further. This dragon was indeed a monster.
Dylan's grin widened as he looked at the now-silent Lt. Surge and his group.
"Why so quiet, everyone?"
He walked to Kyurem's side, feigning surprise as he glanced at the trio.
Leah and Lillie couldn't hold back their laughter.
Lt. Surge's face darkened, Will stared at the ground, and Karen's lips twitched slightly.
"Well, no matter how many of you there are, in front of Kyurem, you're just frost on the ground."
Dylan sighed, relishing the moment. Kyurem's overwhelming power truly made him feel unbeatable.
Lt. Surge's expression stiffened further.
"But you should feel honored. This is Kyurem's first appearance in the Kanto region."
"Still not talking? What a letdown. Alright then."
Finding their silence boring, Dylan gestured to Kyurem, signaling it to prepare to attack as he stepped back.
"Don't worry, everyone. Kyurem won't freeze you to death immediately. It's experienced with this sort of thing."
Kyurem's terrifying golden eyes locked onto the trio, and icy-blue energy began to gather around it, forming dazzling, pure rings of ice.
"Wait! Leader Dylan, I think we can talk!"
Lt. Surge's expression changed as he quickly called out.
"Talk? At this point, aren't you joking, Mr. Musclehead?"
Dylan gestured for Kyurem to pause and looked at Lt. Surge with an amused smile.
"This is something both Archer and Proton have said countless times. It doesn't work, you know. Pleading won't help either."
"As a Gym Leader of the League, I won't let you Rocket members off. Otherwise, Lance-senpai would be disappointed."
Though Dylan's voice was gentle, his words were anything but.
Lt. Surge's face darkened further as he frantically sent a string of emergency messages to his boss:
'Boss, save me!'
'Boss, help!!!'
'Boss, come save me ASAP!'
Lt. Surge wasn't taking any chances and resent the messages again.
Lt. Surge wasn't taking any chances and resent the messages again.
"Leader Dylan, I believe there's been a misunderstanding."
Karen, ever the Champion-level trainer, swiftly distanced herself from Lt. Surge and Will.
"Oh?" Dylan looked intrigued.
"I'm not with Team Rocket. You've misunderstood."
Karen brushed her grayish-blue hair aside with a faint smile, effortlessly disassociating herself.
"???"
Lt. Surge and Will were dumbfounded.
Especially Will. 'We're on the same team! How could you do this? If you're cutting ties, take me with you!'
Though Will's expression darkened, he held back as Karen discreetly signaled him.
"What a comedian you are. If you're not with Team Rocket, why are you here with these Rocket thugs?" Dylan spread his hands, unconvinced.
"Bold declarations, silence mid-fight, and now ridiculous excuses."
Leaf's disguised voice chimed in mockingly.
"Dylan, stop listening to her nonsense. Freeze this entire group of Kanto scum!"
Leah eagerly encouraged Dylan, clearly relishing the idea of watching Karen and Will turned into ice sculptures.
"Leader Dylan, you misunderstand. I was just traveling from Johto and happened to be misled by these evil thugs. They told me there was a Zapdos here, so I followed along. Honestly, if it weren't for you, I might've been in real danger."
Karen's tone was sincere, but her story was outright absurd.
Will stood silently, rolling his eyes internally. 'You're a Champion-level trainer, and you expect anyone to believe that?'
Lt. Surge, meanwhile, quietly continued spamming his boss for help.
"Maybe you're telling the truth, but that's too bad. My job is to capture you. You can explain everything to Officer Jenny later."
Dylan waved her off, signaling her to rejoin Lt. Surge and Will.
"For now, please stay put. Kyurem's temper isn't great, and if it sneezes, you might spend the rest of your life as a vegetable."
Dylan spoke gently, though his words sent chills down their spines.
'Is this guy really a Gym Leader? Why does he sound like a villain?'
Karen's eyelid twitched, and she obediently returned to stand beside Lt. Surge and Will.
"This Pokémon is terrifying. Do you have any way to get out of here?" Will whispered to Lt. Surge and Karen.
He suddenly wanted to go back to Johto. He had only just arrived in Kanto today, and while he liked excitement, he wasn't looking to end up in jail!
"What about your Teleport?" Karen asked, her eyebrows knitted tightly in frustration.
"That dragon is staring right at us. How am I supposed to use Teleport? And its oppressive aura is overwhelming—there's no guarantee my Xatu could successfully execute Teleport," Will replied in a low voice.
Teleport could instantly take people away from the area, and as an Elite Psychic Trainer, Will's ace Xatu could easily transport three people under normal circumstances. But was this a normal situation?
With that dragon exuding such a terrifying presence, it was uncertain whether Xatu could even perform Teleport, let alone take multiple people with it.
"I've already called for help from the boss, but I'm not sure how long it will take for them to arrive," Lt. Surge said.
"Karen, are you sure you don't want to give it a try? If your whole team went at it together…"
Will ignored Dylan's comment and addressed Karen directly. After all, she was Champion-level.
"Are you out of your mind? You want me to fight that dragon?" Karen shot Will a cold glance, seriously doubting that he might be planning to run off while she risked her life against Kyurem.
"Then what do we do? Are we really going to jail?" Will said reluctantly.
He had come to Kanto for fun and to complete some tasks, not to end up in a cell.
Karen frowned deeply, while Lt. Surge sighed in despair. He was the one who least wanted to be caught, wasn't he?
As the Gym Leader of Vermilion City, his identity was now at risk of being exposed. What would he do after this? But right now, they had no solutions. Where was the boss?
Time quickly passed, and Officer Jenny from Lavender Town arrived with reinforcements.
"Dylan, you're amazing! You've done it again!" Officer Jenny exclaimed as she excitedly clasped Dylan's hand. He was truly an idol!
Not only had he captured a high-ranking Rocket Executive, but three of them at once!
"This is just what I should do as a Gym Leader," Dylan said modestly.
At his words, Officer Jenny's expression froze slightly, her eyes dimming for a moment. As she was escorting the Rocket members earlier, she had seen Lt. Surge!!
Lt. Surge, the Gym Leader of Vermilion City, was actually a high-ranking Rocket Executive. This revelation… was truly shocking.
"Dylan, you're the real hero of justice! By the way, I'm a fan of yours. Could you give me an autograph?"
This young Officer Jenny's eyes sparkled as she eagerly held out a notebook and pen to Dylan.
"Is that okay? I'm just an ordinary Gym Leader," Dylan said, somewhat surprised.
"No, no, no! You're the 'Rocket Slayer!' My family has so many fans of yours!" Officer Jenny quickly shook her head.
"Please thank your family for their support," Dylan said with a smile as he signed the notebook.
"I will! I still need to oversee the prisoners. Goodbye for now, Dylan," she said before running off to the police car, where the Rockets were being detained.
Inside the police car, Will stared blankly at the ceiling, the silver handcuffs on his wrists glinting.
On his first day in Kanto, he had received an invaluable silver bracelet, but all Will wanted to do was cry.
Karen sighed deeply. What kind of mess was this?
"Feeling better now?"
Dylan smiled as he watched the police cars drive off, then turned to Leah.
"Totally! Thank you so much, Dylan!" Leah exclaimed, immediately leaping at Dylan and wrapping her arms around him in a big bear hug. Her legs clung around his waist, and her big eyes curved into crescent moons as she spoke in a sweet, syrupy tone.
Oh my gosh! Seeing Karen and Will's expressions as they were cuffed had nearly made her laugh her head off!
"Leah, that's not appropriate! You shouldn't act like that!" Lillie exclaimed, her eyes wide as she tried to stop Leah's bold display. How could she do such a thing?!
Was Leah deliberately taking advantage of Dylan?
"Get down already. You're heavy," Dylan said reflexively as he supported the girl's waist and spoke to Leah.
"Huh? Heavy? I just weighed myself this morning, and I'm definitely not heavy! It must be Ditto—it's too heavy," Leah protested incredulously.
Meanwhile, on a distant hilltop.
A middle-aged man in a black suit and gentleman's hat stared deeply at Dylan and the others. Beside him stood a silver Pokémon clad in mechanical armor.
This Pokémon's eyes glowed faintly blue as it stared intently at the "Zapdos."
"Mewtwo, your aura is fluctuating again," the man, Giovanni, said calmly.
"That…"
Mewtwo's deep telepathic voice echoed.
"Yes, that's your original, Mew. But it doesn't matter. You will surpass it, Mewtwo," Giovanni said, his voice magnetic and confident.
"You've only just awakened. This armor will help you fully adapt to your power. You are growing rapidly, Mewtwo. There's no need to rush," Giovanni reassured, smiling.
"…"
Mewtwo remained silent, its glowing blue eyes fixed on the "Zapdos," a mixture of doubt and bewilderment visible.
Was this really its original form? This… "pig"?
Forgive Mewtwo for using the term "pig," but it couldn't find a more fitting description.
And suddenly, Mewtwo began to wonder if there had been some misunderstanding. Perhaps it wasn't actually created from Mew's genetic material at all.
(End of Chapter)