"Leave it to you all," Lt. Surge said, his deep frown creasing further. Just looking at this "Zapdo pig" gave him a splitting headache.
You're supposed to be an Electric-type legendary! A legend! How could you be this fat?
Lt. Surge was exhausted and disheartened. Forget it. Out of sight, out of mind.
"Ah~ Since the senior says so, we'll take care of it," Karen replied casually, stretching lazily. Her slender, fair waist was quite eye-catching.
"Will," she called.
Will responded by throwing out a Jynx. Zapdos, being Electric and Flying-type, was weak to Ice-types like Jynx.
"Jynx, Blizzard," Will ordered calmly.
Jynx opened its wide, "charming" lips, and a powerful chill filled the air. A raging blizzard swept toward the "Zapdo pig."
But what happened next was unexpected.
It was as if an invisible barrier appeared in front of Zapdos. The blizzard surged with all its might but couldn't advance an inch further.
This strange scene left Karen, Lt. Surge, and the others dumbfounded.
"Will?" Karen's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
"There's something odd. It's like something's in front of it," Will said, puzzled beneath his mask. Was it something Zapdos had done? But that didn't seem right.
From a glance, nothing seemed to be there. Zapdos hadn't moved at all, yet Jynx's Blizzard couldn't break through.
Meanwhile, the "Zapdo pig" remained perched lazily, looking half-asleep, as if it didn't care about the people before it.
Karen's eyes narrowed.
"I knew there was something off about this 'Zapdos,'" she said with a cold laugh, throwing another Poké Ball. A sleek Umbreon appeared before her.
Shaped like a canine, with long ears and gold ring patterns on its black body, its blood-red eyes gleamed.
"Umbreon, Pursuit!"
Umbreon's eyes flashed with dark light as its black figure darted toward Zapdos.
But as it neared, the same invisible barrier emerged. Radiating dark energy, Umbreon gritted its teeth and pushed forward.
As it did, a faint prismatic glow began to shimmer.
Rip!
The sound of something tearing filled the air as Umbreon shredded the unseen "veil."
"Meow?"
Zapdos opened its groggy eyes and found Umbreon right in front of it.
Zapdos was momentarily stunned. Hadn't it set up a psychic "wall"? Though it hadn't used much psychic power, it still shouldn't have been something a regular Pokémon could breach.
"Pursuit!"
Umbreon lunged at the massive Zapdos.
"Meow!"
Zapdos was displeased. It hadn't even bothered these people, yet they came to trouble it?
A tangible shockwave suddenly rippled out. Umbreon, the first to bear the brunt, let out a grunt as it was knocked back—a pure energy shockwave had sent it flying.
Boom!
The ground quaked violently.
Cracks began to form across the power plant floor, and wild Pokémon like Voltorb, who inhabited the plant, started fleeing in panic.
"What on earth is this?" Lt. Surge was stunned.
Giant plant roots erupted from the cracks, writhing like massive dragons, creating an awe-inspiring sight.
Some of the thicker roots even pierced through the power plant ceiling. A true forest terrain takeover!
"Frenzy Plant? How can a Zapdos even use that? Is this some kind of joke?!"
Lt. Surge was utterly shocked, swearing aloud. Even if Zapdos had unleashed repeated Thunders, he wouldn't have been this dumbfounded.
But a Zapdos using Frenzy Plant? That was utterly nonsensical!
Checking the Pokédex again, he confirmed this Zapdos didn't even have Frenzy Plant in its move pool. How was this possible?
Karen and Will also frowned deeply.
As the roots continued to spread, Lt. Surge and the others realized the increasing danger. The entire power plant was shaking.
"Retreat for now!"
Lt. Surge made the call, leading everyone out of the power plant. The area was too perilous to stay in.
Fortunately, the "Zapdo pig" didn't seem intent on attacking them, allowing them to escape safely.
But the problem remained—they had come to capture Zapdos today!
"This Zapdos is definitely not normal," Karen said, her brows tightly knit. The eerie "air wall" and the absurd Frenzy Plant... it all felt wrong.
"Meow~!"
A melodious cry sounded again as the "Zapdo pig," now glowing faintly with pink light, floated out of the power plant, surprising Lt. Surge and the others.
Wait, it could actually fly?
The Team Rocket members were stunned, but they quickly realized the Zapdos wasn't flapping its wings. Instead, it seemed to be using psychic powers to float.
"Is this really Zapdos?"
Lt. Surge, Karen, and Will couldn't shake the growing doubt in their minds. This was far too strange.
"Hmm? Who upset our little pig-cat?"
A teasing male voice suddenly interrupted.
The group immediately turned to see a man and two women approaching.
"Hmm? It's Dylan? This isn't good."
Lt. Surge pulled his hat down further, sensing trouble. He recognized Dylan.
After all, Dylan's all-black outfit was highly distinctive. Though it was their first meeting, Lt. Surge had seen plenty of photos of him.
"Meow!"
The "Zapdo pig" floated straight to Dylan, clearly intending to dive into his arms affectionately. But Dylan dodged swiftly.
"Not happening," Dylan said.
With Clefairy and Jigglypuff, he could manage. But if this "Zapdo pig" tried, it would definitely flatten him.
"Meow!"
The Zapdos gazed at Dylan mournfully, as if to say: Who do you think I got this ugly for, you heartless jerk?!
"I'll reward you properly later," Dylan said, patting the Zapdos's head. The sharp feathers pricked his hand slightly.
The Zapdos immediately perked up, obediently floating behind Dylan. It hated walking—too tiring.
Lillie, curious, studied the Team Rocket members without fear. She was a girl who'd seen her share of high-stakes situation.
Leah, however, half-hid behind Dylan, worried Karen or Will might recognize her.
"Well, well," Dylan said, smiling warmly. "Didn't expect to run into Team Rocket while out for a casual stroll. And judging by appearances..."
He glanced at Lt. Surge, Karen, and Will.
"The three of you don't seem like ordinary members of Team Rocket."
Lt. Surge: "..."
"Who's this handsome guy? He seems pretty strong," Karen asked Surge enthusiastically. She and Will had just arrived in the Kanto region today and weren't familiar with the area.
"He's the Gym Leader of the Rota Gym. What day is it today?"
"It's Saturday."
"Tch~ Just my luck."
Lt. Surge clicked his tongue in annoyance. How unlucky. The Rota Gym was one of those gyms that closed on weekends, with fixed off-days on Saturdays and Sundays.
Dylan would often leave the gym and wander around. Lt. Surge hadn't expected to bump into him today.
"Senior, is this guy really that strong?"
Karen raised an eyebrow, seeing Lt. Surge's reaction. Could this guy be that formidable? He was just a Gym Leader, after all.
A faintly malicious smile curled at the corners of Karen's lips as her narrowed eyes scanned Dylan and the two girls beside him.
But when her gaze landed on the brunette girl behind Dylan, Karen tilted her head slightly, sensing something vaguely familiar. After thinking for a moment, though, she was certain she'd never seen this round-faced girl before.
"Dylan is one of the most well-known Gym Leaders in the Kanto region right now. Archer and Proton from the organization were both captured by him twice, and Ariana was sent to prison by him as well. He's incredibly strong."
Lt. Surge grinned, suddenly recalling that he had never met Dylan in person. Dylan probably wouldn't recognize him.
As long as his sunglasses and hat stayed on, his identity wouldn't be exposed, and there was no need to worry too much.
"Oh?" Karen looked a bit surprised.
Although she didn't think much of Rocket Admins, they were still Elite Four-level trainers. If this Gym Leader had bested them, he was indeed capable.
But that was about it.
"Are you done talking?" Dylan asked politely.
"If you're finished, would you mind coming with me to the police station?"
Dylan's gentle and refined tone was pleasant to the ears—not forceful but rather like a friendly request.
However, the content of his words was anything but friendly.
"Just last week, I visited Ms. Ariana. She seemed rather lonely, reading by herself in her room."
"If the three of you would be willing to keep her company, I'm sure she'd be delighted," Dylan said with a light sigh.
"???" Lt. Surge and Will both frowned darkly, their faces full of question marks.
"Hahaha~ Kid, you've got a real sense of humor," Lt. Surge said, laughing. Sending them to "accompany" Ariana? What a joke.
"How ridiculous," Will said, his expression darkening slightly.
"Tsk tsk tsk~ What an amusing little pretty boy," Karen said, hands on her curvy hips, clearly intrigued by Dylan.
"It seems the three of you aren't too keen on the idea," Dylan said, looking slightly disappointed.
"Dylan, I know you're strong and capable of defeating Archer and Proton with ease, but get one thing straight," Lt. Surge said with a twisted grin.
"I'm not Archer or Proton! And you're here with two little girls. Are you sure you want to fight us?"
Lt. Surge's arrogance was palpable, and understandably so. As one of Rocket's three top executives, he had every reason to be confident.
Compared to Archer and Proton, Lt. Surge's strength was on an entirely different level.
"Three against one, pretty boy. The odds are in our favor. The situation doesn't look great for you," Karen said, twirling a strand of her bluish-gray hair, her tone both teasing and warning.
Behind her, the cold-eyed Umbreon stared at Dylan and his group with blood-red eyes, its aura icy and intimidating.
"How interesting. It's been a long time since anyone dared to warn me," Dylan said, raising an eyebrow as he enlarged two Poké Balls in his hand.
"As a Gym Leader under the Kanto League, there's no reason for me to let Rocket members off the hook."
"Sending the three of you to keep Ms. Ariana company sounds like a perfect plan. You can play cards together in your spare time—it'd be delightful, don't you think?"
Hearing this, Lt. Surge took out a Poké Ball of his own.
"It seems we won't be reaching an understanding today. Let me show you something, Dylan."
Lt. Surge licked his lips, his excitement growing. He'd been looking forward to fighting Dylan for a long time.
"There's a hierarchy among Rocket's top executives!!"
He was determined to test Dylan's strength and prove his own superiority.
Moreover, he wasn't alone. With Karen, Will, and ten Rocket elites at his side, the odds were clearly in their favor.
A 13-on-1 matchup—was there even a question of who had the advantage?
Today, Lt. Surge was ready to avenge Archer and Proton!
(To be continued...)