Stay calm! You must stay calm in a battle!
Archer kept repeating this to himself, trying not to let the underhanded tactics get to him.
"Arbok, use Thunder Fang!"
At this moment, Dylan launched an attack.
Arbok opened its menacing jaws, electricity crackling around its sharp fangs, and lunged at Houndoom.
Electric-type Thunder Fang!
"Houndoom! Dodge it!"
"Weezing, use Thunderbolt!"
Archer reacted quickly, immediately giving orders to his Pokémon.
Houndoom had been paralyzed by Glare, but fortunately, the initial paralysis effect had worn off, and the paralysis would now trigger randomly.
However, due to the paralysis, Houndoom's movements had become noticeably sluggish.
But luckily, dodging a Thunder Fang was still possible.
Weezing, on the other hand, began to crackle with electricity, ready to unleash Thunderbolt on Arbok.
"Flamethrower!"
But just then, a scorching flame suddenly blasted towards Weezing, hitting it directly.
It was Charizard's Flamethrower!
Archer's face twisted in frustration as Weezing was sent flying by the Flamethrower. What was he doing just now? How could he have ignored Charizard?!
And at that moment.
"Oh dear~ You've been hit! At this rate, you'll lose soon, right? You'll lose to these two youngsters, won't you, old man? Isn't that right?"
"Ah, yes, yes."
A sarcastic, cheerful female voice chimed in, and Dr. Fuji glanced at Archer with a puzzled expression.
"!!!"
Archer glared at Leah, who was hiding behind Dylan and Red, with a cold stare.
This wretched woman! This clown!
"Arbok, use Stomp."
Dylan chuckled, noticing that Archer was losing his composure.
Arbok's expression grew more menacing as it lunged at Houndoom again, its powerful tail glowing with a brownish-yellow energy.
"Houndoom, use Flamethrower..."
"Dragon Claw!" Red's steady voice suddenly rang out.
Charizard's claws glowed with a sharp green light as it suddenly charged at Weezing and slashed.
Dragon-type Dragon Claw!
"Weezing! Use Thunderbolt!"
Charizard's Dragon Claw struck Weezing, and it immediately followed up with a Flamethrower. Although Weezing countered with Thunderbolt, it was clearly at a disadvantage.
Meanwhile, Houndoom was struck by Arbok's Stomp. As a Ground-type move, Stomp was super effective against Houndoom!
Especially since Thunder Fang had missed earlier, Stomp's power was now doubled, dealing a heavy blow to Houndoom!
And with Houndoom still paralyzed, how could it possibly fight back?
In the blink of an eye, the situation had turned dire. Archer was starting to panic.
Archer's pale, shadowed face was now filled with gloom. The strength of Dylan and Red had exceeded his expectations, but the most infuriating part was that female clown!
"Wow~ Archer-senpai, your Houndoom has fainted. Tsk tsk~ It doesn't seem to be much of a challenge, huh?"
"Arbok doesn't even have a scratch on it."
Leah clicked her tongue in amazement, continuing her psychological warfare.
As she looked at the backs of Dylan and Red in front of her, Leah's eyes narrowed in a smile.
Yes~ The three of us are strong!
Archer's face twitched as he recalled his fainted Houndoom, his icy gaze sweeping over Leah.
With Houndoom out of commission, the outcome of the battle was clear.
And Archer clearly had no intention of sending out any more Pokémon.
"Oh~ Archer-senpai, your gaze is so frightening. You wouldn't blame me just because you lost the battle, would you?"
Leah showed no fear, even pretending to be scared as she hugged herself, speaking pitifully.
Archer's lips twitched, and then he forced a stiff smile.
"Heh heh heh..."
A low, rumbling laugh seemed to squeeze out of his throat.
"Good! Very good! The younger generation these days is truly remarkable."
Archer ignored the female clown and instead focused his gaze on Dylan and Red, offering genuine praise.
Indeed, his earlier mistakes in the battle might have been slightly influenced by that female clown.
But he had to admit, these two young men were extremely talented.
"Are you interested in joining Team Rocket? I can personally recommend you to the boss. Believe me, Team Rocket will offer you generous rewards."
Archer recalled his badly injured Weezing and extended an earnest invitation to the two of them. These were real talents!
Red remained silent.
"Mr. Archer, are you joking with us? Given your current situation, you still want to recruit us?"
Dylan spoke with a slight smile. He was indeed interested in Team Rocket, but had no desire to join them.
A wise bird chooses the right tree to nest in, and with a wealthy benefactor in his corner, his future was bright.
Why join Team Rocket and become a public enemy?
There is only one true ruler in this world, and that is the Pokémon League! Plus, the position of League Champion is open to anyone skilled enough. If power and status were his goals, Dylan could simply challenge the Indigo Plateau.
"Of course, I won't deny that I've lost this battle."
Archer seemed to regain his composure, adopting his signature pose with his right hand behind his back.
"But this mission isn't a complete failure, and Team Rocket will ultimately succeed."
"Oh?"
Dylan and the others frowned slightly at his words, glancing at Dr. Fuji. Wasn't Dr. Fuji the target of Team Rocket's mission?
Dr. Fuji looked just as puzzled when he met Dylan and Red's gazes.
"Dr. Fuji is indeed important and was my primary objective. What a pity."
Archer gave Dr. Fuji a regretful look.
"Dr. Fuji, I sincerely urge you to return to the organization. Whether for yourself or for those children, you understand, don't you?"
Dr. Fuji hesitated, his expression conflicted.
"What nonsense! You're just a loser! Grandpa, don't listen to him. This guy is about to become a prisoner!"
Leah was clearly annoyed. What was Archer trying to pull?
Besides, she had already notified the Vermilion City police. Officer Jenny and her team were surely on their way by now.
Not a single member of Team Rocket on this ship would escape!
"Mr. Archer, do you really think you can leave here safely?"
Dylan held a Poké Ball in his hand. Archer's calm demeanor—did he have another trick up his sleeve?
"Heh heh heh... I will remember this loss. We will meet again, young men. And if you ever change your minds, Team Rocket will always welcome you."
Archer began to retreat quietly.
"Arbok!"
"Charizard!"
Dylan and Red immediately commanded their Pokémon, not willing to let Archer escape.
To Red, this Team Rocket executive was too dangerous.
To Dylan, it didn't really matter if Archer was captured or not. If captured, the League would offer some rewards.
If not, the ongoing conflict between Team Rocket and the Kanto League would only become more interesting. He could just sit back and enjoy the show.
So, either way was fine.
"Oh dear~ Archer, it seems you're in quite a predicament."
Suddenly, a mocking voice came from behind Archer.
A green-haired youth in a black uniform slowly approached, clicking his tongue as he looked at Archer, then glanced at Dylan and the others.
"Executive Proton."
Dylan raised an eyebrow. This person was indeed Proton, another one of Team Rocket's executives.
"Oh~ You know me, kid? Looks like I'm getting famous." Proton grinned.
"There are actually two executives here."
Leah's expression darkened. This was news to her, and it was definitely troublesome.
Archer and Proton, two Team Rocket executives.
"Not two, but three." Proton smiled and corrected her.
There were three Team Rocket executives on board?
Leah and Red both looked slightly alarmed.
"Is the mission complete?" Archer asked Proton softly.
"Of course, it wasn't difficult." Proton shrugged.
"Then let's retreat."
Archer nodded. At least one of their objectives had been achieved.
"The League members will probably arrive soon. It's not safe to stay any longer."
"Okay, I'll follow your lead. You're the commander." Proton spread his hands, then curiously looked at Dylan and the others.
He had received a secret communication from Archer, which indicated that Archer might have been in trouble.
Was it because of these three young people?
"Should we stop them? We could delay them until Officer Jenny arrives."
Leah whispered to Dylan and Red.
Red remained silent, his red eyes turning to Dylan for his opinion.
"Three executives... that's too dangerous. At least we've ensured the safety of the passengers."
Dylan pondered for a moment before suggesting the safest course of action.
Leah and Red, understanding the situation, did not argue.
Though letting Archer go was frustrating, the threat posed by three executives was too great.
None of Team Rocket's executives were pushovers. Even if they weren't Elite Four-level Trainers, they were close to that level of strength.
"Proton's target clearly wasn't Dr. Fuji, so what was the other objective?"
Dylan wondered, feeling as though he had missed something important.
(End of Chapter)