"That's the situation..." Late at night, outside the Pokémon Center, police officers had surrounded the area, preventing anyone—whether staff or trainers—from leaving.
Nurse Joy was recounting the earlier events to Officer Jenny, who had arrived to investigate.
"Just as I suspected, it's Team Rocket..."
Officer Jenny's face darkened. Viridian City had been far from peaceful recently, with frequent Pokémon kidnappings.
She had suspected Team Rocket's involvement, and now her suspicions were confirmed.
"If it weren't for Ash and Misty's help, Team Rocket might have succeeded this time. I counted earlier, and they had taken 127 Pokémon," Nurse Joy said, still shaken.
If Team Rocket had escaped with those 127 Pokémon—each one a trainer's hard-earned companion—it would have been a disaster for both the trainers and the Kanto League.
Such a failure would have been a huge blow to the Alliance's reputation, drastically diminishing its standing.
"Ash and Misty..."
Officer Jenny repeated, surprised. She recalled the two trainers who had rushed to her earlier that afternoon after being attacked by a swarm of Spearow and managing to fend them off.
"I'll report this incident to the League headquarters immediately. They deserve rewards for their efforts,"
Officer Jenny assured Nurse Joy, saluting her. Team Rocket's connection to the incident made it clear this was more than a simple theft.
News of the incident in Viridian City spread quickly throughout the Kanto region and beyond.
Team Rocket's notoriety only grew, but Ash and Misty also began to catch the attention of powerful figures within the League.
---
"Those two idiots..." In a dimly lit office, a man with a commanding presence sat listening to his assistant's report. His stern expression grew darker by the second.
The Persian at his feet lay quietly, not daring to make a sound, sensing the intense anger radiating from the man.
"Boss, should we expel them from Team Rocket and punish them?" asked his assistant, a sharp and composed woman in a purple suit with short, neat hair and gold-rimmed glasses.
"Forget it..." After a long silence, the man suppressed his anger, shaking his head as he dismissed her suggestion.
The assistant hesitated but said nothing more. She couldn't understand why her leader tolerated these two members, who had failed repeatedly and often acted foolishly.
"Even though they acted recklessly this time, perhaps it has a certain value in misleading the League..."
After calming down, the man began thinking strategically. It occurred to him that this blunder might serve as a useful distraction.
His assistant watched him, puzzled, but remained silent.
"Viridian City has been quiet for too long... ever since we took control of it from the shadows," the man remarked thoughtfully.
Team Rocket had a presence across many parts of the Kanto region, but Viridian City had remained relatively untouched for a while.
The League likely believed that its proximity to the Indigo Plateau made it too risky for Team Rocket to operate there.
But now, the League would be distracted, allowing Team Rocket to work in the shadows. This operation could be the perfect cover to further his other plans.
"Tell Archer to prepare. Once the League lowers its guard, we'll strike. We cannot afford failure in this plan," the man ordered sternly.
"Understood, Leader," the assistant replied seriously.
---
"Team Rocket... Viridian City..." At the Indigo Plateau, Lorelei, one of the Elite Four, had been alerted to the situation.
She immediately convened a video conference with the other three members of the Elite Four to discuss the matter.
"I can't believe Team Rocket had the audacity to act in Viridian City!" Bruno, the Fighting-Type Elite, growled, his powerful arms crossed as he scowled at the news.
"Team Rocket has never cared about rules. Why should this surprise us?" replied Agatha, the Ghost-Type Elite, her face lined with age but her sharpness undiminished.
"Still, we can't afford to relax our investigation of Viridian City," added Lance, the Dragon-Type Elite, though technically specializing in Flying Types. His red hair gleamed in the light as he leaned forward, determined.
"According to the report, it was a Rookie Trainer and Misty from Cerulean Gym who stopped Team Rocket," Lorelei continued after nodding in agreement with Lance.
"A Rookie Trainer?" The other three Elites expressed surprise at the same time. Lance, in particular, showed a flicker of interest.
"Yes, a Rookie. He just became a trainer yesterday and was recommended by Professor Oak," Lorelei explained, holding a report with Ash's detailed information, including his achievements from childhood.
"Professor Oak, huh?" Agatha raised her eyebrows at the mention of her old rival. She and Oak had been close in their youth, both as competitors and friends. She even had feelings for him at one point.
"Even if he's a Rookie, he deserves a reward," Bruno said firmly. "We must uphold justice and fairness within the League. It's what keeps us strong."
"Let's raise his trainer level—directly to the Poké Ball tier," Lance suggested. "Ash may be new, but stopping Team Rocket from escaping with over a hundred Pokémon deserves recognition."
The Elite Four trainer ranks progressed from Rookie to Official Trainer, then to Poké Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, and finally, Master Ball. The Elite Four and Champion were Master Ball level.
By promoting Ash to Poké Ball level, he would receive a monthly stipend of 3,000 currency units, compared to the 1,500 units given to Official Trainers.
"As for Misty from Cerulean Gym, let's offer a subsidy to the Gym. I've heard they're considering stepping down from the Gym Leader lineage," Lance added.
"That settles it!" Lorelei, Bruno, and Agatha agreed. Though elevating Ash to the Poké Ball tier seemed like a big leap, based on the report, if Ash and Misty hadn't intervened, Team Rocket might have made off with the Pokémon.
Considering Ash's bravery, the reward was well-deserved.
____________________
Adios