They unhesitatingly prostrated themselves.
"Gomen nasai sumimasen! Please forgive us once more!"
Faced with this devil who controlled their lifeline, the Rocket Team trio really couldn't muster any thoughts of resistance and had no choice but to meekly submit.
Baimu looked at these talents and prodigies, lost in thought.
In retrospect, the handling to prevent them from causing trouble seemed a bit crude at the time, and significant leverage could be used for more meaningful purposes.
He spoke up, "Forgive you? It's not impossible, but you have to make a deal with me."
"A deal?"
The trio looked up at each other in confusion.
"That's right, you Rocket Team really like to infiltrate other regions to expand your influence, don't you?" Baimu picked up Meowth and lightly scratched its chin amidst its anxious expression.
The skilled movement inadvertently made Meowth feel comfortable and relaxed, but the unease inside made it tense again. The mix of contradictory emotions made Meowth feel like it was going crazy.
"N-no, don't do this Meow... don't..."
Meowth pushed its paws into the void as if kneading dough.
Baimu ignored it and continued, "I'm from the Ore Region; you might not have heard of it, but your boss Giovanni probably has. Recently, there's been significant change there, and very soon, an alliance will be formed.
"I hope if Giovanni plans to expand his influence to the Ore Region, you can take on this task voluntarily—"
"Are you asking us to betray the boss? I tell you that's absolutely impossible!"
Musashi suddenly jumped up from the ground, righteously waving his hand in refusal.
He chuckled, taking out his phone from his pocket and murmuring, "What's the phone number for the Pokémon Center in Happy Town again?"
"Sorry, I was just kidding."
Musashi immediately slid to his knees.
James, unable to bear it, stood up and shouted, "Using someone's weaknesses to threaten them! That's so despicable!"
"Hoopa! I want to find a box full of rare bottle caps—"
"Sorry, I was too loud."
James followed with a knee slide.
He could hardly imagine that the other party not only knew he was hiding from his fiancée Lu Meijia but also knew he was collecting bottle caps.
Wobbuffet looked astonished at the two and then at the half-wasted Meowth in Baimu's hand, extremely shocked, "Whooo—"
"Hahaha don't be so tense. I don't plan to harm you, nor do I intend to trouble Rocket Team. Everything is just precautionary."
At least not at the moment.
Baimu thought to himself and softly said, "We can completely establish a cooperative relationship. What does your boss desire?"
"...World domination?" James tentatively replied.
"That's one way to put it, but I think right now he probably desires money more?"
He looked into James's eyes and said with a tempting tone, "You always want to capture various Pokémon to honor Giovanni, imagining they could be useful to him, but in the end, Giovanni would definitely sell these Pokémon for money."
Rocket Team generally sells the Pokémon they steal or rob from others.
The Pokémon they use often come from Rocket Team's Ancestral House to prevent sudden betrayal, and the gachapon machine filled with powerful Pokémon on their travels comes from the Ancestral House.
You know that too!?
James and Musashi were listening foolishly, almost suspecting whether the other party was also a Rocket Team member, coming here to fool them.
"Given that, why not skip directly to the selling part? Ore is a whole new territory full of potential, and if you become heads there, I can introduce business to you. The annual revenue turned over to Giovanni might surpass the Johto Region..."
Baimu's voice was deep yet filled with allure, "Then you would be figures beneath one person and above many in Rocket Team, shining bright with prospects!
"James, you could do something to make your family look at you differently; the engagement would surely be under your own control; Musashi could become a globally famous actress and celebrity, with countless people cheering and applauding for you; Meowth, you would certainly become Giovanni's favorite Pokémon, and Madonna would definitely come around; Wobbuffet, you could even bring your first love close to you..."
"Gulp..." ×4
The two humanoids and two Pokémon collectively swallowed their saliva.
If previously Baimu appeared as a devil in the eyes of the Rocket Team trio, now he had transformed into a devilish tempter.
A devil they love and hate.
Musashi held back the fantasy of becoming the world's top actress, snorted to bolster himself, "You say so much, I don't believe you have no purpose for Rocket Team."
"Y-yeah!" James added.
Baimu put Meowth down and shrugged, "My purpose is quite simple, not wanting Rocket Team to cause trouble in Ore. It's not that I can't do anything about you, it's just too much hassle, you understand?"
He pulled the two up from the ground, kindly dusting off their clothes, "I must admit Rocket Team is a tenacious organization, while I hate hassle the most.
"Rather than having you hide and secretly cause trouble, why not try bringing you to the surface? After all, money earned by anyone is still earned, isn't that right?"
James and Musashi nodded slightly.
"Of course, the premise of cooperation is Giovanni actively having ideas about Ore. If you encourage him to develop a notion about Ore, then don't blame me for turning hostile—consider that a promise," Baimu said with a smile.
The duo nodded again.
In fact.
If Rocket Team has a legitimate branch in Ore, they will undoubtedly cause secret trouble, unavoidable.
All he's hoping for is to have the main responsible persons for the Ore Region become two dimwits, making it convenient for local Ore agents to gradually become core members in Rocket Team locally.
As a team developed in the Kanto Region for decades, relying on external breakthroughs is probably difficult. Fostering internal collapse might splinter like scattered celestial stars.
Given that, why not attempt gradual dismantling from within?
The Ore branch replacing the Johto branch could effectively help undercover agents ascend to the core level of Rocket Team, then control all actions, couldn't they?
However, just like he told the Rocket Team trio, Giovanni must take the initiative to meddle with Ore; only then will this plan be implemented here.
Currently, it's just planting chess pieces.
A past simulation had inspired Baimu on how to install personnel within Rocket Team and earn immense merit.
"Then that's it, we shall meet again if we're meant to."
He waved goodbye to the Rocket Team trio, walking toward the room where Ash Ketchum and others were.
The corridor went silent for a moment.
James and Musashi, realizing Baimu had indeed left, both sighed in relief and began discussing what he had just said.
Talking about the agreement, Musashi proudly said, "The more he doesn't want us to do something, the more we should do it. When the Ore branch thrives, he won't be able to stop us, will he?"
"Indeed... So should we notify Giovanni now?"
"No, hold back."
Musashi felt wisdom on high ground, "That guy's a bit weird; for all we know, he could really know if we tell someone. Moreover, our main goal right now is still to capture Pikachu. Ore Region can wait until Giovanni actually has a notion about it before acting, isn't it wiser to get both accomplishments at once?"
"Right, Meow! I agree, Meow!"
Meowth bounced twice in place; the grand and fragrant promise drawn by Baimu was highly awaited, longing for the day it could nest with Madonna.
Behind achieving that, it hopes there's no unnecessary disturbance.
"Who-whoo!"
Wobbuffet nodded eagerly in agreement.
James suddenly understood and couldn't help but praise, "No wonder you're the future Musashi branch head! The world's top star actress!"
"Hmph, James branch head speaks well, your future's bright~ Hehe."
"Meowth is also a branch head!"
"Who-whoo!"
The Rocket Team trio plus one Wobbuffet looked up, beginning to fantasize about a glorious future, drooling about the pleasant life.
Yet unaware of abnormal rippling vibrations suddenly occurring in the air.
"Waddles..."
The invisible Dragapult watched the few laughing individuals and Pokémon, not quite understanding why trainer wanted it to monitor these seemingly quirky folks.
What's this silly joy all about?