"Found them! Found those runaway Breloom and Tropius!" "This is going to be a massive payday."
The sound of several gunshots echoed, followed by a sudden, heavy silence. The enraged lead Breloom charged toward the entrance, only to be slammed to the ground by a heavy-duty capture net.
"There it is! The Breloom leader—this one will fetch a fortune on the black market."
A bounty hunter clad in ninja attire stepped through a jagged hole in the gym's wall.
"Tsk, tsk. Careful, Pakudo. This is the legendary stomping ground of Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket," a female ninja in red attire followed him in.
"Foxie? What are you doing here? I thought you only cared about gemstones," Pakudo said, eyeing her warily.
"My client placed an order for a large number of Tropius. I tracked them here," Foxie replied with a smirk. "Your target is the Shiny Shroomish and these Breloom; mine is the Tropius. Our goals don't conflict."
Ninja gear... Delphox and Chesnaught... Feng Che watched from the shadows. I remember these two. Solo bounty hunters who fell in love while competing for the same prey. They're high-tier 'Gym-Level' trainers, though they don't hold official titles. Perfect candidates for my independent faction.
Pakudo's Chesnaught was massive, its knuckles still covered in wood splinters from using Dynamic Punch to breach the gym wall. Foxie's Delphox gripped its branch wand, ready to unleash a 3000°C Fire Blast.
Suddenly, the Delphox swirled its wand, sending sparks into the gym's dark corners. The light revealed Feng Che standing calmly. Before the sparks could touch him, they hit an invisible wall of Psychic energy and flickered out.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Pakudo demanded.
"You break into my home and ask who I am?" Feng Che stepped into the light.
"Kid, this is Giovanni's territory," Foxie sneered. "Are you playing house?"
"You clearly haven't checked the news. The League has appointed a new Viridian Gym Leader. Me," Feng Che replied coldly. "By League law, you've trespassed and destroyed gym property. I have the right to arrest you."
With a wave of his hand, several Water Shurikens whistled through the air, slicing the nets holding the wild Pokémon. The Breloom and Shroomish scrambled free, glares fixed on the hunters.
"He's telling the truth," Pakudo muttered, checking his communicator. "He is the new Leader. Foxie, did you poison that Tropius?"
"No! It was already poisoned when I found it," Foxie snapped. "I wanted to heal it so it wouldn't die before delivery, but the damn thing ran like it saw a ghost."
"Regardless," Foxie turned back to Feng Che, "you're just a 'mere' Gym Leader. You think you have the status to keep us here? Pakudo, let's take him down."
"Delphox, Flamethrower!" "Chesnaught, Pin Missile!"
A pillar of fire and a barrage of green needles surged toward Feng Che.
"Sorry, kid. We can't stay. Goodbye!" Pakudo laughed, turning to leave with Chesnaught.
But as he moved, the world blurred. Pakudo suddenly found himself standing where Feng Che had just been. He looked up to see Feng Che standing where he was a second ago, waving politely and pointing behind Pakudo.
[Ally Switch]
Pakudo turned around to see his own partner's fire and his own Pokémon's missiles flying straight at his face. "Chesnaught! Protect!"
Chesnaught threw up a green barrier (Spiky Shield), absorbing the impact, but the force sent the massive Pokémon skidding backward.
"You... you're a Psychic?" Pakudo gasped, sensing the massive mental pressure radiating from the boy.
"Now, you have two choices," Feng Che said, as two thick Vine Whips burst from the ground, binding the hunters tightly. Venusaur emerged from the shadows. "One: go to prison. Two: join me and work for my private interests."
"Chesnaught, ignore me! Dynamic Punch on the Venusaur!" "Delphox, Flamethrower!"
"Such teamwork," Feng Che teased. "Is this what they call 'husband and wife' synchronization?"
"Who's his wife?!" Foxie snapped. "He's just an old man!" "I'd never marry a vanity-obsessed hag like her!" Pakudo retorted.
"Tsk, even your denials are perfectly timed," Feng Che laughed, noting both their ears had turned bright red.
Venusaur didn't wait. It formed a massive wooden mallet with its vines, smashing its Wood Hammer against Chesnaught's fist. The impact sent the armored Pokémon flying. Before it could recover, vines snared it and hoisted it into the air. Simultaneously, another vine burst from beneath Delphox, snatching its wand and dangling the fox Pokémon upside down.
"That's the difference between your 'Gym Level' and mine," Feng Che smiled.
Clap, clap, clap.
Applause echoed from the entrance. "Impressive, Mr. Feng Che. To defeat Pakudo and Foxie so easily..."
A burly poacher with a rocket launcher strapped to his back walked in, followed by a thin, lanky man carrying a Gatling gun.