"The sense of smell is really a troublesome thing!" Red said helplessly, ordering Hitmonchan to fall back first.
"Hitmon..."
Hitmonchan lowered his head in frustration and retreated to Red's side. Although he still wanted to fight, he simply couldn't endure the stench released by Gloom any longer. The odor was terrifyingly lethal.
"It's your turn, Abra!"
As the white light faded, the silver, shiny Abra suddenly appeared in midair.
Yes—midair. The moment it entered the field, Abra used its own psychic power to levitate, cleverly avoiding the sudden ambush.
"A Psychic-type Pokémon… what a troublesome opponent!" Erika said cautiously.
Gloom tried to release its foul stench again, but Abra effortlessly used Psychic to reflect it back.
"Gloom, use Bullet Seed!" Erika commanded.
Since the stench tactic wasn't working, she decisively changed strategy and launched a direct attack on Abra.
"Fight on your own. I look forward to your performance, Abra!" Red said, silently stepping back with Hitmonchan.
(Since this is the command of the Demon King, I must win in spectacular fashion!)
Abra opened its eyes. Its unusual golden pupils startled everyone. In the next instant, all the Bullet Seed fired by Gloom was seized by Abra's Psychic power and sent straight back at Gloom.
"Gloom, dodge quickly!"
Seeing this, Erika immediately gave the order to evade.
(Indulge in the despair of being unable to move!)
Abra's golden pupils glowed blue as it used Psychic to forcibly pin Gloom in place. Gloom was compelled to endure the full force of its own Bullet Seed attack head-on.
Before Gloom could break free from the psychic restraint, Abra launched another assault, lifting Gloom high into the air before slamming it heavily onto the ground.
"This won't work—Gloom is Poison-type and is doubly suppressed by Abra's Psychic-type moves!" Brock said worriedly, afraid that Miss Erika, the woman he admired, might burst into tears.
"I mean, seriously?"
Misty shot Brock a look of disdain. Whose side are you even on?
"That's enough, Abra. We've already won. You performed excellently!" Red praised.
Abra used Teleport and instantly appeared in Red's arms, rubbing against his cheek affectionately.
"Thank you, Red. I've lost this match!"
Erika understood Gloom's strength very well. Red's decision to stop the battle was clearly to prevent Gloom from taking further damage. This considerate act earned Erika's goodwill, as Gloom was a precious partner she had always cherished.
She had originally intended to concede voluntarily, but Red spoke first—obviously unwilling to let her lose face as a Gym Leader.
"Congratulations, Red. This Rainbow Badge is yours!"
Erika and Red exchanged a friendly ceremonial handshake as she placed the Rainbow Badge into his hand.
"Waaah—Miss Erika actually lost! Red, I challenge you to a battle too!"
Heartbroken, Brock rushed forward to face Red, only to be knocked flat by a single punch from Misty.
"Stop causing trouble for everyone!"
"Alright! Next up is my Gym battle!" Ash said excitedly, warming up with Pikachu.
"I'm sorry, Ash. Since all three of my Pokémon have lost the ability to battle, you'll have to wait before we can proceed with your Gym challenge," Erika apologized. There was no helping it—she no longer had any Pokémon capable of battling Ash.
"What a letdown…" Ash muttered, forced to stay and listen as Erika told everyone the story of how she first met Gloom.
...
"Sir, you've already sampled three slices of apple. When do you intend to make a purchase?"
On a bustling street in Celadon City, the long-unseen Team Rocket trio was still living the life of part-time workers. Since they hadn't been trying to steal Pikachu lately, their funds were surprisingly abundant. They had been enjoying lavish meals every day.
"No rush~ I'm actually more interested in the three of you~"
Damon adjusted his glasses while tasting an apple and pulled out a stack of documents from his pocket.
"Jessie, James, and Meowth. A few months ago, you were members of Team Rocket's Special Operations Unit. But after consecutive mission failures over the past month or two—and even racking up a mountain of debt to the organization—you've been demoted from Special Operations to a miscellaneous squad."
Damon flipped through their past records with amusement, finding the trio pretending to sell fruit quite entertaining. Just what kind of experiences had caused this duo—no, trio—to be demoted so pitifully?
"Who exactly are you?!" ×3
The trio immediately became alert, mistaking Damon for an undercover agent sent by the police.
"Have your brains grown so dull that you can't recognize my identity?" Damon frowned, pulling out his identification as the Supreme Commander to open the eyes of this miscellaneous trio.
"We salute you, Supreme Commander!" ×3
Their attitude changed instantly. They eagerly cozied up to Damon, embellishing trivial matters into grand exploits, acting as though they were deeply familiar with him—almost to the point of claiming kinship.
If Damon didn't have orders to deliver, he would have left in annoyance long ago rather than stay to listen to their rambling nonsense.
"Don't the three of you want to return to the rank of Special Operations Unit once more?"
"We're at your service, Lord Damon!" ×3
Those words completely reignited the Team Rocket trio's fighting spirit!
"To protect the world from devastation!
To unite all peoples within our nation!
To denounce the evils of truth and love!
To extend our reach to the stars above
To safeguard the peace of the world!
To embody love and truth in the face of evil!
Cute and charming villains!
Jessie!
James!
We are Team Rocket, traveling across the galaxy!
White hole! A white tomorrow awaits us!
That's right! Meowth!"
With spirits soaring, the Team Rocket trio immediately removed their outer clothes, revealing their operational uniforms once again.
"What a familiar yet dull opening line…" Damon muttered. That speech was something he often heard from Cassidy and Butch as well.
"Your sole mission is to infiltrate the Celadon Gym and create chaos. Ideally, you should cause enough trouble to set the entire Gym ablaze. If necessary, attract the attention of Gym Leader Erika!"
Damon briefly explained the mission steps to the Team Rocket trio. Upon hearing that the mission target was the Celadon Gym, the trio immediately lost all enthusiasm.
"What's wrong? Weren't you all fired up?" Damon said, displeased. He had intended to use these three idiots for a task, but now even a spark of ambition was gone.
"No, Lord Damon!" Meowth quickly explained.
"There's a red-hatted boy in that Celadon Gym. We can't possibly beat him!" James said nervously.
"That big-headed kid is terrifyingly strong. We wouldn't dare approach him. Otherwise, we wouldn't be reduced to selling fruit here." Jessie muttered, though she added with a sigh, "Even though these past days have been quite comfortable~"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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