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"The darkness here is overwhelming. Thank goodness I brought a flashlight," Eddie muttered as he dismounted from Charizard inside the cave entrance. The beam of light cut through the inky blackness, revealing nothing but rocky walls and silence.
"There's absolutely no movement anywhere. Where could Butch and Cassidy have gone?" Eddie's brow furrowed as realization dawned on him. Something was definitely wrong with this situation.
The Team Rocket duo had entered just moments before him, yet there were no sounds of activity whatsoever. Even if they hadn't located any Fossil Pokémon yet, they should have been making some kind of noise or commotion. Eddie swept his flashlight beam across the cave floor and walls, searching for any signs of disturbance.
"No battle marks, no debris from capturing Pokémon. They haven't caught anything and left either," he observed aloud. "What exactly are they planning? Could they be setting up an ambush?"
Though Eddie voiced this possibility, he didn't truly believe it. Nevertheless, he remained on high alert as he advanced slowly through the narrow, shadowy passage with Charizard, Pikachu, and Eevee flanking him protectively.
In such a confined and pitch-black environment, caution was always the wisest approach.
Meanwhile, high above in the sky near Great Valley, a Team Rocket helicopter was making its way toward Fuchsia City. Inside the aircraft, two familiar voices erupted in triumphant laughter.
"Hahahaha! After rescuing those people, he'll definitely venture into that cave," Cassidy cackled with glee.
"Exactly! Let him take all the time he wants searching down there. Hopefully there really are Fossil Pokémon in that cave to keep him occupied for a while," Butch added, his voice dripping with satisfaction.
Both Team Rocket operatives continued laughing as their helicopter soared through the air. The truth was, they had never actually entered the cave at all. While Eddie had descended to rescue the trapped civilians, Butch and Cassidy had quickly scaled back up the cliff using their rope equipment.
They had then sprinted to their concealed helicopter in the distance and taken off immediately, leaving Eddie to search an empty cave. Their current destination was the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City, where rumors spoke of a rare Dratini dwelling within the preserve.
Butch and Cassidy's true objective was to capture this Dragon-type Pokémon and present it as their achievement to headquarters. This would finally give them something to gloat about when they faced Jessie and James again.
All their elaborate scheming in Grampa Canyon had been nothing more than a delaying tactic. They couldn't predict Eddie's exact travel route, and they feared he might head directly to the Safari Zone and encounter them there, which would inevitably result in another humiliating defeat.
Their strategy had been to ambush him at Grampa Canyon first—plant the explosives, detonate them to create the crisis, then pretend to leap into the cave in pursuit of Fossil Pokémon. This would force Eddie to prioritize rescuing the innocent bystanders before entering the cave to settle the score with them.
While Eddie was being delayed by their deception, Butch and Cassidy could race to the Safari Zone and capture the Dratini. By the time they successfully returned to Team Rocket headquarters, Eddie might not have even realized what their true plan had been.
"This way, we don't have to face him in direct confrontation at all. We just need to complete our mission quickly," Butch declared smugly.
"Without his interference, there's nothing we can't handle!" Cassidy agreed enthusiastically.
"Hahahaha!" they both chorused in unison.
Indeed, if everything proceeded according to their scheme, Eddie would be powerless to stop them. After all, Eddie still believed they were trapped underground in the cave. Even when he eventually failed to find the duo, he would only feel puzzled but wouldn't alter his planned itinerary.
In that scenario, he would continue his journey toward the Safari Zone as originally intended. By the time he arrived there, these two operatives would have already completed their mission and escaped with the captured Dratini.
It had to be admitted that their plan this time was remarkably well-crafted and thorough.
What they didn't realize, however, was that even without their interference at Great Valley, Eddie would have spent considerable time exploring the area anyway. Their elaborate ruse wasn't strictly necessary, but since they couldn't be certain of Eddie's plans, they had implemented it as a safety measure—which wasn't necessarily a mistake.
If they executed their strategy exactly as planned, this operation would definitely succeed.
That is, assuming nothing unexpected occurred...
At that very moment, within the Safari Zone of Fuchsia City, another figure was already on the hunt.
"They say there's a Dratini somewhere in here. I'm going to find it," declared a determined voice. "Such a rare Pokémon would fetch an incredible price. Even if I don't sell it, I could always consider giving it to him as a gift."
"I am Green, a beautiful girl who repays grudges with vengeance and favors with gratitude!" she announced dramatically.
In the Safari Zone, Green sat perched atop her Jigglypuff like a hot air balloon, peering through binoculars as she searched every corner for the elusive Dragon-type Pokémon.
Well, it seemed an unexpected variable had entered the equation. Perhaps the Team Rocket duo's mission wouldn't go as smoothly as they hoped after all.
Back in the depths of the cave, Eddie continued his fruitless search.
"Still nothing. What exactly are these two planning?" he muttered in frustration.
"Could it be that they never actually came down here at all? Are they just trying to make a fool of me?" Eddie had been searching for over twenty minutes without finding any trace of Butch and Cassidy. The possibility that he was being played for a fool was becoming increasingly likely.
"But why would they abandon the Fossil Pokémon opportunity?"
This was what truly confused Eddie, and it represented the crucial gap in intelligence between him and the Team Rocket duo. Eddie assumed that after going through so much trouble to create this situation, they must be planning some kind of revenge against him. Therefore, he naturally believed they were preparing to ambush him in the darkness.
Moreover, there really were Fossil Pokémon present in this cave. Given the greedy nature of those two criminals, how could they possibly pass up such valuable Pokémon?
The duo's reasoning was entirely different from Eddie's, and they had cleverly exploited his assumptions to craft their deception. First, they had no way of knowing whether Fossil Pokémon actually existed in this location, and even if they did, capturing them was never their real intention.
With Eddie present, attempting such a capture would be impossible anyway. So instead, they had made a show of taunting Eddie, leading him to believe they were after the Fossil Pokémon.
However, their true destination was the Safari Zone near Fuchsia City, where capturing the Dratini was their actual objective. The duo's strategy was a classic feint—appearing to strike east while actually attacking west, secretly advancing while the enemy was distracted.
Eddie remained unaware of these machinations, so he continued his slow, methodical search for the absent criminals.
"Well, I didn't find those two troublemakers, but I did discover some Fossil Pokémon," Eddie observed as his flashlight illuminated several ancient creatures. Their eyes glowed red in the darkness, clearly irritated at being awakened from their slumber and displaying aggressive temperaments.
Eddie pulled out his Pokédex to scan the prehistoric Pokémon.
Name: Omanyte
Type: Rock/Water
Level: 35
Name: Omastar
Type: Rock/Water
Level: 45
Name: Kabuto
Type: Rock/Water
Level: 35
Name: Kabutops
Type: Rock/Water
Level: 45
"Interesting discovery," Eddie mused as he studied the data. "The level 35 ones don't concern me much, but those level 45 specimens could provide a decent challenge."
Eddie closed his Pokédex and reached for three Poké Balls from his belt.
"Since there's no one else around, I can let you all out for some exercise," he declared with a grin.
"Blastoise! Venusaur! Come out and deal with these cranky ancient Pokémon!"
"Gardevoir, you'll handle the weaker opponents this time. Take on those two level 35 specimens."
In flashes of brilliant light, Blastoise, Venusaur, and Gardevoir materialized before the hostile Fossil Pokémon. Both sides regarded each other with aggressive intent, the tension in the air palpable.
The battle was about to commence.
"Venusaur! Use Seed Bomb! Blastoise! Focus Blast!" Eddie commanded, taking the initiative as he observed the Fossil Pokémon. While they appeared eager to attack, they seemed wary of Eevee, Pikachu, and Charizard's presence.
Venusaur and Blastoise responded with tremendous enthusiasm. This was the battle they had been eagerly awaiting for so long. In fact, they hadn't participated in any battles since the Pikachu Forest incident, making this their first real combat since Eddie had captured them. Their excitement was palpable.
"Saur!" Venusaur roared as it channeled its energy.
"Blast!" Blastoise bellowed in response.
Venusaur immediately gathered its power, conjuring several large seeds that materialized in the air before launching them directly at Omastar. Meanwhile, Blastoise had wisely chosen not to wear its signature sunglasses this time—after all, it was pitch black in the cave, and wearing sunglasses in such conditions would be rather foolish.
The massive turtle Pokémon raised its fist toward Kabutops, concentrating its energy before unleashing a powerful Focus Blast attack.
Seeing Venusaur and Blastoise launching their offensive, Omastar and Kabutops abandoned their cautious stance regarding Charizard and the others, immediately retaliating with their own attacks.
Facing Venusaur's aerial bombardment, Omastar responded by firing Ice Beam attacks, systematically shooting down or freezing each of the incoming large seeds with precise aim.
Kabutops's counterattack was both simple and brutally effective. The scythe-armed Pokémon swung its blade-like appendages, first performing a Sword Dance to boost its attack power, then using Brick Break to cleave straight through the approaching Focus Blast, splitting the energy attack in half.
Not wanting to be left out of the action, Omanyte and Kabuto saw their stronger companions engaging in battle and decided to target Eddie directly instead.
One Pokémon unleashed a Water Gun while the other hurled rocks with Rock Throw, both attacks aimed squarely at the human trainer.
Naturally, these attacks had no chance of reaching their intended target.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out sharply.
A shimmering Light Screen barrier instantly materialized, effortlessly blocking both incoming attacks.
Pikachu glared at Omanyte and Kabuto with visible irritation. If Eddie hadn't given specific orders, the Electric-type would have already subjected these two troublemakers to some intensive shock therapy.
"Gardevoir, handle those two," Eddie instructed calmly. Such attacks were merely a minor inconvenience for him. Even if Pikachu hadn't taken the initiative to defend him, Eddie had dozens of different methods at his disposal to deal with those simple assaults.
He commanded Gardevoir to begin its assault. The Psychic-type was more than capable of handling two level 35 Pokémon single-handedly.
"Garde!" Gardevoir responded with unusual anger. The elegant Pokémon seemed particularly enraged by Omanyte and Kabuto's audacious attack on Eddie.
Gathering electrical energy, Gardevoir fired a crackling Thunderbolt at both opponents simultaneously.
Since all the Fossil Pokémon were Rock/Water dual-types, the Rock typing provided no particular resistance or weakness to Electric attacks. However, their Water typing made them vulnerable to electrical moves, meaning this Thunderbolt would be quite effective against them.
In the darkness of the cave, the sharp crackling sound of electricity filled the air.
Omanyte and Kabuto screamed in agony as the electrical current coursed through their bodies.
However, they weren't defeated yet, appearing capable of withstanding one or two more hits of similar magnitude.
Witnessing their companions being overwhelmed seemed to trigger a berserker rage in Omastar and Kabutops.
Omastar launched a devastating Hydro Pump at Venusaur, while Kabutops charged directly at Blastoise, slashing with a Night Slash attack.
It appeared these two Pokémon possessed some impressive special techniques in their arsenal.
"At their level, they've managed to learn such advanced moves. These Fossil Pokémon are quite remarkable," Eddie observed with genuine appreciation. Although he wouldn't use them extensively after capture, that didn't prevent him from acknowledging their abilities.
"Unfortunately, they're still too inexperienced. Without a trainer's guidance, wild Pokémon will always have limitations."
"Venusaur, Blastoise, use Protect to defend!"
The attacks were certainly powerful, but they couldn't penetrate the protective barrier. Omastar stood stunned as its Hydro Pump harmlessly splashed against the energy shield, while Kabutops was knocked backward after its scythe attack bounced off the defensive move.
"Venusaur, use Frenzy Plant! Blastoise, Focus Punch!"
Taking advantage of the moment when their opponents couldn't break through their defenses, Eddie issued his next commands.
Venusaur released a tremendous roar as terrifying energy erupted from its body instantly.
Under the Grass-type's control, thick and incredibly sturdy tree trunks suddenly burst from the surrounding cave floor, attacking Omastar in rapid succession.
Omastar attempted to evade this devastating assault, but Venusaur's attack was executed with lightning speed.
The spiral Pokémon had barely registered the incoming threat and prepared to dodge when the attack was already upon it.
Under the relentless battering of several massive tree trunks, Omastar was tossed around the air like a volleyball being spiked repeatedly.
As a Rock/Water dual-type Pokémon, both of Omastar's types were weak to Grass-type moves, meaning any Grass attack would deal quadruple damage to it.
Frenzy Plant: Ultimate Grass-type move with a base power of 150.
After several seconds of brutal punishment, the attack finally concluded, and Omastar collapsed unconscious.
Meanwhile, Blastoise had employed a rather underhanded but effective tactic against Kabutops.
The massive turtle Pokémon had actually launched itself into the air and body-slammed Kabutops to the ground, pinning it completely.
Using one hand to firmly grip both of Kabutops's scythe arms, Blastoise began gathering energy with its free hand—energy that made Kabutops tremble with fear.
Due to Blastoise's considerable size and the weight of its shell pressing down, Kabutops found itself unable to break free from the restraint, no matter how desperately it struggled.
Helplessly, Kabutops could only watch in horror as Blastoise gathered energy in its fist and prepared to deliver a devastating blow to its face.
Focus Punch: Fighting-type move with a base power of 150.
Kabutops, being a Rock/Water dual-type, had its Rock typing vulnerable to Fighting moves, meaning it would take double damage from such attacks.
Blastoise's powerful punch connected squarely with Kabutops's face, and the scythe Pokémon lost consciousness before it could even cry out in pain.
Seeing their leaders defeated so effortlessly, Omanyte and Kabuto were seized with panic.
If their bosses couldn't stand up to these opponents, then they, as the underlings, had no chance whatsoever.
They immediately began fleeing, abandoning their unconscious leaders without a second thought.
"Where do you think you're going? All four of you are going to become part of my Pokédex collection," Eddie declared with determination.
"Gardevoir, use Calm Mind first, then follow up with Thunderbolt."
"Garde!" Gardevoir responded melodiously.
The Psychic-type quickly executed Calm Mind, a move that simultaneously boosted both its Special Attack and Special Defense capabilities.
After enhancing its power, Gardevoir launched another Thunderbolt at the fleeing Omanyte and Kabuto.
This time, with the stat boost increasing Gardevoir's attack power by one stage, the electrical assault was significantly more devastating.
The already severely wounded Omanyte and Kabuto were struck by electricity so intense that they couldn't even move properly. After convulsing violently for several seconds, both Pokémon collapsed to the cave floor, completely defeated.
Ding! Gardevoir gained experience! Level increased by 2, now at Level 42! Learned Psychic!
Ding! Venusaur gained experience! Level increased by 2, now at Level 43!
Ding! Blastoise gained experience! Level increased by 2, now at Level 43!