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"Let's discuss this reasonably," Butch said, his voice taking on a pleading tone as he snatched the detection device from Cassidy's hands.
"I'll give you the device, but we absolutely cannot provide you with information about Team Rocket. If we do that, we'll face a fate far worse than death when we return to the organization."
Butch found himself in an impossible position—completely at the mercy of his captor. With no other options available, he was forced to humble himself and attempt negotiation.
However, his attempt at compromise clearly failed to satisfy Green's demands.
"What a ridiculous proposal," Green scoffed dismissively. "If you offered to forget about the device entirely and give me the Team Rocket information instead, I might consider letting you walk away. But trying to negotiate with just a device? That leaves me at a significant disadvantage, doesn't it?"
Green snorted coldly and gestured for both Jigglypuff and Blastoise to resume their advance.
Her patience had reached its absolute limit, and she was no longer interested in playing games with these criminals.
She had decided to abandon her interest in the detection device for the time being. The intelligence was far more crucial to her mission.
As for finding a Dratini, she could continue that search at a later time. It would certainly be wonderful if she managed to locate one, but it wasn't essential to her primary objectives.
After all, it was simply a rare Pokemon, and Green refused to waste excessive effort pursuing something so secondary to her real goals.
"No, no, no! I'll tell you everything!" Butch cried out desperately. "I'll report all the information—just don't attack!"
"Butch! Have you completely lost your mind?!" Cassidy shouted in horror. "If you leak that information, we'll definitely suffer something far worse than death when we return!"
Seeing that Green was preparing to unleash her Pokemon's full power, Butch immediately surrendered and offered to reveal everything he knew.
Cassidy, however, was vehemently opposed to Butch's decision to cooperate.
In her mind, even if they fell into Green's hands, the worst outcome would be a quick death. But if Team Rocket's secrets were leaked, the punishment they would face from the organization would make death seem like a mercy.
"I don't care about that right now!" Butch snapped back frantically. "If we don't talk immediately, we'll be in serious trouble!"
"Cassidy, think about it logically," he continued, his voice becoming more urgent. "As long as you and I don't tell anyone else what happened, and this young lady here keeps quiet about it, no one will ever know what transpired today. What do we have to fear?"
Butch was displaying rare anger as he shouted at his partner—something that almost never happened between them.
While everyone had to face death eventually, who wouldn't want to live as long as possible?
Moreover, Butch's reasoning was sound. As long as the events of today remained secret between the three people present, there would be no way for Team Rocket to determine who had leaked their organizational information.
"Listen carefully," Butch said, addressing Green directly. "If you have questions, just ask them. I'll tell you everything I know. But you must swear that after obtaining this information, you will never expose our involvement."
"If you can't promise that, then you might as well kill us right now," he continued, his expression growing increasingly desperate. "And if you betray us after getting the information, even though we're no match for you in battle, we will fight you to the death at the cost of our own lives!"
As Butch spoke these final words, his face took on an extremely fierce expression.
The immense pressure he was under had become clearly visible, and the desperation in his voice was unmistakable.
After all, Team Rocket had never shown mercy toward traitors who leaked organizational secrets.
Butch's message was crystal clear: the information could be disclosed, but Green must never reveal that it came from them.
Whether Green would actually honor her promise after obtaining the intelligence was something Butch couldn't guarantee.
However, he had no choice in the matter. The initiative rested entirely with Green, and he could only gamble that she would keep her word.
Of course, if Green ultimately chose to expose them, he would make her pay dearly for that betrayal, even if it cost him his life—exactly as he had just declared.
Cassidy, witnessing Butch's desperate state, no longer voiced her objections.
She understood that her partner was thinking about their survival, and his logic made sense.
Although they were both members of Team Rocket, there were certainly people within the organization who would sacrifice everything for the cause.
However, it was obvious that neither Butch nor Cassidy belonged to that category of loyal fanatics, so their willingness to reveal information to save their lives was perfectly understandable.
The reason they had been reluctant to cooperate earlier was simply because they were intimidated by Team Rocket's reputation for brutal punishment.
But now that the situation had reached a critical point, Butch was willing to take the risk.
After all, as long as Green didn't expose their involvement, they would remain safe from organizational retaliation.
"Hmm, so you're actually threatening me at the end," Green observed with mild amusement.
"But that's fine. Judging from your expressions and behavior, I can tell that Team Rocket's punishment system must be truly terrifying. Therefore, I agree to your terms."
While Green felt slightly annoyed at being threatened by Butch—since nobody enjoyed being placed in such a position—she also understood that this represented the biggest concession he could possibly make.
If she were in his situation, she might very well have said similar words.
"Regarding today's events—specifically, my acquisition of this information—I promise not to expose your involvement," Green declared formally.
"Now, are you prepared to tell me about Team Rocket's operations?"
Even at this point, Green remained mounted on Jigglypuff, maintaining her aerial advantage.
She had learned never to underestimate an organization like Team Rocket, regardless of the circumstances.
Even though Butch had agreed to cooperate, if Green revealed any weakness or vulnerability, her opponents would surely seize the opportunity to turn the tables on her.
Green's cautious approach proved to be entirely justified, as Butch did indeed harbor exactly such thoughts.
However, he felt secretly disappointed when he observed that Green continued to maintain her guard even in this seemingly resolved situation.
"Ask whatever you want to know," Butch said with resignation. "Just let us go when you're finished with your questions."
To demonstrate his sincerity, Butch took the initiative to toss the dragon Pokemon detection device toward Green.
In his mind, he would have to surrender this item eventually anyway, so taking the initiative now might increase his credibility and potentially provide him with opportunities for small acts of defiance later.
Yes, even now, Butch hadn't completely abandoned his hopes of somehow countering Green's control over the situation.
After all, he remained terrified of Team Rocket's punishment system, and it would be ideal if he could avoid revealing any information at all.
Green didn't catch the device directly with her own hands. Instead, she released her third Pokemon, Clefairy, who intercepted the thrown device safely.
This behavior demonstrated extreme caution and tactical awareness, since Green couldn't be certain whether Butch had somehow tampered with the device to create a trap.
Interestingly, this careful approach was remarkably similar to Eddie's methodology, suggesting that she and Eddie shared certain strategic instincts despite their different personalities.
"This shows some genuine sincerity," Green acknowledged with satisfaction. "Very well, then I'll begin my questioning."
"Tell me about Team Rocket's recent activities. What are you planning? I have a strong feeling that your organization is preparing for some kind of major operation."
Green looked toward Clefairy, who confirmed that the device was safe, which pleased her greatly before she began her interrogation.
"Recently, our boss issued orders to begin implementing a plan to destabilize the entire Kanto Region," Butch replied reluctantly. "Most of our Team Rocket members have been mobilized for this operation."
"Cassidy and I missed the meeting where work assignments were distributed because of some complications, so we're currently acting independently without specific orders."
In reality, Butch and Cassidy weren't the only ones who had missed that crucial meeting—the notorious trio of Jessie, James, and Meowth had also been absent.
However, there was no need to mention that particular detail at this moment.