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The shackles they used to bind Ash and the others were custom-made. They may look reckless, but they planned every detail of this Pikachu-snatching operation.
Ash's monstrous strength and unusual abilities are common knowledge, so during the Indigo Plateau Conference they worked every odd job they could find, scraping together enough cash to forge a special pair of restraints.
Once locked on, the cuffs sap the victim's strength; no matter how powerful, the prisoner turns limp and helpless.
Misty and Brock didn't rate such extravagant treatment—physically they're nothing special. Neutralize Ash and grabbing Pikachu would be child's play.
They sank an entire month's joint wages into the project, and Meowth even tested them: under the cuffs you're lucky to keep five percent of your strength.
With a flawless plan like that, they couldn't imagine losing.
Then they were shut down—
Ash's power dwarfed their wildest guesses; even hobbled, he snapped the cuffs without effort.
What they hadn't grasped wasn't just Ash's strength, but how feeble their cuffs truly were.
On an ordinary person the shackles might suppress ninety-five percent of their power, but on Ash they were basically jewelry.
God Domain Level physique—did they think it was a joke?
For humans to match a God Domain Level Pokémon with tech, you need a medium tied to the target. Too bad Ash doesn't drop anything that qualifies.
In other words, Ash has no weak spot—he's tougher than most Legendaries.
As Ash stepped free and walked toward them, the Trio huddled in terror. "S-stay back! Don't come any closer—we'll scream!"
"Y-yeah, stay away, me-owch!"
Ash: …
You're making ME feel like the villain. Who set this trap again?
Who's flying this airship? How did you keep the crew—or anyone else—from boarding?" Ash couldn't figure out how they'd managed something so elaborate.
"W-we built a gizmo that sped every nearby watch by twenty minutes, so they left on the earlier airship waiting for them. We bought this one ourselves, so we could wait here; it's on autopilot now," Meowth blurted, cowering.
The confession left Ash's group speechless. It sounded simple, yet that only made their feat more absurd—how did three misfits pull off what whole crime syndicates couldn't?
As Ash said, if they used their genius for good they could help countless people. Instead, their brilliant minds were wasted on crime.
Ash expressionlessly reclaimed Pikachu, snapping the insulated metal claw with his bare hands while the Trio shook even harder. Monster confirmed.
He moved to Brock and Misty, broke their cuffs just as easily, then asked, "Why set Orange Islands as the destination? Shouldn't we be headed straight for Team Rocket HQ?"
That was why Ash hadn't exposed them at once—he'd hoped they'd lead him to Giovanni so he could take the whole organization down in one strike.
But the three lost their nerve and attacked early. Ash would have played along until arrival—
—until his Aura sense told him no one else was on board. The airship was literally flying itself.
That was the moment he dropped the act.
He hadn't expected autopilot tech this advanced, yet why pick the Orange Islands?
Shouldn't they deliver him to Giovanni at headquarters?
The Trio exchanged blank, pained looks. "We haven't seen Boss Giovanni in ages."
"There's a Rocket outpost in the Orange Islands run by Executive Archer, but he's under attack by some powerful enemy. We wanted to cheer him up with Pikachu—meow."
At the mention of stealing Pikachu, both Ash and Pikachu glared daggers; treating theft as casual gift-giving was unforgivable.
"If you want to help your team, get stronger yourselves! Quit obsessing over my Pikachu and use your brains to support Team Rocket properly!"
"You're great at science—why chase cheap tricks instead of doing something legitimate for once?"
Under Ash's tirade the fog lifted from their faces. "The twerp's right—saving Team Rocket is up to us!"
"Yeah! Even if we grabbed Pikachu, Giovanni's vanished. We have to rebuild Rocket ourselves—Team Rocket's elite can't bow to other gangs!"
"Exactly-meow! Make Rocket great again and the boss will return-meow!"
They traded fiery vows and grand plans while Ash nodded in approval. "Good—that's the spirit. Now off to Officer Jenny. Once we land I'm handing you over."
Ash suddenly changed his tone; the same mouth that had just encouraged Team Rocket now declared he was sending the Team Rocket Trio straight to jail.
The Team Rocket Trio were instantly dumbfounded—what the heck? Brat, you were cheering us on a second ago! That flip was way too fast!
"Encouraging you is one thing, but a mistake is a mistake. If you do wrong, you pay the price. Also—" Ash crouched, bringing his face level with the trio, his expression the most serious it had ever been.
"I encouraged you because I respect your abilities, yet I will never forgive what you've done. If you ever try this again, I won't hold back."
Ash's voice turned icy; he hadn't forgotten their countless attempts on Pikachu. If he hadn't been strong enough, Pikachu would have been stolen long ago—what then?
Everything looked fine only because he was powerful enough to beat Team Rocket back every time they showed up.
The crimes they committed, the evil they wrought, couldn't be erased just because the outcome hadn't been catastrophic.
Still, they were old acquaintances. Seeing their bewilderment, the look of a 'home' destroyed, Ash felt pity and offered a few words of comfort—nothing more.
He pulled a rope from his backpack; under Gardevoir's restraints the two humans and one Meowth were bound without resistance. Against Gardevoir's Psychic powers, struggling would have been pointless.
All that remained was to wait for the airship to reach Navel Island in the Orange Islands, hand the trio over to Officer Jenny there, and be done with it.
Why was the airship set to land on Navel Island? Could the Rockets' temporary base be there?
Of course not. Even these three weren't stupid enough to dock a stolen airship at their own hideout. They'd land on Navel, then hike to the base with Pikachu in tow.
As for Ash and friends—they'd been left aboard, cuffed, until rescue arrived; the Rockets wouldn't dare remove the restraints on Ash's wrists.
But that rosy plan had collapsed: the airship never even landed before Ash subdued them, and now they were headed for Officer Jenny.
Without Giovanni's help, a jail term wouldn't be easy to escape; unless the acting boss Archer intervened, the trio would have to break out on their own.
Judging by their visible rap sheet, they wouldn't be locked up long. Their intent had been bad, but they'd never actually succeeded—a key point in sentencing.
Giovanni had already pulled strings and paid to wipe their earlier crimes, so only the current charges would stick.
At most they'd sit for a month—no small lesson, but hardly life-ruining.
Half an hour later the airship touched down. Ash marched the bound Team Rocket Trio across the tarmac, drawing stares; two trussed humans and a tied-up Pokémon were a rare sight.
Attention soon shifted from the trio, though—because of Ash.
"Isn't that the Champion of this year's Indigo Plateau Conference?"
"It really is Ash! I'm seeing him in person!"
"The Champion's vacationing in the Orange Islands? No wonder it's called a tourist hotspot!"
"I'm getting an autograph!"
"Wait for me! I want one too—and a selfie!"
The moment Ash was recognized the terminal erupted. Memories flooded back: his first taste of fame had looked just like this.
Later the hype had cooled and people treated him like any other trainer, but victory at the Indigo Plateau thrust him back into the spotlight—once again a celebrity.
And now the fan swarm was back.
"Gardevoir, Teleport us to the police station!"
"Garde~" Though still inside her Poké Ball, Gardevoir's power let her Teleport through it with ease.
In an instant she located the nearest precinct and whisked the whole group away.
The charging fans found only empty air; many groaned that they should have snapped photos first, their rush for autographs having scared their idol off.
Who knew when they'd meet Ash again?
Outside the police station the group reappeared, startling Officer Jenny on duty—anyone would jump if people popped out of thin air.
Once she composed herself, Ash pressed the trio's leash into her hands. "Officer Jenny, these three are Team Rocket. They tried to steal my Pokémon, impersonated airship crew, and used a private vessel disguised as a public flight—charge them however you see fit. We're off!"
He finished—and the three vanished as abruptly as they'd arrived.
Left holding the Team Rocket Trio, Jenny stared blankly. What on earth—?!
Whatever penalty the trio faced was up to Jenny and her colleagues; apart from the Pikachu-snatch attempt she'd have no trouble uncovering their other offenses.
Meanwhile Ash, Misty and their companion now stood before Professor Ivy's lab on Navel Island.
The building looked about the size of Professor Oak's. Ash knocked, found the door ajar, and stepped inside where three kids even younger than themselves bustled about.
"Hello—we're looking for Professor Ivy. Is she in?"
All three girls spun toward him and chimed: 'Professor Ivy—"
"—is out back in the bay—"
"—taking care of Pokémon."
"We'll take you!*3"