Nozomi was momentarily taken aback by Ash's question. Then it hit him—Ash probably had no idea who Team Rocket was.
"Idiot! Team Rocket are the bad guys who steal other people's Pokémon!"
Misty chimed in from the side.
"Bad guys?" Ash's expression turned wary.
Misty: "..."
Nozomi: "..."
That reflex arc is painfully slow.
"Exactly! We are the bad guys!"
At Misty's words, Jessie and James wore expressions of pride instead of shame.
Standing in front of the group of trainers, they grinned arrogantly. "Hand over your Pokémon, now!"
An Ekans had wrapped itself around a Rattata, whose desperate squeals mirrored those of the trainers themselves.
To the trainers at the Pokémon Center—hardly even trainers in their own right, more like novice caretakers—Ekans and Koffing were an insurmountable obstacle.
"I'm not giving Pikachu to you!"
Ash shouted defiantly.
"Ha! You little brat, who even cares about that common electric mouse?" Jessie scoffed.
James added in agreement, "Yeah, we're after rare Pokémon, not ones anyone can catch anywhere!"
Nozomi chuckled. "Told you so."
"Hey, brat, why are you laughing? Don't think we'll let you off just because you're clapping for us! Hand over your Pokémon!" Jessie snapped, annoyed at Nozomi's amusement.
"Me? Are you sure?"
Nozomi hadn't expected Jessie to target him directly.
"Yes! You!"
With Jessie's command, Ekans straightened and fixed its gaze on Nozomi, striking a threatening pose.
"Let's see if you have the skills to back that up." Nozomi's lips curved into a small smile as he glanced at the Team Rocket trio. "To be honest, you three are trash."
"You little brat! You're asking for death!"
Jessie fumed and waved her hand. "Ekans, use Wrap! Bind him!"
"Hiss—!"
Ekans slithered forward in an S-shaped pattern, its tongue flicking as it approached Nozomi at high speed.
"Scared yet, Meowth?"
Meowth taunted from the side.
Ash: "..."
Misty: "..."
Both looked at Team Rocket with a mix of pity and disbelief.
"Hey! What kind of look is that?!"
Jessie yelled, "We are Team Rocket!"
When did the Team Rocket name suddenly carry no weight in Kanto?
Nozomi's soft chuckle interrupted her thought.
"Hehe… Go, Metagross! Show them some color—but don't finish them off!"
"Metagross?" Jessie blinked, confused. Do they even have a Pokémon like that?
"What's that? Meowth?" Meowth was equally puzzled.
Only James' expression turned ashen. "No… Quick—"
Before he could finish saying "run," a flash of white light appeared. A massive Metagross had positioned itself directly in front of Nozomi.
Ekans couldn't stop in time and slammed into it, stars flashing before its eyes, while Metagross didn't even budge.
Gulp.
Jessie, James, and Meowth swallowed hard, horror written across their faces.
James, struggling to speak, said, "Metagross is a pseudo-legendary Pokémon from Hoenn. Rumor has it the Hoenn Champion has one!"
Hearing this, Jessie and Meowth felt their hearts drop to the floor.
Meanwhile, the trainers at the Pokémon Center erupted with joy.
"This is amazing!"
"We're saved!"
"Metagross looks insanely strong! Team Rocket doesn't stand a chance!"
Cheers and praise swirled around Nozomi's ears, but he remained calm, unshaken by flattery. He always believed a person shouldn't be swayed so easily by external things.
"I heard you wanted me to hand over my Pokémon?"
"Misunderstanding!"
"We won't dare again!"
"Please, spare us!"
The Team Rocket trio, ready to flee, quickly caved.
Their sudden change in attitude stunned everyone.
"Your sincerity is noted… but I still can't let you go!" Nozomi said with a smile. "Metagross, use Psychic to restrain them!"
In an instant, Team Rocket along with Ekans and Koffing were frozen midair.
Nozomi then turned to a grateful Nurse Joy. "Contact Officer Jenny. I remember these three have bounties on them."
The bounty was a key reason he hadn't simply knocked Team Rocket away—he wanted them left alive.
"Nooo!"
The trio would have preferred being blasted away! Going to prison would be too humiliating—especially in Viridian City, under Giovanni's nose. They'd never raise their heads in Team Rocket again.
Ignoring the trio's pitiful screams, Nozomi glanced at the new task refreshed on his mission panel:
[Optional Mission: Escape Viridian City]After this battle, Team Rocket's boss Giovanni has noticed you. Defeat the incoming Team Rocket members!Mission Completion: (0/10)
Mission Reward: Dependent on completion.
Nozomi: "..."
System, are you sure I should pick this task?
It was a clear warning: Giovanni had already set his sights on him and trouble was coming.
Nozomi didn't know why Giovanni noticed him—was it simply for defeating the Team Rocket trio, showing off his strength, or because of his past as a Pokémon Inspector?
Whatever the reason, being targeted by Giovanni was never good news.
"Well… even Team Rocket wouldn't dare act openly at the police station."
With that thought, Nozomi smiled as Officer Jenny arrived.
"Officer Jenny, we meet again!"