Meowth was extremely proud of its ability to speak human language. But before it could continue bragging, Nozomi interrupted.
"This talking Meowth—does it belong to you two? I'm a researcher from the League's Pokémon Anomaly Research Institute. I'd like to study it. Name your price."
That single sentence nearly scared Meowth's soul out of its body.
Words like "research institute," "dissection," and "experiments" echoed in its head, making its fur stand on end. With a shriek, it darted behind Jessie and James for cover.
"Hey, what do you take Meowth for?!" Jessie shouted righteously. "We might be desperate for money, but we'd never sell our partner!"
"That's right!" James added quickly.
"Jessie… James…" Meowth's eyes shimmered with emotion.
"Are you sure you won't reconsider?" Nozomi's smile didn't fade. "I'm willing to pay a large sum—say, ten million yen."
"Ten million!?" Jessie, who had just been standing firm, suddenly had golden sparks in her eyes.
James's face lit up with longing as well. Ten million! Though he came from a wealthy family, he hadn't seen that much cash ever since he ran away to join Team Rocket.
Ten million… That would cover years of Team Rocket operations—if they just handed over Meowth...
"J-Jessie, James…" Meowth trembled as the two of them turned their gazes on it.
Surely they wouldn't really sell it to that so-called researcher… right?
"Let's talk this over," Jessie said abruptly, dragging James and Meowth into a corner.
Nozomi watched the trio amusedly. Using telepathy, he could clearly hear their entire conversation.
"Meowth, you'll just have to make a little sacrifice this time!"
"I refuse, nya!"
"Relax, we'll rescue you later!"
"But—"
"No buts! Don't you trust us? And think about it—he said he's from a 'Pokémon Anomaly Research Institute.' That place must be full of rare Pokémon. Once we get inside, we can work from both sides—make off with a fortune and catch rare Pokémon to present to the Boss!"
The two humans and one Pokémon fell deep into their fantasies. Eventually, Meowth sighed and gave in.
"Fine… alright."
They finally agreed to Jessie's plan. But when the trio turned around to negotiate, the "researcher" had already vanished without a trace.
Only a flyer was left fluttering in the wind—and three would-be Rocket executives slumped by the roadside, feeling as though they'd just lost their big promotion.
——
Nozomi had left long before. He had only been teasing the trio, not a real researcher—and certainly had no intention of paying ten million yen.
"This game corner…"
Now back in his true form, Nozomi examined the flyer. Judging from the description, this arcade was structured exactly like the one Team Rocket operated in Celadon City—a front for their criminal activities.
"Giovanni really can't wait, huh? He just got Mewtwo, and already he's expanding his reach."
Nozomi rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
From his prior experience as a League investigator, he knew that the League had once maintained firm control over Saffron City—the economic hub of Kanto. There was no way they would allow Team Rocket to act openly here.
Originally, there were no Team Rocket bases in Saffron—only a few minor outposts on the outskirts. Giovanni had always been cautious, never pushing the League too far for fear of provoking retaliation. Thus, the city's balance had long favored the League.
But now that Giovanni possessed Mewtwo, the situation had completely changed.
The League, once dominant, was now on the defensive.
With Mewtwo under his command, Giovanni held an overwhelming advantage. If he decided to move into Saffron now, the League would be hard-pressed to stop him.
"It all depends on Saffron Gym's response."
The key to the coming conflict between the League and Team Rocket lay in Saffron Gym.
Rooted in the city itself, the Gym wielded enormous influence locally. If Sabrina and her Gym supported Team Rocket, the League's defenses would crumble instantly. But if she sided with the League, Rocket's infiltration wouldn't go so smoothly.
Nozomi frowned. He didn't know whether Sabrina was like her counterpart in the Pokémon Adventures manga—serving as one of Rocket's executives alongside Lt. Surge. If that were the case, the League's position would be dire.
To confirm this, he would need to investigate Saffron Gym. But Sabrina was an incredibly powerful psychic—investigating her Gym would be nothing like probing Vermilion's.
As Nozomi hesitated, a mechanical chime echoed in his mind.
[Random Mission: Investigate Saffron Gym. Reward: 1 Silver Lottery Draw.]
The system's prompt conveniently settled the matter.
"Well, it's not like Saffron Gym is a lion's den," he said to himself with mock conviction. "As a righteous and idealistic modern Trainer, how could I possibly turn a blind eye?"
Of course, he would never admit that his real motivation was the chance to spin the lottery again—maybe he'd even score another Mega Stone.
He dialed a familiar number. "Lorelei, there's something I need to tell you…"
He then recounted everything he had learned about Team Rocket's arcade and their suspected movements.
When he finished, Lorelei didn't seem surprised at all. Instead, her tone carried realization.
"So that's what's going on?"
Now it was Nozomi's turn to be puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"I've just received word—Rocket has been reallocating manpower from Viridian, Cerulean, and Pewter. The League suspected they were preparing a major operation, and now we know the target is Saffron City!"
"They've withdrawn that many people?" Nozomi asked.
"Plenty," Lorelei confirmed. "According to intelligence, at least a third of their forces have been pulled from each of those cities. Since the day before yesterday, Rocket's activity in those regions has dropped sharply—attacks have stopped entirely, and crime rates have fallen dramatically."
"Then it's settled," Nozomi said gravely. "Their next move is Saffron."
"Exactly. So I'll need your help," Lorelei said. "Confirm Saffron Gym's situation. I'll head there immediately to prepare for Rocket's assault."