A full week had gone by since Horthy delivered his report to the admin. It was a week that had been a whirlwind of activity from the very first minute. Horthy trained harder, knowing he had to impress someone so important and also be ready for such a challenge. He ate better and made sure to go to sleep early, to again start training the next morning before having to help Joy with the daily work.
As soon as word got out about what was happening at Surge's gym, Team Rocket sprang into action, contacting and dispatching Rocket Team grunts to exploit the situation. The higher-ups saw a golden opportunity to send their fresh talent and infiltrate Surge's event. This all even reached Giovanni´s ears, who pointed the key names in his list and started already planning a good treat to those who are useful and loyal.
Team Rocket couldn't just send everyone at once. That would seem highly suspicious. After a prolonged period of no interest, it would raise eyebrows if a sudden influx of youngsters showed up to the Gym, all eager to be trained by Surge. The goal was to blend in and not arouse suspicion.
Ultimately, three Rocket recruits made the cut. There was Horthy, of course, along with a blonde girl, and a man with dark skin.
These two, the blonde girl and the dark-skinned man, were considered promising individuals within the organization, or so Toro (the Rocket admin) had said. He finally revealed his name to Horthy the day after their last phone call, adding a personal touch after weeks of secretive communication. This small gesture suggested that Horthy was now considered at least a bit more important, being that he was selected before any other promising grunt. Or maybe they just keep him there to keep informing as he had donde until now.
Horthy didn´t know which one, but he was glad that he had the oportunity to become stronger and make his name known.
---
Tic tac tic tac
A tall, dark-skinned young man glanced at his gold wristwatch impatiently. Ten minutes had already ticked by, and neither of the other two members of their team had arrived yet. Or so he had thought. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard the distinct sound of footsteps approaching rapidly. The sudden noise put him on alert, his hand instinctively reaching for the Pokéball containing his strongest Pokémon, ready for a potential battle.
The man turned, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the approaching figure. About ten meters away, a blonde girl was riding a majestic, lion-like Pokémon. The Luxray was an impressive sight, its black mane flowing, its yellow eyes glowing with a menacing intensity, and its tail ending in a distinctive star shape.
Seeing who the girl was, an arrogant smile slowly spread across the dark-skinned man's face. He recognized her instantly, their past encounters fueling his cocky demeanor.
"Lana... finally, you're here. Ten minutes late, as usual. It doesn't look like your Luxray has gotten much faster since the last time we met, has it?" The man casually put his Pokéball back on his belt, a gesture of confidence, and crossed his arms, leaning back slightly as if completely unconcerned.
The girl, Lana, did not react to his arrogant tone. She simply ignored his jab and gracefully dismounted from Luxray's back. With a slow, deliberate movement, she turned her back to him, her attention focused on her loyal Pokémon. She responded with a stoic and cold tone, her voice barely above a whisper as she caressed Luxray's head.
"Shut up... if I wanted to, I could have Luxray crush your throat in two seconds flat." Her words were cold and a clear warning, and she never broke her stoic demeanour.
The man rolled his eyes, unimpressed by her threat. He muttered under his breath, loud enough for her to hear, making sure his annoyance was evident, but she just ignored him, continuing to shower Luxray with affection.
"You know you want me..." He sighed, his patience wearing thin. And as if he were a sinada delivering a message, he spoke again, this time in a more impatient and demanding way. "Whatever, do you know anything about the other useless one? Toro said he would be giving us the general idea of the mission. Has he contacted you?"
The girl didn't respond, maintaining her silence and continuing to pet her beloved big cat. This blatant disregard for his questions caused the young man to complain loudly, his voice rising in frustration. He looked once again at his gold-plated watch, as if staring at it intently would somehow speed up the arrival of their tardy companion.
Luckily for them, the third member of their team finally arrived shortly after. He was walking calmly and casually, with an Eevee perched comfortably on his shoulder. When he arrived, he look at both of his teammates up and down, to then greet them with respectful tone.
"Lana, Scott... nice to meet you."
"At last! You must be Horthy," the dark-skinned man quickly exclaimed, his voice laced with irritation. "Do you even realize it's incredibly disrespectful to keep others waiting like this!?"
He then pointed at him and got closer, making Horthy take a step back by instinct as the taller man got in front of him and jabbed a finguer to his chest.
"You better be useful, you prick. And make it quick, I want to be the first one to start training!" He then eyed Horthy´s Eevee, who got intimidated by the man, and laughed sarcastically. "Look at that Eevee, he must be as much... what, Rookie level?"
Horthy frowned, a barely perceptible tightening of his lips, but he didn't dignify Scott's rude remark with a direct response. Instead, his fingers gently stroked the soft fur of Eevee, who had become noticeably distressed by Scott's outburst. The small Pokémon nuzzled into Horthy's hand, seeking comfort. Horthy, regaining his composure, decided to steer the conversation back on track, focusing on the details of their upcoming mission.
"Toro wold me how the mission would be..." Horthy began, his voice calm and professional, devoid of any hint of annoyance. He wanted to set a business-like tone. There was no time for distractions or personal squabbles. He was focused just on the subject at hand, hoping that this idiot in front of him wouldn´t mess the mission.
"As the individual with the least combat experience among us, I will be the first to enter the testing area today. My primary responsibility will be to meticulously gather data from the initial trials and provide detailed reports to both of you. This information will be tell you how the tests will be before you take them.
Once I have thoroughly assessed the challenges and gathered sufficient intel, I will contact each of you individually, outlining the specific tasks you will need to perform when you enter the tryouts." He tried to explain as detailed as he could the plan that Toro gave him.
Scott, proving Toro's assessment of him to be accurate – arrogant and conceited – couldn't contain himself and voiced his complaint loudly, his tone reminiscent of a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. He puffed out his chest, clearly offended by the suggestion that he needed someone else to pave the way for him.
"Bah! It is I who should be the first to face the test. I have no need for anyone to scout ahead and spoon-feed me information." He scoffed at the idea, clearly believing himself to be far superior to Horthy.
Scott cast a dismissive glance at Horthy, scrutinizing him from head to toe with a look of disdain. He then rolled his eyes dramatically, making it clear that he held Horthy in low regard and considered his plan to be utterly ridiculous.
Meanwhile, the girl with them, accompanied by her majestic Luxray, approached silently. Her curiosity was evident in her eyes as she observed Horthy and his Eevee with a focused gaze. The next moment, she spoke, adhering to the pre-arranged plan they had all agreed upon.
"That strategy makes perfect sense. It will provide me with ample time to adequately prepare Luxray and myself for the true test that lies ahead. You will be invincible Luxray." She whispered the last part affectionately as she gently stroked the electric Pokémon.
"A Pokémon native to the Sinnoh region, is it?" Horthy inquired, his curiosity piqued as he aimed his Pokédex at the impressive electric type. He was always eager to learn more about different Pokémon species and their capabilities.
Pokemon: Luxray
Approximate age: 4 years - Male - Electric type - Healthy - Movements: Bite - Crunch - Thunderbolt - Charge - Spark - Quick Attack - Roar - Swift. Probably knows: Discharge - Electric Fangs - Agility - Double edge - Charge beam
Estimated strength level: Very experienced
"I see..." Horthy saved the Pokedex in his pocket and then looked at Luxray´s appearence, intimidating and imposing. "Cool Pokemon, can I pet him?" Horthy asked amazed by the Pokemon´s appearence, to which Lana agreed and Scott scoffed.
"Whatever, whose tests will be easier than battiling this Luxray... but why would we even need to meet? I didn´t need to see your face."
Scott spat venomously at Horthy, his voice dripping with disdain. It was clear he found the entire situation pointless and Horthy's presence particularly irritating as Lana seemed more permissing with the stranger. He couldn't fathom why getting together was necessary when they could have simply handled things remotely.
Horthy clicked his tongue, a subtle sign of his annoyance, and glanced sideways at this man who had insulted him so much in such a short amount of time. Not that he particularly cared, but it has been a long time since someone insulted him like that, not since he left the orphanage.
"Toro insisted that we know each other's faces, if I knew you, I wouldn't have wanted to see you either, don't worry." Horthy retorted, trying to maintain a composed demeanor despite Scott's abrasive attitude. He emphasized that the meeting wasn't his idea either and that he shared Scott's lack of enthusiasm for it. "Feeling is mutual."
Horthy eventually stopped petting Luxray and nodded in thanks to Lana, who without saying anything, took out her own pokedex to analyze Eevee.
Pokemon: Eevee
Aproximated age: 10 months / 1 year - Female - Healthy - Movements: Bite - Quick attack - Tackle - Tail Whip - Probably knows: Roar - Iron Tail - Swift
Estimated strengh: Rookie level
Are you a rocket?
Lana's question hung in the air, laced with doubt. She watched Eevee, marveling at the small Pokémon's strength and thinking about the upcoming gym challenge. Surely Horthy, would have at least a single strong Pokémon at his command, ready to battle. It seemed unlikely that this single Eevee could be his only weapon. Lana's internal conflict grew stronger, Horthy didn't even possess a Pokéball belt at the time, a basic tool for any trainer intending to use multiple Pokémon.
"You must have more Pokémon, and stronger ones too, right?"
The question wasn't intended as an insult or a challenge to Horthy's abilities, Lana was genuinely puzzled. She simply couldn't believe that someone seemingly so unprepared would be chosen to undertake such an important mission at the gym. The weight of her unspoken concerns settled on Horthy, causing him to feel a wave of embarrassment. His cheeks flushed slightly, betraying his unease.
"No, Eevee is my only Pokémon… I haven't been a trainer for long, you see." Horthy explained.
At that statement, Scott, who had been watching with a smug expression, couldn't resist interjecting with his irritating, mocking tone. He saw an opportunity to belittle Horthy and seized it without hesitation.
"Ha! Now that makes more sense," Scott scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why would anyone need a stupid blind Eevee?"
The harsh insult, delivered with such callousness, struck Eevee like a physical blow. A pang of pain shot through her chest, and she felt a sudden wave of weakness wash over her. The words seemed to amplify her insecurities, making her feel vulnerable and inadequate. But fortunately, her trainer, Horthy, immediately recognized the distress in Eevee's eyes. He rushed to her defense, gently stroking her fur and murmuring words of comfort, trying to shield her from Scott's cruel words.
"This Eevee has more value than you or any of your other Pokémon will ever have," Horthy declared, his voice firm and unwavering. His eyes blazed with a fierce protectiveness, making it clear that he would not tolerate any further insults directed at his beloved partner.
At such a statement, Scott only laughed malevolently, a harsh, grating sound that filled the air. He shook his head slowly, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous thing, finding some private amusement in the situation. This reaction only deepened the disgust Horthy and Lana felt towards him, their faces twisting in disapproval at his behavior.
Once he had regained a semblance of calm, though the cruel amusement still flickered in his eyes, Scott smiled. It was his typical smug smile, the one that always seemed to promise trouble, and he directed it right at Horthy. With a deliberate motion, he reached down to his belt. From it, he unclipped a Poké Ball, and then pointed ir at Horthy.
"You talk too much, weakling," Scott sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "All that tough talk, but can you back it up? How about we put that to the test, huh? I challenge you to a Pokémon match. Let's see how tough you really are when your Pokémon are on the line."
...
Hello! I hope you have a great year 2026, and once again thank you for keep supporting my work in this page. I wasn´t convinced at all with this one chapter for several days, and had to rewrite it like 6 times. So that would be why it took so long... But I think the next chapters will be more entertaining, both for me to write them, and for you to read them. If you liked it, a stone would help so much!