I turned at the sound.
A girl stood just a few steps away.
Her bright orange hair was tied in a high side ponytail, swaying gently in the ocean breeze. She wore a simple yellow tank top and blue shorts, the colors vibrant against the cliffside.
Her green eyes shone with pure wonder, fixed entirely on Lopunny, Meowscarada, and Gardevoir.
I studied her for a moment.
Something about her felt… strangely familiar.
Like I had seen her somewhere before… yet the memory, refusing to shape, no matter how hard I tried.
While I was still caught in that thought, her voice carried across the cliff.
A few people nearby paused.
Then, one by one, heads began to turn, until their attention settled on me and my Pokémon.
First was a boy about my age standing near her, a small yellow Pikachu perched on his shoulder.
"Pika…?" the little Pokémon chirped softly, its ears twitching as it stared in our direction.
The boy leaned forward, curiosity clear on his face. Without hesitation, he pulled out a red device.
A Pokédex.
It clicked softly. A mechanical whir followed as it scanned Lopunny.
"Unknown Pokémon. No data available."
He blinked, then turned it toward Meowscarada.
"Unknown Pokémon. No data available."
A murmur spread through the nearby crowd.
"…What?"
"…Unknown again?"
He quickly raised it toward Gardevoir.
"Unknown Pokémon. No data available."
Silence followed… The boy glanced at his Pokédex, wondering if it was damaged…
The girl beside him leaned in, eyes wide with disbelief. She had been admiring their beauty just moments ago, but now confusion crept in. How could all of them be completely unknown…?
On the other side, a woman with strangely styled hair and an equally unusual outfit stood near a Meowth.
The Meowth's ears twitched sharply at the Pokédex's words. Its eyes narrowed, a sly grin forming as it leaned closer and whispered something to her.
Meanwhile, the two men from earlier didn't move at first. Their attention stayed locked on the stone maiden.
Then, almost reluctantly, they glanced toward us for a brief moment before turning back again, as if nothing else truly mattered…
By now, everyone except those two had turned, all looking at us with curiosity, confusion, and something close to disbelief.
Just as I was about to speak, Meowscarada's ears twitched... Her expression changed instantly.
She stepped closer and tugged lightly at my shirt, pointing toward the odd trio. A low, warning sound left her lips.
"Nya… nyaa."
I followed her gaze.
My expression hardened, a faint unease creeping in. Why did she look so worried…?
The boy and the girl turned at the same time, their attention snapping toward the trio as they finally noticed them.
"Team Rocket," the boy muttered under his breath. "What are you doing here?"
The girl's face tightened. "Watch out. These guys are bad. They steal other people's..."
A brief moment of tension passed as the word Team Rocket reached me and my Pokémon.
Before she could finish, and before the trio could even open their mouths, my three partners moved as one, as if reading my thoughts without a word…
Meowscarada's grin turned sharp. "Nyaa!" A storm of glowing leaves surged forward in a rapid burst of Flower Trick.
At the same moment, Lopunny's ears snapped up. "Lop!" A concentrated sphere of energy formed and fired instantly, a blazing Focus Blast tearing through the air.
Beside her, Gardevoir's eyes glowed pink. "Garde…" A sharp Psybeam lanced forward, slicing straight through the space between them.
The three attacks collided with the trio at once, merging into a blinding explosion that swallowed them whole.
The explosion launched them high into the sky. They spun helplessly as they shot upward, shrinking into the distance.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off agaaain!"
Even the blue haired guy, caught in the blast, flew along with the other two, whispering "W-why me…?!"