"Kid, hand over your Rocket points, or I'll cut you into pieces!"
A silver-haired youth stepped out, blocking Feng Che's path. Behind him followed a young girl sucking on a lollipop, wearing high heels that looked like stilts.
"Sasaki Jiro, deal with this quickly. We need to regroup with the team," the girl said in a soft, sweet voice.
"Don't worry, Yin Yin. My Scyther is peerless in speed. It'll finish this guy in no time," Jiro replied subserviently. It was clear who held the power in this duo.
Feng Che ignored the silver-haired boy.
"Fine, have it your way. Scyther, use Fury Cutter!"
A green, bipedal insect-like Pokémon emerged. Its arms ended in razor-sharp scythes, and its wings buzzed with a sharp, metallic sound. Scyther's dynamic vision was stimulated by the color red—and Arbok-Ditto's tongue was bright crimson.
"Arbok, Iron Tail!"
CLANG!
Scyther's blade clashed with the silver-glowing tail. Sparks flew. Scyther was knocked back but quickly regained its footing, darting back and forth with ghostly speed, using Continuous Cut. Arbok-Ditto held its ground, its Iron Tail forming a defensive wall.
"Impossible! How is that Arbok tracking its movements?" Jiro gasped.
"Idiot," Yin Yin sighed. "Arbok have excellent dynamic vision. You're the only one here who's blind." She checked her watch. "Jiro, we're out of time. If the Boss gets angry, we're finished. Forget the points."
"But he just traded with Alakazam! Imagine how many points he has!" Jiro argued.
"If he has that many points, he's obviously dangerous! Let's go!" She threw a Poké Ball, releasing a Galarian Weezing. The Pokémon looked like a tall, black chimney with a smog-beard. "Weezing, Self-Destruct!"
The Weezing began to glow and expand. Feng Che immediately hit the deck, expecting a massive blast. Instead, a thick cloud of black smoke erupted.
"A decoy?!"
By the time the smoke cleared, both the recruits and the Scyther were gone. Feng Che brushed the dust off his clothes. He knew that the news of his "fortune" would spread quickly now. The final fifteen days of the trial were going to be a bloodbath.
Team Rocket Headquarters.
Giovanni was livid. "What did you say? The new Elite Four member, Lance, has vanished into the sea?"
"Leader, he was struck by my secret poison before he fell. He cannot survive," Koga replied, bowing low.
"I want a body! Search the waters around Death Island. If he finds our base and reports to the League, we are finished. He knows about the Mewtwo project." Giovanni issued a frantic order to all recruits on Death Island: Find a red-haired youth with a Dragonite. Report immediately.
Death Island: Pidgeot Territory.
It was evening when Feng Che returned to the Pidgeot's nest. He froze. The area was devastated. The Pidgeot pair lay bruised and motionless on the ground, barely breathing.
Standing over them was a massive, orange Dragonite, radiating a crushing aura. Behind the dragon was a red-haired youth, coughing up black blood.
Rookidee was chirping defiantly, using Peck on the Dragonite's leg. Having reached Level 16, she was no longer intimidated by pure pressure.
Pokémon: Dragonite Level: 75 Status: Heavily Wounded. Afflicted by "Time-Poison." Evaluation: Run. You cannot survive a single punch from this monster.
The Dragonite, annoyed by the bird, raised a fist crackling with electricity.
[Dragonite: I let this bird live, and it still bites me? Fine. Die.]
"Stop, Dragonite!" the youth gasped. As he looked up, Feng Che recognized the face: Lance.
Lance saw Feng Che's Rocket uniform and his eyes narrowed. "Dragonite... kill him. He can't report my position."
The Dragonite blurred. In a heartbeat, it was in front of Feng Che, its fist inches from his nose. The pressure was so intense Feng Che couldn't move a muscle.
"Wait!" Feng Che said, his voice remarkably steady. "If you kill me, Lance dies too."
The Dragonite's fist stopped. It looked at him with suspicious, narrowed eyes.
"I can treat his poison," Feng Che continued. "I smell the herbs on me, don't I? Look at his face—his organs are failing. He has very little time left."
Feng Che was gambling on the Dragonite's loyalty. He also knew the secret Lance was hiding: this Dragonite, his ace, was dying from a specialized League toxin called "Time-Poison." It accelerated cellular division, giving a temporary burst of power followed by a total physical collapse.
Lance coughed again, more black blood staining his cape. "Let him come, Dragonite. I smell the medicinal scent on him... only a master herbalist carries that aroma."
Feng Che stepped forward, checking Lance's pulse. "The toxin is eating your vitals. It feels like ants gnawing on your marrow, doesn't it?"
Lance stared at him, impressed by his insight.
"Your current antidotes are useless against this," Feng Che said, pulling a vial of his custom medicine. "This won't cure you completely, but it will suppress the toxin long enough for you to move."
"Why should I trust a member of Team Rocket?" Lance spat.
Feng Che smiled calmly. "Because if I wanted you dead, I'd just have to wait five minutes and watch. Drink it."
..............BONUS CHAPTER IS COMING.............
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