"Feng Che, congratulations. You performed well and took first place. My judgment was correct after all," Sabrina said, a trace of a smirk playing on her lips and an arrogant tilt to her head.
Suddenly, her expression vanished, replaced by a cold, void-like neutrality. "I'm here to officially remind you: from now on, I am your superior. Perform well, or I won't mind adding another ragdoll to my collection."
"I understand, Lady Sabrina. I will not disappoint you," Feng Che replied quickly. He had no desire to end up as a permanent playmate for the capricious psychic. He recalled Uncle Kaiser mentioning that Sabrina was actually "cold on the outside, warm on the inside," and fiercely protective of those she deemed her own.
"Whoa, Feng Che, you really were born for this line of work," Uncle Kaiser said, strolling over from the distance. "I've been in Team Rocket for ten years, and here you are, becoming an Elite after a single trial. I guess I really am getting old."
"Uncle Kaiser, take this Poké Ball," Feng Che said, handing him the Baltoy he had captured in the ruins. "Having a Psychic-type will provide an extra layer of safety when you're out on missions. I haven't registered it with the League, so do with it as you wish."
Kaiser gripped the ball, feeling a warmth in his chest. "Thank you, kid."
Sabrina suddenly sent a telepathic message to Feng Che before leaving: "Watch out for Alice's sister, Lilith. She was the real 'Starhunt.' Her body was too weak to contain her massive psychic power, so Athena moved her consciousness into a puppet. Now that Lilith has awakened, she will likely seek revenge for her defeat."
The Training Room.
Feng Che rented a private room to inspect his new prize. "Come out, Litten!"
The small, black-furred kitten emerged. It had red stripes on its face and legs and eyes that glowed a sharp yellow. Litten fur is oily and highly flammable; they often lick themselves to collect loose fur for fire-based attacks.
This Litten looked thin and stood off to the side, acting cold and indifferent. The system said it was prone to losing control. It won't stay quiet for long, Feng Che noted.
Rookidee chirped, trying to greet the newcomer, but Litten ignored her.
[Litten: I don't know why he chose me. I can't even control my own strength.]
Suddenly, Litten's yellow eyes dilated.
[Litten: No... it's happening again!]
WHOOSH! A pillar of fire erupted from the kitten, shooting three meters into the air and triggering the overhead sprinklers. Instead of putting out the fire, the foam seemed to act as fuel for the Litten's hyper-active internal furnace. The entire room turned into an inferno.
Rocket fire crews rushed in with extinguishers. "What terrifying output!" Feng Che shielded his eyes. "It's like the flames of an Entei."
Eventually, the fire subsided. Litten lay exhausted and covered in foam, looking up at Feng Che as he scooped it up.
[Litten: Will the trainer hate me now? I'm just a walking disaster...]
"Litten, that was incredible!" Feng Che said, his voice full of genuine wonder. "I thought a Charizard had appeared for a second. Your power is just too high for your current body to handle. Don't worry, I won't give up on you. I'll find a way to let you master this fire."
[Litten: Really? No one has ever called me incredible before. They only called me a curse.]
Feng Che cleaned the foam off the kitten. He already had a specific potion recipe in mind to stabilize its metabolic rate.
Three Days Later: Celadon City.
Celadon was a vital hub for Team Rocket. It was where the Mewtwo project had begun before moving to the secret HQ. Rocket provided Feng Che with a fully furnished apartment.
As he approached his new home, he saw Nurse Joy and a Chansey standing at his door.
Am I exposed already? Feng Che gripped a Poké Ball, maintaining a polite smile.
"Hello, are you Mr. Feng Che?" Nurse Joy asked warmly. "Your application for a Starter Pokémon has been approved. Since I was passing by, I thought I'd see if you were home."
"Oh, thank you, Nurse Joy!" Feng Che sighed in relief. This was his "Mole Identity" benefit.
He followed her to the Celadon Pokémon Center. Next to it sat a massive, League-sponsored nursery. "You're lucky," Joy explained. "A new batch just arrived from the breeding grounds, and you're the first to pick."
Feng Che entered the Water-type sector. He already had Litten (Fire) and Rookidee (Flying/Steel), so he wanted a Water-type for balance. He scanned the Squirtles and Mudkips playing in the fountain.
Yellow potential... Yellow... nothing special, he thought. He didn't want to waste rare resources upgrading a mediocre Pokémon.
Suddenly, he heard a smug, internal voice.
[Froakie: Another foolish human. It's a good thing I'm faking this limp; I get to eat for free and I'm the undisputed boss of this pond. None of these other punks can even touch me. Ha!]
Feng Che looked up. On the highest point of a rock formation sat a Froakie, lounging like a king while a Squirtle fanned it with a lotus leaf.
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