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At that moment, a short figure slowly emerged from behind the two intruders. The Pokémon's body was distinctively colored in yellow and brown segments, with a long, prominent nose and a pair of eyes that seemed to regard Honda with clear mockery and disdain.
Although Honda wasn't a trainer himself, he recognized the Pokémon immediately. This was Hypno, a Psychic-type Pokémon that was renowned for its powerful hypnotic abilities. Now he understood exactly how his bodyguards had been rendered unconscious so quickly and efficiently.
"What... what do you want to talk to me about?" Honda managed to ask, trying to maintain his composure despite the threatening situation.
However, Honda had not become a successful businessman by being easily intimidated. After the initial shock wore off, he began to calm down and think strategically. He had a growing suspicion about why these people had come to see him, and what they might want.
"We heard that you're looking for a trainer who can deal with those troublesome Grimer in the sewers," one of the mysterious figures said, their voice carrying a tone of confident knowing. "But it seems like no one in this city is willing to accept your generous offer, isn't that right?"
The two intruders looked at each other meaningfully, then turned their attention back to Honda, studying his reaction carefully.
Honda's suspicions were confirmed. These people had indeed come because of the Grimer situation, just as he had suspected. His mind began racing as he considered what this might mean for his plans.
"What exactly do you want from me?" Honda asked cautiously, sensing that the two people in front of him were definitely not the kind of individuals he should trust easily.
"Of course, we want money!" the pair responded with complete confidence, as if the answer should have been obvious. "As long as Mr. Honda is willing to pay us enough compensation, we'll naturally help you solve your little Grimer problem once and for all."
Their tone suggested that they considered dealing with a colony of wild Grimer to be a simple, almost trivial task. In their minds, eliminating these Pokémon would be easy work that would earn them a substantial reward. Why wouldn't they take advantage of such an opportunity?
Honda frowned slightly as he studied the two strangers more carefully. For the first time, he noticed their clothing properly. Both of them wore uniforms with a distinctive red letter "R" prominently displayed on the front. The moment he saw that logo, Honda immediately understood who he was dealing with.
However, their specific identity didn't particularly matter to him at this point. As long as these people could help him solve his Grimer problem, he was willing to work with anyone, regardless of their reputation or methods.
"Alright," Honda said after a moment of consideration. "As long as you can help me get rid of those annoying Grimer permanently, money won't be a problem."
"Haha! Very smart decision, Mr. Honda," the woman among the two intruders spoke up, her voice filled with satisfaction. "You definitely won't regret choosing to cooperate with us."
Suddenly, Hypno's eyes began glowing with an intense blue light. The Psychic-type Pokémon raised its hands slightly, and immediately the two black briefcases that had been lying next to the unconscious bodyguards began floating through the air, completely defying gravity.
The levitating suitcases moved smoothly through the air, floating directly toward the two Team Rocket members. They casually reached out and caught the flying briefcases as if this kind of psychic display was completely routine for them.
"Consider this our advance payment," the pair said, their faces showing sinister smiles of satisfaction. "We'll return to collect the remaining money after we've successfully completed the job."
Honda clearly hadn't expected this bold move. Now he fully understood that the two people standing in his office were far more dangerous and capable than he had initially imagined. These weren't ordinary criminals or mercenaries.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about the situation now. All of his bodyguards had been incapacitated, and he recognized that the identity and capabilities of these people put them far beyond what he could handle or threaten.
In Honda's mind, losing some money was acceptable. He had plenty of wealth, and as long as these people could eliminate the Grimer problem, he would be able to make back any amount of money through his development projects.
"I hope you're not just making empty promises," Honda said with a slight edge to his voice.
"Don't worry about that," the two responded confidently. "We guarantee you'll be completely satisfied with our results."
After making this promise, the pair moved toward the window. Without any hesitation, they leaped out and disappeared into the city, leaving Honda alone with his unconscious bodyguards.
On the other side of the city, after finishing their breakfast at the Pokémon Center, Ash and his friends retrieved their Pokémon from Nurse Joy. However, instead of immediately setting off on their journey, they decided to spend the morning purchasing travel supplies and restocking their provisions for the road ahead.
As they were leaving the Pokémon Center, they happened to encounter Officer Jenny during her regular patrol rounds. Since she didn't have any urgent duties at the moment, she kindly offered to guide them around the city and help them find the best shops for their needs.
While they walked through the streets, Ash found himself constantly looking around, scanning the roads and alleyways with careful attention. Misty noticed his distracted behavior and couldn't help but ask about it.
"Ash, what's wrong with you? You seem really preoccupied."
Instead of answering Misty directly, Ash continued examining their surroundings for another moment. Then he turned to Officer Jenny with a serious expression.
"Officer Jenny, do the Grimer come out of the sewers very often lately?"
"Well, not really very often," Officer Jenny replied, pausing slightly as she considered the question. She wasn't sure why Ash was suddenly asking about this topic, but she thought carefully before responding. "Even when they do come out, it's usually only at night."
"Do they cause a lot of panic among the citizens? Or property damage?" Ash pressed further.
"Not at all," Officer Jenny said, shaking her head. "Normally they only appear in the middle of the night, and occasionally they'll actually clean up garbage that's been left on the streets. If anything, they've been helpful."
After hearing this explanation, Ash frowned thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Misty and Brock exchanged glances, both of them beginning to understand why Ash had suddenly brought up this topic.
"What's going on?" Officer Jenny asked, noticing the concerned expressions on all three of their faces.
"Officer Jenny, do you know someone named Honda?" Ash asked, shaking his head slightly.
The reason for Ash's questions was now clear. Honda had approached them claiming that the Grimer frequently caused environmental damage and disrupted city life. However, Ash had been observing the streets carefully and had found no evidence whatsoever of Grimer activity or the damage Honda had described.
Officer Jenny's confirmation of the Grimer's actual behavior proved that Ash's decision to refuse Honda's request had been absolutely correct. The story about Grimer destroying the urban environment was clearly a complete fabrication.
Officer Jenny's expression changed noticeably when she heard Honda's name. She seemed surprised that Ash knew about him, but after a moment of consideration, she looked at the three trainers with curiosity.
"Ash, how do you know about Honda?" she asked.
"He came to see us this morning," Ash replied without hesitation, and then proceeded to tell Officer Jenny the entire story of their encounter.
"I see," Officer Jenny said, nodding with understanding. "To be completely honest with you, ever since the environment in Heiyun City has been gradually improving, many investors have come here looking for business opportunities."
She continued her explanation as they walked. "Most of these investments focus on environmental protection projects, and Honda is one of these investors. He's specifically responsible for optimizing and upgrading the city's sewer system."
"And for that reason, he wants to drive away the Grimer?" Misty couldn't help but interject, her voice showing clear disapproval.
"No, that's not the case at all," Officer Jenny quickly shook her head, wanting to clarify the misunderstanding. "His project is simply to renovate the sewers to make the drainage and maintenance systems more efficient and effective. The goal is to help the city clean up pollution faster and more conveniently."
She emphasized her next point carefully. "We have absolutely no intention of driving away the Grimer. They've been part of our community's solution."
Officer Jenny went on to explain the background of the situation. The Grimer had originally moved from heavily polluted rivers and oceans into the city's sewer system as a temporary home. The citizens had accepted this arrangement, and during this period, the relationship between the Grimer and the human residents had been surprisingly peaceful and cooperative.
"The Grimer don't appear during the day at all," Officer Jenny continued. "When they occasionally come out at night, they actually help by cleaning up garbage from the streets. We've never had any reason to consider removing them."
"Then what about Honda's complaints?" Ash asked, still trying to understand the full situation.
"Not long ago, Honda started frequently complaining that the Grimer have been interfering with his construction project's progress," Officer Jenny explained with a sigh. "Honda's project has been put on hold indefinitely because of this conflict. I've been wanting to try to negotiate with the Grimer to find a compromise, but their attitude seems to be very firm and uncompromising."
Officer Jenny's expression showed genuine concern as she continued. "I'm worried that what happened before with the pollution conflicts might happen again. Right now, I honestly have a headache trying to figure out how to resolve this situation peacefully."