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Cassidy and Butch always cried out after being sent flying, and Green could hear their voices echoing through the air.
"Huh? Didn't those two troublemakers escape earlier? Why are they soaring through the sky now?" Green adjusted her binoculars and peered at the two Team Rocket members who had been launched into the distance, puzzled by this unexpected turn of events.
"Someone must have knocked them away. Let me see who managed to do that..." Following the trajectory of Butch and Cassidy's flight path, Green traced it back to its point of origin.
"Wait, is that a shiny Snorlax? There's also a shiny Gardevoir and Gengar with it, plus what looks like a normal Pikachu"
"Oh my! So it's that guy Eddie. What an unexpected meeting. Could this be fate?" Green was initially captivated by Snorlax's massive frame, then examined the other Pokemon before finally spotting Eddie commanding his team from behind.
"Team Rocket has regular members heading to the Seafoam Islands, but going there alone would be quite dangerous for me," Green mused to herself.
"I was planning to disguise myself as a Team Rocket member to infiltrate their operation, but now that Eddie's here, today must be my lucky day!" Green felt elated upon seeing Eddie. She had been worried about the risks of tackling the Seafoam Islands mission solo, and then this powerful trainer she had grown close to appeared out of nowhere.
Anyone would be thrilled by such perfect timing, especially Green, who harbored special feelings for Eddie. Their relationship existed in that delicate space between friendship and romance, so seeing Eddie naturally filled her with joy.
"Hmm? That's Green over there. Is she waving at me?" Eddie recalled his Pokemon to their Poke Balls and noticed Green sitting atop her Wigglytuff, gesturing enthusiastically in his direction.
"Come to think of it, why is Green here? The original storyline never mentioned her being in this location," Eddie wondered internally.
"Well, whatever. My presence has probably altered many minor events, even if the major plot points remain unchanged." Eddie decided not to overthink the situation. As long as the core story elements stayed on track, small deviations didn't concern him much.
"Eddie! We meet again - what incredible timing!" Green directed her Wigglytuff to fly over to Eddie's position. After landing gracefully and returning Wigglytuff to its Poke Ball, she greeted Eddie with obvious enthusiasm.
"You seem awfully cheerful with that smile. I suppose you need another favor from me?" Despite acknowledging Green's beauty, especially when she smiled, Eddie knew her personality well. The brighter her smile, the more trouble was usually brewing for someone nearby.
Since he was the only person in front of Green at the moment, Eddie suspected he was about to be recruited for another dangerous mission.
"Um... don't put it like that. We're friends, after all. When friends meet unexpectedly, of course I'm genuinely happy to see you!" Green's expression faltered slightly when Eddie saw through her intentions so easily.
However, having navigated social situations for years, she had experience handling such moments. She quickly recovered and offered Eddie a sincere explanation.
Her words weren't entirely false - she truly was delighted to see Eddie. She considered him one of her few genuine friends and had developed romantic feelings for him as well.
Although they had only encountered each other twice previously, making this their third meeting, the frequency didn't diminish their connection. After all, Ash and Gary didn't meet constantly either, yet they had formed a strong friendship with Eddie.
"Ha, I'll take your word for it," Eddie responded with a knowing chuckle, neither fully accepting nor rejecting her explanation.
His laughter carried multiple meanings - it wasn't purely mocking, but also contained a playful teasing quality directed at Green.
Green, being perceptive, understood the subtext behind Eddie's response. While maintaining her smile, she felt genuinely confused about something that had been bothering her.
She wondered how Eddie seemed to know her so well despite their limited interactions. From their very first meeting, he had acted as though he understood her completely.
"Could Eddie be one of those people..." Green suddenly recalled the other masked individuals from the Masked Man's secret base.
She began suspecting that Eddie might be one of those mysterious figures, since only they would be so familiar with her background and personality.
"No! Eddie can't be one of them. If he were, he wouldn't treat me so kindly right now," Green reasoned with herself.
"Besides, his build and age don't match any of those people. It's impossible for him to be connected to them."
"Then who is he exactly? Why does he seem so familiar with me?" After rejecting her initial theory, Green found herself even more perplexed about Eddie's true identity.
"Green, are you feeling alright? You look a bit pale. Are you coming down with something?" Eddie noticed Green's expression shifting as she became lost in thought about his background.
"If you're feeling sick, I could have Charizard warm you up - that should cure any cold!" Eddie offered helpfully, though with his characteristic playful tone.
He could tell that Green was dwelling on something troubling, so he wanted to snap her out of her brooding with some lighthearted humor.
Eddie simply couldn't stand seeing distressed expressions on people's faces, so intervening felt natural to him. In his mind, this was just basic courtesy.
However, Green interpreted Eddie's behavior quite differently. Watching Eddie use his somewhat clumsy but genuine method to comfort her made her heart flutter with warmth.
"If he understands me that well, then so be it. I'll just accept that he has an exceptional ability to read people's hearts and emotions at a glance. There are individuals like that in this world," Green decided internally.
"Besides, having someone who truly understands me like this is actually wonderful. He seems like such a genuinely good person."
"He's handsome, incredibly strong, has unlimited potential as a trainer, shows real consideration for others, and we get along so naturally together..." As Green continued this mental assessment, she found herself looking at Eddie with growing admiration and satisfaction.
Then something else occurred to her, causing her cheeks to flush with an increasingly rosy color.
"Ding! Due to your words and actions, Green's favorability toward you has significantly increased and has now reached 'romantic interest' level!"
Eddie maintained his composed exterior upon hearing the system notification, but internally he felt both exasperated and secretly pleased.
His frustration stemmed from the seemingly random favorability increase, while his happiness came from knowing that such a beautiful and capable young woman had developed feelings for him.
Regardless of what romantic choices Eddie might make in the future, what man wouldn't feel a surge of pride when earning the affection of someone so remarkable?