Eclipse Dorm
The room was sleek and shadowed—black stone walls, minimal decor, and soft violet ambient lighting that gave everything an ominous glow.
A hushed voice broke the silence.
"Alright… together this time. Three, two, one—start!"
A low, dramatic tune swelled in the background.
A pale, elegant hand rose into frame, bathed in violet light.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
Another hand followed—this one holding a single red rose.
"To unite all people within our nation!"
A woman stepped forward—long magenta hair cascading in a dramatic curl, her eyes sharp with confidence.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
A man followed, flipping his periwinkle-blue hair with flair, a rose clenched between his teeth.
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
She struck a bold, alluring pose.
"Jessie!"
He spun, striking his own flamboyant stance.
"James!"
Both now stood in full Team Rocket attire—sleek outfits marked with the iconic red R, layered with dark Eclipse jackets that added a sharper edge to their usual look.
Together, they thrust their arms forward.
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
Just then—
"Meowth, that's right!"
A small figure leapt up between them, landing perfectly in front—arms crossed, tail flicking with pride.
For a brief moment…
perfection.
Jessie and James exchanged satisfied smiles—
…and then froze.
They slowly turned their heads—
—and realized they were facing completely opposite directions.
"…What the hell was that?!" Jessie snapped, her eye twitching.
SMACK!
Her fist came down hard on James's head.
"Ow! Hey!" James protested, clutching his scalp.
"Wasn't the whole point to face away from the mirror this time? That's what you said!"
"I did not say that!" Jessie shot back, flustered.
"You absolutely did!"
"No, I didn't!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"We've been at this for hours…" Meowth yawned loudly, stretching his arms.
"Is this routine really necessary? I'm just sayin'—there's gotta be easier ways to impress the boss, right?"
"Shut up!"
BONK!
Both Jessie and James punched Meowth square on the head at the same time.
"OWW! What was that for?!" Meowth snarled.
"We are perfecting our entrance," James added dramatically, tossing his hair back again.
"And perfection takes dedication!" Jessie added with a smirk.
"…Yeah, yeah. Dedication… right," Meowth muttered, yawning.
"Also—weren't we supposed to report to the Boss tonight?"
"AH! What time is it?!" Jessie yelped, instantly panicking as she whipped out a sleek black-and-red phone with a R pasted on its back.
"…Oh no—idiots! We're late because of you two!"
She didn't wait another second—snatching up her Poké Ball from the desk and storming toward the door.
"If the Boss is upset, I'm giving both your names!" she snapped, already halfway out.
James hurried after her, adjusting his jacket.
"Oh please, if anyone's getting blamed, it's definitely you, Meowth!"
"Hey! And who am I supposed to blame?!" Meowth shot back, looking around the now-empty room.
"…Oi—wait for me!"
He scrambled after them.
--------
Outside, the trio moved through the halls in exaggerated stealth—ducking behind corners, tiptoeing dramatically, and occasionally pausing for no reason at all.
The corridor was quiet, bathed in a soft violet glow from the ceiling lights.
The walls were lined with murals, banners, and intricate designs—each one representing Eclipse House.
Most striking among them was a massive emblem of the Eclipse House:
A shadowy silhouette of the legendary Pokémon Lunala, surrounded by a radiant violet aura—
with elemental symbols forming a perfect ring around it.
"Are you two sure we won't get caught sneaking around like this?" Meowth whispered, glancing nervously over his shoulder.
"Please," James said confidently, adjusting his rose.
"We spent the entire day mapping out camera positions. This is the most optimal route."
"And why would anyone even stop us?" Jessie added with a smug grin.
"There's no curfew in the dorms. Students can stay out as late as they want."
Meowth stared at them.
"…You're both still wearing full Team Rocket uniforms," he deadpanned.
"…Yeah, but—"
"We're stylish," James finished proudly.
Meowth sighed.
He was too tired to deal with these idiots.
Soon, all three of them came to a stop in front of a red vending machine, tucked away in an inconspicuous corner of the hallway.
"…This is it?" Jessie asked, raising a skeptical brow.
"The instructions say this is one of the nearest hidden entrances," James replied, squinting at his sleek black-and-red phone.
"Well hurry it up—we're already late!" Meowth snapped impatiently.
"Alright, alright… it says we need to input this sequence—"
"Give me that."
Jessie snatched the phone from his hand and, without hesitation, began tapping rapidly on the vending machine's datapad.
The screen flickered.
"Scan your device to pay."
Jessie smirked.
She flipped her phone and pressed the back—marked with a bold red R—against the scanner.
Beep.
The display glitched—
—and then three glowing R symbols flashed across the screen.
With a soft mechanical hum, the vending machine slid sideways on its own, revealing a narrow, hidden passage behind it.
All three of them froze—
then quickly glanced around to make sure no one had seen it happening.
"Move, move!" Jessie hissed.
They slipped inside.
The vending machine slid back into place behind them—
seamlessly.
"…Is this an elevator?" James asked, looking around at the enclosed space lit by thin red LED strips.
A deep, mechanical voice echoed around them.
"Grunt Jessie. Grunt James. Identity verified."
"Welcome, Team Rocket Operatives."
The floor suddenly dropped—
and the elevator shot downward.
"WOOAAAH—!"
All three of them lifted slightly as gravity seemed to vanish for a moment.
After a few seconds, the descent stopped just as abruptly.
The doors slid open.
They stumbled out—
all three looking distinctly pale.
"Ugh… I shouldn't have eaten that much dinner…" Meowth groaned, clutching his stomach.
"Ugh… same…"
Jessie and James both held their mouths, clearly fighting the urge to throw up.
Just then—
four black-colored Block Bots rolled toward them.
With precise, mechanical movements, they rearranged themselves—
forming a perfect R symbol.
"Follow us, Grunts. Quickly."
The voice that came from them was sharp and arrogant—far too condescending for something made of metal.
The formation broke apart instantly, and the bots began gliding down the corridor.
"Ugh… they don't even have any respect for us here," Jessie muttered, annoyed, as she followed.
"Well… we are just grunts in Team Rocket," James sighed dramatically.
"So it's only natural…"
"But we did pull off a high-level mission— infiltrating Nexus Academy," Meowth added with a grin.
"We'll climb the ranks in no time!"
All three of them nodded—
already imagining wealth, power… and a much more luxurious future.
The Block Bots led them deeper through a network of dimly lit corridors.
They passed several rooms—
some with transparent walls.
Inside, figures in lab coats moved about—working on computers, analyzing data…
or standing beside massive containment vats filled with glowing substances.
"Who would've guessed…" Jessie murmured, her voice dropping slightly as she looked around.
"Team Rocket has an entire base hidden under the Eclipse Dorms…"
"I'm more curious how they managed to build all this without anyone noticing," James added, genuinely impressed.
"Boss has connections everywhere," Meowth said smugly.
"This kinda thing is nothing for him."
"Keep your voices down!"
The Block Bots snapped sharply.
All three of them flinched.
Jessie's eye twitched.
For a brief moment—
she seriously considered smashing the arrogant scrap heap to pieces…
…but restrained herself.
Starting trouble on their very first day here?
Yeah. Not worth it.
"Here. Go inside."
The Block Bots halted in front of a set of heavy double doors.
With a soft hiss, the doors slid open.
Without another word, the bots drifted away into the shadows.
Jessie, James, and Meowth exchanged uneasy glances—
then stepped inside.
The room was dark. Quiet.
"Ah—Boss, we're terribly sorry for being late—" James began, straightening nervously as he looked around.
THUD.
The doors slammed shut behind them.
A massive screen on the far wall flickered to life—
casting a cold glow across the room.
"Yes. You should be sorry."
A sharp female voice cut through the silence.
"Not even being able to report on time… how disappointing."
On the screen was seated a woman—
short dark-purple hair, black-rimmed glasses, and piercing brown eyes that radiated authority.
She wore a sleek maroon-purple business suit, her posture flawless…
and her expression utterly unimpressed.
"But then again," she continued coolly,
"I expected nothing more from you two failures."
"Matori?! What are you doing here?!" Jessie snapped, pointing at the screen.
"It's Miss Matori to you," she replied sharply, narrowing her eyes.
"And I am here to deliver your instructions."
"…Wait—Boss isn't coming?" James asked, visibly deflating.
"Boss is far too busy to waste his time on grunts like you," Matori said flatly.
"Even I, as his secretary, have more important matters to attend to."
She adjusted her glasses slightly.
"But I made time for this… because I know that if I don't handle it personally—"
Her gaze sharpened.
"—you two will find a way to screw things up."
"When have we ever screwed anything up?!" Jessie shot back, her temper flaring.
"Oh, really?" Matori folded her arms, unimpressed.
"Then was it not you two who attempted to infiltrate the Viridian City examination site at night… to steal the Nexus Entrance test papers?"
"Th-that wasn't us—!" James started—
SMACK.
Jessie clamped a hand over his mouth.
"We have no idea what you're talking about," she said firmly.
"Spare me," Matori replied coldly.
"If that had happened anywhere other than Viridian City, you'd both be in prison right now."
She pressed her fingers to her temple, clearly irritated.
"Because of your little stunt, multiple operations had to be delayed. Even the exam itself for the whole Kanto region was postponed by a week. Do you have any idea how much paperwork I had to process because of your incompetence?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"You two have a remarkable talent… for ruining everything you touch."
"But we still passed the mission and got into Nexus, didn't we?" Jessie snapped.
"That counts as success."
Matori let out a dry, humorless breath.
"The written papers in Viridian were intentionally made easier. And as Team Rocket operatives, you were granted automatic clearance through the interview phase."
Her lips twitched faintly.
"And yet… it still took you three years to pass the written test."
She paused.
"That, in its own way… is impressive."
James straightened slightly, a proud smirk forming on his face.
"…See? She said we're impressive—"
SMACK.
Meowth smacked him across the head.
"Not like that, ya idiot!"
Jessie, meanwhile, was visibly trembling—doing everything in her power not to punch straight through the screen.
Matori sighed, already looking exhausted.
"The longer I look at you three, the more my stress levels rise," she muttered.
She gestured off-screen.
"Take the folder in front of you… and return to your rooms."
"This one?" James asked, picking up a sleek black-and-red folder from the table.
He flipped it open, and the three of them leaned in together—Meowth perched right on their shoulders.
"…Ugh. This is just a single page," James said, squinting.
"Monthly meetups schedule… that's it."
"Where's our assignment? Our mission?" Jessie demanded, frowning.
"Is it this one?" Meowth said, grabbing another, much thicker folder from the side.
"Ooh, this one looks important—"
"That is not for you. It's for another team."
Matori's voice cut in sharply.
"Put it back."
"YIPE!"
Meowth instantly dropped it back where it was.
"Another team? There are other Team Rocket teams here?" James asked, surprised.
"Obviously," Matori replied dryly.
"There are several. You'll meet some of them during the monthly briefings."
"But what about our mission?" Jessie pressed, her tone sharpening.
"Shouldn't we be assigned something?"
Matori let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Do I look crazy to you?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"You expect me to assign an actual mission… to you two?"
"…What?!" James recoiled, stunned.
Jessie's eye twitched dangerously.
"Listen carefully," Matori said, her voice turning cold and precise.
"Your mission for this entire year is simple—"
She paused.
"Blend in. Behave like normal students. And stay out of the way."
"The best thing you can do for Team Rocket right now… is nothing."
Her gaze hardened.
"And more importantly—don't interfere with operations being carried out by competent teams."
"B-but we want to do something for the Boss too…" Meowth said, his ears drooping.
"If—and that's a very big if—you manage to get through this year without causing a single incident," Matori continued,
"you may be considered for actual assignments in your second year."
She adjusted her glasses again, unimpressed.
"But frankly, I have very little faith in that happening."
Her lips curled slightly.
"Even if you somehow avoid ruining things… I expect you'll fail your year-end exams anyway."
"…and won't even make it to second year."
At the word exams—
both Jessie and James visibly paled.
"Alright, that's enough," Matori said dismissively, waving them off.
"I've already wasted more time on you than necessary."
Her gaze sharpened one last time.
"And for the record—while Eclipse Dorm's internal cameras are secure… it's still incredibly foolish to walk around in full Team Rocket uniform."
"The cameras are safe…?" James muttered under his breath, deflating slightly.
"…Then what was the point of memorizing all those routes…"
"Don't just stand there—leave," Matori ordered coldly.
"Y-yes, ma'am! We're going, right now!" Meowth said quickly, shoving both Jessie and James toward the exit.
The moment the doors shut behind them—
BANG!
Jessie slammed her fist into the wall beside the door.
"That arrogant hag!" she snapped, seething.
"Just because she's Boss's secretary, she thinks she can order us around?!"
"She is way higher in Team Rocket's hierarchy than us grunts…" James sighed, shoulders slumping.
"And we didn't even get a mission. Our plan to climb the ranks failed before it even started…"
"Ugh! I hate her so much!" Jessie growled, pacing angrily.
"…Who said we didn't get an assignment?"
Both of them froze.
They turned—
to see Meowth casually pulling out a small stack of papers.
"…Where did you get those?" Jessie asked, eyes narrowing.
"Isn't that from the other folder?" James added, blinking.
Meowth grinned smugly.
"Hehe… while you two were busy arguing with that woman—"
He flicked the papers in his paw.
"—I swiped a few pages from inside."
"You sneaky little genius!" James exclaimed, lifting Meowth up.
"Hehe~ you're only realizing my greatness now?" Meowth smirked, puffing his chest out proudly.
"Perfect," Jessie said, snatching the stack of papers from him with a grin.
"Now we can finally get out of this grunt status—"
She paused.
Her eyes narrowed.
"…Huh? Why is he here?"
"What?" James and Meowth leaned in.
"Who is it?"
"…It's that Orin guy we met on the bus," James said, pointing at the page.
There, printed clearly, was Orin's photo—along with his birth date and general profile details.
"But why is he in Team Rocket's files?" Meowth asked, frowning.
"Is this assignment to kidnap him… or take him out?"
"Don't be stupid," Jessie scoffed.
"If Team Rocket is interested in him, it's obviously for recruitment."
"…Oh!" James snapped his fingers.
"That makes sense! So that's why there's a base inside Nexus—to recruit talented students!"
"And he passed the exam you two took three years to clear," Meowth added with a nod.
"So yeah—he's definitely more talented than both of you."
BAM! BAM!
Two fists slammed into his head at the same time.
"OWWW!"
Meowth clutched his head, groaning.
"So… should we approach him and bring him into Team Rocket?" James asked, curious.
"Leave that to me," Jessie said with a confident smirk.
"I already have his number… and he's clearly quite interested in me."
Her eyes lingered on the profile page—specifically the part that read:
Relationship Status: Single.
"Well… just make sure you wear your full makeup and disguise," James said with a tired sigh.
"Otherwise he might just run away from you—"
BAM!
Jessie's fist slammed into his head.
"Say that again and you're dead."
"Hey—what's this?" Meowth said, snatching the profile from her hands.
"'Ability: Psychic Flux'… what's that supposed to mean?"
"Whatever it is, it sounds impressive," James said with a grin, rubbing his head.
Jessie's lips curled into a knowing smirk.
"…I don't know what it means yet," she said softly, eyes glinting,
"but I'll find out soon myself."
"Hehe~ but this is perfect," Meowth chimed in, grinning.
"Even if we don't recruit everyone, just getting close to high-value targets like this will definitely impress the Boss."
"And once that happens…"
His grin widened.
"We're getting promoted for sure!"
Jessie and James exchanged looks—
then burst into laughter, already imagining their rise through Team Rocket's ranks.
--------
None of them noticed—
back inside the room they had just left—
the folder Meowth had taken those pages from.
Resting quietly on the table.
Its title read:
"Restricted Nexus Academy Watchlist — Do Not Engage (Year 1)"
***
The commissioned art works of
Team Rocket messing up their Routine (Wearing Eclipse House Jackets)
&
Eclipse House Mural
are available for the members of Pokémon Master Tier!