High above Viridian City, Team Rocket's hot air balloon drifted silently through the night sky. Its giant Meowth face grinned down at the world below, illuminated by the soft moonlight. Inside the basket, Jessie, James, and Meowth huddled close, whispering with manic excitement.
"With all those injured Pokémon at the Pokémon Center," Jessie said, wringing her hands, "there's got to be something rare!"
James nodded, his eyes gleaming. "This time, Giovanni will finally recognize our brilliance!"
"And maybe we'll get a bonus, meow!" Meowth added, rubbing his paws together.
Then came a fourth voice.
"Oh, absolutely. I'd love to study Mewtwo afterward."
Meowth nodded instinctively. "Yeah, dat's the spirit—WAIT. WHO DA HECK ARE YOU, MEOW?!"
The trio recoiled, eyes wide.
There, sitting calmly in the corner of their own balloon, was Natsume. Cross-legged. Notebook in hand. Completely at peace, as though he'd been invited.
Jessie shrieked, pointing. "GHOST TYPE!"
James immediately fainted, hitting the floor with a thud.
Meowth's fur puffed up like a Growlithe. "HOW'D YA EVEN GET IN HERE?!"
Natsume blinked. "Climbed the rope. You were all too busy arguing."
[Ding! B-Rank Research Topic Logged: "Team Rocket's Meowth Speech Patterns."]
Unbothered, Natsume held up a peace sign. "Don't mind me. Continue with your criminal monologue."
Jessie recovered first, teeth gritted. "We do not have time for this! Arbok, GO!"
With a flash of red, Arbok emerged, hissing, fangs bared in the cramped space.
"Arbok, Wrap!"
Without flinching, Natsume casually lobbed a Poké Ball directly at Arbok's head.
CLUNK.
The snake Pokémon vanished into the Ball with a flash.
Jessie's jaw dropped. "THAT'S ILLEGAL!"
Five seconds later, Arbok burst free—just in time to get smacked by another Poké Ball.
Jessie's brain blue-screened. "WHAT—WHAT IS THIS STRATEGY?!"
Meowth's eyes sparkled. "Is dis… is dis real life? That's the most shameless battle style I've ever seen! I'm impressed, meow!"
"MEOWTH, FOCUS!" Jessie snapped, then turned to James, who was still sprawled out cold. "JAMES, HELP!"
Too late.
Natsume was already unstrapping James's Poké Ball belt.
James bolted upright. "HEY! Those are mine!"
Natsume ignored him, casually releasing Weezing. The Poison-type blinked in confusion at its new surroundings—and its new trainer.
"Yes," Natsume said solemnly, "your master abandoned you."
"WEEEEE?!" Weezing cried, horrified.
James gasped. "I WOULD NEVER!"
Natsume calmly jammed a small canister over one of Weezing's fumes, collecting a sample with scientific precision.
Jessie stared. "Are we being… robbed?"
Meowth gulped. "I think… we're da victims, meow…"
Once finished, Natsume stood, checked his notebook, and gave a polite nod.
Task complete.
With perfect timing, his Rotom Phone—still in airplane mode—activated its levitation function. Natsume floated right out of the balloon and into the night.
Jessie, James, and Meowth watched him vanish.
"…Was that a ghost?" James whispered weakly.
Jessie looked pale. "He knew you had Weezing. How?"
Meowth's eyes went wide. "What if… what if Giovanni sent him to test us, meow?!"
Silence.
Then:
"WE MUST REDEEM OURSELVES TONIGHT!" Jessie shouted.
From the ground below, Natsume looked up at the cheering balloon.
"…Weirdos."
—
Viridian Pokémon Center
Pikachu lay resting on a stretcher, bandaged but breathing steadily. Ash and Misty stood close, both watching with concern.
Then Natsume entered.
He strolled up without a word, gently pried Pikachu's mouth open, and snapped a photo of its tongue.
Ash yelped. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Science." Natsume pocketed his phone and walked off toward the stairs.
—
Upstairs
The door clicked shut behind him. Incense burned softly. Pajamas were replaced with a pristine lab coat.
On the floor, ten scratch cards lay in a perfect row.
Hands trembling with anticipation, Natsume knelt. "Ten tickets. Ten chances."
He scratched the first one.
[Ding! Reward: TM76 – Struggle Bug.]
Natsume's eye twitched. "Who even uses Struggle Bug?"
Second card.
[Ding! Reward: Repel ×10.]
"Seriously?"
Third card—
A golden flash lit up the room.
[Ding! S-Rank Reward: Rotom Catalog – Industrial Appliances Edition.]
Natsume's grin stretched wide.
"Now we're talking."
***
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