As Ash entered Saffron City, Team Rocket members everywhere made it clear the city had been taken over by Team Rocket.
The Rocket members who brushed past him merely glanced at him dismissively, not taking a mere kid seriously. Ash, however, kept his eyes on his surroundings while gathering intel on Team Rocket's activities.
"Heard the news? All the top leaders of Team Rocket got summoned here at once. Must be something big is happening."
"Yeah, even the squad leaders got called in. Plus, they've increased the security. Definitely something major is happening."
"Hey, did you notice Captain Cassidy's chest looks even bigger? Man, I'd love to give those a good squeeze..."
"You big boob fanatic! How could that busty captain compare to the Black and White Sisters? One's cool and composed, the other fiery and impulsive, both absolute beauty. If I could spend a night with those two... it'd be..."
"Pfft." Ash's enhanced hearing was incredibly sharp. Pretending to admire the scenery while secretly eavesdropping, he couldn't help but chuckle at the three guys openly flaunting their sexual preferences.
"Looks like Team Rocket's got quite the variety of girls, huh."
Ash chuckled softly, thinking about how the beauties they'd just been fantasizing about would soon become his conquests. He couldn't help but feel a little excited.
Ash set off again to gather more intel elsewhere.
"Heard our boss called all the high-ranking members to the base this time, putting over 80% of the elite forces on full alert. Every entrance is guarded by two Squad captains. Guys like us low-levelSquad members can only hang around the streets."
"Yeah, even that gym leader seems to have been arrested and locked up in the base. Oh, and the mayor got taken too."
"This whole thing is weird, man. We've always kept to ourselves, never crossing paths with the Alliance. The boss never provoked them before. Now he's kidnapped the gym leader and even grabbed the mayor while he was at it."
"But that Gym Leader was pretty hot, though kinda cold. Those breasts were definitely not small. Now she's probably been..."
"Rubbish! What do you think our boss is? Apart from her, he never even looks at other women. He's the most loyal man there is!"
"Haha, sorry sorry, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously. I mean, isn't that just human nature? Or did you not have a thing for that Gym Leader?"
"What good would it do? I can't have her. Forget having her, I can't even see her now. It's so frustrating."
"Haha, I knew you had a crush on her! Trying to tell me what to do? Who do you think you are? Ha!"
"The Gym Leader got arrested?"
Ash frowned at the news. He'd been planning to team up with her, but it seemed she was no longer reliable. Now he was on his own.
After wandering around a bit more, he passed by the Gym. The doors were locked tight, with a big "Closed" sign hanging above them. Beside it sat a box filled with badges scattered inside as if they were worthless. Ash walked over, picked one up, and found it was genuine. He slipped it into his pocket, free stuff, why not take it?
After checking a few more spots and gathering some intel on Team Rocket, he captured another member and used Hypnosis to extract the location of their base. That wrapped up his investigations for the day.
Glancing at the time, dinner was almost ready, but Ash hadn't even had lunch yet. The hunger in his stomach was starting to take his energy.
He casually picked a restaurant and sat down. Spotting Team Rocket members everywhere inside, he paid them no mind, simply waiting for his meal.
"Hey, heard Dr. Steel created some super powerful Pokémon? Not as strong as that Mewtwo that escaped last time, but still basically unbeatable."
"Lower your voice here, we're in a restaurant. If someone overhears us, it won't be good. If they blame us, neither of us will fare well."
"Ah... right, right, I accidentally let it slip. Heh."
The voices of the Team Rocket members seated nearby drifted into Ash's ears.
"Dr. Steel? Could it be the one we encountered last time? He can actually create Pokémon? And that escaped Mewtwo sounds pretty formidable. Seems Team Rocket has some serious depth after all."
Ash frowned inwardly. He hadn't expected Team Rocket to possess such powerful Pokémon. Counting his own Pokémon, though judging by their tone, that new Pokémon must be at least Legendary. With two Legendary under his belt, he still had a fighting chance.
The food arrived quickly. Ash took a quick bite before heading out. He casually found a hotel, booked a VIP room and checked in.
The city was now completely under Team Rocket's control. Ash planned to rest for the night and then properly entertain the Rocket tomorrow.
"Charmelon, Ivysaur, come out!"
Ash tossed out his two Pokémon. With a smile, he extended his left hand, a flash of white light... and the two Pokémon transformed into two beautiful women standing before him.
Ash licked his lips, spread his arms wide and embraced the two beauties in his arms.