The morning breeze swayed the trio—Jessie, James, and Meowth—who had spent the entire night hanging upside down from a thick branch near Hora's campsite. After their failed ambush the night before, they were now exhausted, starving, and grumpy.
The Interrogation Begins
Hora, calmly finishing his morning routine by the stream, ignored Jessie's threats and James's weak pleas for food. When they became too noisy, he simply had Bulbasaur give them a light, disciplinary sting with its Vine Whip.
The scent of Hora's breakfast—instant noodles mixed with yellow Energy Berries—acted as a form of "torture" for the starving trio. Eventually, Jessie's bravado crumbled, and she begged for mercy, claiming they only wanted a bit of leftover food.
The Strategy of Kindness
Hora decided to test their nature. He had Bulbasaur use Razor Leaf to cut Meowth down. Though the scratch-cat initially tried to act tough, its growling stomach gave it away. Hora offered a bowl of noodles, and Meowth immediately abandoned its pride to devour the meal, much to the outrage of the still-hanging Jessie and James.
Seeing this, Hora felt relieved. This was the same bickering, clumsy Team Rocket he remembered—unreliable and thieving, but not truly cold-blooded killers. If they had been genuinely dangerous, he would have called the League authorities; as it stood, they were more useful as a source of information.
The "Elite" Disguise
Hora questioned why they were in the forest. He suspected they might have targeted Professor Oak's Lab in Pallet Town, yet he had heard no news of trouble there. When Jessie and James tried to play the role of "lost tourists," Hora decided to mess with them.
"Is that so?" Hora teased. "But I recall you saying last night that you were Team Rocket Elites (干部) and that you were going to take my Bulbasaur to your 'Boss'?"
The lie immediately backfired on their pride. While Jessie froze in embarrassment, James looked genuinely confused: "Elite members? Since when were we elite members? Jessie, did you say that last night?"