"You... you remembered wrong! We never said anything like that! You must have been dreaming because you didn't sleep well!" Jessie stammered, her face turning a deep crimson. Her previous arrogance had all but vanished.
Hora smirked and looked at Meowth, who was busy licking the ramen bowl so clean it was practically reflecting the sunlight. "Oh? I heard wrong? Then Meowth must remember. Who was it huddling outside the tent saying, 'If we steal this brat's Bulbasaur and give it to the Boss, we can trade it for a whole crate of canned food'? And who was beating their chest bragging, 'With us Team Rocket Elites on the job, capturing a rookie's Pokémon is a piece of cake'?"
Meowth froze, its ears drooping guiltily as it avoided eye contact.
"Elite members, huh?" Hora laughed. "I spent the whole night nervous because I thought I'd encountered some high-level characters. Turns out you're just two bragging grunts. If I'd known, I would have had Bulbasaur toss you into the stream to wake you up last night."
The Bounty Threat
Jessie tried to argue that it was an "ambush" and that Hora wouldn't be a match for them in a fair fight. Hora simply pointed to the scattered trash they had left behind while rummaging through his camp. "You tried to steal food and Pokémon in the middle of the night, got caught red-handed, and now you're blaming me? That's some logic."
Seeing the situation worsening, James tried to play the "good cop," pleading for Hora to let them down since they had been hanging there all night.
Hora pulled out his Pokédex, his finger hovering over the SOS Emergency Contact button. "I can let you down, but only if you tell me the truth. What are you really doing in this forest? Don't give me that 'lost tourist' crap. If you don't talk, I'm calling Officer Jenny. I'm sure the bounty for even 'low-level grunts' of Team Rocket is worth something."
The word "Bounty" struck the trio like a bolt of lightning. The memory of being chased by Officer Jenny for three blocks in Cerulean City flashed through their minds. Terrified of being arrested, James broke first, begging Hora not to press the button.
The Real Mission: Evolution Stones
After a bit of bickering, they confessed. They weren't on an official mission; they had overheard a rumor within the organization about Evolution Stones hidden in this forest between Pallet Town and Viridian City.
"We only know they are here," Jessie admitted grudgingly. "We don't know where they are or what type they are. We planned to find them, sell them for cash, and get rich. But we've been searching for two days without a lead, which is why we were so hungry we tried to rob you."
Hora's Calculation
Hora realized they were telling the truth. If Team Rocket as an organization knew exactly where the stones were, they wouldn't have sent these "half-baked" members to find them. They were just two opportunists following a fragment of a rumor.
Evolution Stones are incredibly valuable. Even if the trio didn't find them, the fact that they are rumored to be here is a huge lead for Hora.
Hora looked at the dangling duo and the well-fed Meowth. A knowing smile crossed his face. "Relax. I have a request for you. It should be quite simple for people of your... caliber."
Jessie and James exchanged a suspicious look. They knew they had to agree to get down, but they also couldn't help but think: Once this kid lets us down, what can one little brat do to us? We're Team Rocket!