Misty was so angry she nearly passed out.
How could someone be this ridiculous?!
"You thief! You stole my bicycle today!" she shouted righteously.
"You've got the wrong person."
Red merely shot her an indifferent glance.
He shook her hand off and continued walking forward without another word.
Just another scammer, he thought.
He still remembered how, back in his own world, some Trainers had sent out Rattata to attack his Charizard. Before he even gave a command, those Rattata would smash headfirst into Charizard's belly and knock themselves out.
Then they'd demand compensation for medical bills.
Come to think of it…
This girl looked vaguely like the second Gym Leader from his world.
Just a few years younger.
Unfortunately, Red suffered from face blindness. If she wasn't wearing a swimsuit, he genuinely wouldn't recognize her.
What he had forgotten, though, was that his current body belonged to a rookie Trainer brimming with innocence—no one would ever try to scam this kid.
"You—!"
Misty was so furious she couldn't even finish her sentence, trembling as she pointed at his back.
Only after Red had walked some distance away did she snap back to her senses and chase after him.
Call the police!
Yes—call the police!
This was outrageous!
Officer Jenny was literally next door!
The Pokémon Center lobby was quiet late at night.
Red stepped inside and immediately noticed the charred bicycle still lying near the entrance.
"Who left a dried fish here?" he muttered, shaking his head as he stepped over it.
Then his gaze locked onto the computer terminal beside the counter.
That was his true objective.
"Please…" he whispered.
His calm tone couldn't hide the excitement—and desperation—beneath it.
Sweat beaded on Red's forehead as his trembling hand activated the system and selected Pokémon Storage.
Ash's PC
Red's PC
When he saw the second name, his entire being felt as if it had been lifted skyward.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this emotional.
Maybe it was when he'd beaten Blue senseless in the Champion's Room—three minutes after Blue had claimed the title.
He opened the menu.
When the familiar Pokémon lineup appeared on-screen, Red nearly cried out.
"…."
He said nothing.
But his eyes were already wet.
Even if he now knew he'd once been nothing more than a game character, those Pokémon—
They were still his partners.
That bond was real.
If crossing worlds meant abandoning them forever, he would rather have never crossed at all.
"Tap!"
Without hesitation, Red selected one Pokémon and transferred it to his party.
Bzzzt!
With a flash of electricity, a Poké Ball materialized in his hand.
Feeling the familiar presence inside, Red trembled as he threw it.
"Come out."
The next moment, a Pokémon identical to the Pikachu on his shoulder appeared in the Pokémon Center lobby.
But this one was different.
Its fur was darker.
Its round face subtly distinct.
Its presence—powerful, restrained, seasoned.
This was no rookie.
A veteran Pikachu.
The Pikachu opened its eyes, calmly surveying its surroundings as it adapted to this new world.
"Pika?"
Ash's Pikachu hopped down and stared at the newcomer.
The two Electric-types turned around simultaneously, tails touching.
Just that brief contact was enough.
This one's a senior, Ash's Pikachu immediately understood.
Misty finally arrived at the lobby and froze.
She rubbed her eyes.
"…Why are there two Pikachu?"
Had he already mastered something like Double Team?
Even so, that didn't excuse stealing her bike!
Fuming, she marched forward, ready to unleash a righteous triple combo of scolding.
Crash!
Glass shattered above them.
Three figures smashed through the Pokémon Center roof and struck dramatic poses as they landed.
A red-haired woman with hair sprayed stiff as steel.
A blue-haired man with a strange, seaweed-like hairstyle.
Both wore uniforms emblazoned with a bold red "R."
And between them—
A bizarre Meowth, standing upright, eyes glinting with human-like cunning.
"What people are you?!" Misty blurted out.
That question triggered something.
As if a switch had been flipped, the trio sprang to life.
Their lines fired off like bullets:
"Since you asked so sincerely—"
"To protect the world from devastation—"
"To unite all peoples within our nation—"
"…!"
"…!"
"…!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"And Meowth, that's right!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light—"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
"That's right~!"
Silence fell.
The entire Pokémon Center froze, as if even the air itself had been embarrassed into solidifying.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Suddenly, Red began applauding.
The sound shattered the awkwardness.
So this is what real humans are like? he wondered.
They perform avant-garde theater before doing anything?
Should I come up with an entrance speech too?
What if I get exposed as a clueless outsider someday?
Red fell into deep thought.
"Kid, you've got taste!" Jessie said enthusiastically.
"How about joining Team Rocket?" James added.
The trio's opinion of Red skyrocketed.
Team Rocket?
Red pondered.
In his world, Team Rocket had been an organization he'd dismantled single-handedly—one Trainer, one Pikachu.
Even Giovanni himself had fallen to him.
So Team Rocket existed here too?
Had their business expanded across dimensions?
"It's you!" Misty suddenly snapped.
"You're the Pokémon thieves who steal other people's Pokémon!"
Their wanted posters were still plastered right at the Pokémon Center entrance.
Then she added pointedly:
"That's even worse than stealing bicycles, don't you think—Trainer with the Pikachu?"
Red: "???"
If your bike was stolen, call Officer Jenny. Why do you keep targeting me?
Has my 'outsider' status been exposed?
Before Red could reply, Team Rocket spoke up.
Jessie lifted her chin proudly.
"Hey, brat—don't lump Team Rocket together with petty thieves."
James flexed dramatically.
"Tsk tsk. A little blonde girl who hasn't even finished developing dares insult the great Team Rocket?"
Meowth brandished his claws menacingly.
"Don't underestimate us, nyah!"
"You—you—you—!"
Misty's face flushed red with rage.
She was completely outmatched verbally.
Also—was James a pervert? Why did he keep rubbing his chest?
"Shoo, shoo. Don't interfere with adult business," Jessie waved her off.
"This place has tons of Pokémon! We'll take them all and contribute to Team Rocket's glorious cause!"
The trio began scanning the area, searching for the Pokémon storage room.
Misty shoved Red forward.
"Trainer with Pikachu—beat them!"
Red: "?"
He was just a bystander.
Borrowing someone else's body, no less.
Watching was clearly the correct move.
"Oh? The perceptive kid wants to get involved?"
"We like you—but don't blame us if we get rough."
"With just two common Electric-types? Meowth's laughing already—what can Electric Mice even do?"
"…!"
Red had been planning to stay neutral.
But they insulted Pikachu.
That crossed the line.
His brows furrowed. A familiar fire stirred within him.
Red was a lifelong Electric-type loyalist.
Fine.
Let's see how battles work in this world.
Just once.