The same plan was being carried out simultaneously on the other three new Team Rocket recruits.
Giovanni hadn't risen to the top by luck alone.
One of his greatest strengths was his precise understanding of human nature.
Money makes the world go round.
As he reviewed the reports from his subordinates, a faint smirk touched his lips.
Just as he had predicted—
The other three had taken the bait.
He hadn't explicitly mentioned the word undercover.
He didn't need to.
Everyone understood.
Accepting that generous financial "gift" meant that, for now, they had chosen Team Rocket over the Kanto League.
…
Armin, however, was unaware of the other players' decisions.
With Team Rocket's black-and-gold card tucked safely into his pocket, he swaggered out through the hidden passage, passed through the Celadon Game Corner, and stepped into the bustling streets of Celadon City—the second-largest metropolis in Kanto after Saffron City.
Setting aside the fact that Team Rocket was a villainous organization…
This world was genuinely beautiful.
The air was fresh.
The environment was clean.
Everywhere he looked, humans and Pokémon coexisted in harmony.
Pokémon-themed cafés lined the streets. Pokémon grooming salons, accessory boutiques, specialty stores—
Elegant ladies walked pampered canine Pokémon. Young girls cradled Eevee and Vulpix in their arms as they browsed jewelry displays.
They were bright, youthful, soft-spoken, and lovely—like characters who had stepped straight out of an anime.
Anywhere else, they would command countless admiring glances.
But Armin's gaze did not linger on their faces for even a second.
He was staring at the Pokémon in their arms.
Eevee.
Vulpix.
Adorably fluffy.
Which strong man could resist petting an Eevee?
At least, Armin couldn't.
He desperately wanted to reach out and give one a gentle pat.
The girls quickly noticed his intense "gentlemanly" stare.
Their cheeks flushed crimson.
"Hentai!"
Armin snapped out of it immediately, scratching his head awkwardly.
"Ah—sorry! It's just… this is my first time seeing Eevee and Vulpix in person. I got a little excited."
The girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Really?"
Armin answered without missing a beat.
"Of course. I'm a traveling Trainer from the distant Alola region. If you don't believe me—look."
He reached up and gently pulled Mimikyu out of the hood of his sweatshirt, where it had been napping.
Mimikyu blinked its round little eyes and lazily tilted its Pikachu disguise.
"This is Mimikyu," Armin introduced. "It's a Pokémon from Alola."
The girl's eyes widened.
"Wow! It looks just like Pikachu!"
The moment she said that, Mimikyu instantly lost its drowsiness.
It wasn't Pikachu.
It was Mimikyu.
But people never liked Mimikyu.
They liked Pikachu.
It wanted to be popular too.
To be loved.
Armin immediately sensed the shift in its mood.
He shot the girl a subtle, meaningful glance.
The girl, fortunately blessed with high emotional intelligence, caught on at once.
"Oh—but Mimikyu is really cute too! I'm sure there are lots of people in the world who love Mimikyu."
Mimikyu's eyes lit up again.
Armin gently poked its disguise and chuckled.
"Yeah. For example, I really like Mimikyu. Right, partner?"
Mimikyu blinked shyly.
Then it hopped onto Armin's shoulder and dove back into his hood, refusing to come out.
Thankfully, Mimikyu only weighed 0.5 kilograms.
If it had been something like a Charmander, he might have been strangled on the spot.
Armin silently mouthed "Thank you" to the girl.
She smiled softly.
"You and your Mimikyu get along really well."
Armin followed her gaze to a nearby café with only a few customers.
"Got time? Let me buy you a coffee."
"I do!"
The girl agreed happily.
In her eyes, this young man wasn't just handsome and bright—he was also gentle and considerate.
Perfect boyfriend material.
She even began subconsciously imagining the future.
Though the thought of marrying someone from faraway Alola made her hesitate slightly…
Meanwhile, Armin had absolutely no idea that, in the span of a few sentences, the girl had already mentally named their future children.
He wasn't thinking that far ahead.
He simply wanted to gather information.
Specifically—
The current state of the Kanto League.
-----
Outside the café, in a discreet corner.
A Team Rocket operative in plain clothes peered through the glass window.
Through his communicator, he hesitated.
"Target is currently… currently…"
"Currently what?" Ariana's brows furrowed on the other end.
Had Armin already violated protocol and contacted the League?
The subordinate swallowed.
"Target is treating a girl to coffee. Conversation appears… pleasant."
Ariana: …
For a moment, she was speechless.
She had not expected him to use her money to flirt.
Of course.
Men were all the same.
Her temple twitched faintly.
"Continue monitoring. Record his entire afternoon itinerary. Move closer if necessary and gather fragments of their conversation."
"Yes, ma'am."
…
Armin didn't linger long.
After confirming the identities of the current Kanto Elite Four and major Gym Leaders, he made an excuse about forgetting to turn off the gas stove at home and left.
From the girl, he had learned:
The current Kanto Elite Four were—
Lorelei, Ice-type specialistBruno, Fighting-type specialistAgatha, Ghost-type specialistAnd the strongest among them—Lance, the Dragon Master
One more important detail:
In this world, there were no manga protagonists like Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Gold, or Silver.
As for Ash—
Armin couldn't gather any information.
If time permitted after completing his mission, he planned to visit Pallet Town someday.
But first—
He wanted to see the legendary Nurse Joy in person.
…
The Team Rocket operative followed him to the Pokémon Center, expression increasingly complicated.
He pretended to be an ordinary bystander, listening to snippets of Armin's cheerful conversation.
Golden sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the polished counter.
After a while, the operative retreated to the waiting area and reported stiffly:
"Target's second location is the Pokémon Center. Based on conversation content… he appears to be flirting with Nurse Joy."
Ariana: …
Heh.
As expected.
One girl in an afternoon wasn't enough.
Now he'd moved on to Nurse Joy.
A natural-born master of time management.