Pokemon: Gym Leader

"I should've seen this coming. Ash, your relationship with Red..."

Brock gave a strange look at the two brothers, Red and Ash. In fact, Red had already come to challenge his Pewter Gym earlier.

However, apart from their appearance, the two were nothing alike! When Red came to challenge him, he was silent and efficient, crushing him with ease and taking the Gym Badge. He was all about ruthless efficiency.

He almost shattered Brock's fighting spirit.

Misty, on the other hand, curiously looked at Red. She hadn't encountered him before, but according to her sisters, several trainers from Pallet Town had repeatedly challenged them before Ash.

In the end, their Pokémon had even ended up in the hospital...

And Red was clearly one of the culprits. But Misty didn't think too much of it since she understood her sisters' skill levels.

"Thank you for looking after Ash."

Facing anyone other than Ash, Red seemed to revert to his usual 'cold' demeanor. But he still slightly tipped his hat, thanking Brock and Misty.

As his brother, Red knew Ash's personality well—carefree, absent-minded, and lacking in common sense. He was sure it was thanks to these two companions that Ash had been well taken care of.

"Hehe~ Let me tell you, Red is super awesome. Even Gary, that smug guy, respects Red a lot. When we were kids..."

Reuniting with his brother on the journey, Ash was obviously overjoyed.

But that joy didn't last long. Before Ash could finish his sentence, shouts suddenly erupted from a distance.

Then chaos began to spread, with various exclamations echoing continuously.

What's going on? The four of them looked over.

"Team Rocket!"

Misty, with her sharp eyesight, immediately noticed the Team Rocket members wearing black uniforms with a large "R" emblem on their chests and couldn't help but cry out in shock.

Moreover, more Team Rocket members were continuously pouring in through the hall entrance.

"Why is Team Rocket here?" Brock squinted his eyes and frowned immediately.

More importantly, why are there so many of them?

"Team Rocket again!" But Ash, being the fearless one, wasn't scared. Normally, the three of them were harassed endlessly by Team Rocket's duo and their talking Meowth, and now they were even showing up on the S.S. Anne.

Ash was furious. This was supposed to be his precious reunion time with his brother!

Red's red eyes calmly observed the Team Rocket members surrounding the hall. Those who were previously elegant and composed—ladies, gentlemen, and executives—were now panicking.

Team Rocket!

The absolute overlords of Kanto's underworld. They were known for stealing Pokémon, illegal trade, genetic experiments, and all sorts of evil deeds.

An organization strictly wanted by the Kanto League!

However, not many people had actually seen Team Rocket in person, but that didn't stop them from being afraid.

After all, the Team Rocket members in front of them had cold, ruthless expressions and looked extremely dangerous.

These Team Rocket members hadn't done anything too extreme yet—they simply surrounded all the passengers in the hall, though their attitudes were far from polite.

One overweight man in a suit moved a bit too slowly, showing reluctance, and a Team Rocket member gave him a hard shove, causing him to fall painfully to the ground.

But when he looked back, a fierce Raticate was glaring coldly at him. The man in the suit dared not say a word in protest.

"How can that guy do that!"

Ash's strong sense of justice flared up at the sight, and he was about to stand up and speak out.

Brock and Misty immediately tried to stop him.

"Calm down, Ash. Now isn't the time to act rashly."

A hand pressed down on Ash's shoulder, and a low voice spoke to him.

Ash was startled and turned to see it was Dylan and Ilene, whom they had met earlier.

"But…"

"I know you're upset, but we can't rush things now. Let's see what Team Rocket's up to first."

Dylan's eyes scanned the surrounding Team Rocket members. These were genuine members of an evil organization.

Even their demeanor and attitude were completely different from the comedic trio they usually encountered.

But where was that trio? Things had already taken a different turn from the anime.

"But they're really going too far…" Ash's face scrunched up in frustration.

"Dylan's right, you idiot. They have the numbers right now, so let's observe and wait for an opportunity."

Misty also spoke to Ash in a low voice. The hall was almost completely surrounded by Team Rocket members, and the sudden appearance of Team Rocket had given them the upper hand.

Starting a fight now wasn't a joke. And even if they did start, how many tourists would be willing to help? It was hard to say.

"Ash, calm down for now," Red said, also trying to soothe him, his red eyes calmly scanning the surroundings.

"Okay." Ash tightly pressed his lips together, suppressing his restless heart.

"This was a premeditated operation. We just don't know what Team Rocket's objective is."

Dylan lightly patted Ilene on the shoulder. She was quite nervous, as things had suddenly taken a turn for the worse with so many Team Rocket members showing up.

Red, Brock, and Misty understood the implication of Dylan's words.

There was no other explanation—how else could so many Team Rocket members have boarded the ship unnoticed? And this was just the hall; who knew how many more Team Rocket members were on the ship?

Could it be that Team Rocket had already taken control of the entire S.S. Anne?

What exactly did Team Rocket want?

"Of course, there's no signal on the phone." Dylan checked his phone and, as expected, the signal was blocked. Team Rocket wouldn't make such a rookie mistake.

In no time, Team Rocket had taken control of the entire hall, with Pokémon surrounding the passengers, watching them intently.

The atmosphere had dropped to freezing point. Some of the more mentally fragile passengers couldn't hold back their tears, their fear and anxiety reaching a peak.

"Good afternoon, esteemed guests~"

At that moment, a calm, elegant male voice came through the broadcast, filling the hall.

"I assume all our guests can hear my voice, correct?"

Indeed, the voice belonged to Archer, sitting in the captain's cabin.

"Team Rocket! What do you think you're doing? Do you realize the consequences of this?"

A middle-aged man dressed in designer clothes, unable to contain himself, looked up and shouted angrily. His rationality was being consumed by panic and rage.

Although he wasn't from a top-tier family or a leading conglomerate, he was still a well-known entrepreneur. But now?

He had been herded aside like trash by these Team Rocket members and was being casually mistreated. The humiliation and unease were driving him to the brink.

This was the world-famous S.S. Anne, and Team Rocket dared to hijack this ship and kidnap its passengers? This was a blatant challenge to the Kanto League's authority!

How dare they!

"Don't be angry, sir. We're currently in the middle of the vast ocean, far from the Kanto region. We have plenty of time."

Archer, hearing the middle-aged man's outburst through the monitors, smiled faintly, unperturbed.

He relished this kind of desperate outcry.

"First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Archer, an executive of Team Rocket. Today, we'll be spending some quality time together."

"I must sincerely inform everyone that you are honored to have been chosen by us."

Archer's voice was calm and composed, exuding an air of superiority, as if he was accustomed to such situations.

Hearing Archer's words, many of the passengers showed anger. They were being corralled and controlled like cattle, and he called it an honor to be chosen?

But in the end, the passengers dared not voice their anger.

"Please don't get upset. As long as everyone cooperates with us, Team Rocket isn't unreasonable. We'll ensure your safe return to land."

Archer's voice remained calm and polite, carrying a hint of a smile.

Dylan's eyes flickered. This journey on the S.S. Anne was turning out to be quite interesting.

Archer was one of Team Rocket's Four Commanders, a real high-ranking executive, and Giovanni's right-hand man.

For him to show up here, there must be something important at stake. But what could be on this ship that they wanted?

Dylan pondered. Could it be a rare Pokémon, a special individual, or something else? 

(End of Chapter)