In the Pokémon world, prices were strangely split between two types of people—ordinary citizens and Pokémon Trainers.
And the difference wasn't just arbitrary. It came down to cost of goods… and income levels.
After transmigrating here, Ash discovered a massive misconception many fans from his previous world had—particularly when it came to the price of bicycles.
In the original games, a bicycle was priced at a ridiculous one million Pokédollars, leading many fans to believe it truly cost that much in the actual world.
But reality?
Even a top-quality bike in this world only cost a little over a thousand.
Ash had once believed the same. But now, living in the real Pokémon world, he understood:
Games are games. Reality is reality.
After buying Pokémon food at the Poke Mart Street, then picking up a smartphone at the electronics district in central Viridian, Ash had completed everything on his list for today.
The whole trip had gone smoothly without any danger. So, passing by a fashion accessory shop, he impulsively spent 25 Pokédollars to buy a baseball cap—one that covered up his distinctive jet-black hair.
Only then did he finally feel comfortable enough to stroll casually down a bustling food street, his two Pokémon following along.
What Ash didn't know was that Team Rocket was already in town, searching for him.
Ironically, that little cap covering his hair had bought him just enough time to stay ahead of them.
…
"Damn kid's pretty good at hide-and-seek. He's got Team Rocket's elite squad spinning in circles," muttered one of the three plain-clothed figures wandering the Viridian pedestrian street.
"You're overthinking it. That brat doesn't even know we're tailing him," said another casually. "If he did, he wouldn't have come to Viridian alone."
"Probably just some kid being playful. A small-town boy, dazzled by the big city lights."
"But if we keep wandering around like headless Pidgeys, we'll never find him. Meowth, call HQ and have them reach out to our inside contact in the police department. Maybe they can track him through the city's surveillance system."
"Got it—meow~!"
Moments later…
"HQ just sent word: the kid apparently disguised himself after fans started swarming him for autographs. He's currently off the grid—can't be tracked by the cameras for now."
"But they confirmed he's still in Viridian. And get this—he came to the city by bike."
"By bike? So that means he hasn't left yet."
"There's only one main road between Viridian and Pallet Town—Route 1. If we can't find him now, we'll wait for him there. Sooner or later, the kid will want to go home to his mommy. Then we'll nab him."
"Smart thinking. Let's go."
-----
Meanwhile, Ash had hopped off the bus near the city outskirts and found a quiet park—no people, no surveillance.
From his system backpack, he retrieved his bike, then turned to his companions, both of whom had bags stuffed with street food.
"How was today, Pichu? Frogadier? Had fun?"
"Pichu Pi-cu!"
"Froaaa~!"
Pichu was happily munching on tomato-sour candy balls and caramelized apples, while Frogadier's hands were full of grilled skewers—centipedes, grasshoppers, silkworm pupae… all of his favorites.
"Alright, we've eaten, we've played. It's time to head back to Pallet Town."
Ash smiled at them. "Starting tomorrow, training is going to get tougher. You two better be ready."
"Pi-pi~!"
"Froaa~!"
"Good! Hop on!"
He lifted Pichu into the front basket, made sure Frogadier was seated firmly on the back rack, and began pedaling home.
Ding-ling...
…..
The early autumn sky was high and wide, a crystal-clear blue that looked like it had been freshly washed.
Unlike the evergreen trees planted throughout the city, the trees outside Viridian were a mix of vibrant seasonal species. Some turned red as the autumn wind gently brushed their leaves.
Dry, sun-crisped leaves littered the roadside. As Ash pedaled across them, they crackled under the wheels, sounding like crunchy chips or cereal being crushed.
Five or six minutes passed.
Ash had already exited Viridian City's perimeter and was casually chatting with his Pokémon when he noticed something ahead.
A jeep was parked at the roadside, appearing to have broken down.
Next to it stood three people, fiddling with tools and waving enthusiastically as they spotted Ash riding toward them.
"Hey there, kiddo on the bike! Mind giving us a hand? Our car's broken down!" one of the adults called out with a smile.
But the moment Ash laid eyes on the trio, a deep chill ran through him.
Not because of what they said. But because of how they looked.
The two tall adults—one man with light blue hair, the other a woman with reddish-purple hair—didn't look exactly like how he remembered them…
But Ash knew Team Rocket's elite trio were master-class disguise artists.
And the third person, the short one, wore a hat and scarf that completely obscured their face.
Every red flag in Ash's mind screamed in warning.
Back at summer camp, Team Rocket had disguised themselves as chefs to steal Pokémon from the kids. In the end, they'd displayed frightening strength and ruthlessness, far exceeding what Ash remembered from the anime.
Before fleeing, they'd even warned him:
"We'll be seeing you again very soon…"
Ever since then, Ash had mentally bookmarked the trio:
Blue-haired man, purple-haired woman, short cloaked partner—three people. Two tall, one short.
Now, standing before him… was that exact configuration.
He didn't act. He didn't react.
But in that moment, the hairs on his arms stood on end.
Just to be sure, Ash activated his Aura Sight.
What he saw confirmed everything.
The three smiling "strangers" beside the jeep radiated ice-cold, malicious Aura energy.
Ash subtly focused his Aura again to eavesdrop on their thoughts:
Purple-haired woman: "…Capture the brat and we're done…"
Blue-haired man: "…Mission complete means promotion…"
Short one: "…Then Giovanni-sama will praise me!"
Although Ash's Aura was still in its early stages and couldn't fully read thoughts, even these fragments were enough to confirm everything.
These three were Team Rocket's elite trio—Jessie, James, and Meowth.
Ash's expression didn't change, but deep down, he was already preparing to act.
The trap had been sprung.
Now… it was a matter of survival.
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T/N:
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