Under blue skies and drifting white clouds, waves gently lapped against the ship.
Ray Chu leaned lazily on the deck railing, gazing down at the rolling sea. Lala and Dapple sat comfortably on his shoulders, quietly keeping him company.
The finals were due to start in two hours. For him, the competition was essentially over—but since he was here, he intended to see it through. Doing his best was always his way.
"Hello." A gentle voice greeted him from behind. Ray Chu glanced back and saw Nami, the Trainer of the Milotic, standing beside her Pokémon. The elegant Milotic stared curiously at him with her beautiful eyes.
"It's you," Ray Chu nodded casually. "Something you need?"
Nami smiled softly. "I just wanted to say your performance earlier was wonderful. Even Mimi liked that song—oh, Mimi is my Milotic's name."
"Huh. I thought you'd ask why I wasn't on stage."
Nami shook her head gently, chestnut hair swaying with the motion. "No need. It's obvious your Pokémon couldn't have coordinated that well without you. It was intentional, wasn't it? You chose not to appear so they'd rely solely on their teamwork. Performing together builds the strongest bonds. You're very thoughtful!"
Your imagination is impressive but completely off the mark, Ray Chu thought dryly. He was, after all, the Pikachu on stage. Still, he didn't bother correcting her and replied vaguely, "Maybe. Your song was pretty good too."
"Thank you!" Nami smiled brightly, clasping her hands behind her back. The sea breeze gently tousled her hair, framing her like a delicate painting.
Meanwhile, hidden in a distant corner of the deck, the Team Rocket trio secretly spied on them.
"What are they saying, Meowth?" Meowth asked first.
"Probably discussing the competition! Darn it, if they team up, our chances will vanish completely!" Jessie grumbled, clenching her fists anxiously.
"Where's that Pikachu?" James nervously scanned the area, wary of spotting that yellow demon.
Jessie watched Ray Chu walk away from the deck, determination hardening in her eyes. "We can't let this go. Team Rocket never admits defeat that easily!"
"But that guy isn't like the twerp. And we're running low on funds," James murmured softly—but Jessie didn't seem to hear him.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot from the shadows. Jessie and James reacted swiftly, dodging and reaching for their Poké Balls. "Who's there?!" they demanded.
Only Meowth failed to escape, struck by the electricity and collapsing on the deck, charred black.
A masked figure emerged from the shadows, scoffing coldly. Behind him stood an Electabuzz, the apparent source of the attack.
A gleaming electronic card spun through the air, landing at Jessie and James' feet. Hesitantly, James picked it up. His eyes widened when he recognized the distinctive white "R" symbol—a mark indicating a high-ranking Team Rocket executive.
"Sir!" Both instantly straightened, saluting respectfully.
"Idiots. You're lucky you're still useful, or else exposing Boss Giovanni's identity alone would've gotten you executed," the masked man growled hoarsely.
"Exposed the boss…?"
"When did we do that?"
Jessie and James exchanged confused glances, completely clueless.
The masked man's eye twitched, suddenly questioning his decision. Still, their quick reactions moments ago had shown at least some merit—they weren't entirely useless. Due to Team Rocket's strict internal secrecy, individual teams rarely knew each other unless directly affiliated. This was why he'd flashed the executive-level identity card from the start.
"Idiots, Meow!" Meowth abruptly jumped up from the ground, charred fur still smoking. He grabbed Jessie and James' heads and shoved them down into a bow, smiling ingratiatingly at the masked man. "Whatever the boss says goes! You two have no right to question him! Sir, please tell us how we can assist you, Meowth!"
The masked man snorted. Even these three idiots could be useful distractions. Whether they survived or not wasn't his concern. A cold smirk appeared beneath his mask as he commanded, "Your task is simple: before the Contest concludes, seize the Ribbon and cause as much chaos as possible."
"Seize the Ribbon…?"
"Cause chaos…?"
Jessie and James glanced at each other, baffled. Wasn't Team Rocket a shadowy organization bent on evil plots? Robbing this luxury cruise filled with wealthy patrons was surely the proper style. Why target a trophy that only had symbolic value?
They voiced their confusion aloud.
The masked man stared silently for a moment before explaining sternly, "Your actions are merely a distraction. While everyone's occupied, our team will seize control of the S.S. Anne."
"I see, we're just… bait." Jessie and James nodded vigorously, before dramatically bursting into tears and clutching the masked man's legs. "Please don't abandon us, sir! We're still useful!"
The masked man's forehead pulsed with irritation. He briefly considered blasting them each with a Thunderbolt but restrained himself. "Once our operatives secure the S.S. Anne, they'll support you. Don't worry—if you succeed, I'll report your contributions to the organization."
"Promotions and raises!" Jessie and James instantly perked up, eyes sparkling. Naturally, they'd just been negotiating. Low-level operatives like them could never truly refuse such orders anyway.
"But, sir…" James timidly poked his fingers together. "With our strength, we'll get defeated instantly. I'm worried we can't fulfill your mission. Especially against that terrifying Pikachu—its power is absurd."
The masked man's thoughts returned to the Pikachu he'd seen performing earlier. Even as an electric-type master himself, its sheer mastery of electricity had shaken him deeply.
After a brief hesitation, he tossed a Poké Ball to James, speaking gravely, "This is Electabuzz's Poké Ball. With it, no ordinary Trainer will stand a chance. Remember, you just need to cause chaos—nothing more."
His only fear was these fools getting reckless. Losing them was irrelevant, but losing this Electabuzz he'd trained in secret would be problematic.
Jessie and James immediately brightened with confidence, nodding eagerly and thumping their chests.
"Don't worry, sir!" they declared proudly. "When it comes to causing trouble, we're absolute professionals…"
---
T/N: sigh if a term is off im sorry, im just... in a bad mood :sob:
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