Blue Water Town, Suburbs
The sun hung high, wilting people under its heat.
The Team Rocket trio lay sprawled unceremoniously on the grass under a large tree, their stomachs growling in chorus.
"Damn it! This is infuriating!" Jessie waved her fist, her face twisted with anger. "We, the mighty Team Rocket, have been reduced to helping that stingy old woman mow her lawn and clean her warehouse just to earn a pathetic bit of lunch money!"
She clutched a few crumpled banknotes in her hand, feeling utterly humiliated.
"Well... there's nothing we can do about it, Jessie," James sighed, his handsome face drooping. "We've failed too many times recently. The boss has not only cut our bonuses but even our basic operational funds... If we don't find a way to earn some money, we won't even be able to afford Pokémon food."
"That's right Meowth!" Meowth lay weakly on the ground, pawing at the grass.
"It's all that brat from Pallet Town's fault! And his damned Pikachu!"
"Next time we meet, we must snatch that Pikachu and present it to the boss! Then the bonuses will be huge!"
"Exactly!" Jessie and James said in unison, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
But soon, the loud rumbling of their empty stomachs extinguished that fighting spirit.
"Alright, enough talk, let's eat first!!" James was starving.
Munch Munch
A distinct chewing sound reached their ears.
Jessie paused, frowning. "Hey, Meowth! I haven't even started eating yet, and you're already sneaking a bite!"
"Meow?" Meowth looked up innocently, its mouth spotless. "I haven't eaten anything Meowth? My paws haven't even touched the food yet!"
"Huh?" James was also confused. "Then that sound just now..."
The trio simultaneously realized something and jerked their heads to look at the other paper bag they had casually placed on a nearby rock, which contained a slightly larger portion of lunch.
There, on the rock, a circle of... Squirtles had gathered!
And these were not ordinary Squirtles!
Each one wore a pair of small, black sunglasses that covered most of their faces, looking both ridiculous and cocky.
They sat in a row, happily munching on the rice balls and energy bars that rightfully belonged to Team Rocket.
The "munching" sounds were coming from them.
The lead Squirtle, slightly larger than the others, had even unscrewed a bottle of orange juice that was meant for Team Rocket, taken a few gulps, and then let out a satisfied burp.
"AHHHHH!!!"
Jessie's scream nearly pierced the sky.
She sprang to her feet, pointing a trembling finger at the group of sunglasses-wearing Squirtles, her hair practically standing on end with rage. "You... you Bald Turtles! You've got some nerve! How dare you steal food from us, Team Rocket!"
"Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!" James also stood up, adopting a battle stance.
"Meowth, get them!"
Meowth swiped its claws forward... Five minutes later.
On a thick branch of the large tree, the two humans and the cat of Team Rocket were tightly bound with sturdy vines, hanging there like three Mummy, swaying gently in the breeze.
"Let us go! You stinking turtles!" Jessie struggled in vain.
"Help... is anyone there..." James was on the verge of tears.
"Meow... Team Rocket has fallen so low as to be bullied by a bunch of Squirtles... We have no face to see Boss Giovanni anymore Meowth..." Meowth looked utterly defeated.
Under the tree, the group of sunglasses-wearing Squirtles had finished enjoying their "spoils of war."
The lead Squirtle patted its round belly, nodded with satisfaction, then waved its paw cockily at the dangling Team Rocket trio, roughly meaning "See ya later, suckers!"
Then, forming a somewhat disorderly line, they swaggered away with an arrogant gait, clearly off to find their next target for mischief.
They left only the Team Rocket trio swaying in the tree, tears streaming down their faces... Meanwhile, at the forest's edge.
Roy, Delia, and Misty finally emerged from the dense forest, their view suddenly opening up.
Ahead, they could already see the neat rooftops and wisps of cooking smoke from Blue Water Town.
"Wow! We're finally out! It felt like we were walking in the forest forever!" Misty cheered, her leg now fully healed.
At that moment, she was full of energy, like a bird freed from its cage, hopping and skipping ahead, her light orange short hair flying in the sunlight.
"Misty, slow down, watch your step," Delia gently reminded, her eyes holding a touch of worry and maternal concern.
She was discussing with Roy what supplies they needed to replenish in Blue Water Town, as well as the food formulas for Bulbasaur and Oddish.
"Got it, Sister Delia... Ouch!"
Before her cheerful reply could finish, it turned into a cry of surprise.
This was followed by a dull "thump" and then silence.
"Huh?" Delia looked up, blinking in confusion. "Where's Misty? She was just here... Did she learn 'Teleport' somehow?"
In Roy's Aura perception, there was a cleverly concealed trap pit under the road ahead, and Misty's life energy was currently at the bottom of that pit, feeling a bit dazed but mostly brimming with fury.
"She didn't Teleport," Roy sighed, his tone somewhat helpless. "She 'burrowed' underground."
"Huh?"
Before Delia could react, Roy had already hurried forward.
On the originally flat dirt road, there was now a pit about a meter wide and nearly two meters deep. The opening was cleverly disguised with thin branches and leaves, a fairly good camouflage.
At the bottom of the pit, Misty sat covered in dust, rubbing her sore bottom, her hair ribbon askew.
"Misty! Are you okay?" Delia exclaimed, quickly reaching out along with Roy.
Roy grabbed Misty's wrist and, with a slight pull and her own push-off, easily hauled her up.
"Who! Who did this! How dare you ambush me!!!"
As soon as Misty steadied herself, she bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Her cheeks puffed out with anger, hands on her hips, she shouted at the empty surrounding grassland, completely unaware that her hand was still being held by Roy.
At that moment, his Aura once again sent a clear sensation. Behind the bushes not far from the roadside, there were several small, lively life forms, filled with the glee of a successful prank, preparing to make their escape.
"Pikachu! Over there in the grass, get ready with Thunderbolt!" Roy's eyes sharpened as he commanded in a low voice.
"Pika!"
Having traveled and fought side-by-side with Roy, Pikachu's synergy with him was already extraordinary.
It almost instantly locked onto the direction as Roy spoke, its cheek sacs flashing with golden light!
Almost as Pikachu was charging electricity, a rapid stream of water shot out from behind those bushes!
Its target was Misty, who had just climbed out of the pit and was still shouting.
The dazzling golden electric serpent shot out later but arrived first, crashing head-on into that Water Gun!
Water conducts electricity!
The violent current instantly surged back along the stream of water!
Squirtle!
A sharp cry of pain came from behind the bushes, accompanied by a plume of black smoke.
Immediately afterward, a frantic rustling sound erupted. Four Squirtles wearing small sunglasses scrambled to lift a companion who was charred black, sunglasses askew, and still smoking from the electric shock. They dashed out from behind the bushes and disappeared into the woods on the other side with astonishing speed, leaving behind only a mess and a faint smell of burning.
"Damn it! Squirtles!" Misty saw it clearly this time. "You dug these traps? Stand right there!"
As a Trainer aspiring to become a Water-type Pokémon Master, Misty had a natural fondness and desire to collect most Water-type Pokémon.
But there are always exceptions.
Squirtle was one of the top entries on her "exception list."
In her own words, these guys just look sketchy!
Always sneaking around, playing pranks everywhere, with none of the gentleness or grandeur a Water-type Pokémon should have!
When she was little, helping her sisters inventory the Pokémon in foster care at the Cerulean Gym, the Squirtles were always the most troublesome. They'd constantly disappear, hiding in pipes or at the bottom of pools, making her search for them until she was drenched in sweat!
Of course, back then, she just found them bothersome, not exactly hateful.
What truly gave her psychological trauma was Gyarados.
That childhood experience of being swallowed whole by a Gyarados became a nightmare she couldn't shake off to this day.
She once swore she would never capture a Gyarados, and wouldn't even look at a Magikarp.
But fate can be ironic sometimes.
The Gyarados she hated and feared the most would, in the future, become her most trusted and powerful ace.
Her Gyarados would even master the ability to use flames, its potential considered top-tier.
Of course, the young Misty of the present didn't know any of this yet.
All she knew was that her feelings toward Squirtles had originally been "indifferent, a bit annoying." Now, after being thoroughly thrown by the pit they dug and almost ambushed by a Water Gun!
Could she tolerate this?
It directly jumped from "indifferent" to "turning hostile"!
Misty was so angry her hair almost stood on end. She pulled out a poké ball and was about to give chase. "Don't run! Let me teach you a lesson..."
"Wait, don't chase them!"
Just then, a mature, older-sisterly voice came from the other side of the road...