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he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_046_en

Chapter 46

Chapter 46: The Scene Suddenly Became Awkward

Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)

"Gary...?!"

Ash blurted out.

Hearing this, Gary lowered his head slightly, squinting at Ash as if he were a stranger, then feigned surprise:

"Oh, isn't this the youth who was late on the very first day? Let me think, what was your name again... Ash... Ash-twerp, was it?"

Ash was immediately displeased and was on the verge of going up to him and delivering a Pallet Town wild punch.

At that moment, a male sailor, a disguised Team Rocket Grunt, came up and berated them:

"Hey, hey, hey! You boarded illegally. I'll give you three seconds to jump off, or I'm calling the police."

If everyone could just board freely like this, how would they accurately target the wealthy and carry out their delightful kidnappings?

"Hmph, this young master's handsome face is enough to board any ship... Ahem, but since you have such poor judgment..."

Seeing the sailor had already taken out an electric baton, Gary's tone changed, and he quickly pulled out a cruise ticket.

Ignoring the expressions of the people around him, Gary jumped down, gracefully recalling his Wartortle in mid-air.

"This young master is the true elite!"

Ash's trio: "..."

Less like an elite, more like a rich fool.

Then, Gary looked at Ash's trio, his gaze sweeping briefly over the crowd, and asked in confusion:

"Huh, where's that stupid woman?"

Just as Ash was about to answer, Gary suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly, his tongue practically vibrating in the air.

"Don't tell me she's waiting at the entrance to block me? That's hilarious, ahahaha!!"

The trio: "..."

For a moment, Ash didn't know how to refute that.

Blue had lost again and again, to the point where there was nothing left to lose.

"Achoo!"

At the ticket entrance, Blue, who was currently shouldering a large shovel, suddenly let out a yawn from out of nowhere.

"Damn it, has that flea not arrived yet!?"

She stomped her foot angrily, her eyes fixed on the stream of people gradually boarding the ship.

The luxurious aura of the elite drifting from the ship made her heart itch with envy, and her hatred for Gary intensified by several more tons.

*No way, I can keep this up all day!*

Two hours passed, and it was already noon. She still hadn't seen the flea.

Another two hours passed, and it was now afternoon. She still hadn't seen the flea.

Two more hours passed yet again. It was late afternoon, the sun was about to set, and she still hadn't seen the flea...

Blue was showing faint signs of entering a frenzied state.

In the end, even the ticket inspector, a disguised Team Rocket member, couldn't watch anymore. He asked with a smile that didn't reach his eyes:

"Heh heh, no one else is boarding, little girl. Are you going to get on? The gangway will be closed in a few minutes."

"I'm waiting!"

She had already waited for eight hours; what were a few more minutes? That flea had probably seen her from afar and was hiding somewhere nearby, waiting to sneak onto the ship at the last moment.

Just then, a nearby bush suddenly rustled.

"Hmph, so you're hiding here?"

Blue's momentum instantly reached its peak. With the speed of a thunderclap, she slammed her large shovel down!

*CLANG!!*

The sound of a heavy metal strike exploded. She had hit her target!

"Wuu wuu..."

The next moment, a Pokemon covered in blue vines, wearing something like red shoes on its feet, rolled out.

With one strike of the shovel, the wild Tangela was now Unable to Battle.

"Nice trick, using a Tangela to distract me. You think you can use that chance to board the ship? Too naive!"

Hearing another sound beside her, Blue fiercely swung the large shovel behind her in a 180-degree windmill sweep.

*SWOOSH!*

It only came to a screeching halt half an inch from a man's face.

The ticket inspector: "?!"

*Huu, huu, huu.*

He was just a low-level member of Team Rocket, the kind who'd be assigned to the underground garage. Was his life going to be in danger just from being a ticket inspector!?

"Hmph, hmph. As expected of the flea. Still testing my limits, are you?"

Entering her battle state, Blue's mind raced, taking in everything within a radius of dozens of meters. Sand, bushes, flowing water, air currents...

*Pokedex Beep, Pokedex Beep, Pokedex Beep.*

At that moment, her Pokedex suddenly rang like a telephone.

Blue tapped it with her finger, but her eyes remained vigilant, scanning her surroundings.

*Is he trying to distract me with a phone call to sneak aboard?*

*Hmph, for a flea, that's actually quite clever.*

But soon, Ash's voice came from the Pokedex.

"Hey, hey, hey! We were just having a party and forgot to tell you. That guy Gary snuck on from the back this morning. You should get on soon, the voyage banquet is about to start!"

Blue: "?!"

*CRACK!*

With immense force, she snapped the large shovel in half.

Two streams of hot tears slowly trickled from the corners of her eyes...

This World was so unfair to her...

In the evening, as Blue finally boarded, the S.S. Anne cruise ship retracted the gangway connecting it to the shore and officially set sail.

The Ballroom.

It was a magnificent, splendidly decorated place, so vast it could accommodate nearly a thousand guests.

Right now, an orchestra was playing. Everyone was dressed in smart suits, appearing refined and amiable, the very picture of high society.

To be frank, if you aren't wearing a tailcoat and holding a wine glass, you're not even qualified to read this chapter.

Socializing at banquets had always been the workplace of the upper class, which made Ash's trio seem somewhat out of place.

Most of the guests on the ship this time were wealthy upper-class individuals. Kidnapping them and extorting them for their wealth... this was the main objective of Team Rocket's team-building activity. Of course, there was also a portion of young Trainers with considerable strength. Their precious Pokemon, which possessed great Aptitude but had not yet fully matured, were also among Team Rocket's targets.

"Welcome, everyone, to this seven-day sea voyage aboard the S.S. Anne! I hope you all have a pleasant trip."

An old man wearing a tailcoat and a transparent monocle over one eye was hosting on the stage.

He was spouting a bunch of pleasantries.

The crowd below applauded along.

Ash couldn't understand it anyway and was busy stuffing his face with Pikachu.

"These people are so dumb. No one's even eating."

"Pikachu, let's eat more! The more we eat, the healthier we'll be!"

"Pika, nom, nom, nom..."

"Next, let's invite our special guest to speak, the grandson of Professor Oak, Mr. Gary!"

On the High Platform, the elderly host suddenly handed the microphone to a Spiky-Haired Youth.

The latter showed no signs of stage fright, even on a stage in front of a thousand people. On the contrary, he became even more spirited and full of himself.

His expression was smug, and his attitude was extremely arrogant.

"Hello everyone! I'm Gary from Pallet Town, and I'm the future's strongest Trainer! Ahahahahaha!!"

Facing a thousand people, he was still so energetic and boisterous.

"*Pfft—*"

Ash spat out the meat in his mouth, staring at the stage with a look of shock.

How did that guy manage to get up there!?

Isn't that a bit too arrogant? Is he not afraid of getting ganged up on by the crowd for being so cocky?

Ash began to wonder. The Gary he remembered was arrogant, yes, but he still had a brain.

And on the stage, Gary was still laughing with his head thrown back.

He looked just like a profligate rich fool, causing the crowd below to applaud and cheer.

Everyone present was part of the elite. They had discerning eyes and could tell at a glance that this Youth was just a rich fool coasting on his grandfather's glory, nothing to make a fuss about. But with Professor Oak's reputation on the line, they still had to show some respect and didn't laugh at him openly.

"Gary, isn't that a bit much?"

At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded in Gary's mind on the stage. The tone was steady; it was Green's voice.

"Elder Brother Green, you've never been a rich second-generation kid. This is how they're supposed to act—arrogantly."

Although Gary continued to laugh wildly on the outside, in his mind, he was incredibly calm. He was acting.

Days ago, Gary had already learned that this ship was a trap set by Team Rocket.

But he boarded it anyway.

Fighting against evil forces is the inescapable duty of every Trainer, and this had ignited Gary's intense battle intent.

But right now, the enemy was in the dark while he was in the light. It was better to act like a brainless rich kid to catch the enemy off guard.

"Elder Brother Green, I'll carry you. Just watch me work," Gary said, puffing out his chest.

Green: "..."

*I'm a rich second-generation kid too, you know!?*

At this moment, in a corner of the banquet hall.

While everyone was looking at the stage, forcing smiles and trying not to laugh, one short-haired man revealed a smile of appreciation.

This man had short, cyan-colored hair and stood with his hands behind his back. Judging by his age, he was probably a few years older than Ash's group. He had a refined air, as if everything was under his control, and was dressed in an elegant tailcoat, looking every bit the part of a nobleman.

"As expected of Professor Oak's grandson. He's deliberately acting this way, but the corner of his eye has never stopped observing everything at this banquet," he praised.

If you wanted to talk about the best observation point, it was undoubtedly on the stage, under everyone's gaze.

But the next moment, a sinister, cold glint appeared deep in the cyan-haired man's eyes.

With a hint of disdain, he looked at the arrogant, Spiky-Haired Youth still on the High Platform.

"Hmph, but his acting is quite childish. A genius who hasn't matured has no meaning."

"So, Boss, should we take him out first?" a subordinate in a tailcoat behind him quickly asked.

"No need. He's just a little brat. This team-building activity cannot afford any mistakes."

"Yes, Boss." The subordinate nodded with a respectful gesture.

Clearly, this cyan-haired man's status was not low.

"By the way, Boss, two other Trainers from Pallet Town have also boarded the ship this time."

Hearing this, the cyan-haired man frowned slightly.

Although Pallet Town hadn't produced any famous Trainers in recent years, the name Professor Oak alone was enough to make him take this seriously.

This grandson of Professor Oak didn't seem like an ordinary kid...

So what about the other two?

Always cautious, he looked in the direction his subordinate was pointing.

It was a rather plainly dressed Youth, wearing a souvenir cap that their company had given away at an event a year ago.

On the table next to him was a plump Electric Mouse Pokémon.

"That's one fat Electric Mouse," the cyan-haired man blurted out.

For some unknown reason, at that exact moment, the Youth also raised his head, his gaze meeting his own from across the room.

"I... I can't see through him!?"

This exchange of glances made the cyan-haired man's expression change drastically, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

He couldn't see a single trace of cunning or scheming on the Youth's face.

This was the most perfect disguise!

*Has he achieved simplicity to the point of returning to his original nature!? To be so terrifying at such a young age!?*

But since their eyes had already met, he couldn't just look away.

So, the cyan-haired man forced himself to calm down, squeezed out a professional smile, assumed an elegant expression, and, holding his wine glass, slowly walked over.

*My identity hasn't been exposed yet. Stay calm.*

"Damn, what's with this guy's flashy hair."

However, this was Ash's current inner thought.

A moment later, the cyan-haired man actually walked over to him and greeted him with a professional smile.

"Hello, my name is Boros. I'm a Trainer from the Johto Region, and I'm currently training to improve my Pokémon's battle skills," the cyan-haired man introduced himself elegantly.

So, Ash quickly wiped his hands, about to greet him in return.

At this moment, something on Ash's waist suddenly started vibrating.

Then, a familiar mechanical voice sounded out.

"Pokedex Beep. Target identified. Boros: Real name unknown, codename Archer. A Core Executive of Team Rocket, Giovanni's confidant, general manager of the Rainbow Group, a large multinational corporation, and one of the future successors to Team Rocket."

The Pokedex announced automatically.

Archer: "..."

Ash: "..."

As the voice faded, their gazes locked onto each other.

The scene instantly descended into an awkward silence.—

(end of chapter)

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