Reading settings
he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_052_en
Chapter 52
Chapter 52: Is Team Rocket Still Recruiting?
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
End of Corridor 3.
There were no other rooms around; the solitary suite was very conspicuous.
This was the room of Archer, the head of the large charitable enterprise, the Rainbow Group.
"What should we do? Should we knock?" Brock asked, although he already had a brilliant plan in mind.
Ash nodded, signaling for the dark-faced, sturdy man to take the stage.
"Knock, knock, knock."
So Brock knocked on the door, then lightly pinched his throat and cooed in a flirtatious, high-pitched voice, "Hee hee hee~ Sir~ Do you need any special services~~?"
Ash: "???"
But there was no answer from inside the room for a long time, which left Brock, who had wanted to stage a classic badger game, in an awkward position.
He grasped the doorknob; it still turned.
The door wasn't locked?
Did he go out to party, too?
The two exchanged a look, held their breath, and slowly pushed open the door to enter.
The room inside was very spacious. It didn't resemble a room so much as a training ground, with just a square table at the far end.
Just as Ash was about to approach the square table, a jet of flame suddenly shot out from the shadows. Ash's heart tightened, and he instinctively used the demonic footwork of Pallet Town to dodge to the side.
"What the hell?"
The flames dissipated, and in the darkness, a pair of red-glowing eyes lit up.
A dog-shaped Pokémon slowly walked out of the shadows.
It was entirely black, with several white, bone-like hard shells embedded on its ankles and back. Even its forehead seemed to be covered by a white skull plate.
"Woof-grrr!"
It let out a low growl at the two of them, baring its teeth with a ferocious expression.
"Beep. Houndour, the Dark Pokémon. Ferocious in nature, not for consumption, but its blood can ward off evil."
The Pokédex announced automatically.
"Ash, that looks like a Pokémon from the Johto Region, a Fire-type. Need me to take care of it?" Brock asked. For a Rock-type Gym Leader like him, it wouldn't be a big problem.
But Ash's eyes lit up. He reached up, pressed down on his cap, and grinned. "No need, no need. There's no sense in infighting. Besides, this guy has been itching for a fight."
Brock: "???"
With that, Ash threw his Poké Ball.
"I choose you, Charmander!"
A flash of red light, and Charmander landed on the floor. It waved its short arms, its mouth opened wide, and the flame on its tail flared up with a *whoosh*.
"Roar!"
A dragon-like roar rang out. Although it still sounded a bit immature, Ash could faintly feel an aura similar to the Charizard from that day above the sea of fog.
The room was extremely soundproof, so it wouldn't disturb anyone outside.
Fire-type Pokémon are belligerent. The dragon and the dog had just met, but the fiery glints shooting from their eyes showed no sign of backing down, each wanting to utterly defeat the other.
Ash swept his thumb forward. "Charmander, get the first strike! Use Flamethrower!"
"Roar!"
Charmander whipped its head, and a pillar of flame shot out, scorching hot.
Unexpectedly, this Houndour was completely unafraid. It didn't even try to dodge, simply standing its ground and taking the Flamethrower head-on with its body.
*Fwoosh!*
The moment the Flamethrower made contact with its body, it bizarrely transformed into fiery-red, scorching energy, and in the next second, was completely absorbed.
Ash: "?"
Impossible. Even if a Fire-type Pokémon has a resistance to fire, how could it completely ignore it, let alone absorb it?
"Ash, that's the Flash Fire ability! It absorbs fire and increases the power of its own fire moves," Brock quickly reminded him.
A Pokémon with the Flash Fire ability would undoubtedly hold an absolute advantage in a Fire-type civil war.
At this moment, Houndour's black skin began to glow with a fiery red light. Its intimidating posture was extremely aggressive.
"Woof-grrr!"
It barked twice disdainfully, as if taunting Charmander for overestimating its own strength.
This arrogant expression angered both Ash and Charmander simultaneously. The flame on Charmander's tail flared up again with a *WHOOSH*, the fire now leaping half a body-length higher than the Pokémon itself!
For a moment, the entire room grew searing hot.
"Woof-harf!"
Houndour still sneered disdainfully. Watching Charmander gather red power at its mouth again, it shook its body, once more leaving itself completely open.
*Come on!*
*Use Flamethrower, hit me head-on!*
Charmander's energy had reached its peak. Ash swept his thumb forward and yelled, "Perfect! Charmander, use Dragon Rage!"
The next second, fiery-red energy shot from its mouth, forming a large, orange fireball that hurtled forward with intimidating power.
Houndour: "???"
The move struck. Though it was fiery red in color, its type had absolutely nothing to do with the Fire-type.
It was Dragon Rage!
Houndour had no time to react. It wasn't until Dragon Rage was right in its face that it realized the type was wrong. Just as it thought to dodge, the massive fireball had already slammed into it.
*BOOM!*
Dragon Rage hit head-on. The explosive draconic energy burst outward, its full force slamming into Houndour's fragile body.
The floor was even blasted, leaving a large pit with flames shooting into the air.
"Woof..."
When the smoke and dust cleared, accompanied by a whimper, Houndour had been completely knocked out, lying stunned on the ground.
Dragon Rage is a god-tier move for novices. As long as a base-form Pokémon doesn't have high HP, it's basically a one-hit KO, regardless of any increased type resistance.
"Nice job!"
Having succeeded, Ash couldn't help but rub Charmander's bald head. The latter was panting slightly; clearly, Dragon Rage took a lot out of it.
But being able to win an internal battle against a Fire-type opponent made Charmander extremely excited.
So Ash turned to look at Brock. "Teacher Brock, this Pokémon's color scheme matches your skin tone pretty well. You wanna catch it?"
"It probably belongs to someone else. Forget it, hurry up and see what's on that table. With all this commotion, I'm afraid someone's going to come check on us," Brock urged him on.
The noise from Dragon Rage was nothing compared to a couple of "woofs" from Houndour.
So it was a fierce guard dog left here on purpose?
Soon, the two of them bypassed the fainted Houndour and arrived at the square table.
There was nothing else on the table, only a thick document.
*Proposal on Robbing the Rich to Achieve Common Prosperity — The S.S. Anne Operation Strategic Blueprint*
The two scratched their heads, feeling out of their depth.
Robbery is just robbery. These days, does a heist require a planning proposal tens of thousands of words long?
You don't need to find a few angel investors for it, too, do you?
The two opened the file, which detailed the class conflicts of the current Pokémon world.
The rich landlords are cruel, and the poor farmers suffer unspeakably.
Therefore, the Rainbow Group, as the largest charitable organization in the Kanto Region, would strike when the time was right. They planned the luxurious S.S. Anne cruise ship event, inviting countless tycoons aboard, and would then begin the heist once they reached international waters.
Then, they would donate all the acquired wealth to the number one conscientious enterprise in the Kanto Region—Team Rocket.
This is what it means to be a great hero, acting for the country and its people!
Reaching the end, Ash was somewhat moved by this intense patriotic sentiment. "Hey, Teacher Brock, I think this Archer guy has some pretty interesting ideas. Why don't we just pretend we were passing by and saw nothing?"
Brock: "..."
*Kid, I think your thinking has gone astray.*
The next day, when Archer returned to the room.
Seeing Houndour lying on the ground, whimpering in pain, he showed no sign of panic. Instead, he casually recalled it to its ball, a proud smile on his lips as if he had everything under control.
"Heh heh~"
As Team Rocket's number one strategist, he had long guessed that Ash would take action last night and never expected a common Houndour to be able to stop him.
Or rather, perhaps even he himself couldn't necessarily stop that peerless powerhouse named Ash.
So he simply decided not to stop him at all.
That's why he had partied all night in the adjacent hall, avoiding any direct confrontation, and even left the strategy document sitting there so brazenly.
The so-called "governing by doing nothing"—that was the principle at play.
The communication between wise men is often just this simple, unadorned, and full of philosophy.
But when he arrived at the square table, he saw that a few words had been added to the cover of the proposal. Archer looked curious.
*A message? Is this the tacit understanding between wise men? A gesture of peace?*
*Or... is this a challenge?*
*Hmph, this battle is unavoidable in the end.*
*Then let's fight. I am the most outstanding of Team Rocket's younger generation and have never feared any challenge!*
Archer let out an arrogant, cold snort. He focused his gaze, only to see two lines of large, crookedly written characters on the book.
"Too long, didn't read, but the plan is good."
"So, is Team Rocket still recruiting?"
The handwriting was ugly, adding to the taunt.
Archer: "!?"
Such wild ambition!
Is he delusional enough to try and compete with me for the position of Team Rocket's heir!?
This kid... his schemes are vicious. He absolutely cannot be left alive!
His expression twisted with unprecedented rage!
(end of chapter)
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
End of Corridor 3.
There were no other rooms around; the solitary suite was very conspicuous.
This was the room of Archer, the head of the large charitable enterprise, the Rainbow Group.
"What should we do? Should we knock?" Brock asked, although he already had a brilliant plan in mind.
Ash nodded, signaling for the dark-faced, sturdy man to take the stage.
"Knock, knock, knock."
So Brock knocked on the door, then lightly pinched his throat and cooed in a flirtatious, high-pitched voice, "Hee hee hee~ Sir~ Do you need any special services~~?"
Ash: "???"
But there was no answer from inside the room for a long time, which left Brock, who had wanted to stage a classic badger game, in an awkward position.
He grasped the doorknob; it still turned.
The door wasn't locked?
Did he go out to party, too?
The two exchanged a look, held their breath, and slowly pushed open the door to enter.
The room inside was very spacious. It didn't resemble a room so much as a training ground, with just a square table at the far end.
Just as Ash was about to approach the square table, a jet of flame suddenly shot out from the shadows. Ash's heart tightened, and he instinctively used the demonic footwork of Pallet Town to dodge to the side.
"What the hell?"
The flames dissipated, and in the darkness, a pair of red-glowing eyes lit up.
A dog-shaped Pokémon slowly walked out of the shadows.
It was entirely black, with several white, bone-like hard shells embedded on its ankles and back. Even its forehead seemed to be covered by a white skull plate.
"Woof-grrr!"
It let out a low growl at the two of them, baring its teeth with a ferocious expression.
"Beep. Houndour, the Dark Pokémon. Ferocious in nature, not for consumption, but its blood can ward off evil."
The Pokédex announced automatically.
"Ash, that looks like a Pokémon from the Johto Region, a Fire-type. Need me to take care of it?" Brock asked. For a Rock-type Gym Leader like him, it wouldn't be a big problem.
But Ash's eyes lit up. He reached up, pressed down on his cap, and grinned. "No need, no need. There's no sense in infighting. Besides, this guy has been itching for a fight."
Brock: "???"
With that, Ash threw his Poké Ball.
"I choose you, Charmander!"
A flash of red light, and Charmander landed on the floor. It waved its short arms, its mouth opened wide, and the flame on its tail flared up with a *whoosh*.
"Roar!"
A dragon-like roar rang out. Although it still sounded a bit immature, Ash could faintly feel an aura similar to the Charizard from that day above the sea of fog.
The room was extremely soundproof, so it wouldn't disturb anyone outside.
Fire-type Pokémon are belligerent. The dragon and the dog had just met, but the fiery glints shooting from their eyes showed no sign of backing down, each wanting to utterly defeat the other.
Ash swept his thumb forward. "Charmander, get the first strike! Use Flamethrower!"
"Roar!"
Charmander whipped its head, and a pillar of flame shot out, scorching hot.
Unexpectedly, this Houndour was completely unafraid. It didn't even try to dodge, simply standing its ground and taking the Flamethrower head-on with its body.
*Fwoosh!*
The moment the Flamethrower made contact with its body, it bizarrely transformed into fiery-red, scorching energy, and in the next second, was completely absorbed.
Ash: "?"
Impossible. Even if a Fire-type Pokémon has a resistance to fire, how could it completely ignore it, let alone absorb it?
"Ash, that's the Flash Fire ability! It absorbs fire and increases the power of its own fire moves," Brock quickly reminded him.
A Pokémon with the Flash Fire ability would undoubtedly hold an absolute advantage in a Fire-type civil war.
At this moment, Houndour's black skin began to glow with a fiery red light. Its intimidating posture was extremely aggressive.
"Woof-grrr!"
It barked twice disdainfully, as if taunting Charmander for overestimating its own strength.
This arrogant expression angered both Ash and Charmander simultaneously. The flame on Charmander's tail flared up again with a *WHOOSH*, the fire now leaping half a body-length higher than the Pokémon itself!
For a moment, the entire room grew searing hot.
"Woof-harf!"
Houndour still sneered disdainfully. Watching Charmander gather red power at its mouth again, it shook its body, once more leaving itself completely open.
*Come on!*
*Use Flamethrower, hit me head-on!*
Charmander's energy had reached its peak. Ash swept his thumb forward and yelled, "Perfect! Charmander, use Dragon Rage!"
The next second, fiery-red energy shot from its mouth, forming a large, orange fireball that hurtled forward with intimidating power.
Houndour: "???"
The move struck. Though it was fiery red in color, its type had absolutely nothing to do with the Fire-type.
It was Dragon Rage!
Houndour had no time to react. It wasn't until Dragon Rage was right in its face that it realized the type was wrong. Just as it thought to dodge, the massive fireball had already slammed into it.
*BOOM!*
Dragon Rage hit head-on. The explosive draconic energy burst outward, its full force slamming into Houndour's fragile body.
The floor was even blasted, leaving a large pit with flames shooting into the air.
"Woof..."
When the smoke and dust cleared, accompanied by a whimper, Houndour had been completely knocked out, lying stunned on the ground.
Dragon Rage is a god-tier move for novices. As long as a base-form Pokémon doesn't have high HP, it's basically a one-hit KO, regardless of any increased type resistance.
"Nice job!"
Having succeeded, Ash couldn't help but rub Charmander's bald head. The latter was panting slightly; clearly, Dragon Rage took a lot out of it.
But being able to win an internal battle against a Fire-type opponent made Charmander extremely excited.
So Ash turned to look at Brock. "Teacher Brock, this Pokémon's color scheme matches your skin tone pretty well. You wanna catch it?"
"It probably belongs to someone else. Forget it, hurry up and see what's on that table. With all this commotion, I'm afraid someone's going to come check on us," Brock urged him on.
The noise from Dragon Rage was nothing compared to a couple of "woofs" from Houndour.
So it was a fierce guard dog left here on purpose?
Soon, the two of them bypassed the fainted Houndour and arrived at the square table.
There was nothing else on the table, only a thick document.
*Proposal on Robbing the Rich to Achieve Common Prosperity — The S.S. Anne Operation Strategic Blueprint*
The two scratched their heads, feeling out of their depth.
Robbery is just robbery. These days, does a heist require a planning proposal tens of thousands of words long?
You don't need to find a few angel investors for it, too, do you?
The two opened the file, which detailed the class conflicts of the current Pokémon world.
The rich landlords are cruel, and the poor farmers suffer unspeakably.
Therefore, the Rainbow Group, as the largest charitable organization in the Kanto Region, would strike when the time was right. They planned the luxurious S.S. Anne cruise ship event, inviting countless tycoons aboard, and would then begin the heist once they reached international waters.
Then, they would donate all the acquired wealth to the number one conscientious enterprise in the Kanto Region—Team Rocket.
This is what it means to be a great hero, acting for the country and its people!
Reaching the end, Ash was somewhat moved by this intense patriotic sentiment. "Hey, Teacher Brock, I think this Archer guy has some pretty interesting ideas. Why don't we just pretend we were passing by and saw nothing?"
Brock: "..."
*Kid, I think your thinking has gone astray.*
The next day, when Archer returned to the room.
Seeing Houndour lying on the ground, whimpering in pain, he showed no sign of panic. Instead, he casually recalled it to its ball, a proud smile on his lips as if he had everything under control.
"Heh heh~"
As Team Rocket's number one strategist, he had long guessed that Ash would take action last night and never expected a common Houndour to be able to stop him.
Or rather, perhaps even he himself couldn't necessarily stop that peerless powerhouse named Ash.
So he simply decided not to stop him at all.
That's why he had partied all night in the adjacent hall, avoiding any direct confrontation, and even left the strategy document sitting there so brazenly.
The so-called "governing by doing nothing"—that was the principle at play.
The communication between wise men is often just this simple, unadorned, and full of philosophy.
But when he arrived at the square table, he saw that a few words had been added to the cover of the proposal. Archer looked curious.
*A message? Is this the tacit understanding between wise men? A gesture of peace?*
*Or... is this a challenge?*
*Hmph, this battle is unavoidable in the end.*
*Then let's fight. I am the most outstanding of Team Rocket's younger generation and have never feared any challenge!*
Archer let out an arrogant, cold snort. He focused his gaze, only to see two lines of large, crookedly written characters on the book.
"Too long, didn't read, but the plan is good."
"So, is Team Rocket still recruiting?"
The handwriting was ugly, adding to the taunt.
Archer: "!?"
Such wild ambition!
Is he delusional enough to try and compete with me for the position of Team Rocket's heir!?
This kid... his schemes are vicious. He absolutely cannot be left alive!
His expression twisted with unprecedented rage!
(end of chapter)
