....Nope

I'm back, let's see if I'm rusty.

----

Ash was sitting in Pallet House across from Professor Oak. After the questions and the showing of Kleavor, Oak and Ash had come to the restaurant to talk a bit more since the lunch rush was over.

Of course, Ash had told Delia the good news: from now on, she gets a discount whenever she buys Ilex Charcoal. She was extremely happy, so much so that she insisted Ash stay so she could cook him something—and she didn't take no for an answer.

So that's how he ended up sitting across from Oak. It was a weekday, so most of Ash's classmates had just taken Oak's Alakazam to go home, leaving the two of them alone in the restaurant.

As Oak drank some tea, he looked at Ash. "Well, I must say, I didn't expect you to do all of that, but I won't lie—I'm not disappointed in the outcome."

"Yeah, well, what can I say? I did tell you I'd find more if I was given some time. And I have one, and I think I might be close to another," Ash said casually.

Oak sighed and shook his head helplessly. "While I admit, the first time seeing you find the evolution method for Annihilape was impressive, this was far more. To find the extinct evolution path for Kleavor would be enough to make you an official professor and get you your own lab and funding."

"Thanks, but no. I like doing things my way. Besides, I found two might have one more soon—I think, I dunno—and I don't want to be a professor as my full-time job. I've seen what it did to you. No wonder Gary doesn't want to either."

Oak felt sweat drip down his face as he quickly changed the topic. "Speaking of which, I have some news. After the report for Annihilape was published, my contact in Paldea, Director Clavell, contacted me asking if it was true that the evolution methods were still a mystery outside of Paldea. Once I confirmed it, he shared all of them with me."

Oak pulled out photos of Dunsparce, Bisharp, and Girafarig, along with their new evolutions. "You see, so unfortunately, if you do find these evolutions on your own, while it will be impressive, you won't be able to get the same credit as you did with Annihilape. I'm sorry to say."

"Huh… I see," Ash said, studying the pictures. "Meh, oh well. It was bound to happen eventually. Besides, I'm sure I'll find a different one, like I did with Kleavor."

Oak gave a helpless sigh at Ash's dismissal of this. If he were in Ash's shoes, seeing his research be rendered obsolete would definitely upset him. In his mind, he didn't believe Ash could find something as impressive again. Sure, Ash had proven himself before, but this seemed impossible even for him. How could Ash possibly find a new evolution? It just seemed all too improbable.

But before Oak could say anything, Delia walked over carrying several plates filled with all of Ash's favorite dishes and set them in front of him. "Here you go, Ashy. And don't worry—there's plenty more~"

"Thanks, Mom. It looks delicious as always," Ash said as he started to dig in. He didn't have the heart to tell his mom he was supposed to get lunch with his friends at the festival, so he just ate and thought of a way to get out of his lunch plans with them.

—-

(Back with the gang)

Misty, Brock, Yellow, and Horace were sitting in the stadium, watching the Tauros battle royal at the festival.

The winner was a boy with a Combat Breed, Paldean Tauros. There was no rule stating it had to be a Kantonian Tauros, so it was fine.

As the participation medals and the first-place award were being handed out, Yellow leaned back in her seat and sighed. "Hey guys, do you think Ash is okay?"

"He has to be, right? I mean, we dropped him off at a hospital," Horace said, slouching in his seat.

"Wellll…" Misty started, moving her hand uncertainly in front of her. Pikachu, sitting nearby, mimicked her skepticism.

"Probably. We can just say probably," Brock finished. "He did get a stab wound in his shoulder. There's no way he was fine after that, even after Yellow he—" He stopped himself, realizing he shouldn't say that.

"Uhh, wrapped up his shoulder," Misty quickly interrupted, shooting Brock a look. "Yeah, she got some bandages and used them to wrap his shoulder up, Brock!" Misty added through gritted teeth.

Before they could continue their conversation, a net suddenly dropped from the top of the stadium, grabbing and separating the Tauros from their trainers. Just as people were trying to process what was happening, a robot descended into the center of the stadium.

Voices echoed from the robot.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars—Gah!"

"WOBBUFFET!"

"Hey, what are you doing? I didn't send you out! You may be part of the family now, but you can't interrupt us!"

"WOBBUFFET?"

"Don't give me that! I'm the only Pokémon that gets to be part of the motto!"

"WOBBUFFET!"

As the chant devolved into bickering, the crowd grew even more confused. But Misty, Brock, and Yellow immediately recognized the culprits as Team Rocket. Without hesitation, they jumped over the railing into the stadium and released their Pokémon: Gyarados, Steelix, and Chuchu. Pikachu, of course, was with them too.

Horace looked down at them, startled. "H-Hey, what are you guys doing?!" Several nearby spectators turned to look as well.

Misty pointed accusingly at the robot. "That is Team Rocket! They're here to steal all of the Pokémon! We need to fight back!"

Horace and the people around him looked shocked, but after glancing back at the net full of trapped Tauros, they quickly believed her.

"I'm helping you out, then!" Horace declared, jumping down into the stadium and sending out his Chikorita.

One by one, other onlookers saw their initiative and decided to join in, throwing their Pokémon into the stadium as well. One after another, trainers sent out Pokémon until a small army was assembled.

Jessie, James, and Meowth, who had been too busy arguing to notice at first, suddenly turned and stared wide-eyed at the field full of ready-to-battle Pokémon.

"...Is it too late to just go?" James asked nervously.

He got a collective head shake in response.

—

{Team Rocket Base}

The Masked Man walked through the halls. Even though his expression was unreadable, he radiated an aura of anger and frustration. The reason was obvious—he had been so close to finally fulfilling his plan.

What plan, you may ask? Well, it should be obvious: to capture Celebi. Why does he want that? To that, he would say, none of your damn business. And if you were to ask why, if this operation was so important, he didn't send anyone else with him—like, say, Archer—well, that answer is far more complicated.

You see, ever since the incident nearly four years ago, the Masked Man had lost quite a bit of influence in Team Rocket. That isn't to say he was powerless—far from it. In fact, if Archer weren't in Johto, he would undoubtedly be in control of the Johto branch.

But the problem was this: he was now on a much tighter leash. He still hadn't regained the Big Boss's trust after wasting so many resources back then. As a result, any plans he wanted to pursue needed to be run by Giovanni or Archer first.

So, the reason he didn't tell anyone? Simple. He couldn't risk it. No one else in Team Rocket—not even his right and left hands, Carl and Sham—knew. Even though Carl and Sham had been brainwashed into complete loyalty, he couldn't risk anyone discovering he was using mind control. Giovanni was strictly against it.

The Masked Man, however, saw it as a means to an end. Why risk disobedience? There had been people before Carl and Sham who dared to defy him. But they only frustrated and disappointed him. Once—just once!—he would like to see those under him, with free will intact, fill him with pride instead of failure.

That was why he had privately created a way to use mind control without anyone's knowledge. It was so effective even Carl and Sham didn't know. If he could have moved forward without interruption, he would have mind-controlled the entire Johto branch by now. But once again, the incident from four years ago haunted him for a different reason.

Karen and Will. When they had been captured, the masks containing the mind-control technology were taken. Their capture itself was fine—he wasn't attached to them, and he had never mentioned them to Giovanni—but the problem was if Giovanni ever found out.

The Masked Man had to admit that Karen and Will had been sent by him. But their identities were kept secret, even from Giovanni, thanks to Professor Oak—personally. Oak, worried that Giovanni might have been behind the mind control kept it hidden. If Giovanni was responsible, Oak didn't want him to know they were prepared. And if Giovanni wasn't involved, Oak didn't want him getting his hands on the technology.

That overthinking had, ironically, allowed the Masked Man to get away with using mind-control devices right under Giovanni's nose. The Masked Man would have loved to thank Oak personally—if he could.

But it also meant he had to lay low. Which brings us back to the current moment: he didn't tell anyone about his mission. He slightly regretted not bringing Carl and Sham with him. If he had, he might already have Celebi in his grasp.

But it was too late to curse his luck and choices now. He had to convince himself it was the right thing to do. After all, he couldn't let anyone find out about Celebi. If they did, it would jeopardize everything.

The Masked Man took a deep breath and continued walking through the base. He needed to calm down. If Archer saw him, he might start asking questions.

Almost as if on cue, a hand landed on the Masked Man's shoulder, and Archer's voice rang mockingly in his ear.

"Well, well, hey there. How you doing, sir~?" Archer said in a condescending tone. "Or maybe I should call you by your name, Mr.—"

"DON'T… you dare," the Masked Man growled, his voice low and dangerous. He couldn't risk his real name being revealed so casually. That would cause far too many complications—too many loose ends if someone betrayed Team Rocket or was captured and interrogated.

Archer smirked, clearly unfazed. "Well, someone's in a sour mood. How meaningless. You hide behind that mask all day, and yet you still find time to scowl."

"Don't test me, Archer…" the Masked Man hissed. But both of them knew the threat was empty. When it came to battling, Archer could overpower him in more ways than one. His strength was second only to Giovanni himself, a champion-level trainer.

In fact, Archer could probably qualify as an Elite Four member or even a regional Champion in some areas.

Archer smiled and gave him an exaggerated pat on the back. "Sorry to ruin your good mood, but we've got some real work to do—not whatever it is you do when you sit back all day twiddling your thumbs."

The Masked Man gritted his teeth under the mask but ultimately relented. "Fine. Just send me what you want me to do, and leave me alone."

"See? I knew you'd come around," Archer replied in a sickeningly cheery voice, patting him on the back once more. As he turned to leave, he tossed one last parting remark over his shoulder. "Oh, and the Boss said he needs you to fill out some reports. I hope you don't mind~."

The Masked Man's anger simmered as Archer disappeared down the hallway, leaving him alone with his growing frustration.

—-

{At the Hospital}

Ash teleported back to Palmpona, standing in place for a moment as he processed his surroundings. His arm was completely fine—he'd used Aura to ensure there was no lingering scar or damage. A trip to the doctor wasn't necessary.

Just as he started to think about where he should go next or whether he should find his friends, a loud BOOM erupted in the distance.

Ash turned sharply, looking toward the stadium. A massive explosion rattled the air, and in the distance, he saw a giant robot being pelted by a storm of Pokémon attacks. Sparks flew, and energy beams crackled as the scene unfolded like something out of a movie.

Ash stood there, watching for a long moment. He took a deep, slow breath… then exhaled.

".....Nope... They got this one," he said to himself, turning on his heel and walking the other way without a second thought.