Chapter 6: Planning for Team Rocket

I slumped back on the sofa, picking at the last few bites of my sandwich while watching the flow of trainers streaming in and out of the Pokémon Center. 

Some looked ragged, worn from battles that had clearly gone sideways. 

Others carried themselves with the swagger of a fresh victory, Pokéballs clinking on their belts like trophies. 

Alice sat across from me, her legs crossed, arms folded. 

Her eyes flicked between her guidebook and the trainers outside, her mind clearly ticking away at a plan like it always did. 

That calm exterior, though—completely unreadable unless you knew her like I did.

She finally spoke, her voice low, deliberate. "Now it's time to get serious."

I couldn't help but smirk, leaning forward. "I like this side of you more." 

She glanced up, eyebrow slightly raised. "I like you."

That stopped me for half a second. 

It wasn't the words—it was the way she said it. 

Casual. 

Calm. 

Like it was nothing and everything at once. 

I leaned back, taking another bite of my sandwich, chewing slowly just to make her wait.

"Oh, so this is the real Alice now, huh?"

Her lips quirked, barely, but she didn't give me the satisfaction of a full smile. 

That was Alice—always composed, always in control. 

I could practically feel her rolling her eyes in her head. 

I swallowed and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "So, what's the plan?"

She took a bite of her own food, her eyes drifting back to her guidebook."Right now, we focus on getting used to our Pokémon. Don't forget, Team Rocket's supposed to hit the Pokémon Center tonight. We could make some money if we handle that."

I raised an eyebrow, dragging a fry through ketchup. "Sure, but training our Pokémon takes time. We still need to teach them the right moves."

She nodded, not missing a beat. "I know, but we don't have the luxury of shortcuts. We're not the protagonists of some story where everything falls into place for us. We have to manage our resources carefully—money, time, everything."

A short laugh escaped me, almost derisive. "You say that like Ash's life was ever easy."

She shrugged, her eyes still locked on the pages in front of her. "Ash's story isn't ours. We need to focus on what we can control."

I could feel her words sinking in, the weight of them settling on my shoulders. 

She was right. 

She always was. 

I took another bite, chewing slowly, thinking it over.

"According to the guidebook," she continued, "we can only train for five hours a day, max. Once we have more Pokémon, we can rotate them, but right now, we can only train one at a time."

I frowned. "Five hours straight seems like a bad idea. We should break it up—two hours of training, one hour of rest. Or maybe one hour on, one hour off. Keep them sharp without wearing them down."

Alice nodded thoughtfully, taking another bite. "You're right. And we're going to need more money for supplies, too. Staying in Viridian Forest for a while isn't the worst idea. The more experience we gain, the faster they'll learn."

I washed down the last of my sandwich with a gulp of water. "And what about the whole 'Pokémon Master' thing? We're really going for that?"

Her eyes darkened, serious. "One of us will need to beat the Champion and win the League. And we'll have to do it in every region. Every tournament."

I snorted. "And the other?"

Alice took another slow bite before answering, her voice steady. "Second or third place."

I leaned back, the challenge of it swirling around in my head. "That's gonna be tough."

She nodded, her expression never wavering. "I think you've got a better shot at winning. I can take second."

I let out a low laugh, shaking my head. "We'll see about that. No fun if I win too easily."

With the last of my food gone, I leaned back, finishing off my juice and stretching out. "Alright, enough talk. Let's hit that little battleground behind the center. We can practice for a while."

Alice shook her head, gathering her things. "You go ahead. I've got other plans for now. We'll meet up later this evening."

I paused, frowning. "Just don't go too far."

Before she could say anything else, I leaned over and kissed her cheek, quick but deliberate. 

She froze, eyes wide, cheeks flushing red. 

I grinned at her, not even trying to hide it.

"I like this side of you more," I said, standing up.

Her glare could've cut through steel. 

But she didn't say a word, and that blush? 

Yeah, that wasn't going away anytime soon.