61. Team Rocket

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The two poachers were puzzled by the lines they heard and narrowed their eyes when they saw Jessie and James appear before them.

Familiar with the logo on their uniforms, they recognized Team Rocket. While Team Rocket might not be significant in other regions, they are well-known in the Kanto and Johto regions.

"Who are these two?" Brock asked, seeing Jessie and James for the first time and not recognizing them.

"They're Team Rocket. They're Pokémon thieves, and we fought them in Viridian City," Misty responded cautiously. Although they were all villains, the sudden appearance of these two helped divert attention.

"What should we do now?" Seymour asked, not daring to act recklessly. He couldn't tell if they were all on the same side.

"Let's wait and see," Ash motioned for everyone to stay quiet.

. . . . .

The two poachers exchanged glances and recognized the Team Rocket logo. Despite this, they were not afraid but seemed more familiar. The flat-headed man frowned and spoke guardedly.

"Huh? Didn't we agree to trade in Viridian City? How did you find us here?"

"It doesn't matter. We can trade here and save time," the bald man said indifferently.

From this conversation, it was clear that the poachers not only had a deal with Team Rocket but were unafraid of their presence. Seeing Jessie and James didn't worry them; instead, it reminded them of their deal.

Team Rocket differs from ordinary poachers; they seek to collect powerful and rare Pokémon to study and use them for world domination. Poachers often capture rare Pokémon, which is exactly what Team Rocket needs, and they don't care about the money.

"What are these two talking about?" Jessie whispered into James' ear, confused by the poachers' conversation.

"They seem to be discussing a deal. It looks like they're poachers who have mistaken us for their contacts. They might have some rare Pokémon with them!" James speculated.

"How about we..." James suggested, recognizing the situation immediately. These poachers likely had rare Pokémon, and since they were mistaken for someone else, Jessie and James decided to play along.

Having worked together for years, they exchanged a knowing look and smirked.

"Ahem... We're here for what we want!" James said, pretending to be calm.

"Here it is!" The bald man pulled out a package from his back pocket and held it out.

Jessie and James exchanged glances, their minds racing with excitement at the potential loot.

"Hand it over!" James demanded.

"Wait!" the flat-headed man interrupted, making Jessie and James worry they had been exposed.

"Is there a problem?" James asked, trying to remain calm.

"Where's the money?" the flat-headed man asked, rubbing his fingers together.

"Money is such valuable item, so we do not carry that much money with us. Once we have the goods, we'll contact our headquarters to transfer the funds to you," James explained, trying to keep his composure.

The situation was escalating, and there was no reason to let go of such an opportunity within reach.

The flat-headed man and the bald man exchanged glances, a chill passing between them. They jumped back, eyeing Jessie and James warily.

"Hmph! I knew something was off. We've dealt with each other before. Are you trying to double-cross us this time?" the flat-headed man said coldly, squinting his eyes.

It was clear they had previous dealings with Team Rocket, suggesting past cooperation. This time, however, there was a misunderstanding.

Ash, observing from a hidden spot, couldn't help but find it amusing. He was certain Jessie and James weren't trying to cheat, just seize an opportunity. They were always trying to profit from situations like this, as shown in the anime.

In truth, if he were Giovanni, he would have thrown them into the sea long ago. Yet, Giovanni tolerated them and even entrusted them with important tasks later. Despite their frequent failures, they were the most loyal to Giovanni and Team Rocket, proving Giovanni's judgment sound.

"Darn it, we were so close. If that's how it is, we'll take it by force!"

Jessie and James didn't care if they were trading with the poachers or other Team Rocket members. They just wanted the credit. In Team Rocket, taking what they could by any means was standard practice, and it saved the organization money.

"Go, Ekans!"

"Koffing, use Smokescreen!" They wasted no time after being discovered, immediately resorting to force and throwing their Poké Balls.

Koffing appeared and used Smokescreen, filling the air with thick black smoke. The entire passage was engulfed, including where Ash and the others were hiding.

"Venomoth, use Hurricane!" shouted the flat-headed man, furious that Jessie and James had not only deceived them but also launched the first attack. He threw his own Poké Ball in response.

A pale purple Pokémon with dual wings, three tentacles on its head—the middle one the longest—and big round eyes appeared. It looked like a large moth.

With a flap of its wings, Venomoth generated a strong airflow, blowing away the black smoke in front of it.

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