Chapter 61: Black Eating Black
(Third Update, New Book Seeking Collection, Seeking Flowers!)
The two poachers were a little puzzled by this opening line, and when they saw Musashi and Kojiro appearing in front of them, their eyes narrowed.
They recognized the emblem on their uniforms. It was the notorious Team Rocket. They might not be that famous in other regions, but they were quite well-known in the Kanto and Johto regions.
"Who are these guys?" This was the first time Gang had seen Musashi and Kojiro, so he didn’t recognize them.
"They're Team Rocket, villains who specialize in stealing other people’s Pokémon. We had a run-in with them in Celadon City."
Hearing this, Kasumi responded cautiously. Although they were all villains, it was a good thing that these two suddenly appeared, drawing attention away from them.
"What should we do now?" At this point, Li Ke didn’t dare to act recklessly. Neither side was easy to deal with, and he didn’t know if they were working together.
"Let’s see!" Hearing this, Satoshi motioned for everyone to remain silent.
......
The two poachers exchanged glances, recognizing the Team Rocket emblem, but they weren't afraid. Instead, they seemed quite familiar. The flat-headed man narrowed his eyes and said with a wary tone.
"Hmm? Wasn't it agreed we’d trade in Celadon City? How did you find us here?"
"It doesn't matter. It's convenient to trade here, saves us time.” The bald-headed man didn't seem to care.
From their words, it was clear that the two poachers not only had a trade deal, but the other party was Team Rocket. This explained why they weren’t worried about Musashi and Kojiro's presence, instead bringing up the trade.
Team Rocket was different from ordinary poachers. They were looking for powerful and rare Pokémon. They were motivated by the simple desire to research and use powerful Pokémon to seize the world. Poachers would often capture rare Pokémon, which were exactly what Team Rocket needed. They were rich and didn’t care about the money.
"What are these guys talking about??" Hearing the two poachers’ conversation, Musashi leaned into Kojiro's ear and asked in confusion.
To be honest, they didn’t know these two at all. They simply heard the two men’s words earlier and their instincts kicked in.
"They seem to be talking about some trade. They look like poachers, maybe they’ve mistaken us for someone else. Maybe they have some rare Pokémon with them."
"Why don't we..." Kojiro was more discerning. He saw their identities at a glance.
He immediately had a different thought. These poachers usually carried rare Pokémon. Since they had mistaken them, why not take advantage of the situation?
They had been partners for so many years, and with a glance, they understood each other. They both had sly smiles on their faces.
"Ahem... Where is what we want?” After they had quietly discussed, Kojiro coughed lightly and spoke in a steady voice.
"It’s here!" The bald-headed man pulled out a bag from behind and held it in front of them with one hand.
Musashi and Kojiro exchanged glances. They felt like they were communicating internally. They thought to themselves, "There's definitely something good here."
"Hand it over!" Seeing the coveted treasure within reach, Kojiro continued.
"Wait!" Just then, the flat-headed man spoke, making Musashi and Kojiro feel uneasy. Had they been exposed?
"Ahem... What's wrong?” Seeing the flat-headed man frown, Kojiro could only keep his composure.
"Where's the money?" The flat-headed man stretched out his hand and rubbed his fingers together.
"Uh... Ahem... for something this valuable, how could we possibly carry that much money with us? After we get what we want, we'll naturally contact headquarters and transfer the money to you." Hearing this, Musashi and Kojiro’s faces changed.
However, things had come to this, and there was no reason to give up this easy opportunity.
The flat-headed man and the bald-headed man exchanged glances, their eyes flashing. They immediately jumped back and stood guard, facing Musashi and Kojiro.
"Hmph! There’s definitely something wrong. It’s not the first time we’ve dealt with you. Are you planning to cheat us again this time?" After stepping back, the flat-headed man narrowed his eyes and said coldly.
It was clear that they had dealt with Team Rocket before, and they had probably collaborated smoothly in the past. This time, it seemed they had been mistaken.
Satoshi, who had been secretly observing, wanted to laugh. He was 100% sure that Musashi and Kojiro didn’t intend to cheat them. They just wanted to take advantage of the situation. He guessed that this was also a lucrative opportunity for them.
In the anime, they had done this countless times, even hindering plans set by Team Rocket's higher-ups on several occasions.
To be honest, if he were Boss Gijinka, he would have already thrown them into the sea to feed the fish. It’s a wonder that he tolerated them, and later even entrusted them with important tasks. It shows that Boss Gijinka had good judgment.
But it's undeniable that although they were often incompetent and bumbling, they were the most loyal to Boss Gijinka and Team Rocket. In this regard, Boss Gijinka's discernment was admirable.
"Damn it, we were so close! Since this is the case, we'll just take it directly!"
Musashi and Kojiro didn't care if these two were trading with them or with other members of Team Rocket. As long as they could snatch it and claim it as a victory.
Moreover, in an organization like Team Rocket, if they could cheat, they would cheat. Maybe they should even be thanked for saving the organization some money!
"Go, Arbok!"
"Koffing, use Smokescreen!!" Being discovered, they didn’t waste any time, immediately deciding to force their way through. They simultaneously threw their Poké Balls.
Two Pokémon appeared. Koffing immediately used Smokescreen, instantly engulfing the entire passageway in thick black smoke, engulfing Satoshi and the others.
"Damn it, Beedrill, use Twineedle!"
Seeing that Musashi and Kojiro not only deceived them, but also took the initiative to attack, the flat-headed man directly threw out his Poké Ball and gave a command.
The Poké Ball flashed with light. A pale purple Pokémon appeared in the air. Its wings were spread wide. Three antennae protruded from its head, the middle one being the longest. It had large round eyes and its mouth had two sharp fangs. Its overall appearance resembled a moth.
It flapped its wings, instantly generating a strong airflow that blew away the thick black smoke.