On the outskirts of Viridian City.

  A middle-aged man with a buzz cut stood by the riverbank, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his impeccably tailored suit.

  Just by standing there, motionless, he radiated a suffocating aura of power and authority—the kind of pressure that made the heart skip a beat.

  Hmm... such terrifying destructive power. This certainly doesn't look like the work of an average trainer's Pokémon.

  Giovanni's eyes swept over the scarred earth, the scattered Fearow feathers, and the splintered trees. He looked up at the sky, where a faint rainbow still lingered, and a dangerous, intrigued smile pyed on his lips.

  "Ho-Oh... is this the 'Rainbow Hero' you've chosen? Interesting..."

  Not far from where he stood, a shadow condensed from the darkness, slowly taking shape.

  As one of Ho-Oh's messengers, Marshadow watched silently from the gloom.

  ...

  Wait... isn't this the 'True Protagonists' of the anime, the Team Rocket Trio?!

  Hakuya stopped in his tracks after being called over. He followed them into a secluded, shadowy alley, looking at the three shady figures before him with a twitching lip.

  A man with long blue hair, a woman with flowing red hair, and a weirdly bloated, short "cat-faced kid" were all staring at him with glittering eyes.

  In front of them was a makeshift stall covered in high-end gear.

  There was a Scope Lens that looked like oversized gsses, a glowing red Fme Orb, a foul-smelling lump of Bck Sludge, and ten silk-like ribbons—Focus Sashes.

  Wait... did these idiots steal all this stuff just to pawn it off for lunch money?

  Hakuya frowned as he remembered the "WANTED: Mysterious Thief Trio" poster he had seen at the entrance of the city.

  The resembnce wasn't just uncanny; it was a perfect match.

  However, even though he had seen through their disguises instantly, he didn't call Officer Jenny.

  Mainly because the items they were selling were exactly what he was looking for.

  "How much for these, 'Boss'?"

  Hakuya picked up one of the silk ribbons and asked.

  "Ah, you have an eye for quality, young man!"

  James, acting like a cssic sleazy salesman, rubbed his hands together and began his pitch.

  "This is a masterpiece crafted over decades by master artisans! The Focus Sash! If your Pokémon is at full health, it can survive any lethal blow with just 1 HP remaining..."

  He rambled on for ten minutes before finally holding up his fingers for a price.

  "Tell you what, if you really like them, I'll give you the whole set for just 250,000 Poke-Dolrs!"

  "Hmm..." Hakuya pursed his lips, looking conflicted as he picked up and put down the items. "They look good, but that's way too expensive. I only have 30,000 Poke-Dolrs on me. Can't you go lower?"

  To be fair, he wasn't lowballing them just for fun.

  Out of that 30,000, 10,000 came from Ash and 20,000 came from Misty. If he hadn't received those donations, he would have had to report these three on the spot just to cim the bounty from Officer Jenny.

  "Tch, I didn't think such a handsome hunk would be a total brokey," James whispered to his companions, turning his back to Hakuya. "We risked getting tossed in a cell by Officer Jenny to steal these, and he only offers 30k? That's an insult!"

  "That's true, but James, we are literally starving to death!" Jessie whispered back, her stomach growling. "If we don't eat tonight, we won't have the energy to finish the mission the Boss gave us... Besides, look at him. He's tall, handsome, and has those dreamy eyes. Maybe we could use this as a chance to get close to him, hehehe..."

  Jessie cupped her face, her eyes roaming over Hakuya's frame with btant, thirsty desire.

  "Hey, Musashi! Quit being a thirsty creep, meow!"

  Meowth jumped up and swiped his cws at her to snap her out of it.

  "OW OW OW!!!"

  "That really hurts! Meowth, you little brat, quit using Fury Swipes on my face!!!"

  After a brief, violent "private" meeting, the trio reached a consensus.

  "Fine! No problem! We'll take the 30,000!"

  James, acting as the spokesperson again, rubbed his hands together and turned back to Hakuya.

  They had tried to sell this stuff to dozens of people already, but everyone thought they were scammers. Finally, they had found a real customer, and they weren't about to let him walk away.

  Compared to some fancy battle items they couldn't even use, a stack of cold, hard cash was much more appetizing!

  "WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!"

  But just as James was fantasizing about the money, a sharp, aggressive barking echoed from the end of the alley.

  Crap! That's Jenny's Growlithe!

  The trio froze, sweat pouring down their faces in massive beads.

  Even with their disguises, they couldn't hide their scent from a Growlithe's nose. If they didn't run now, they'd be eating prison food by sunset.

  Realizing the danger, the trio didn't hesitate.

  Hakuya was just pulling the money out of his pocket when he saw the three of them sprint away, leaving the stall behind.

  "Wait, Boss! I haven't paid—"

  "Keep it, kid! It's on the house!"

  James grabbed Jessie—who was still trying to turn back and ask for Hakuya's number—and bolted. James and Meowth dragged the struggling, thirsty woman around the corner and vanished.

  Well... okay then. I'll pay you back if we meet again.

  Watching the trio flee for their lives from the approaching Officer Jenny, Hakuya shook his head and looked down at the items left behind.

  Talk about a productive shopping trip.

  Ten Focus Sashes, a Fme Orb, a lump of Bck Sludge, and a Scope Lens.

  Market price? Probably over 150,000 Poke-Dolrs. Total cost to him? Zero.

  Team Rocket really were some good-hearted people, weren't they?

  "Come on out, Milcery, Sprigatito."

  Milcery looked up obediently as her trainer tied a silk ribbon around her waist.

  The size and style were a perfect fit.

  After equipping Milcery with the Focus Sash, Hakuya handed the Scope Lens to a curious Sprigatito.

  "Alright. Tonight, we go back in and we bitch-sp that Contrary Rayquaza into next week!"

  "Nai~!" "Nya-ha!"