LightReader

Chapter 17 - 17. Should I See It Or Not?

"Why is Team Rocket here? I don't remember them appearing in Viridian Forest in my previous life," Eddie thought as he stared at the Team Rocket members ahead.

Team Rocket was the most infamous evil organization in the Kanto region. In both his previous life and this game, every region had its underground organizations. Among them, Team Rocket was considered the most powerful.

Why? Their leader, Giovanni, was a peak Champion-level trainer, which spoke volumes about their strength. "It's way too early for me to be encountering them, especially on the first day of the game. What a challenge," Eddie muttered to himself.

He knew there would be plenty of large-scale missions and storyline missions involving Team Rocket in the future. Eddie was determined to participate in those, as the rewards were typically substantial. He wasn't particularly afraid of danger, as most missions against Team Rocket were either large-scale or storyline-related, usually requiring multiple players to complete.

But for now, he was alone. Based on the footprints he had seen earlier, there were at least 20 individuals in the opposing group. Even though he leveled up quickly and was stronger than most players, these weren't players. Anyone joining Team Rocket would at least be a Junior Trainer, which meant even their weakest members would pose a significant threat.

"Forget it. I'll just go around them. There's no mission anyway, so why should I bother with them?" Eddie decided. He didn't want to risk being seen and targeted. If Team Rocket decided to kill him, who would avenge him?

In "Pokémon Generations," the punishment for player deaths was lenient. After all, this was a relatively harmonious world where battles were fought through Pokémon. However, deaths could still occur due to wild Pokémon, other players, or, in rare cases, evil organizations. Depending on the situation, items could be dropped or Pokémon could run away. If captured by an evil organization, Pokémon could even be killed.

The game was surprisingly realistic in these aspects, and the presence of evil organizations added to its intensity.

Eddie decided to leave since he hadn't been seen, nor had he received a mission to deal with Team Rocket. He wasn't exactly the righteous type; in his previous life, he only fought Team Rocket for the mission rewards. Even now, if he were to receive a mission, he'd have to retreat temporarily—there were too many of them, and he wasn't strong enough yet.

"Hey, we've been searching for days and haven't found anything. Are you sure it's here?" one Rocket Grunt asked.

"It's not up to us to decide whether it's here or not. We're just following orders," another replied. "Even if we find it, what difference does it make? We're just a search team. All of us are Junior Trainers, and the captain is only Intermediate. The target's a divine beast."

"Are you stupid? We're only supposed to locate the target and report to the captain. I heard the captain just wants the organization's machine to record its energy fluctuations," the grunt added.

"It will be easier to find it in the future. The next step involves the Executive and the boss," one of the Team Rocket members said.

The two members seemed to assume there was no one else in the Viridian Forest. They didn't bother lowering their voices or paying attention to their surroundings, which allowed Eddie, hiding behind a large tree and preparing to leave, to hear every word of their conversation.

Once they walked away, Eddie stepped out from the tree's shadow. He was just about to leave, but their words gave him pause.

"If I heard correctly, they just mentioned a 'divine beast.'"

Eddie's expression turned solemn. Any mention of a divine beast was not something to take lightly.

"The three Legendary Birds and the two Psychic Legendary Beasts of the Kanto region are all well-known. None of the three birds would appear in Viridian Forest. As for the Legendary Beast created by Team Rocket, Mewtwo, it shouldn't have been created at this point in time."

"That leaves only one possibility. It wouldn't be surprising if a wandering Legendary Beast showed up in Viridian Forest."

Eddie considered the clues and came to a conclusion. "It has the genes of all Pokémon and can learn nearly all Pokémon moves. It's a Psychic Legendary Beast, known as the ancestor of all Pokémon—Mew!"

It was a simple deduction, but only someone like Eddie, with his knowledge as a reborn time traveler, could reach such a conclusion. Other players wouldn't even know what the Legendary Beasts were, let alone piece this together.

"Mewtwo was created using Mew's genes. If Team Rocket is searching for Mew now, it's likely for that purpose. I didn't expect them to be pursuing Mew even before the game began."

As a time traveler with insight into these events, Eddie immediately understood Team Rocket's objective.

"Mew... I'd really love to meet it. But doing so means going up against Team Rocket."

He hesitated, conflicted. "It would be a pity to miss the chance to encounter Mew. Opportunities to meet a Legendary Beast are so rare. And those Team Rocket members said they're just a search team—Junior Trainers, with their captain being only at the Intermediate level."

"I have 10 Rare Candies and the power of Viridian. Taking them on shouldn't be too difficult."

"But is it worth it to go against Team Rocket just for the chance to meet Mew?" Eddie wondered aloud, weighing his options. Encountering Mew would be rare enough, and with his buff that increased a Legendary Beast's favorability, it was tempting. Yet challenging Team Rocket at this stage was risky. If even one member escaped, it could bring disastrous consequences. Team Rocket was relentless when it came to their enemies, and Eddie knew his current strength wasn't enough to take on such a powerful organization.

While he wrestled with the decision, the game—or fate—intervened.

Ding!

"You have uncovered Team Rocket's actions and discerned their purpose, triggering a long-term hidden mission..."

More Chapters