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Rainbow City stands as the second largest international city in the Kanto Region, trailing only behind Saffron City in terms of sheer size and scope. The urban sprawl stretches across vast districts, with towering skyscrapers reaching toward the clouds and streets bustling with endless streams of people and Pokemon.
While Rainbow City matches Saffron City in scale and grandeur, it lacks one crucial element that gives Saffron City its edge as the region's premier metropolis: the massive headquarters building of Silph Co. The presence of this corporate giant, with its cutting-edge technology and economic influence, propels Saffron City directly past Rainbow City to claim the title of Kanto's largest and most prosperous urban center.
However, if one were to remove Silph Co. from the equation entirely, Rainbow City would stand on equal footing with its rival. The city pulses with life and commerce, its prosperity evident in every gleaming office tower and crowded marketplace. The architecture speaks of ambition and growth, while the constant flow of traffic—both pedestrian and vehicular—creates a symphony of urban energy that never truly sleeps.
Eddie felt completely at home navigating through such a metropolitan environment. Whether in his previous life or in the world he now inhabited, the most successful cities across different regions all shared these same fundamental characteristics: towering buildings that scraped the sky, streets that never emptied, and an electric atmosphere of opportunity and ambition.
Of course, every prosperous city must possess its own unique attractions and specialties to draw visitors from across the region. Rainbow City certainly did not disappoint in this regard, boasting two particularly famous features that set it apart from other urban centers.
"The first attraction is the world-renowned perfume industry, where master craftsmen create top-quality fragrances using carefully cultivated flowers," Eddie mused as he soared through the sky atop his powerful Charizard, the wind rushing past his face as they approached the city limits. "The second is the infamous Game Corner, though many citizens view it with suspicion due to the presence of slot machines and other gambling devices within its walls."
Eddie's expression grew more thoughtful as he considered the deeper implications of these attractions. The perfume industry represented something far more sophisticated than simple commerce. The delicate fragrances were crafted from flowers that Erika, Rainbow City's Gym Leader, personally cultivated with meticulous care and attention. This practice served multiple purposes beyond mere profit—it allowed her to maintain a deep connection with nature itself, strengthening her bond with the Grass-type Pokemon under her care while simultaneously contributing to Rainbow City's economic development.
"She's definitely not an ordinary person," Eddie reflected with genuine admiration. "To balance the responsibilities of being a Gym Leader while also driving the city's commercial success requires exceptional skill and dedication."
However, when his thoughts turned to the Game Corner, Eddie's expression darkened considerably, and a bitter laugh escaped his lips. As someone who had experienced life in multiple worlds and possessed knowledge that others lacked, he understood exactly what lurked beneath the Game Corner's flashy exterior and seemingly innocent facade.
"Speaking of Team Rocket," Eddie muttered, his voice carrying a sharp edge, "it seems fate has a sense of humor today."
His keen eyes, trained from years of experience, caught sight of movement in the streets below. Two figures dressed in the distinctive black uniforms of Team Rocket were skulking through the crowds, their movements furtive and suspicious as they searched for something or someone with obvious urgency.
"Even if Team Rocket has established a secret base somewhere in Rainbow City, and even if Erika happens to be away at the moment, it's incredibly bold—or incredibly stupid—for you to wander the streets in full uniform like that," Eddie observed with a mixture of disbelief and amusement.
A new thought struck him suddenly, causing his eyes to narrow with sharp focus. "Wait a minute. Erika is currently absent from Rainbow City, and these Team Rocket grunts are clearly searching for something specific. Could they possibly be looking for her?"
The pieces began falling into place in Eddie's mind as he analyzed the situation from his aerial vantage point. While the timing didn't match certain patterns he expected, the circumstances themselves painted a very interesting picture indeed.
"The timeline might be off from what I anticipated, but the situation itself is undeniably intriguing," Eddie mused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as a plan began to form. "In that case, let's go down there and join the festivities. I was planning to take action anyway, so this presents the perfect opportunity."
Without hesitation, Eddie made his decision and directed Charizard to begin their descent toward the two unsuspecting Team Rocket operatives below.
Meanwhile, on the streets of Rainbow City, the two Team Rocket members continued their clandestine search, their frustration becoming increasingly evident with each passing moment.
"Hey, did you find anything on your side?" the first grunt called out to his partner, trying to keep his voice low while still being heard over the ambient city noise.
"Nothing at all," came the disappointed reply. "Rainbow City is absolutely massive—finding one specific person in a place this size is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
Both operatives paused in their search, the weight of their assignment pressing down on them. They had been combing through the city for several days now, with little to show for their efforts except sore feet and growing anxiety about reporting their lack of progress to their superiors.
"Look, I don't think this is going to be as simple as we originally thought," the first grunt said, wiping sweat from his brow. "We've been at this for days without any real leads. What do you say we take a short break?"
His partner glanced around nervously, clearly weighing the risks of taking unauthorized rest time against the very real need to recharge before continuing their futile search.
"Alright, fine," he agreed reluctantly. "But let's move over to that area of the park where there aren't any security cameras. If we're going to slack off, we need to make sure nobody can document it and report back to headquarters."
The two Team Rocket members made their way to a secluded corner of a nearby park, specifically choosing a spot that appeared to be in a surveillance blind spot. As they settled down for their impromptu break, one of them noticed something peculiar about their chosen location.
"Hey, is it just me, or is there no sunlight reaching this particular spot?" the first grunt asked, looking around with growing confusion. "The weather is clearly sunny everywhere else, but we seem to be sitting in some kind of shadow."
His partner's eyes widened as the implications of this observation began to dawn on him. "You're absolutely right. Why would there be a shadow here when there's nothing above us that should be blocking the sun? Unless..."
The terrible realization hit both operatives simultaneously. With growing dread, they slowly tilted their heads upward to see what might be casting such an unusual shadow over their resting spot.
The last thing either Team Rocket member saw before losing consciousness was the magnificent and terrifying sight of a fully-grown Charizard diving toward them from directly overhead, its massive form blotting out the sun as it prepared to make impact.
"These two certainly made my job easier than I expected," Eddie commented with genuine amusement as he surveyed the unconscious forms of the Team Rocket operatives. "They deliberately chose a location without security cameras, essentially doing half the work for me. I honestly wish more of my enemies were this accommodating."
Eddie had originally been formulating a plan to create some kind of distraction that would lure the two grunts to a more isolated location where he could confront them without witnesses. Instead, they had voluntarily walked directly into the perfect ambush site, making his infiltration plan almost laughably simple to execute.
Since the Team Rocket operatives had been so cooperative in facilitating their own capture, Eddie felt it would be ungrateful not to take full advantage of the opportunity they had inadvertently provided.
"While Team Rocket uniforms generally look rather sloppy and unprofessional, they're actually quite stylish compared to the outfits worn by criminal organizations in other regions," Eddie observed as he carefully removed the uniform from the grunt whose build most closely matched his own.
After ensuring the fit was acceptable, Eddie completed his disguise by donning the distinctive black baseball cap that served as a signature element of Team Rocket's standard uniform. The cap served the dual purpose of concealing his facial features while making him appear to be just another low-ranking member of the organization.
With Charizard safely returned to its Poke Ball and his disguise complete, Eddie set off toward a specific destination within Rainbow City, his stride confident and purposeful.
Meanwhile, somewhere on the outskirts of Rainbow City, a small expedition group was making steady progress along the main road leading back toward the urban center. The group consisted of several trainers, all dressed in practical outdoor gear suitable for extended field work.
"Miss, according to the latest report from our surveillance team, the target has just arrived in Rainbow City," announced a female trainer who served as the group's communications coordinator. She held a sophisticated monitoring device that displayed real-time intelligence gathered by their operatives stationed throughout the city.
The screen showed clear footage of Eddie riding his Charizard as they approached Rainbow City's airspace, confirming his arrival and general location within the metropolitan area.
"So he's finally here," responded a young woman dressed in an elegant traditional furisode, her voice carrying a mixture of anticipation and relief. "One of the potential allies that Misty specifically mentioned to me."
The woman studying Eddie's image on the monitor was none other than Erika, the renowned Gym Leader of Rainbow City. Her gentle smile and calm demeanor masked the sharp tactical mind that had been orchestrating a complex operation designed to draw Team Rocket out of hiding.
"I deliberately left Rainbow City to create the impression of vulnerability, hoping to lure Team Rocket into making bold moves that would expose their hidden operations," Erika explained to her companions. "For reasons I don't fully understand, they took the bait much more readily than I anticipated. This gives us the opportunity we've been waiting for, and his arrival couldn't be more perfectly timed."
Erika's urgency was understandable given the precarious nature of their situation. While she possessed considerable skill as both a trainer and a strategist, the forces at her disposal were limited in both number and overall strength. Her most powerful allies were Peak-level trainers, and even those were few in number.
Team Rocket, by contrast, had established a significant presence in Rainbow City over time. While they lacked a gym leader-level trainer among their ranks, they compensated for this weakness with a substantial number of Peak-level operatives and an extensive network of resources.
Although Erika was confident in her ability to handle most individual threats, the sheer number of enemies she faced, combined with her responsibility to protect her own people during combat operations, placed severe constraints on her tactical options.
In this context, the arrival of an elite-level trainer like Eddie—someone with a demonstrated ability to face gym leader-level opponents—represented a significant boost to their operational capabilities.
"Miss Erika, according to our intelligence sources, he..." the female trainer began, but her expression suggested she was struggling with how to deliver whatever news she had received.
The field expedition they were currently conducting served as cover for a much more serious operation. Erika had determined that Team Rocket had been operating with increasing boldness in Rainbow City, but their activities remained largely hidden whenever she was present in the city.
Recent days had brought a sudden change in Team Rocket's behavior patterns. For unknown reasons, many operatives had begun taking significant risks, exposing themselves to potential detection in ways that seemed almost desperate.
Through careful investigation, Erika and her team had discovered that Team Rocket appeared to be searching for something of critical importance—something valuable enough that they were willing to compromise their operational security to find it.
Erika had seized this opportunity by organizing what appeared to be a routine training expedition outside the city. In reality, she and her most trusted allies had maintained constant surveillance of Rainbow City from a distance, documenting Team Rocket's increasingly reckless activities.
The strategy had worked brilliantly. Within just a few days of Erika's apparent absence, Team Rocket operatives had emerged from hiding in unprecedented numbers, allowing Erika's team to identify multiple locations that likely served as hideouts or operational bases.
Now they were preparing to return to Rainbow City and launch a comprehensive operation to eliminate Team Rocket's presence once and for all. Eddie's arrival represented the final piece of the puzzle—additional firepower that could tip the scales decisively in their favor.
However, the female trainer's hesitation in delivering her report suggested that something unexpected had occurred.
"What's wrong?" Erika demanded, her patience beginning to wear thin as the urgency of their situation pressed upon her. "We need to move quickly. I want to meet with him immediately, and then we can begin our operation tomorrow as planned."
The female trainer took a deep breath before delivering her report. "Miss Erika, according to our surveillance team, the target knocked out two Team Rocket operatives, took one of their uniforms, and has now entered the Game Corner while disguised as a Team Rocket member."
Erika's initial reaction was stunned silence as she processed this unexpected development. Her expression quickly shifted to one of shock as the full implications became clear, but her experience as a Gym Leader allowed her to recover her composure rapidly.
"He infiltrated the Game Corner while wearing a Team Rocket uniform," she repeated slowly, her tactical mind already working through the new possibilities this created. "This suggests he was already aware of the Game Corner's true nature before arriving in the city."
While Eddie's independent action had certainly disrupted their carefully laid plans, Erika began to see potential advantages in the new situation.
"His behavior has completely changed our operational timeline," she continued, thinking aloud, "but if he's operating undercover from within their organization while we prepare to strike from outside, we might actually be able to achieve even better results than we originally planned."
The prospect of coordinating a simultaneous internal and external assault on Team Rocket's operations filled Erika with renewed energy and determination.
"Everyone!" she called out to her assembled team, her voice carrying clear authority and urgency. "Release your Pokemon immediately and prepare for rapid transport back to Rainbow City. We must reach the city before nightfall and be ready to launch our operation as soon as possible!"