Chapter 5. Is There Such a Shameless Way to Battle?
[ Ding! B-rank task issued—A Meowth That Can Talk. ]
Natsume ignored the system's voice.
After all, there would be plenty of chances to meet Team Rocket later.
He made a pull-up motion toward the Team Rocket trio, looking thoroughly honest and harmless.
"Ah, how did I get up here?
Just like this."
"I don't care who you are.
Don't ruin our plan—get down right now!"
"Go, Ekans!"
Without a wasted word, Jessie threw a Poké Ball.
In an instant, with a flash of red light, a purple serpent appeared inside the hot-air balloon, and the already cramped space grew even more crowded.
"Ekans!"
Ekans stared warily at the man cloaked in shadow before it.
"Ekans, use Wrap!"
At Jessie's command, Ekans hissed and was about to coil toward Natsume.
Just then, Natsume tossed a ball.
"Ah!? Don't battle in here, meow!
The hot-air balloon will explode, meow!"
Meowth yowled in fright.
However, contrary to expectations, the Poké Ball Natsume threw did not release a Pokémon.
It struck Ekans right on the head.
"Hiss—"
A red glow swept over, and Ekans was drawn into the Poké Ball.
Jessie: "????"
"Hey, who do you think you are?
Don't you know you can't catch other people's Pokémon!?"
Jessie shouted furiously at Natsume.
Sure enough, within five seconds, that Ekans burst out of the Poké Ball again and loomed before Natsume once more.
Its cold serpent eyes fixed on Natsume—only to be met by a second Poké Ball flying in right behind.
"Clack!"
A seamless follow-up.
Ekans was pulled back inside—hard control for five seconds.
Of course Natsume knew you can't catch someone else's Pokémon.
But that doesn't mean a Poké Ball is useless.
Hard control for five seconds.
Five seconds!
Jessie: "????"
"There's actually such a shameless way to battle—what a lesson, meow!"
"Meowth, what are you praising him for?
He's our enemy!"
Jessie was nearly losing it.
She only had Ekans with her right now.
If Natsume kept stalling like this, she'd have no way to deal with it.
"James, why are you spacing out?
Get in there!"
Jessie yelled at the slack-jawed James beside her.
"Ah—oh, oh."
James snapped back to himself and reached for his belt—only for Natsume to beat him to it.
"Ah, my Poké Ball!"
Natsume took James's Poké Ball.
"Ekans!"
"Clack!"
He casually pegged the struggling Ekans with another empty ball.
At this moment, Natsume stepped out of the shadows.
By moonlight, the Team Rocket trio stared at the blue-and-white striped pajamas he wore and went momentarily slack-faced.
"Is that… a psychiatric hospital uniform?"
Jessie muttered blankly.
"That's gotta be a psychiatric hospital uniform, meow?"
Meowth concluded.
Their chatter drifted to Natsume's ears, but he acted as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Those pajamas were indeed a psychiatric-ward lookalike he'd had custom-made.
Couldn't be helped.
This world might be peaceful, but there were way too many villain organizations.
Natsume figured he had to prepare more things that "intimidate people."
For example, the clothes on him now, and the brick he carried around—the same kind he'd given Ash earlier.
The power of the hospital uniform was tremendous.
The instant the Team Rocket trio saw it, they became more tentative.
They were up in the sky—mid-air.
If this guy suddenly had a fit, things would get bad.
Ignoring the jumpy trio, Natsume tossed yet another red-and-white ball at Ekans.
Then he opened James's Poké Ball.
"Come out, Koffing!"
"Koffing! Ko—!!??"
Koffing floated in the air, stared at the "trainer" before it, and fell into thought.
"Yes, that's right.
Your trainer has abandoned you."
Natsume kept a grave face.
"Koffing!?"
Koffing was just about to wilt when a strained voice sounded from behind.
"Kid, don't go too far!"
James lowered his voice, doing his utmost to rein in his emotions and avoid provoking the man before them.
Hearing James's voice, Koffing turned in a hurry, and the dejection in its eyes vanished without a trace.
It was just about to drift toward James when it felt someone press it down.
It was Natsume.
He held a jar and plugged one of Koffing's vents.
Soon, gray-black gas began to fill the jar.
Koffing tried to struggle, but James shot it a restrained look.
Very soon, Natsume had collected a full jar of gas.
Excellent.
Perfect!
Natsume reached into the night and grabbed his Rotom Phone in its flying mode.
Moments later, under the trio's dumbfounded gazes, Natsume "floated" up and away.
He quickly left the balloon and vanished from sight.
"Ekans—"
Ekans's cry sounded, but there was no more ball meeting it head-on.
"Return, Ekans."
Frowning, Jessie recalled Ekans.
"Could that guy be a ghost for real, meow?"
At the side, Meowth spoke with a shiver.
Shrouded by night, they couldn't see the Rotom Phone, and took it for Natsume just raising his hand and drifting off.
"Darn it.
I've never seen such a shameless ghost."
Jessie gnashed her teeth at the pile of empty red-and-white shells.
"No, I don't think so."
James's eyes sank as he spoke thoughtfully.
"He even knew the Pokémon in my ball was Koffing."
At that, Jessie and Meowth both froze.
"No way!"
"Meow, no way!"
"No way he's someone Boss Giovanni sent to inspect our work, right!?"
All three voices rang out in unison.
"Yeah, meow—now it all makes sense.
He even mentioned Boss Giovanni earlier, meow!"
Meowth clapped his paws and summed it up.
"Right.
Maybe he's watching us from some corner right now!"
James ventured.
"Maybe, maybe—and maybe he's livestreaming to Boss Giovanni!"
Jessie's excited voice piped up.
"If that's the case, then we really have to perform well on tonight's mission, meow!"
Meowth made the final summary.
"What are they cheering about?"
Below, catching faint sounds from overhead, Natsume looked up at the Meowth balloon.
He shrugged and paid it no more mind.
He didn't know why Team Rocket was happy.
But he knew he could bathe, change, light incense, and enjoy a happy ten-pull soon.
Very soon, brimming with excitement, Natsume returned to the Viridian City Pokémon Center.
The moment he stepped through the door, he saw Ash and Misty anxiously gathered around a stretcher.
On the stretcher lay a Pikachu with all four paws in the air.
Natsume raised an eyebrow slightly.
It seemed Ash and Misty had already explained what happened, and Pikachu had already been discharged.
"Don't worry.
Your Pikachu is out of danger.
Its consciousness is just a bit fuzzy right now."
Drawing closer, Natsume heard Nurse Joy's soothing voice.
Ash also noticed Natsume's arrival and couldn't help saying:
"Natsume, what were you doing just now!?"
Natsume pried open the dazed Pikachu's mouth and tugged out its tongue.
Mm.
Now it looked even more like a neutered kitten.
"Click!"
He snapped a photo as a keepsake, turned around, went upstairs, and returned to his room.
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