"No, I don't believe now is the best time to strike the League," Koga said, addressing Lt. Surge. "Precisely because the League just failed, they will be monitoring our every move with heightened scrutiny. Right now, they are like a startled bird—extremely vigilant. They've likely already drafted contingency plans."
"If we attack now, the League will fight back with every ounce of strength they have left. The losses would far outweigh the gains. My advice is to wait. Let the situation settle, and then we strike when they least expect it."
Koga paused, then added, "I suspect Boss Giovanni shares this thought; that's why he summoned us back to prepare the layout in advance."
"With Apollo in the dog house for causing such a mess, the three of us are currently the main force for the offensive. That's the real headache, because we don't know what Goodshow has up his sleeve. That old fox has built the League into a fortress. If we lose too much of our strength in this battle, it won't be easy for Boss Giovanni to keep the Four Generals in line afterward," Koga analyzed.
"Right. So if we detect anything abnormal, we pull our troops back immediately. No death-matches with the League," Surge nodded in agreement.
After Feng Che transmitted his intelligence back to Team Rocket, he received an order to remain on standby.
Staying in Goldenrod for a while longer, then, he thought. In that case, I might as well visit the local Bounty Hunter Guild. It's also a good chance to see if Farfetch'd can evolve into Sirfetch'd.
Feng Che remembered that Farfetch'd evolves after landing three critical hits in a single battle. Following the coordinates provided by the guild, he arrived at a farm on the outskirts of the city. The owner was a kind-looking old woman.
"The guild is located beneath this cellar," she whispered, leading him to a hidden trapdoor. "Take the elevator down. Don't talk too much; finish your business and leave. The atmosphere in Johto isn't great—hunters here have a habit of robbing each other."
Feng Che nodded. He was already wearing his smiley-face mask and black cloak. He swiped his hunter ID on the elevator's screen, and the doors slid open. After a minute of descending, the doors opened to a thick cloud of tobacco smoke.
Good grief, how much do these people smoke? Feng Che looked through the haze. The walls of the guild were stained a jaundiced yellow from years of nicotine.
"Look, a newcomer." "Looks like a rookie, Old Smoker. Want to team up and roll him?"
Feng Che heard their "whispers" and felt speechless. Discussing a robbery right in front of the target? He used his psychic power to create a thin barrier against the smoke and walked toward the massive scrolling mission board. One mission was pinned at the top in bold red letters:
Mission: Bug Forest CullingDescription: Heracross and Pinsir are overbreeding in the Bug Forest. Hunters are required to capture large quantities. Reward: Per head. Repeatable.
Bug Forest isn't far from Goldenrod. This is perfect, Feng Che thought. Heracross, being Bug/Fighting, is the ideal opponent for Farfetch'd's training.
The Bug Forest was a protected area where rangers hired trainers annually to prevent overbreeding from destroying the local ecosystem. He also saw an advertisement for the Azalea Town Bug-Catching Contest, where the grand prize was a rare Bug Crystal. Unlike Fire or Grass crystals, Bug Crystals only form when powerful insect Pokémon are buried deep underground upon death. They were highly coveted by elite Bug-type breeding families.
Feng Che accepted the culling mission and left the guild quickly.
"Go, follow him," a few hunters whispered, slipping out after him.
Feng Che sensed them immediately. Once outside, he used his psychic speed to vanish into the distance. This annoyed the pursuers.
"Dammit, Old Smoker! I told you to hurry up, now he's gone," a short, fat man complained to a man with yellowed teeth.
"Relax, Fatty. I have a way. Come out, Galarian Slowking!"
"Whoa, you actually have one of those?" a third, monkey-faced man exclaimed.
"I spent a fortune on him," Old Smoker bragged. "As a Psychic-type, finding one person is child's play. He used psychic power to leave; my Slowking can track the residual spatial coordinates. If we rob a psychic, we're going to hit the jackpot."
The Galarian Slowking began chanting an eerie mantra, performing a bizarre ritual dance to lock onto Feng Che's location. Moments later, it used Teleport, bringing the three hunters directly behind Feng Che.
"You guys are like leeches," Feng Che muttered, turning around to see the trio and the Slowking. A cold glint appeared in his eyes. "You like robbing people? Fine. I'll let you see what it's like to be cleaned out."
The Galarian Slowking was a strange sight. A purple-and-grey striped collar sat around its neck, and the Shellder on its head had grown large, covering its eyes like a mask. A green, gem-like growth sat atop the Shellder's head.
Galarian Slowking: Poison/Psychic, Green Potential, Level 43.
"Kid, hand over your Pokémon and treasures. We're only after the money," Old Smoker sneered, looking at Feng Che like a piece of meat on a cutting board.
"A Galarian Slowking... that'll fetch a nice price on the black market," Feng Che laughed. "Torracat, let's show them your new strength."
Since absorbing the Groudon scale and the Fire Divine Crystal, Torracat had undergone a massive power spike. It leaped from its ball like a red streak of lightning.
"Slowking, Venoshock!"
The Slowking raised its arms, spraying a pungent, acidic purple liquid. The toxic bolts hissed through the air, but Torracat dodged them with feline grace. Where the liquid hit the trees, the wood dissolved instantly into deep, charred holes.
"Torracat, Fake Out!"
Torracat's paws glowed with Dark energy. It blurred across the distance and slammed a heavy palm into the Slowking's head.
THWACK.
The Galarian Slowking was sent flying, crashing through several trees before slumping to the ground, out cold.