Pokemon: Gym Leader

A wild, piercing shriek cut through the air as a Moonblast streaked forward.

BOOM!

The deafening explosion sent an Arbok and a Victreebel flying backward, crashing into the walls. The shockwave was so intense that two Rocket Grunts standing behind them were also blasted off their feet, slamming onto the ground with twisted expressions of pain.

Especially the one on the left—his pants had torn from the impact, leaving his backside a bloody mess.

"Damn it!"

"This is an illegal attack on civilians!! Do you even care about the law?!"

The injured grunt glared at the three figures approaching them, immediately playing the victim.

"I'm calling the police! Not only did you break into our company, but you also attacked innocent people!"

"Just because you're strong, does that mean you can do whatever you want?! Officer Jenny will definitely bring you to justice!"

Another grunt quickly chimed in, his voice full of righteous anger.

"Oh?"

Dylan took slow, deliberate steps forward. Beside him, Roaring Moon exuded a fierce aura, while Flutter Mane floated eerily behind him, its blood-red eyes staring unnervingly at the two men.

"Sorry to break it to you, but yes—being strong does mean I can do whatever I want. Go ahead and call the police."

Dylan crouched down slightly, flashing a warm, almost gentle smile as his gaze shifted to the grunt's injured backside.

"You!" The Rocket Grunt was stunned. Even as a criminal, he had never seen someone so brazen!

"That fall looked pretty rough. You'll probably need to stay in the hospital for a few days. But really, why did you have to get in my way?"

Dylan sighed, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

He had been very polite when he first entered—he had even asked them nicely. But these two had immediately pulled out their Pokémon to fight him.

Dylan didn't want to bully the gatekeepers, but since they insisted on getting in his way, he had no choice.

The injured grunt's face turned pale with rage. I'm a Rocket member! Was I supposed to just let you walk in?!

But he didn't dare say it out loud. This black-clad young man was ridiculously strong… and he definitely wasn't a League official.

"You, help him up. The floor's dirty. Use some water to rinse his wound and apply some medicine—wouldn't want it to get infected," Dylan said to the other grunt, his voice calm and composed.

"...Oh… oh… okay…"

The chubby Rocket Grunt nodded instinctively and quickly helped his injured comrade up.

After some basic first aid, both men looked warily at Dylan.

"Alright, there are police officers waiting outside. Go turn yourselves in. Hand over your Poké Balls voluntarily—it'll help reduce your sentence. Got it?"

"...Oh… oh… okay…"

"And before you leave, tell me—where are the Rocket Executives?"

"Uh… um…"

"Hm? Think carefully before you answer. My Roaring Moon and Flutter Mane have terrible tempers."

Seeing Dylan's not-so-friendly smile—and feeling the menacing presence of his two Pokémon—the grunts gulped and took a step back.

"U-uh… Executive Archer and the others are in the basement!"

"Good. I appreciate people with common sense. If you're willing to turn over a new leaf, there's still a chance for you to live a proper life. You really shouldn't stay with Team Rocket."

"How much do they even pay you? Is it worth risking your life? The risks are way too high."

Dylan spoke with the sincerity of a concerned older brother, then waved them off toward the exit.

"We got it, bro! We'll work hard and turn our lives around!"

Glancing nervously at Roaring Moon, whose jaws were dripping with saliva, the two Rocket Grunts turned pale and sprinted for the door.

Even the injured one was suddenly able to run at full speed, despite his limp.

"Dylan, you really are such a good person!" Lillie looked at her brother with admiration.

"Tch~ You scared those guys half to death," Leah said with amusement. Classic Dylan.

"Let's go. Our old friends are waiting," Dylan chuckled, glancing at Leah and Lillie before heading for the basement.

As they descended, meanwhile, chaos had already broken out below.

—

"I can't teleport!"

Will released his Xatu to attempt an escape—only for his face to darken when the move failed.

Something was wrong.

Through the security monitors, they had already seen Dylan.

Despite the high concentration of Rocket Executives in the room, Archer and the others weren't foolish enough to confront him directly. Even if they all attacked together, they still might not be able to take him down.

So their plan was simple—have Sabrina and Will, both skilled in Psychic abilities, teleport everyone to safety.

But their escape route was blocked. Someone had placed anti-teleportation jammers around the building.

"Proton, you jinxed us! You really summoned Dylan here!"

Lt. Surge was losing it. He didn't even call Proton 'brother' this time.

Last time, he had barely escaped thanks to Giovanni. Was he about to get captured by Dylan again?

"Wait, wait, hold on! This isn't my fault!" Proton shouted, feeling more wronged than ever.

"I was just talking! There's obviously a traitor in Team Rocket who leaked our plans!"

He quickly tried to defend himself—only to realize that everyone was staring at him.

"...Why are you all looking at me? You think I'm the traitor?"

Proton was in shock.

"I've bled for Team Rocket! I'm loyal to the boss! I have a blood feud with Dylan! He's captured me twice!"

"I consider you all my brothers! Archer, say something!"

Proton looked at Archer, feeling completely betrayed.

"I believe you. But the real issue is—what do we do now?"

Archer did trust Proton. After all, he wasn't a good enough actor to fake his emotions.

"Sabrina, Koga?"

"I can't blow my cover. I'm leaving."

Sabrina said flatly. Lt. Surge was already exposed, but she and Koga weren't. If they could escape, they could still operate undercover.

"Later," Koga said simply—and bolted faster than Sabrina.

"Tch, I'm out too. This basement has plenty of exits—good luck to the rest of you."

Ariana grabbed Will and left immediately.

By the time Archer came to his senses…

The once-crowded meeting room was practically empty.

Wait, not entirely empty.

One more person had disappeared.

One of the Four Generals, Petrel, was also gone. When the hell did he leave?!

"Are you kidding me?! They all ran like cowards!"

Archer's face darkened. His so-called 'comrades' clearly believed in every man for himself.

"Forget it—we need to get out of here too!"

Gritting his teeth, Archer turned to Proton and the still-stunned Lt. Surge.

—

"Time for a game of hide and seek~"

Dylan stood at a three-way intersection in the underground complex, rubbing his chin.

Which path should he take?

"Lillie, which way do you think we should go?"

"Hmm~ Left?"

Lillie blinked her big, watery eyes and thought for a moment before pointing left.

No real reason—just a gut feeling.

"Alright. Flutter Mane, Roaring Moon, guard the exit. If anyone tries to leave, take them down."

Dylan gave the command.

"You guys take care of things here. I'll reward you when we get back."

With that, Dylan released Ogerpon, playfully pinching its round cheeks. Ogerpon let out a hoarse but oddly pleasant cry.

Behind Leah and Lillie, Meowscarada glanced at Ogerpon before rolling its eyes.

The group headed down the left path.

A few minutes later…

"Well, well. Looks like my luck is pretty good. Isn't this our old acquaintances?"

Dylan smiled as he spotted Will.

Will's face turned pale.

He was on his own.