"Hahaha! These brats were way too easy to fool! Can't believe we got away with their Pokémon this easily!"
In the forest outside the campgrounds, the three "chefs" were grinning from ear to ear as they pushed their cart full of Poké Balls.
"It's not that the kids were dumb," Meowth bragged smugly, "It's that I, the evil genius Meowth, was just too smart!"
"You did great, Meowth," James praised, "We may not have gotten every camper's Pokémon, but we've already made quite the haul."
Jessie added with a smirk, "There are too many League patrols stationed at this camp. If we got caught, we'd be in serious trouble."
"So let's call it a day and pull out now. As for the boss's special request to capture that brat named Ash—he's from Pallet Town, right?"
"Then we'll just wait until camp ends. Afterward, we'll sneak into Pallet Town and take him then."
"OK~"
"Agreed."
At this point in time, the canonical storyline hadn't officially started, so this trio—Jessie, James, and Meowth—hadn't yet been nerfed by Ash's protagonist aura or the world's plot armor. Their current plan and execution were, frankly, worthy of being called an elite team under Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket.
"Pelipper, come on!!"
Jessie raised her arm to the sky, activating the transmitter bracelet on her wrist. A signal pinged out into the air.
"Peliiiii—pper!!"
Right on cue, a Pelipper that had been circling in the clouds above the mountain camp folded its wings and dived down like a fighter jet.
As the Pelipper descended, Jessie and Meowth quickly shoved the bag filled with Poké Balls into its massive beak.
"Pelipper, thanks for your hard work. Take this batch of Pokémon straight back to the Viridian Base," James said softly, giving the big bird a gentle pat on the head.
"Perrrr!!"
Pelipper nodded with a low chirp, flapped its wide wings, and with a powerful gust of wind, shot back up into the sky, vanishing behind the clouds in the blink of an eye.
"Our most important loot is secured and on its way. Now it's time for us to retreat."
"Roger that—"
"Meowth Balloon, launch!"
From a trapdoor hidden beneath some thick bushes, the top of a familiar hot air balloon—shaped like Meowth's head—popped up, pushing through the fake foliage and slowly inflating.
The trio quickly leapt into the basket, ready for their escape.
But just then—
Ash and the others burst through the forest, having tracked them using Aura.
"Stop right there! Who are you three, really?! Return everyone's Poké Balls!" Ash shouted, brushing aside the branches and glaring up at the rising balloon.
"Oh ho ho ho…"
"If you're so sincerely asking, then I guess we can't refuse to answer~"
Jessie giggled, hiding her mouth with her hand as her voice echoed like a Dodrio's cry from the slowly rising hot air balloon.
With a swift pull of their sleeves, the three chefs shed their white coats in one motion, revealing silver uniforms emblazoned with a bold red R.
Ash's eyes widened as the final piece clicked into place.
So they were the ones who infiltrated the camp and stole the Pokémon—Team Rocket.
And not just any grunts. The infamous trio.
"I didn't expect to meet them so soon," Ash thought, his mind racing.
"Could this be a butterfly effect from my transmigration? If this alters the original plot too much, I'll lose the advantage of knowing what's coming…"
Floating above in their Meowth Balloon, the trio began their dramatic performance.
"If you're asking us sincerely—"
"Then we shall mercifully answer!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
(Together): "Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light! Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!" Although he only had one line, Meowth, perched excitedly on the edge of the basket, delivered it with gusto.
"Ah!! Team Rocket!"
"It's actually Team Rocket!"
"Oh no…"
"Wait, what does Team Rocket do? Are they thieves who specialize in stealing Pokémon?" One camper, after the initial shock, asked the person next to him with a clueless expression.
"You damned brats! We are the evil Team Rocket, not mere Pokémon thieves! Don't compare us to such low-level scum!" Jessie, her purple-red hair stiff with hairspray, roared in fury.
"That's right! We, Team Rocket, are a wicked organization that commits all sorts of evil deeds! Hey, brats, interested in joining Team Rocket?" The blue-haired, handsome-faced James next to her shouted arrogantly.
"What nonsense is this 'Team Rocket'? You're nothing but a bunch of foolish thieves! Hurry up and return everyone's Pokémon!" Gary, standing beside Ash, retorted righteously.
"Ohoho..."
"Your Pokémon have already been sent to our headquarters by Pelipper. You'll never see them again~ Meowth!"
"This batch of Pokémon will become starter Pokémon for our new Team Rocket recruits. The only way to get your Pokémon back is to join Team Rocket~ Meowth!!" Leaning over the edge of the steadily rising balloon basket, Meowth taunted arrogantly.
"Team Rocket already sent the Poké Balls ahead? Is that true, or are they lying? No, judging by their smugness, it's probably true."
"But in the original series, this Rocket trio were a bunch of bumbling fools. How did their IQ get so high? Also, wasn't Pelipper introduced much later?"
"It seems the original plot can only serve as a reference, not be fully trusted. Also, as an elite squad directly under Giovanni in the evil Team Rocket organization, this trio clearly aren't just comedic relief characters who exist to fail and provide assists."
"This is a real world, after all!!" Watching the trio in their Meowth balloon, Ash suddenly felt a sense of awakening.
"If you've already sent the Pokémon away, then there's nothing more to discuss."
"Froakie, use Water Pulse on that Meowth balloon! Knock them down!" Having snapped back to reality, Ash didn't hold back and immediately issued an attack command to Froakie.
"Froa— (Got it!)" Froakie, who had been sitting on Ash's shoulder outside its Poké Ball, leaped into the air the moment it received the order. It held its hands at its sides as if charging a Kamehameha, rapidly gathering a sphere of shimmering blue energy between its palms.
"You damned brat! Attacking while we're still talking? But aren't you underestimating us a bit too much?" Jessie fumed, then promptly sent out her own Pokémon.
"Arbok, teach this brat a harsh lesson!"
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