The young girl fell to her knees as hot tears ran down her cheeks. She started to wail with despair as the man dressed in black knelt down and picked up the Pokèball that she had dropped, using it to capture the injured Rattata that lays between the two. The small, rat-like Pokèmon had several tiny scratches and bite marks scattered across its frail body, and it had been rendered unconscious. "Please, don't take him away!" The girl cried, crawling towards her Pokèmon before it was turned to light and returned to the Pokèball. "He's my friend, don't take him away from me!" She continued to sob uncontrollably as the taller man laughed cruelly.
"Sorry kid, my hands are tied!" The man wore a brimmed hat that obscured the top half of his face. His black, long sleeved shirt had a large red "R" on the front and center. "I beat you in battle, so I've gotta take this little sucker back to base and break him into my team! I think he's gonna make a good little criminal..." he continued to chuckle to himself, tossing the stolen Pokèball playfully in his hands as he soaks up the sight of the crying girl. She couldn't have been anymore than eight years old.
"How can you be so mean?!" She shouted hatefully at the grunt. "I just wanted to play outside with Ratty! But you hurt him and took him..." the girl folded her arms and tried in vain to stop her shaking sobs. The grunt only continued to laugh.
"Quit whining, brat. Team Rocket does what it wants, when it wants, and there's nothin' you can do about it but sit there and cry!" The man in black laughed to himself, beginning to turn and walk away. Just as he did, though, he bumped clumsily into a wall and fell over onto the ground. "Ow... when did a wall get..." he mumbled under his breath for a moment before he looked up and saw what he hit. Instead of a wall, he saw a stranger standing above him. He looked to be around eighteen years old, and tall for his age. His face had strong, chiseled features that helped accentuate the stone cold glare he gave the man on the ground. The young man wore a dusty brown jacket with red streaks along the sleeves, a matching brimmed cap, and a pair of slightly worn jeans. The look in his eyes was like that of a wrathful eagle stalking its prey.
The Team Rocket Grunt stood up and dusted himself off, giving the stranger an annoyed, skeptical look. "You want something, punk?" He asked, stepping up to the man in an attempt to intimidate him. The act fell short, however, as the young man stood a head taller than the grunt, and more broad to match. The stranger gazed down at the grunt coldly.
"Give it back," he demanded, his voice deep and commanding. The grunt broke into a cold sweat and took a step back. He then started to chuckle.
"Heh, you want it back so bad?" The grunt asked, pulling out a Pokèball. "You're gonna have to battle m-" the grunt was suddenly interrupted as the stranger's closed fist hurtled directly into his nose, sending a wave of pain throughout his head and neck as his body flew backwards and onto the dirt. The young girl, who had previously been watching silently, cried out in fear and surprise as the grunt landed in front of her, his nose bleeding intensely. The grunt shouted in pain and anger as he began to stand up. "You broke my nose!" He screamed in a nasally voice. "Are you some kind of psycho?! Use your Pokèmon, you lunatic!"
"I don't need Pokèmon," the stranger stated, beginning to walk forward as he rubs the knuckles on his left hand. "Now give the girl her friend back, or your nose isn't the only thing that's gonna break."
The grunt gritted his teeth nervously as blood dripped from his face. He pulled out one of his Pokèballs, the device expanding to fit the grip of his hand. "I'm gonna show you how Team Rocket deals with punks like you..." he said to the stranger as he came closer and closer. The grunt threw the Pokèball upwards, causing it to open up with a small flash of light. From the flash, a small blue bat flapped its wings in the air, letting out a slight screech as it exposed its tiny fangs. "Zubat!" The grunt shouted at his Pokèmon, "Use bite! Show this madman how it's done!" The diminutive creature flew towards its target, opening its maw to bite into his flesh. It was caught off guard, however, as the stranger suddenly thrust out his hand and grabbed the bat's body, pinning its wings to its side and leaving it helpless in his hand. The Zubat screeched and squirmed furiously, but was completely powerless while it was held. The stranger looked down at the small animal and sighed.
"I wonder how long it took them to break your spirit," The man said to the bat, a hint of sorrow in his eyes. He shook his head. The stranger took a step forward, raising the bat up in his hand and lifting his leg. He then proceeded to swing his hand forward, throwing the small creature like a professional baseball player would throw a fastball. The bat's frightened screeches faded as it was launched into the nearby woods, slowly regaining its posture as it sailed through the air. Before long, the Zubat began to fly away from the battle, realizing that it was out of range of its former master's Pokèball and was now free to escape.
The Team Rocket Grunt's jaw dropped, a completely shocked expression frozen on his face as if he were suddenly turned into a statue. Before he even realized it, the Grunt was faced with the strange young man, who now glared down at the Grunt. Slowly and shakily, the defeated member of Team Rocket pulled out the young girl's stolen Pokèball, tossing it behind him. The girl gasped and ran up to it, taking it and releasing her Rattata out into the open. The ratlike creature was still wounded from its previous battle, but was now conscious. The young girl lifted it up and held it in her arms, smiling happily. "Ratty! I thought I'd never see you again..." The small creature nuzzled up gently against her and whimpered lightly.
The stranger placed a firm hand on the Grunt's shoulder, causing the Team Rocket member to start shaking fearfully. "Tell your boss," the stranger said, leaning in closer than was comfortable, "that I'm coming for him. I'm going to beat down every single member of Team Rocket, and I'm going to tear this organization down by its foundations. I promise you that." The stranger gave the grunt a light shove, and the Pokémon thief takes a few timid steps back before making a breakneck sprint into the nearby foliage, soon disappearing into the woods.
The stranger began walking down the path, past the young girl he helped. She stood up, cradling her Rattata. "U-Um, Thank you!" She said as he passed by. "What's your name?" The stranger stopped in his tracks and turned to the girl. His fierce glare was replaced with a neutral, slightly amicable look. He then gave a small shrug.
"My name is Hunter Grey," he declared. "If you ever need a Team Rocket thug kicked down to the curb, I'm your guy."
