Creation began on 07-17-20
Creation ended on 07-18-20
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Team Rocket's shortcomings
A/N: What Team Rocket thought of Shinji every time they met him and got sent blasting off by his Pokémon.
In the Kalos Region
"…Say, if we're here in the Kalos Region," said Meowth to Jessie and James as they were in their hot air balloon at night over Lumiose City, "what do you suppose are the chances that other guy with the Eevee are over in Unova?"
Gasp! Jessie and James shuddered at this question; they were reminded of the last dozen times they had ever met that Pokémon Trainer that made the twerp with the Pikachu seem like a Magikarp compared to his Gyarados.
"Please, don't jinx us!" James told him. "The last time we got sent blasting off, I was wishing not to see him again. He makes the twerps pale in comparison to what he is capable of."
"His Eevee, his Charizard, even his Gyarados," Jessie added, "they were all too powerful to face. Remember when he was in Johto while the twerps were in Hoenn?"
-x-
Johto encounter
It was sometime after being sent blasting off by Ash and his Pikachu, that they always managed to get sent crashing somewhere in Johto, and right in front of Shinji Ikari, his Eevee and this otaku named Kensuke Aida.
"Ahh… That twerp and his Pikachu," Jessie complained as they climbed out of the crater they made. "Why can't we ever get a win?"
"You three again?" They heard the voice of Shinji say as they saw said Pokémon Trainer and his Eevee. "Still up to no good?"
Meowth, due to his past experience against the Eevee, had to suspect that it was in the same boat as the twerp's Pikachu; both were considerably powerful, despite being unevolved. If they couldn't get the Pikachu, they could at least offer their boss a battle-tested Eevee and suggest evolving it into something that would be stronger than it was already. An Eevee that knew Swift, Take Down, Iron Tail and Body Slam (unless it gave up one of those moves in exchange for Protect or Detect) was a powerful bet that it was at high level. And what was more, the other Pokémon the kid had been training were just as strong, as well.
"You!" Jessie realized and quickly got up and called out her Serviper. "Surrender your Pokémon! You're no match for the glory of Team Rocket!"
"That's right!" James added in, releasing his Cacnea. "You're no match for…"
"Misato, use Swift," Shinji had said, annoyed by them.
"Eee!" The Eevee responded, jumping into the air and swishing her tail, releasing energy stars toward Team Rocket as Kensuke filmed the scene.
BLAST! Team Rocket was sent blasting off again.
"We're blasting off again!" They groaned.
"Wobbu, wob!" They heard Wobbuffet cry.
-x-
"…Don't forget that one time when they were in Hoenn and we were in Sinnoh," James told Meowth. "They were on their way to Lavaridge Town."
"That day his Psyduck evolved into Golduck?" Jessie asked.
"Yeah. We stood no chance."
-x-
Hoenn castoff
Crash! They had crashed down the path to Lavaridge Town and the teenage trainer, encountering them shorty after being defeated by the twerps again while in Hearthome City.
"That twerp!" Jessie groaned as they revived quickly and saw Shinji and his Eevee again. "The universe always provide!"
"Yeah, and manages to extend my headache that my Psyduck has granted me for some time," Shinji expressed.
"Psy?" The Psyduck he was training responded; it had been working hard with Shinji to get rid of its headaches and tap into its psychic powers at will, no longer requiring them to be severe.
"Team Rocket will finally capture your Eevee!" Meowth declared, brandishing his claws.
FLASH! The Psyduck glowed brightly and evolved into Golduck.
"Golduck!" It expressed, feeling stronger than ever.
The next thing they knew, Shinji's newly-evolved Golduck unleashed its psychic powers upon them and sent them blasting off again.
"We didn't even do anything!" They whined as they were sent back to Sinnoh.
"Wobbu, wob!" Wobbuffet agreed with them.
-x-
"It's not like he's got luck on his side," Meowth insisted.
"Meowth, I've done my homework on this guy, and he's more untouchable than the twerps are," James told him. "Shinji Ikari, a transient resident of Pallet Town in the Kanto Region, battled in the Indigo Plateau Conference and got third place, battled in the Silver Conference in Johto the year after and got second place, and when he visited Hoenn a year later, he came in second place at the Pokémon League over there. It isn't just the fact that he came closer to winning the previous Pokémon Leagues, it's the fact that he has caught a lot of Pokémon that most people only dream of having. This kid has Legendary Pokémon up the entrance to Mt. Moon. I mean, Pokémon we could never bring to the boss, even if we tried. You remember that one time…"
"I'd rather not," Jessie declared, not wanting to reflect upon any time they had faced Pokémon besides the guy's Eevee or lesser Pokémon.
She'd rather not think about the fact that he had a Moltres, Mewtwo, Entei or even a Tyranitar. He was no twerp, but he was dangerous to face…and unable to beat. If there ever came a day where he and their boss would have a battle, there was no guess on who would prevail. No, Shinji Ikari was no twerp when it came to facing them. He was an unconquerable threat they were better off avoiding altogether.
"What did your homework say about the last Pokémon League he participated in?" She asked James, wanting to know.
"Sinnoh," he uttered, "at the Lily of the Valley Conference. He won."
"He won?" Meowth questioned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, he won. As in, he won the whole Sinnoh League. The preliminaries, the Elite Four, the previous champion, that kid aced it all."
"Huh?" Jessie and Meowth couldn't believe their ears.
"I pray we never blast off to wherever he is, powerful Pokémon or no powerful Pokémon. I practically have nightmares of where I have to run my legs off from his Eevee."
In truth, all three could agree in silence that Shinji Ikari was someone they didn't want to face for as long as they were members of Team Rocket. They could live with chasing after the twerps for Pikachu, but against the teen with the Eevee and other powerful Pokémon that he must've run himself ragged to improve was a fool's errand. They knew their limitations and drew the line when it came to him; if they so much as heard a rumor of his next destination, they were to flee like cowardly Rattata.
"How'd someone like him get to be so powerful, anyway?" Jessie wondered.
"Unlike us?" James responded. "Hard work. He doesn't slack off or looks for the easy way out. He faces the challenge head-on."
"Meowth, that's right," Meowth agreed, and they all groaned.
To be continued…
A/N: Imagine Team Rocket facing Shinji and Kensuke almost as much as Ash and co. do each time they get blasted off, and their encounters would barely last more five minutes because Shinji is stronger than most beginners…and he's no longer a beginner. He's someone they're afraid of because they never know which Pokémon he has on him or how to face him. What did you think of their reactions to him?