Forging Champions

by BlackAbsol444

When you wake up in the world of Pokemon with all your save progress from every Pokemon game you played with, what do you do then? You are already wealthy, have powerful Pokemon, and have more rare items than you know what to do with. You might as well see the world at that point. And maybe train some trainers into champions along the way. Somebody has to do that job. Just not me.

11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the properties within this story. All rights go to the creators and companies of said properties.

Beta by Slothful, Demonoid, and Old man of the mountain

Chapter 11: Recuse Plans

{Adam's P.O.V.}

"Fuck." After hearing Gloria's story about her encounter with shape-shifting Eevee, it was the only thing I could say. Why is there a Vee here? Is Giovanni trying to start up Team Rocket again? Or is it a Charon situation where someone else took the reins as leader? Or could it be a rogue scientist acting on their agenda? Or it could be someone with no relation to Team Rocket who simply stole or bought the information necessary to recreate a supercharged Vee.

"Are you okay, Adam?" Irida asks, her voice full of concern.

I let out a sigh and ran a hand through my hair. "Yeah. I was just expecting a potential run-in with Team Rocket."

"Team Rocket? Are they similar to the Galaxy Team?" Irida turns to the rest of the group. "Do you know what Team Rocket is?" Marnie and Gloria give a simple 'no,' but Sonia's complexion turns a few shades whiter.

"Team Rocket?! Are you saying Team Rocket is here in Galar?!" Sonia keeps her voice down, asking her question in a harsh whisper.

"Not necessarily. However, one of Team Rocket's handy works was an Eevee that could change between Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Flareon, so they are the most likely suspects." I answered.

"Is someone going to tell the rest of us who Team Rocket is?" Marnie spoke up. "How bad could a group be if they go by the name Team Rocket? It sounds like something I would hear from a children's educational TV show teaching them about space."

I share a look with Sonia before she nods at me, signaling me to continue.

"Team Rocket is a criminal organization founded in Kanto. I get why you guys wouldn't know since they have no branches or any sort of influence here in the Galar region. They are well-known for stealing peoples' Pokemon and selling them off through the black market or as prizes in their casinos." I explained to them.

"That isn't all they did," Sonia said. "Weapon trafficking, drugs, blackmail, kidnapping, embezzlement, and prostitution." Sonia listed off. "There are rumors about how Team Rocket filled their prostitution rings with trainers they encountered. And those weren't the only rumors I heard. There are rumors about them making films of illegal Pokemon death fights and pornography. Or how Team Rocket would harvest the organs of people who failed to pay their loans. However, the worst rumor is that Team Rocket would kill anyone who tried interfering with their business. I even heard a rumor saying a police officer lost his entire family, parents, siblings, wife, and child, to send a message. Their name might sound silly, but they were dangerous. Even now, the police have never captured their leader and founder."

"Dear Sinnoh," Irida mutters, her eyes wide in horror, with Marnie and Gloria not being much different. Then again, I must admit to being surprised by their level of criminal activity. I guess Team Rocket is truly living up to the mobster image they held.

"The terrifying thing was who their leader was. Giovanni. Not only was Giovanni one of Kanto's eight Gym Leaders, but he was their strongest, too. There were even talks about making him into one of the Elite Four." she shook her head solemnly. Giovanni did make himself look friendly and approachable. His manga version, even more so.

" So you can imagine the PR nightmare Kanto's Pokemon League faced after Giovanni's secret life was exposed. Many people demanded the League revoke the remaining Gym Leaders from their positions because they believed one of them had to know what Giovanni was doing behind the scenes. There were even rumors about the remaining Kanto Gym Leaders being a part of Team Rocket, though the police never discovered any evidence to support those claims. Even now, other regions tend not to get too close to the Gym Leaders of Kanto." Sonia said, her nerves calming down. "The police were spared any backlash either when the truth about how a ten-year-old managed to stop an entire criminal organization by himself. Sure, the child is legendary trainer Red, but hearing a child being the one to end Team Rocket's rain wasn't a good image for Kanto's police force."

The silence was deafening. An entire organization that took one of the most famous pokemon trainers to stop where none else could even hinder their operations existed. And now they are learning that maybe one of their projects being here might give them something to be afraid of.

"Adam." Gloria's voice was barely above a whisper, yet the trembling in her voice was louder than a Loudreds screech." You said the Eevee I encountered was one of Team Rocket's handy works. What exactly do you mean?" Gloria asks, but I sense she already knows part of the answer.

"There was one more thing Team Rocket has done. They did work on Pokemon genetics and cloning." I answered Sonia

"Cloning?" Irida said.

"Cloning is the process of making a copy of a person. The best way I can explain it would be for someone like you or me to act as if we are like Almighty Sinnoh and create life through a means other than the natural way."

Irida let out a gasp, slamming her hands onto the table. "How can someone think they could act like a god?! The very idea of doing such a thing is- I can't even put it into words!"

"And you're not the only one with such options," Sonia said. "Many people are against reviving fossil Pokemon since it goes against nature. Many activists use former scientist Cara Liss as an example of a human playing god with how she mixed and matched fossil Pokemon."

"Back to the subject at hand." I prevented the digression "Team Rocket used cloning for two reasons. The first is to clone rare and powerful Pokemon to sell or to give to their members to strengthen their power. The second was to create a new Pokemon. Using the DNA of what many believed to be the origin of all pokemon, Mew, they attempted to create the ultimate lifeform and thus created Mewtwo." I felt a shudder run through my body at the thought of that monster.

"Mewtwo?" What? Do none of them know about Mewtwo? I suppose it is possible. Mewtwo was powerful enough to erase everyone's memory of him in the first Pokemon movie, so it is reasonable only certain people knew of Mewtwo's existence.

I nodded but couldn't keep the sweat off my brow. "Mewtwo was supposed to be a pokemon that would bend to the whims of Team rocket and usher in an age where they could conquer all. But a simple copy of mew wouldn't do it. While Mew holds immense psychic power, it is a childish and playful Pokemon by nature and would rather spend its days playing around."

The image of what is considered Kanto's greatest legendary popped into his head. Powerful, but carefree, it was a simple child despite its age. Then came Mewtwo, in every way the opposite of what Mew was, but tragically because it was looking for its purpose beyond what it was made for.

"As you can imagine, such a Pokemon isn't ideal for a group that plans to take over the world. However, they can't simply ignore the potential of Mew's power, so they decided to use the DNA they found to make a whole new Pokemon—and the perfect weapon for Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni." I pulled some drinks from my [Bag, handing each girl a bottle. Some tea for the nerves people are getting now. "However, they couldn't waste their only sample, and they needed to understand Pokemon genetics and how to manipulate them to create their perfect bioweapon, so they decided to use other Pokemon as test subjects. What Pokemon they wanted to clone was an easy decision since most people want a starter or rare and powerful Pokemon like Dratini, Kanto's only Dragon-type Pokemon, so they only needed to figure out a Pokemon with enough genetic diversity to experiment. And they had the perfect option."

"Eevee," Gloria answered. Her body was shaking at the revelation as the girls sans Sonia were piecing it together.

"Yes. There are Pokemon with branching evolution, but none have the sheer amount that Eevee has. Researchers say Eevee has so many different evolutions because of its ability to adapt to its environment. So, Team Rocket captured and used an Eevee, and through a series of painful experiments, they managed to create the first Pokemon that could shift between its evolutions." I took a sip for my drink. "They also used what they learned from Eevee's suffering to figure out how to fuse Kanto's Legendary Birds into one Pokemon. Thankfully, Red and Blue managed to stop them before it could cause too much damage."

"That's horrible," Gloria whispers, clinching the bottle.

"Indeed, but now we must figure out our next move forward." I let out a tense breath of air.

"What options are there? We should be going to the police. It's not even a question. At least something of this magnitude isn't going to be brushed off." Sonia said.

"And what about proof? Barely a minute ago until Adam went serious, not even you believed it." Marnie argued. "Now taking this to the police without anything but our word will just get us laughed out the door at best."

"What other option do we have? I only know about Team Rocket due to the fact that their crimes against humanity were made known to me when communicating with the other professor's via online calls and emails. I could call Leon but he would take too long to get here. We are only a group of 4 without our Pokemon helping us." Sonia countered.

"No. But how are we going to get people to take us seriously?" Marnie argued back. "Maybe we should look for the Eevee. It hasn't been that long and if we can bring it, we could see the police, and they would have no choice but to listen to us."

"And risk meeting up with Team Rocket? That's a terrible idea."

"It's better than us going to the police without any evidence. And if we all go together, then everything should be safe." Marnie suggests.

"Marnie, we are talking about a criminal group. They won't challenge us to a Pokemon Battle if we encounter them. They will send their Pokemon to attack us." Sonia counters. "They may also install a tracker in the Eevee, so they are more likely to find the Eevee before us."

"I think Marnie is right. Our only option is to do something ourselves." Gloria spoke up. "Like Marnie said, nobody will believe us without any proof. And what better proof than the Eevee itself?"

"Gloria, I know you want to help that poor Pokemon, but you must realize the situation. This situation isn't like it was with Ogerpon. This time, we're talking about a hardened criminal organization."

Her eyes softened as she spoke.

"I don't want anything to happen to you." Sonia admits.

"I know, Big Sis Sonia. And I don't want anything to happen to you either. But I can't just walk away after hearing everything just now. I can't ignore a Pokemon that needs our help." Gloria said with a smile that would normally lift anyone's spirits tilting her head in my direction. "And I doubt Adam would sit by and do nothing if things get too dangerous."

I chuckle as I playfully rub Gloria's head. "Yeah. What kind of teacher would I be if I watched my cute students get hurt by some chumps that even a kid could beat?" Gloria lightly slapped my hand away from her head. Her cheeks flushed, but she gave me a bright smile. It's good to see Gloria returning to her happy self. "Though, I'm betting Ogerpon will break the guy's knees before I even get a chance."

"PON!" Ogerpon seems to agree with me, swinging her spiked club around. I would feel bad for the guy if he wasn't a criminal who committed such terrible atrocities on a Pokemon.

"But Gloria said when she used a Pokeball, it failed to capture, right?" Irida said.

"Yes. Most modern Pokeballs prevent people from capturing someone else's Pokemon, another problem we must deal with." Sonia sighs. "Because even if we managed to bring Eevee to the police, the criminal could say we stole his Pokemon. While it would be hard to explain something like claiming that he received the Eevee through trade or as a gift and used Eevee's Pokeball to prove it. Even if we were on to something for any authorities to go off of, they would just need to stall in order to get the eevee out of there and no one would know. As long as the trainer is holding onto it, we're the most likely to end up running into more trouble down the road and place targets on our backs."

"Relax Sonia" I start moving with Ogrepon towards the RV. "I have a few ways for us to deal with any problems that come our way, though I can't show it here. Give me some time to get it ready." I look back at Gloria. " In the meantime,I want you to get your Pokemon healed up. Best to always have them ready and in full health. We'll meet back at the RV after maybe an hour, give or take another." The four girls nod in agreement.

After leaving the Pokemon Center and reaching the outskirts of Turffield, I pulled out several Flying-Type Pokemon from my [PC]. If it worked for Ash, it would work for me.

My bird army took to the sky after telling them to keep an eye out for a shape-shifting Eevee or someone in a lab coat or wearing an outfit with a large red R. Hopefully, this guy is like any other bad guy in Pokemon and is an idiot.

Though I doubt he will top the likes of Maxie and Archie, who failed to match colors.

Imagine failing your grand plan because you picked the wrong color orb, almost causing the world to end. That would be the most embarrassing genocide in history. However, Rose is giving them a run for their money.

I searched through my [Bag] before finding what I wanted. I thought I would never need this, but I should be happy to have it at a time like this. Let's just hope it fits Gloria's arm.

{Gloria's P.O.V.}

"Thank you for waiting. Your Pokemon are all better." Nurse Joy said, holding a tray with my Pokeballs on it.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," I said, taking my Pokemon from the pink-haired nurse.

"It's no problem. I hope we see you again soon." Nurse Joy cheerfully said while the Indeedee gave a happy growl.

"Are you ready to head back to the RV, Gloria?" Sonia asks me.

"Yeah. But what do you think Adam's plan is?" I can't think of anything besides stealing or destroying the original Pokeball, and those already raise a lot of concerns.

"I don't know, but knowing Adam at this point, I wouldn't be surprised by anything." Sonia chuckles. "I probably wouldn't blink twice if Adam says he is from another dimension."

I couldn't help but laugh. "It would probably make things so much better if Adam was an alien. Maybe then he will start making sense about what he could do."

Sonia rolled her eyes but smiled. "I doubt even that would explain Adam. If I had met Adam sooner, I would have made my research paper about him instead of The Darkest Day. The guy might as well be a wonder of the world."

Marnie and Irida were waiting by the door, where Marnie was showing Irida how to use her new Rotom Phone.

"How could you afford all of Irida's clothes and the phone? Didn't you say you don't make a lot of money being an assistant?"

"Grandma Magnolia sent me some money to buy everything for Irida. Of course, in exchange, Irida has to answer some questions about her culture and what kind of Pokemon lived during Irida's period. Grandma and I agree that she's getting a bargain by buying a couple of sets of clothes and a phone for a first-witness account of life during the founding of Sinnoh. And I can't argue against her on that. So much history that was lost to the world and now we can finally get straight answers from the source instead of theorizing. " Sonia said.

"So Grandma Maggie gave Irida a whole wardrobe and a phone, but she gave me books for my birthday. Talk about fair." Gloria puffs her cheeks and looks away but from the expression on her face, she's enjoying this more than jealousy.

Sonia rolled her eyes at me. "You begged her for those books, remember?"

"Yeah. But I couldn't resist making a joke." I smirked. "Hey, Marnie. What are you showing to Irida?"

"Nothing much. Just helping Irida set up her PTO account." Marnie said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I don't know if Irida is ready for the internet yet." I said. "Irida could get scammed quite easily." And among other things.

"Don't worry. She's still learning the basics of it all and I'm childproofing her phone for the moment so Irida doesn't do anything yet."

In the background, Irida could be heard asking what "childproofing" is.

"Also, she doesn't have a credit card or any personal information scammers could use without sounding completely bonkers. Think about it. It's a funny mental image to picture a scammer asking for Irida's birthday and getting one over a hundred years old." Marnie said. "Besides, there is no better place than the internet to learn modern trends."

"I suppose that's true. But I still think we should blacklist a few sites to make sure she doesnt know about them." There are some things Irida is better off not seeing.

I made that mistake after Sonia offhandedly mentioned the Gardevoirs. I couldn't sleep for days because the images haunted me so much.

"You're talking just like your mother, Gloria," Sonia said with a wicked grin as my blood ran cold.

"Don't say that!" I shouted. The last thing I wanted to hear was that I was becoming like my mother." I love my mom, but I don't want to become a copy of her.

Sonia and Marnie get a good chuckle at my expense. Even Irida was giggling at me!

"You guys are jerks." I pouted.

Marnie looked at her watch. "Come on. Adam is probably waiting for us by now." Marnie said, handing me a bag.

"What is this?" I asked, opening the bag to see Potions, Super Potions, and some extra Pokeballs.

"I figured buying some items in case we fight would be a smart move. I've got a feeling that we'll end up battling. It's better to be safe than sorry." Marnie explained.

"Thank you, but why the Pokeballs?" I asked, putting the bag into my bag.

Marnie gives me a shrug. "I texted Adam while I was getting some Potions, and he told me to get you some for our plan. I don't know how Pokeballs will fit into our rescue mission, but he already transferred me the money before I could ask him why."

She puts her head into her arm in a thinking pose.

"Maybe Adam plans to smash Eevee's Pokeball to free it, and one of us can catch it while Adam keeps the scientist busy. Either that or swap Eevee's Pokeball with an empty one. Those are the only things I can think of." Marnie said. "I can't say how good either of those plans are or how much trouble they could get us into, but with what's at stake, I don't think we should discount those ideas. We don't have many options available."

"I can't disagree with you on that," Sonia added. "There are so many things we don't know. Since I'm a professor first and trainer second, I have a moral obligation to ensure that such experiments on Pokemon should be stopped and the Eevee rescued, but we'll know for certain once we return to the RV."

Sonia does have a point. Returning to the RV and asking Adam himself would be easier and faster than guessing Adam's plan. Besides, the sooner we start, the sooner we can save Eevee.

As we left the Pokemon Center, we saw several people looking at the sky or random buildings; some even had their Rotom Phones out. "Mom! What kind of Pokemon is that?!" A little boy asked, pointing at the roof of a house with a large bird Pokemon with a red-tipped crest on its head. My curiosity got the better of me, and I looked up, seeing dozens of Flying-type Pokemon, most of which I had never seen.

One person came to mind as I watched the circling bird Pokemon.

"Adam isn't a subtle person." Big Sis Sonia said dully.

"Isn't this a problem?" I asked. "What if the bad guy sees this and runs away with Eevee?"

"I doubt that. It isn't unusual to see foreign Pokemon now and again, be it owned or wild. In fact, it's not unusual for foreign trainers to also take the Gym Challenge using the Pokemon from their home regions before, so it shouldn't raise too much suspension. They are more likely to assume a trainer or tourist lets their Pokemon stretch out their wings if they didn't write them off as wild Pokemon. But to think this would be how I see a Staraptor in the flesh." Sonia said.

"Are Staraptors rare?" I asked as I watched the large bird Pokemon, enjoying the attention it was getting.

"No. But they are powerful, especially for how common their pre-evolutions are." Sonia explains.

"Staraptors aren't only powerful, but they're also brave. I have seen my fair share of Staraptors fighting Pokemon far larger than them. I once saw a Staraptor fight an Alpha Gyarados in the sky." Irida added. Wait. In the sky? Gyarados can fly?!

"Annndddd I just unlocked a new fear I never knew I could have. Flying Gyaradoses." And didn't Irida say Alpha Pokemon tend to be double the Pokemon's typical size at the very least? I shudder at the thought of a Gyarados being over thirteen meters.

"Don't take Irida too seriously, Gloria. There has never been a documented case study of Gyaradoses mentioning they could fly." Sonia reinsures me. "If Gyaradoses could fly, we should have seen one by now."

After hearing that, I feel a tad better, but a small gnawing thought remains. If Gyaradoses can't fly, why are they part Flying then?

I buried the thought in my head, ignoring it as I looked at the bizarre, extraordinary, and beautiful Pokemon resting on the roofs of Turffield. I liked the cloud-looking Pokemon, which Sonia told me the Pokemon is an Altaria. Marnie said she liked Honchkrow because it reminded her of a character from one of Adam's movies she watched. Irida pointed at a Braviary, saying their habitat near her village, but claimed this one differed from those from her time. I would love to spend the day gazing at these bird Pokemon, but we can't. Maybe we can take our time to enjoy these Pokemon later, with Eevee included.

After everything the little Pokemon must have gone through, he deserves as much happiness as possible.

"Adam." I called out, entering the RV. "We're back."

He looks back at us and specifically picks me out "Talk about timing, you arrived just when I was thinking about you."

Ignoring the innuendo and the red dusting my checks, he continued like nothing happened.

"I needed you to be here so I could make some adjustments." Adam said, working on some strange device with Ogerpon helping him. The red fades away as the misunderstanding is almost immediately cleared up. However, now that I'm looking at them with a clearer mind, I noticed Ogerpon was helping him, but in reality, Ogerpon was just wearing an oversized lab coat with plastic tools in her hands. "Did you bring the Pokeballs, Marnie?"

"Marnie gave them to me while we were at the center," I answered.

"Excellent. Can I have them?" I handed Adam the Pokeballs and glanced at the device he was working on. It was some sort of arm gauntlet. It looked worn out and weathered, but it seemed to hold some sparks of life since the machine booted up when Adam dumped the Pokeballs into the shoulder part of the gauntlet.

"Adam. What is this, and what is it doing?" I asked, poking the gauntlet.

Sonia is giving it some cursory glances but it seems like she doesn't know either.

Adam pats it as he answers. "This thing is what's going to help us catch that Eevee. It's called a Snag Machine. What you just saw right now was it converting the Pokeballs you gave me into Snag Balls," Adam explains.

"Snag Machine? Snag Balls? Adam, what exactly does the Snag Machine do?" Sonia examines the machine more closely. Something like this would definitely be interesting to her if it was to us if Marnie's gaze told me anything.

Adam puts down his tools and sighs. "Remember how Kanto had a criminal problem in the form of Team Rocket?" We all nod our heads. "Orre isn't much different. However, my home region has a much higher crime rate than Kanto. But like most regions, we had a criminal organization who called themselves Team Snagem.

Team Snagem? From the sound of it, I didn't like what I was going to hear.

"Like the stereotypical villains they were, Team Snagem wanted to rule the world much like Team Rocket did, but unlike Kanto, Orre didn't have any wild Pokemon for a long time, so they couldn't train or catch any for their cause. So they decided if they couldn't catch wild Pokemon, they would catch trainers' Pokemon instead."

"People in this time hold the power to capture other trainers' Pokemon?!" Irida asks, eyes wide open.

"Of course they can't! Adam! What are you talking about?! How could they-" Sonia's eyes widened as she just had a realization, and following her gaze, we started coming to the same conclusion.

"Now you're catching on. In order to steal other people's Pokemon, they created the Snag Machine. A device with the power to transfer ownership of the Pokemon to the person who uses the machine. There's a much bigger story about what would happen after that, but for right now that's a tale for another time."

"And where did you get this?" Sonia was getting angry now, but Adam was laughing and waving it off.

"I picked it during my travels back home. I met the previous owner and I can tell you that this was given to me in good faith. The original owner of this gauntlet was a former member of Team Snagem who went on to undo what he did when part of the organization. He was successful in dismantling their operations, and thus no longer had any need for it." Adam explains.

"No! That isn't what I meant! Why did you keep it?! What if the police discover this?! What if Team Rocket discovers this. The potential of this could have so many terrible ramifications if it gets out that such a device even anyone knew what this could do, the police would arrest you for owning it! Then there are the criminals who would love to take this thing apart to figure out how it works so they could replicate it! So why hold onto something so dangerous?!" Sonia asks.

"I kept it just in case something like this happens. Yes. The Snag Machine was a tool made by a criminal group that abused Pokemon, but the original owner also used the Snag Machine to undo his past criminal activities and even make it so that their ambition died with the organization. The Snag Machine itself is nothing but a tool. What matters the most is intent. And the person who is using the tool is the one we should be concerned about." Adam's fingers brush against the device. "But I understand why you don't like it. To be honest, despite what I said, I never really had reasons or any want to use this thing but at the same time thought it would be a waste to simply throw it away. Perhaps it was better that I didn't since now it has a purpose again. But at the same time, this device's existence would threaten a lot of peace that people worked so hard to achieve."

He looked at Sonia with a smile. "So tell you what. After we save Eevee, I'll let you destroy the Snag Machine so that way you know without a doubt it's gone. Would you be willing to agree to that?"

Sonia looks unsure but nods.

"Good." He looks at me again. "Gloria, would you mind taking a seat? I need to adjust this so it fits on your arm." Adam said, picking up the Snag Machine.

Huh? Wait what?

"Gloria? Why are you putting the Snag Machine on Gloria? I thought you would be wearing it to capture the Eevee?" Sonia asks.

"I'm not the one who will be capturing Eevee. Gloria is. After all, this started from her wanting to catch an Eevee. It should be fitting, no pun intended, that she should be the one to free him." Me? I'm going to catch Eevee?

Big Sis Sonia was about to say something, but I cut her off. "I'll do it."

"Gloria. You can't be serious. What we're talking about isn't only a crime, but taboo. I know we are doing this for the right reasons but for you to steal other trainers' Pokemon…" Sonia glances aside as she tries to think of a reason in talking me out of it, but I smile at her.

"I know, but like I said, I can't sit back while knowing a poor Pokemon is getting hurt. Besides, we aren't stealing from a trainer, we're stealing from a criminal scumbag." I said, trying to lighten the mood. "And it isn't like the Snag Machine will fuse with my arm. It isn't, right? I wouldn't want to live with the fact that I'm going to have a mismatching arm whenever I put on new clothes or get electrocuted whenever I bathe." I asked, pretending to be scared.

Irida and Adam chuckled at my joke while Marnie and Big Sis Sonia rolled their eyes. However, the two were smiling, which made me grin. Mission success.

"Nah. But you will be bored since I will also give you a crash course on pivoting, a skill you'll need for your battle against Eevee."

As Adam begins to attach the Snag Machine to my arm and explains the concept of pivoting, a surge of determination enters me.

Hold for a little longer, Eevee. We're coming to rescue you.

{?'s P.O.V.}

"So this was where you were hiding, Project EV?" I said to the sneering Pokemon, its brown fur turning yellow. Is Project EV attempting to fight or use the enhanced speed it would gain from its Jolteon form?

"Jolteon!" Project EV screams as dozens of lighting bolts fire from its body. So it was going to attack, huh?

"How foolish." I toss out one of my Pokemon, his bulky yellow body taking the electrical attack. Instead of being hurt by it, my Pokemon was empowered by Project EV's futile resistance attempt.

"Electivire!" My Electivire shouted, raising his fists, sparking with electricity.

"Yes. Yes. You're quite strong, Electivire." I boredly praise my Pokemon's nonsense. However, while Electivire's behavior could be better, his power more than makes up for that annoying flaw. "Capture Project EV for me, will you? And don't be too rough with it. It's our valued commodity."

Project EV growled at me. Why is it so angry? It isn't like what I'm saying was false.

Project EV performs a quick side jump, firing dozens of pin needles at me. I'm not surprised Project EV ignored Electivire and targeted me specifically. Project EV's ability to change forms is powerful, but it doesn't mean Project EV itself is powerful. Once they understand its abilities, a skilled trainer or a powerful enough wild Pokemon could handle Project EV without much issue.

I'm not worried about Project EV's Pin Missile attack because nobody knows Project EV better than me. Besides, I have protection.

Electivire spins his massive body sharply, blocking the needles that bounce off Electivire's thick fur like raindrops. However, Electivire didn't remain by my side for long because Electivire charges at Project EV with unfitting speed for such a large Pokemon.

Project EV lets out a yelp in shock. It must not have expected such a big-bodied Pokemon to be so fast on his feet, but it managed to recover before Electivire could hit it with a Fire Punch. When Project EV lands on the ground, it changes from a Jolteon to an Espeon.

"Oh? I see someone is adapting to their abilities quickly. Maybe you're smarter than I thought." I said, feeling Project EV's glare towards me. "But not smart enough to know never to take your eyes off your opponent." Project EV's eyes widen as it turns its attention back towards Electivire. However, Electivire kicks the shape-shifting Pokemon, launching the tiny Pokemon into a nearby tree. "I suppose I shouldn't expect too much from the runt of the litter. And you, I told you not to damage the product too much. What should I tell potential buyers if you damaged beyond repair or, Arceus forbid, killed the merchandise?" I scolded my Pokemon before returning it to his Pokeball. A night without food should teach him a lesson.

"I hope you realize how much trouble your little stunt has caused me." Project EV tries pushing itself up, a small trickle of blood pouring from its mouth, but falls once again. It's too weak to do anything else but glare at me. Thankfully Project EV's injuries can't be that severe, given how much life that glare holds.

Project EV mustered what energy it had left and fired a pathetic Shadow Ball, no bigger than a marble, at me, but the aim was so terrible I didn't even need to dodge.

I couldn't help but chuckle at the pathetic show of defiance. "And here I was, worried about Electivire being too rough with you. But seeing as you have so much energy, I guess you don't need any medical attention." I pulled out Project EV's Pokeball, recalling it while Project EV's glower never died down.

To think I spend so much time, money, and resources for such a disobedience Pokemon. Still, Project EV is too important to lose. I need it to recoup all the time and money I invested into it and then some. Hopefully, it will learn its lesson now and start being more obedient. And if not, a long night without any treatment should do the job.

As I turn to leave, I stop at the sight of a Pokemon I haven't seen since leaving Kanto.

"What's a Pidgeot doing in Galar? Did it get separated from its group during migration?" I said to myself as I examined the Pokemon from a distance. And I have to say, it was a mighty fine example of a Pidgeot. And that's saying something since I have my fair share of trainer-raised Pidgeots. I would dare say this Pidgeot might be Champion-class.

While I don't need a Flying-type Pokemon, nothing says I can't sell the Pidgeot after catching it. Research is never cheap, and I could use as much income as possible. Besides, this was an excellent chance for Electivire to redeem himself.

I reach for Electivire's Pokeball, but as soon the tip of my finger brushes against the smooth metallic texture of the Pokeball, a chill runs down my spine. What was this feeling? I return to the Pidgeot, seeing it hasn't moved a single inch.

Those eyes. I'm no stranger to receiving glares brimming with hatred from Pokemon, but those eyes were different. There was no hate in the Pidgeot's eyes, but as it stared at me, the chill inside grew stronger. It held power behind those eyes. And it filled me with unease that if I were to release Electivire, it wouldn't get a chance to hear a command before that bird struck at me.

The chill intensified as its wings spread. The wind it produced from a single beat struck me despite being so far away. Now I understand. They're the eyes of a hunter who found their prey. This is now a good time to leave.

But as I was about to leave, a caw from another familiar Pokemon cried out.

"A Fearow now?" And it seems to be Champion-class, too. Why are there two Champion-class Kanto Pokemon here in Galar? And why does Fearow have the same eyes as the Pidgeot?

I back up slowly before making a mad dash away from those two monsters. Screw it. I got Project EV back. I need to return to my lab since Project EV's escape attempt caused me to lose valuable time.

I run away from the two Pokemon, the feeling of their eyes never leaving me.

Author's Note

The group is preparing for their personal mission.

I'm also part of the SGO server, so if you want to join and chat, here is a link

/wd3tUYWVCd

I also started my server for anyone who wants to ask me about my fics or to hang out.

/DYqC3uNfbt