Chapter 91: First Encounter with Colby

Chapter 91: First Encounter with Colby

After leaving Ecruteak Gym, Ron took out the electronic map, glanced at it, and said, "The road ahead splits into two directions. Heading east leads to Olivine City, while going west takes us to Mahogany Town. Which way should we go?"

Ruby thought for a moment and said, "Ron, I suggest you head to Olivine City first, then take a boat to Cerulean City. That way, it's more convenient. After getting those two badges, we can come back and head to Cajun Town. I heard that Grandpa Pryce in Cajun Town is quite formidable, so it's better to be well-prepared. Finally, we can go to Blackthorn City without needing to take a detour."

"Grandpa Pryce..." Ron murmured, thinking of Pryce, who had disappeared in the Time Passage. If Ron had saved those two Lapras, Pryce wouldn't have been so obsessed. In other words, history had been rewritten.

He wondered how Pryce was doing now. It probably wasn't bad. Ron smiled and said, "Alright, it's decided. To Olivine City!"

Rosa shrugged, indicating she was fine with going anywhere.

After replenishing their supplies, the three of them continued their journey.

Leaving Ecruteak City, they entered a forest. It was somewhat dark, but it didn't really affect their travels.

Suddenly, a shadow flashed, and sharp claws stabbed directly toward Ron's throat.

"Careful!" Rosa and Ruby shouted.

Ron squinted his eyes, swiftly leaping back. He quickly reached for his belt, releasing his Greninja. The energy katana from its Cut collided with the shadow's sharp claws. Only then did Rosa and Ruby see that the shadow was a Weavile.

"Sneaking around behind us. Who exactly are you?" Ron asked coldly.

"Tell me where Mewtwo is, and I'll spare your life," a cold voice said. A man dressed in black, wearing a long black trench coat and dark sunglasses, appeared on the treetop to Ron's left.

"Team Rocket?" Ron asked. At the same time, Beedrill, Mienshao, Pheromosa, and Gengar were in position, surrounding the tree from four directions.

"What do you think? Weavile, Quick Attack!" the man ordered.

Weavile instantly dodged Greninja, using Quick Attack to charge toward Ron, its sharp claws aimed at his throat.

"Serperior, block it with Vine Whip!" Rosa released her Serperior to interfere with Weavile. "There's no need to talk sense with Team Rocket. Ruby, let's take him down!"

"Lulu, use Psychic to control that man!" Ruby released her Ralts, preparing to use Psychic control.

"Houndoom, Umbreon, block them!" The man sent out two more Pokémon.

"Am I being underestimated?" Ron sighed. "You're far from it! Greninja, use Cut! Beedrill, you guys handle him!"

At the same time, Sylveon appeared and used Moonblast, sending Weavile flying and knocking it out. Sylveon then turned to face the man in black.

"Tyranitar, Hydreigon, Shiftry, Drapion, Feraligatr, Garchomp... All strong Pokémon. Looks like you're one of Team Rocket's elites," Ron murmured.

With nine Pokémon in total, if not for the fact that they were outnumbered, it could have worked. Typically, trainers were limited to six Pokémon, so the remaining three would allow for a quick escape if needed.

But now… Ron chuckled. "Sylveon, Misty Terrain, then use Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon quickly filled the area with Misty Terrain, then sent Fairy Wind toward Houndoom and Umbreon, helping Rosa and Ruby.

Seeing that his six Pokémon could barely hold off Ron's four, the man in black knew he was outmatched. The Celebi perched on Ron's shoulder was watching him intently. If he made any sudden moves, he would likely face a fierce attack.

He sighed, realizing there was no point in continuing. He quickly recalled his Pokémon and threw several smoke bombs, enveloping the forest in thick smoke.

Celebi let out a small hum, waving its hand, and the smoke instantly dispersed. The man in black was seen riding away quickly on Hydreigon. From afar, his voice echoed, "Remember, my name is Colby. Next time won't be this easy."

(TL note: Colby should be an OC, the original name is Qiubai.)

Watching Colby leave, Ron sneered. "If he dares to come again, Celebi, take him down immediately."

Celebi nodded. Letting him escape was quite embarrassing; after all, it was a Legendary Pokémon.

"Looks like Team Rocket is really targeting you," Ruby said.

"Yeah, we need to be more careful next time," Rosa added.

"If I catch him, I'll make sure he rots in prison forever. Besides, I'm not who I used to be. I have three Legendary Pokémon now. Although they haven't reached the level of the old legendary powerhouses, the three combined are strong enough. If they push me too far, I'll wage an all-out war with Team Rocket," Ron declared.

He wasn't wrong. Team Rocket's intelligence network had reported Ron's situation to Giovanni. While they were unaware of his Solgaleo, both Mewtwo and Celebi were not to be trifled with. With the escaped Mewtwo possibly at Ron's side, Team Rocket was cautious.

Sending a large force to deal with Ron was impossible. Did they think the League was idle? If Team Rocket made any big moves, the League would immediately respond. Their best option was to act alone and simply find Mewtwo's whereabouts.

Ron released his Chansey to treat the injured Pokémon. He then contacted Lorelei. She was currently not overseeing the Johto region and gave Ron Lance's number before hanging up. From the background noise, she was likely in a meeting.

Ron dialed the number for the "Flying-type Elite"... well, he was the Champion now.

The phone rang once before connecting.

"Hey, is this Lance?" Ron asked.

"Yes. Ron? What's up?" Lance's voice came through.

"I was attacked by Team Rocket. I'm reporting this to see if I can get some compensation from the League. If not, I'll just tell them where Mewtwo is, so they stop bothering me," Ron said.

"... Hold on, I need a moment," Lance said, rubbing his temples. He sounded exhausted.

After a moment, Lance spoke again. "The League is willing to offer something. What do you want?"

"Is there anything that can change a person's luck? Something to make me luckier?" Ron asked, throwing a difficult request at the League.

"How could something like that even exist?" Lance shouted. "If it did, I'd want it too! Wait... What? There is?"

Suddenly, another voice interrupted Lance's rant. Ron's eyes lit up. "Really? What is it?"

"Have you heard of Jirachi?" the voice asked seriously. "Jirachi has a 'Wish Tag' on its head that records wishes. It is said to grant the wish written on the tag when it awakens. The League has one Wish Tag. You can write 'good luck' on it, but since it's no longer attached to Jirachi, it will only grant you one minute of good luck. How about it?"

"I'll take it. Send it over," Ron said, eyes sparkling.

Ron rarely used the lottery system because his luck was terrible. He could never draw top-tier or rare Pokémon. It hardly mattered.

But now, with one minute of good luck, Ron could finally take a gamble. Who knew? He might even get a Legendary Pokémon!