Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer

Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof

-----------------

It was clear that the reason for the breakfast shop's delay in serving customers lay in the group f Pokémon wreaking havoc. 

The shop had been raided by a gang of Meowth led by a Persian, and the kitchen was likely in utter disarray by now.

Emerging alongside the Persian and Meowth were several middle-aged men with Pokémon, all clad in tattered chef uniforms and wielding makeshift weapons like knives, rolling pins, and frying pans. 

Their expressions were full of fury as they chased the Meowth gang.

Unfortunately, the Persian and Meowth, being swift and nimble Pokémon, easily evaded their pursuers. The portly chefs and their Pokémon couldn't even graze a hair of the culprits and could only trail behind, eating dust.

Moreover, the Persian and its gang were adept at escaping. They darted around the breakfast shop's patrons, creating chaos and causing a commotion. 

The scene quickly devolved into complete disorder.

Upon seeing so many wild Pokémon with fierce gazes smashing through the shop's windows to make their escape, the crowd erupted into panic. Most of the shop's customers fled in alarm.

With a series of crashes and clatters, fragile dishes, three-legged tables, and chairs toppled to the ground. In mere moments, the interior and exterior of the shop were a mess.

"Oh, my heavens! My shop! You despicable thieves! Can someone, some kindhearted trainer, please help me catch these thieves?"

A chubby, middle-aged man emerged from the shop at this point. As he looked at the devastation in his store, his face twisted with heartbreak. He began to wail and plead loudly to the nearby trainers.

However, despite his tearful pleas, none of the trainers nearby—including Sato—stepped forward to help.

This lack of action didn't mean that trainers were heartless. The problem was the breakfast shop owner himself, who was notoriously stingy.

Although he repeatedly begged for assistance, he never once mentioned offering any sort of reward. It was clear he intended to exploit the trainers' goodwill to get free help.

Given the shop's prime location in the city center and its booming business, offering a small reward to hire trainers would have been no big deal for the owner. Yet he was too miserly even to cover the costs of basic medical treatment for injured Pokémon.

Saffron City was an international metropolis with a fast-paced lifestyle and high living costs, which put significant pressure on its residents. Trainers, especially those who came from far and wide, relied on earning money to support themselves and their Pokémon.

As such, Saffron's trainers were pragmatic and far from naive newcomers like Ash, who could be easily moved by sentiment.

Had the breakfast shop owner been willing to offer a small fee, the nearby trainers would have readily stepped in to help.

After all, Pokémon battles inevitably result in injuries, and treating Pokémon in Saffron City wasn't cheap. A miserly breakfast shop owner unwilling to cover such expenses wasn't worth anyone's trouble.

Besides, the Persian-led Meowth gang wasn't easy to deal with. They were infamous across Saffron City. 

Even Officer Jenny and several trainers had tried to apprehend them, all to no avail.

That Persian was notably strong, and with its loyal Meowth followers willing to risk their lives for it, even elite trainers had difficulty taking them on without suffering losses.

Coupled with their mobility and unpredictable crime locations, tracking them was a daunting task.

Additionally, this gang was known to avoid causing serious harm. They rarely injured people and mostly just scared civilians. Their primary goal was simple: enough food to fill their bellies.

As a result, the League didn't consider them a significant threat and treated them as a minor nuisance. Over time, the Persian-led Meowth gang roamed Saffron City unchecked, and their raid on the breakfast shop today was simply the owner's bad luck.

In fact, Saffron City was home to several wild Pokémon gangs besides the Meowth group. 

For example, Rattata gangs specialized in stealing food, Murkrow gangs targeted women's belongings, and Grimer gangs dominated the city's dumps.

This bustling city wasn't just inhabited by humans; many wild Pokémon also called it home.

Most of these wild Pokémon were descendants of those abandoned by humans, struggling to survive in the urban jungle and adapting to its environment to propagate their kind.

"Meowth gang, huh? It's not easy for wild Pokémon to survive in the city. Let them be," Sato thought as he observed the group, grateful they were wise enough to avoid bothering him.

The plight of the wild Meowth reminded him of the talking Meowth in Team Rocket with its pitiful backstory. Any fleeting thought of stepping in vanished immediately.

Calmly, Sato sipped his tea and watched the spectacle unfold as an amusing sideshow. Yet, out of curiosity, he used the system's scanning ability to assess the Pokémon causing the commotion.

"Huh? No way. Am I seeing this right? A gold-tier rating?!"

To his astonishment, one of the Meowth in the gang stood out. It had a cunning, anthropomorphic smirk and didn't partake in the chaos like its companions. Instead, it hid in an inconspicuous corner, happily munching on a stolen chicken drumstick and sipping milk. 

Its sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, occasionally launching some attacks at the portly chefs in pursuit.

"Well, well. What a clever little one," Sato mused, his lips curling into a smile. "It'd be perfect for the Pokémon I use under my Rocket identity."

Sato knew that with his rising reputation in the League-sanctioned Battle Dome, his Pokémon data was likely already on file. The League would soon scrutinize him.

Given his covert allegiance to Team Rocket, he would inevitably be assigned tasks that could harm the League's interests.

Using standout Pokémon like Swampert, Shiny Beautifly, Bellossom, or Shiny Pelipper would expose his dual identity.

So Sato had devised a plan: maintain two distinct teams of Pokémon—one for his League identity and another for his Rocket identity.

For now, Swampert remained his ace under the League persona, alongside Shiny Beautifly, Growlithe, Shiny Pelipper, and Bellossom. Meanwhile, Nidoran was reserved as his Rocket ace, with Golbat tentatively filling in as well.

This clever and cunning Meowth seemed like a perfect addition to his Rocket team.

Perhaps it was sentimentality, but Sato couldn't deny that Meowth was an iconic choice for a Rocket trainer. After all, it had already earned its place as a "charming and villainous" symbol.