How come my Pokémon turned into a girl?

Staring into those serious black eyes, Rika reached behind her head and gently untied it, taking off the blue wig.

Instead, she had a fresh and natural short black hair. Apart from the makeup on her face, she was basically the same as the beautiful girl Qianye saw on the poster.

"Really? Even you noticed... Is my disguise really that bad?"

"It's not a disguise issue." Qianye scratched his head and continued, "Let's not even mention that Lijia and Ai Lijia are only a single character apart. One is the perfume shop manager, and the other is the spokesperson for the perfume shop. The spokesperson's image is even openly painted on the poster... With so many suspicious points, it's hard not to suspect that there is a connection between the two."

However, Lijia suddenly covered her chest with one hand, as if she felt a sharp pain in her heart, and her body seemed to be shaking.

Qianye hurried forward to support the other person. Just as he was about to ask if there was anything wrong with his body, he saw Lijia raise her eyes and said to him in a resentful tone:

"It's really too much to say such cruel words to a weak patient. Can't Qianye be a little more tactful?"

"Then let's change it. Actually, the first time I saw the portrait on the poster, I was struck by its beauty. It was etched in my memory and will never be forgotten. And when I saw you at the perfume shop, I felt that only someone with such exceptional temperament could match such stunning looks. That's why I had doubts... I wonder if Miss Lijia is satisfied with this explanation?"

"Hmm?" Lijia blinked, thought for a moment, and then the corners of her mouth curved upwards.

"Qianye, you can't do this. Since you already have Nancy, you can't say such ambiguous words to other girls."

Okay, okay, so saying something bad is abusing the patient, and saying something nice is disloyal, right? Qianye's eyes were rather speechless, but looking at the other person's expression, he could guess that he was deliberately teasing him, so there was no need to worry about it.

"When Nancy comes back, follow her to the Pokémon Center first. Leave the things here to me."

As soon as he finished speaking, a white light appeared in front of the two of them, and Nancy walked out of it. After just a quick glance at each other, Qianye roughly understood the current situation.

Lijia was very surprised by the sudden appearance of the girl, but compared to this kind of thing, she was more concerned about what Qianye had just said.

"What nonsense are you talking about... Do you know how dangerous Team Rocket is? This is my own job, I don't need you to get involved."

She pushed him away with great difficulty. Without support, her frail body could barely stand. But even so, she couldn't possibly entrust such a life-threatening task to an ordinary trainer.

"I know very well how dangerous Team Rocket is, but you don't know me."

Looking at Lijia's stubbornness, Qianye knew that if he didn't take out that thing, she would never give up. So he reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy round seal, showing it to her.

"Extraneous Investigator... Badge!?"

Seeing the Poké Ball badge, Rika cried out. She was even more shocked than when she'd seen the boy wrecking the world in the arcade. Qianye might have looked a bit more mature, but judging by his appearance, he looked even younger than her. How could he become a non-staff investigator so young?

Because of the inheritance system of gym leaders, it is normal for young trainers to inherit a gym from the previous generation, but in order to obtain the badge in Qianye's hand, real achievements are required.

"It seems I was too arrogant..." Her smile turned bitter, but she still insisted: "Then let me stay and fight alongside you. I am the gym leader of Yuhong City, and it is my duty to protect the citizens here."

"No! Your current identity is Alicia, the ordinary female owner of the perfume shop in the Yuhong Building. You are a citizen who needs protection."

Zhengsheng dismissed Lijia's words. Qianye raised his head and stared at the door. A hissing sound was heard, like something corroding. At the same time, a purple, ominous liquid began to seep through the crack in the door.

"Nazi!"

Ignoring Li Jia's feeble protests with her weak body, Nazi grabbed her hand, and a green light began to appear in her eyes.

"If the treatment is timely, maybe you can bring the Gym Leader of the Jade Rainbow Gym to support me."

Just before Lijia's face completely disappeared from the white light, Qianye said this, conveying a reassuring smile through his eyes.

There was a loud bang, and the heavy iron door collapsed without its support, followed by a chaotic stampede, and a group of people rushed into the room.

"It seems our previous guest has left without saying goodbye... Mr. Qianye, you've successfully made us go for nothing once again."

Lance, who was at the front, opened his arms to stop the Rocket members who wanted to take the initiative. He said this with a friendly smile, and his tone did not sound like he was facing an invader who had sneaked into his base, but more like he was treating an old friend he hadn't seen for a long time.

"But it doesn't matter. We at Team Rocket also welcome Mr. Qianye..."

"Okay, now it's time for me to have a private talk with Mr. Qianye. You can all leave first." Lance said to his subordinates.

"But Lord Lance..." Some members of Team Rocket seemed to want to say something, but when Lance clapped his hands and looked at them with snake-like eyes, they finally shut their mouths and silently walked out the door.

Qian Ye did not try to intervene in the enemy's inexplicable actions. The other party chose to give up their numerical advantage. Regardless of the purpose, at least the situation was in his favor, so there was no need to stop it.

"Alright, now that most of the outsiders have left, Mr. Qianye, I think we can start a cordial and friendly negotiation now."

"You're quite humorous. One is an employee of the Alliance, and the other is a member of an underground organization. They can't even get along. What can they possibly talk about?"

Qianye wasn't in a rush to engage. After all, from the moment Nancy and Lijia teleported away, it was only a matter of time before the Alliance's forces cleared out the area. Since he wasn't in a rush, he was happy to see what the guy in front of him was planning.

"Don't be so distant... Anyway, I didn't formally introduce myself to you when we last parted. My name is Lance. I was lucky enough to be appreciated by the current boss of Team Rocket, and soon after joining the team, I became a member of the team."

"Having introduced my own humble experience, let's now turn to Mr. Qianye... Born in Pallet Town, you debuted as a capable trainer at the age of ten. In just a few months, you earned four badges in a row, including the most difficult golden badge to obtain in the Kanto region."

"But these glorious experiences pale in comparison to your other accomplishments... Solving two vicious cross-border crimes in a row, defeating three seasoned Pokémon hunters as a rookie, and of course, most recently... disrupting Team Rocket's big deal in Vermilion City."

Although these were things that Lance should have hated from his perspective, he was now talking about them with great joy and excitement. He did not seem like a cadre of an evil organization, but rather a passionate young man who was full of longing for a hero of justice.

But Qianye only felt a chill, and his grip on the Poké Ball tightened even more, but his expression remained calm. "I can't believe your organization has investigated me to this extent. Should I feel honored... or terrified?"

"You misunderstood me. I only want to say one thing—after making such outstanding contributions, what has the Alliance given you in return?"

"A part-time job as a non-staff investigator? Not even a regular salary, and only a few insignificant amenities, like giving alms to a beggar. If that were all, it would be fine, but after getting this position, you have to constantly be involved in dangerous missions, and even have to be wary of retaliation from the criminals you've offended... Is this the treatment a young hero deserves?!"

"I cannot accept that a talent like mine, the meager flicker of a firefly or a candle, should be so highly valued. You, the bright moon in the sky, must be inferior to others. This is truly unfair."

The tone was filled with righteous indignation, as if Lance was really just standing up for the unfair treatment the boy had received. However, if you didn't put yourself in his shoes, you would naturally understand that this was nothing more than an instigation to sow discord.

However, those involved in the situation are often confused, while those on the sidelines can see things more clearly. It is not easy for those involved to remain aloof from the situation. Qianye lowered his head in silence, not knowing what he was thinking.

Seeing this, Lance struck while the iron was hot, "I wonder if you still remember what I said when we parted ways—I look forward to discussing the benefits of joining Team Rocket with you one day..."

"Isn't now the best opportunity?"

Chapter 53 Negotiations Break Down

"I can assure you, Mr. Qianye, that from the moment you join Team Rocket, your status and treatment will absolutely not be inferior to mine. Even... if you wish to retain your original position in the Alliance, that's fine. The strong should enjoy the rights and freedoms they deserve. This is the principle of our organization."

Lance opened his arms to the boy. This was perhaps the most frank he had spoken since joining Team Rocket. Perhaps sensing his sincerity, Qianye raised his head and suddenly laughed:

"It's indeed a generous offer, but there's one thing I don't understand. Many of the Alliance's investigators have done the same things you described, right? Why are they treating me with such high regard? Isn't it just because I'm younger and have so-called potential?"

"That's just one aspect..." Lance shook his head. It's true that Team Rocket isn't a charity, and they wouldn't even give a second glance to a trainer who isn't worth training. However, there's more to a hostile genius than just recruiting them; destroying them is a more economical approach.

Even if the other party messed up a mission, there was only one reason why he was willing to win over at all costs -

"You're the same kind of person as us. Your command style is clear. You only care about the end result and not the process. No matter what it takes, you'll use any means necessary to achieve your goal. People like you are born to be part of Team Rocket!"

There was fanaticism in Lance's eyes. From the first time he saw him, he had concluded that this was a man who would never be bound by rules... How could a man like him tolerate the rigid rules and regulations of the Alliance and waste his talent on rusty springs?

"Okay, I admit that what you said really moved me. As you said, if I choose to join, Team Rocket will do its best to meet my requirements, right?"

Qian Ye spread his hands and said, it seemed that he was really persuaded by the other party and was ready to start discussing the detailed terms.

"Of course, our Team Rocket is definitely more generous than the Pokémon League."

"First condition, I don't care how the rest of you Team Rocket treat your Pokémon. My Pokémon don't have a master-servant relationship with me. No one in the organization is allowed to ask or interfere with what they want to do."

"No problem, your Pokémon is your property, and others naturally have no right to tell you what to do with it."

"Then the second condition is, I can do things for you, but Team Rocket's actions from now on must not endanger my family and friends."

"Well... as long as you agree to become a cadre, the organization will naturally give priority to core members in future plans." Lance frowned slightly. Compared with the first request, this one was actually a bit too much, but considering the boss's appreciation for talent, it was not impossible for him to agree to it.

"Very good, then I only have one last request. If you agree to this condition, I will officially swear to join Team Rocket."

Although he felt something was wrong, Lance remained patient and waited for the other party's final request.

"After all, I'm also a non-staff investigator. In other words, the League's investigators and designated gym leaders are all my colleagues, and they're people I have a close relationship with. So, Team Rocket should try to avoid conflicts with them when carrying out future missions."

???

Lance really wanted to clean his ears and ask the other person to repeat what he just said. Did he really know what he was talking about? What kind of organization was Team Rocket? They were avoiding conflict with the League Investigators. Why not just demand that Team Rocket be disbanded right away?

Realizing he had been tricked, Lance's fake smile became difficult to maintain. He looked at the calm black eyes with an unpleasant expression and said in a low voice, "Isn't this request of yours too greedy?"

"Are you too greedy..." Qianye smiled happily, but there was no smile in his eyes, only a chill that chilled him to the bone marrow:

"When you steal other people's Pokémon and take their friends and family away from them, have you ever asked yourself this question?"

"You're right. I really don't like to follow the rules sometimes. After all, rules exist to protect people. Unfortunately, for some reason, many of the people I have to deal with on a regular basis are not worthy of being called human beings!"

He quickly pulled his hand out from his waist, and a red and white ball opened from the center, red light burst out, and Kodora, wearing black armor, fell to the ground with a bang, and his four feet stepped into a pit on the ground.

"Kuo!" The moment he landed, Kodora raised his head and roared loudly. The sound of heavy metal seemed to be piercing the eardrums of everyone present with iron needles. The sound was so loud that even the thick walls could not block it.

"Are you really planning to start a war with Team Rocket here? Don't forget whose underground base this is. Not to mention that you're alone right now, even if the Alliance sends a large force to attack, we can still rely on the various mechanisms to deal with it for a long time."

Despite saying this, Lance still released his Pokémon as quickly as possible, and looked at the special Kodora with fear in his eyes.

Having witnessed the opponent's unparalleled performance with his own eyes, Lance was not very confident whether his Pokémon could stop the ferocious beast on the battlefield. However, the good thing was that if the Kodara rashly left Qianye's side, his Pokémon could also adopt the tactic of attacking the trainer first, and it would be faster and more advantageous.

"Indeed, it wouldn't be a wise decision to rashly start a war in your base camp, but... all the mechanisms need to be powered by electricity, right?"

What does that mean? Lance didn't quite understand what the boy was trying to say, but he instinctively sensed something was amiss.

He instinctively looked up at the ceiling lights, and the next moment, all the wicks went out. The once bright room was instantly enveloped in suffocating darkness. Qianye's confidence in staying wasn't based on reckless recklessness. As soon as Nancy had scanned the entire underground building with her telekinesis, he had prioritized several key nodes. Among them was the main power control room, not far from where he and Lance were currently standing.

Inside was a "time bomb" planted by the young man himself, and the button that activated the bomb was the roar of Kodora when he was released.

In the main power control room, Magneto, which was emitting blue light due to the excessive amount of electricity stored in its body, was floating quietly in the air. Although she didn't look very smart, she could always execute the instructions given by Qianye very well, like this time.

The sudden darkness did not make Lance panic. His main Pokémon, Golbat, can use ultrasound to locate the enemy in the dark. The other party had seen it before and should know this.

If this deliberate creation of darkness wasn't to put himself in a favorable situation, nor was it to disable the mechanisms in the underground base as claimed, but was instead to cover up something...

Suddenly thinking of a very ominous possibility, Lance opened his mouth to call his Golbat. But it was too late. The solid ground beneath his feet seemed to completely crack at this moment!

……

In Yuhong Game City, all the players felt the strong vibration. They let go of the joysticks in their hands, looked around, and saw the astonishment on each other's faces.

"The ground...there was an earthquake!"

No one knew who shouted it first, but panic quickly spread among the crowd. They scrambled to stand up from their seats and rushed to the door of the game hall.

However, before anyone could step out of the door, several police cars with flashing red and blue lights and loud sirens came speeding over, then all came to an emergency stop and blocked the door.

Miss Junsha from Yuhong City took the lead and pushed the door open. Behind her, fully equipped police officers followed closely and forced all those who tried to escape back into the game hall.

"Here is the Alliance's search warrant! We have been ordered to capture the Team Rocket members hiding in Yuhong Game City. Please do not resist and actively cooperate with us!"

Miss Junsha held up the official document written in black and white and shouted to the people inside the door. Several cat dogs standing beside her also let out warning roars.

"But there's an earthquake! If we don't get to an open area quickly, we'll die!" someone in the crowd shouted. As this was said, the crowd began to show signs of unrest again.

Earthquake? Where did the earthquake come from? Junsha and the police officer who had just felt it looked at each other in bewilderment. They had not received any earthquake warnings, nor had they felt any tremors on the way here.

"Please don't try to fabricate rumors to disrupt our work! All teams have one, so start taking action immediately!"

Miss Junsha said in a serious tone. After giving the order, a group of police officers, holding their equipment tightly, rushed in from the gate together with their partner Pokémon.

In the process of subduing the arcade staff, there were indeed a few guys who tried to violently resist law enforcement, but relying on their advantages in numbers and equipment, the police force quickly suppressed them all.

"Captain, we've captured a member of Team Rocket at the scene. After interrogation, he claims he can lead us into Team Rocket's secret base beneath the arcade."

"Bring him to me immediately!" Miss Junsha gave the order decisively after hearing the report from her subordinates.

"Yes, sir!" The police officer saluted and retreated. Not long after, two tall police officers walked out of the crowd.

In the middle of them was a young man with a crew cut, who had been awarded a pair of "silver bracelets", had small eyes and was trembling with fear.

Chapter 54: Fire Prevention, Theft Prevention, and...

At the door of the emergency room in the human rescue section of the Pokémon Center, the red light indicating work finally went out slowly. As the door was pushed open, Miss Joy with pink hair walked out and walked towards Nancy who was sitting on a chair and waiting silently.

"Your friend is out of danger now, thanks to the emergency treatment he received before being brought here. He just needs to expel the few stubborn toxins remaining in his body. If we're optimistic, he'll be able to be discharged tomorrow."

Hearing Miss Joy's gentle words, Naz nodded, and then, under the other party's ghostly eyes, she left the ground with her feet and slowly floated into the emergency room.

In a corner of the ward, Lijia, wearing a blue and white striped dress, sat on a bed of cotton. Her eyes were still tired, but at least her face was no longer as pale as when I first saw her. It had regained some color.

Hearing the movement coming from the door, she subconsciously turned her head, and then saw the girl who came to the bedside in a strange way and was looking at her quietly.

The gym leader of the Golden City gym, a gifted psychic... Lijia only found out today that this friend she met by chance had such a great background. Her first impression was that she was just a beautiful girl who didn't like to talk much but had super good looks and temperament.

"How's Qianye doing?"

"It has been successfully resolved." Nazzi answered calmly. After sending Alija to the emergency room, she immediately used teleportation to return to the battlefield.

However, when she returned, the battle was over. The most she could do was to use telekinesis to help the Yuhong City police catch the Rocket Team members who were hiding in various places in the underground base due to their familiarity with the terrain. There was nothing else she could do.

In short, after everything is over, Qianye, as a non-staff investigator, also has to coordinate matters with the Yuhong City Police Department, in addition to the person handling this incident. For the time being, only Nancy can visit Lijia who is in the hospital.

Hearing this, Lijia's worry, which had been weighing on her chest like a heavy stone, finally disappeared. If something happened to Qianye because of this matter, she would probably never be able to forgive herself in her life.