Feng Che caught Blue's wary gaze. Blue is suspicious, he thought calmly. He wasn't surprised; Blue was far more observant than the hot-headed Red. However, Feng Che had already prepared a countermeasure. Until his own wings were fully grown, he had no intention of letting his Rocket identity be exposed to the public.
"Ah, isn't this Feng Che? You've come for the Viridian Gym assessment too?" Professor Oak walked over, a warm smile on his face. Seeing all three Pallet Town youths—and a promising local like Feng Che—applying made the old scholar feel quite gratified.
"Yes, Professor. I believe my current strength is up to the task," Feng Che replied. "By the way, what happened to that Pidgey in your arms?"
"This little one just hatched and fell from its nest," Oak said, looking concerned. "It's too small for a standard surgery, and I'm quite worried about its recovery."
"May I take a look?" Feng Che asked.
"Of course. Here." Oak carefully transferred the tiny bird. It hadn't even opened its eyes yet, and its wing was fractured.
Feng Che's hands began to glow with a soft, pale green light. Under the warmth of the radiance, the Pidgey slowly opened its eyes. Moments later, the tiny creature chirped and fluttered its wings, taking a short flight into the air.
"The Viridian Power!" Oak gasped, stunned.
"Yes," Feng Che said simply. "I was blessed with it by the forest."
He noticed the subtle shift in Oak and Blue's expressions. Previously, they had likely considered him a potential Rocket plant, given his rapid rise. But the Viridian Power changed the equation. In Oak's eyes, the forest only bestowed such a gift upon those with a "pure heart." He didn't realize that Giovanni, the very man who led the attack on the Plateau, also possessed the same gift.
As Oak and Blue walked away, Oak whispered to his grandson, "Blue, this competition is vital. We suspect Team Rocket's headquarters is in Viridian. If you become the Gym Leader, you can act as the League's eyes on the forest."
In the original timeline, Blue did eventually take the seat. But with Feng Che in the mix, the outcome was no longer certain.
Meanwhile, in a monitoring room, Blaze and Hagen were reviewing the candidates' files.
"Hagen, you really think this kid is a Rocket spy?" Blaze asked, skeptical. "His file is unremarkable. His first Pokémon was a 'lame' Froakie from the League. How could he be the one who ganked you in the prison?"
Hagen, who had been obsessed with finding the thief who stole his Heart of Steel, glared at the screen. "I have a sixth sense about this. Look at his roster—Froakie, Litten, Rookidee. Those are rare starters. All of them in one hand? And our scouts say he frequently vanishes for days at a time. I bet he's on secret missions for Giovanni."
"You're seeing shadows, Hagen," Blaze sighed. "He runs a breeding business; staying inside his estate is normal. Plus, he's a genius pharmacist who helped save the Bug Forest. You think he trained those three to Elite-tier in less than a year? It's impossible."
"I'm going to force his hand," Hagen growled. "I've rigged his 'random' opponent. He'll face a pool of Bug, Grass, and Water types. I want to see if he can resist sending out his 'evolved' starters. If he shows an Elite-level Greninja or Corviknight, I'll have him in cuffs before the sun sets."
Primary Selection: Day 1
Feng Che was assigned to Arena C. His opponent was a young man in archaeologist gear named Ikeda.
"I will deploy three Pokémon, all at the Gym-Leader level," Ikeda announced. "You must defeat all three to pass."
[Mewtwo: Feng Che, Blaze and Hagen are hiding in the observation booth. Blue and Professor Oak are in the stands. They're all watching you.]
I figured, Feng Che thought. Hagen knows I had a Froakie, Litten, and Rookidee. He wants to see if I have a Greninja, Incineroar, and Corviknight. If I show them, I'm the prison thief. If I don't, I might lose the license. They've probably rigged the match to counter those three.
Feng Che pulled out his first ball. "Go, Corvisquire!"
A Corvisquire emerged. In reality, this was Ditto, transformed to look like a mid-evolution stage of his Corviknight. This was his plan: use Ditto to mimic the "expected" power levels of his team.
Ikeda released a Wormadam (Plant Cloak).
"A Wormadam? This is too easy," Feng Che muttered. "Corvisquire, use Drill Peck!"
The "Corvisquire" beat its wings and lunged with a spinning beak. Ikeda tried to counter with Leaf Storm, but the bird was too fast. The peck landed squarely on Wormadam's head, knocking it out instantly.
Observation Booth
"A Corvisquire? Just a Corvisquire?" Hagen stared at the screen, his face twitching. "It should be a Corviknight! Why isn't it a Corviknight?!"
"Hagen, I told you," Blaze said with a pitying look. "It's just a Corvisquire. It's not the bird that attacked you. Give it a rest."
"No... he's hiding it! He must have two birds!" Hagen muttered, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
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