Perspective shift: Brooke

You let out a yawn to yourself as you try to enjoy your late-night walk down Route 4. Enjoy it as much as you could, at least, for a patrol that you had been near begged to partake in due to frequent reports of suspicious activity nearby. You let out a groan as you remember the argument you had, you weren't a law enforcer after all, and Mount Moon was definitely outside your theoretical jurisdiction. Still, they said as the nearest Gym Leader and representative of the league, you were obligated to go, and you conceded at that point. No way in hell were you going to let anyone think you weren't upholding your job as a Gym Leader.

Despite your determination to prove your work ethic, you had to admit you were not in top condition. It was pretty late, and you certainly had not had an easy day. Your legs, ass, and honestly just about everything was sore from your hard day of working. You give a chuckle to yourself, only slightly regretting agreeing to let those three have a go at you at once. They all had promise, and there was no lack of spirit or grit to say the least.

Thinking back to them helps you ignore your fatigue, as a slight pride fills you. You have great confidence in that kid, what was his name again? You know his name is a color, which felt... familiar, somehow. Ah! That's right, it was Red! And there was that girl Blue from the day before, they were both from Pallet town, weren't they? You chuckle to yourself, wondering if they name everyone in Pallet town after a color. The thought briefly gives you a sense of déjà vu, accompanied with a slight sadness, though you can't quite figure out why.

Seeing the great image of Mount Moon approaching you, you relax a bit, knowing there isn't much more chance for any problems to arise. As much as you were a skilled trainer and member of the league, reports of trouble like this could get anyone on edge. Best case, it was just some punks you could whip into shape, but there always was the risk you could run into the worst of the worst. You grit your teeth in annoyance thinking about those wretched people. You could of course wipe the floor with most any you found, but they were rarely alone unless they were strong enough to be a major threat.

Sighing heavily, you lament on how it all got to this point. There was an age where it seemed Team Rocket was nearly wiped out, but then... It was painful to think back to those memories, so you tried to put your mind back to the task at hand. Despite your best efforts, you could still recall those two monsters who showed up that day. They both came from Sinnoh, if you recalled correctly, which didn't make much sense from Team Rocket's lack of real presence there. Despite that, the cruelty and power the two displayed were unmatched, and you found yourself still having nightmares about them on occasion. You remember only one trait of each, though they are rather defining: the man with the long, silver hair, and the man with the jagged mouth.

You are blessedly distracted from your thoughts as you hear something rustling in the forest a good distance away. It was probably nothing, but checking it out would be far better than reminiscing on that horrible time. Walking forward cautiously, you anticipate it is most likely a wild Pokémon, causing you to reach for your Pokéballs in case you need to battle, though nothing on this route could scratch your team in the least.

Carefully approaching to not provoke whatever is ahead of you, you begin to leave the path that most trainers refuse to leave. Moving slowly to cause minimal noise from the grass, you begin to hear something from nearby. To your surprise, it isn't the sound of a Pokémon, but a person. And despite what would be the second assumption, it sounds like only one person, and not some strange couple wishing to have midnight sex in the woods.

Finding a nearby tree to take cover behind, you cautiously peer around to see if you can figure out more without being discovered. Looking over, you can see the vague shape of someone leaning on a large stump. They seem to be letting out grunts of pain, gripping their left shoulder firmly. Before you can even consider approaching to help, you head an unsettling popping noise as their shoulder suddenly jerks, followed by a gasp and series of suppressed shouts.

You don't quite know what to make of the individual you are watching. They seem to be wearing a fully covering outfit, something you would expect in a rookie criminal. However, the hoodie they are wearing over all of it has a series of large slashes cutting along it, partially stained with seemingly dried blood. Judging only from a distant view, it seems like a series of shallow wounds that were stitched shut, as crude stitch work is also visible on the shirt underneath the hoodie.

With their condition, it was obvious they had gotten into some form of fight. Or, they had at least been attacked. You grimace as you try to consider how you should handle this situation. Do you approach them calmly, and treat them like a potential victim? Or do you move to apprehend them, and question the situation later? The wrong choice could cause a lot of issues, though neither seemed like the obvious decision.

Stuck with indecision, you barely manage to overhear them talking to themselves. Leaning in just enough to make out what they are saying. "There we go, everything back in its place." They let out a long, tired sigh, an audible thud sounding as their head hits against the stump. "Well, that went poorly... Ugh. I had him, I fucking had him!" The figure punches the ground, wincing in pain. "Ugh, I really wish I could just use one of those Pokémon Centers. It would save a lot of time and suffering... but no, it's not like they would let a person into one of those places for medical treatment anyway."

The figure let out a groan to themselves as they leaned slid down, their top half resting on the stump while they continue to speak. "Ugh, I'm in no shape to take another swing at this again, especially against Inferno..." You had no difficulty in hearing their teeth grinding, despite your distance. "Damn it all. I need to get stronger, but it just seems insurmountable... Even with his help, I don't know if I can do it...." They let out a tired sigh, resting their head back against the stump.

You mentally curse after hearing them talking. It was clear they were not simply a victim of an attack, ruling out the easiest scenario. They way they spoke also hinted towards some organized group, which was never a good sign. Still, something makes you not fully confident that the right thing to do is apprehend them, so you continue to hesitate while watching them cautiously.

Your hesitation brings about another event, as the bushes on the other side of them to you begin to rustle. They prop themselves up, seemingly preparing to react to whatever it is, while you rest your hand on your first Pokéball. Despite whatever trouble this individual was in, your instincts told you that they weren't a bad person, despite their appearance.

After a tense few moments of rustling, a small figure exits from the bushes, seemingly a Pokémon. You keep your hand on your Pokéball, however after seeing the Pokémon, the figure lays back down, as relaxed as before if not more so. With a sigh of relief, they speak to the creature that you can't quite see through the underbrush. "You know, you can give me a heads up before coming out of the bushes like that, right?"

A series of child-like laughing replies, before you hear a response. "Pika-Pikachu! Hehe, Pika-pi!" There was little doubt to you as to what it was that appeared from the bushes. That had to be one of the most famous Pokémon to exist, the little yellow rat that had taken the world by storm. Little was known to many about why it had garnered so much popularity, but you were pretty sure you know where the whole thing started.

Reminiscing aside, you focused back to the two in front of you, hearing the first figure groan in annoyance. "Yes yes, I know you thinks it's funny to try and scare me, but what if I begin to simply expect its you and then get attacked by something, hmm? Wouldn't that put a lot of guilt on your conscience?" You see them sit up slightly, before crossing their arms and tilting their head at the yellow rat just out of your view.

The response from the electric mammal is a snort of defiance, followed by its own incomprehensible argument. "Hmph, Pika-pika, Pika-chu." Its tone is similar to that of a pouting child, and you can almost imagine the scrunched-up face it's making at the other individual.

Letting out a tired sigh, they shake their head in response. They then slowly **** themselves onto their feet, letting out a pained groan until they are fully standing. They then look down at the Pokémon just out of your view, reaching down. You briefly hear the purring of the little gerbil in question, however it is cut abruptly as the figure seems to snatch something.

The mouse is quick to protest, "Pika! Pika-pika! Pika-pi~!" They sound angry, and you see the slightest amount of yellow light shining as they use electricity to threaten the other.

Shockingly (heh), the person seems indifferent to the threat, however, holding the item in their hand as they hold their other index finger out to the iconic creature. "I told you that you shouldn't be wearing this, it's a quick way to get yourself caught or worse." They then put the item under their clothes, preventing you from getting any good look at what it was.

At last, you can confirm your suspicions as to the other present, as a Pikachu exits from behind your blind spot, attempting to jump up and grab at the figure's hand. After a few attempts, realizing that their threats nor their pleadings will work, they plop down into a seated position, pouting. "Pika-pi. Pika-Pikachu... Pika." The last word was spoken in a tone that suggested it was some insult or expletive they were calling the individual.

With an annoyed sigh, the individual grips the bridge of their nose through the bandana covering their face, rubbing it in a frustrated manner. "You think I'm just being paranoid, of course you do." This was followed by a drawn-out groan, before they slouched forward. Underneath their hood, you can barely notice their head turn, but your blood-chills once you notice. They turned directly to look at you. "You there, behind the tree? Mind helping me prove my friend here wrong?"

You freeze, startled by their ability to detect you from this far away. With a grimace, you come out from behind the tree, gripping your Pokéball in case they decide to attack you. You don't approach, not wishing to provoke the individual, but you don't know what to say to potentially de-escalate the situation. They are clearly a dangerous individual, so there is no doubt that you need to bring them in, but you hesitate before simply demanding they comply.

The Pikachu looks over to you, curious as to who their companion is talking to. They seem surprised at first, before a look of concentration overtakes their face. After a few more moments, they seem to have a eureka moment, before jumping up and down and tugging on their partner. "Pika! Pika-pi!" The little rat gave you a happy smile. "Pikachu!"

While you couldn't see their face, you could tell the figure was glaring at you. They spoke to the Pikachu, still keeping themselves facing you. "Are you sure? May I remind you it has been a long time since you did your great adventure." Getting a mean look and a blown raspberry in response, they let out a sigh and spoke to the mouse again. "Fine then, you're sure. But are they one of the good ones?"

With a smile the little mouse gave a confident nod. "Pika. Pikachu~!" This got the person to look away from you momentarily, giving the yellow critter a considering glance. It responds by looking them dead in the eyes, a determined demeanor dominating it as they stare at each other. After a bit, the figure huffs before breaking the eye contact, looking back to you once more.

They stare at you for a few tense moments, both of you unmoving. Then, they speak in an unreadable tone, "So, he says you're a gym leader?" The silence returns, lasting until you give a slow nod in response. Still as a statue, they question you again. "Tell me honestly, what do you serve?" You are unable to hide your confusion on this question, prompting them to elaborate. "Do you serve yourself, the league, the people..." You can feel them glare as their words fill with venom, "Or TEAM ROCKET?"

You take a second to think of exactly how to answer, but their last statement prompts you to answer quickly. "I would like to say I serve the people as best I can. Officially, I serve the league. I find fulfillment in my job, so you could say I serve myself." You let yourself glare back to get your final point across, "And I would rather die than ever serve Team Rocket."

Their head tilts to the side to consider for a moment, leading to another extended silence. This time they seem to get lost in thought, only moving as they are startled by the Pikachu grabbing their pant leg and tugging on it a few times. The two have some form of wordless exchange, before the figure lets out a sigh and begins to approach you.

Quickly tensing up, you hold your hand out to stop them while readying your Pokéball. They quickly halt, holding up their hands and seem confused for a moment. They quickly tilt their head to the side, before begrudgingly nodding. "Yeah, I suppose that is a fair reaction in the situation." They take stock of themselves before looking up to you expectantly.

Taking a deep breath, you decide what to do. Looking at them with a gaze more confident than how you truly felt, you spoke with as much authority as you could muster. "I am going to need you to come with me."