Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 28: Green

In a narrow alleyway, Green excitedly counted the cash in her hands.

"Ten thousand… twenty thousand… sixty-five thousand in total! What a haul! Who'd have thought selling these trinkets would be so profitable?"

After arriving in Cerulean City, she'd planned to sell some of her homemade "tools" for extra cash but discovered an unexpected goldmine: selling Cerulean Sisters merchandise to their die-hard fans.

"Still, I can't let anyone know these are knockoffs, or else…"

"Or else what?"

A voice suddenly spoke behind her.

Green froze, her body stiffening.

"Damn, I got too carried away..."

Earning so much money so easily had made Green drop her guard. She hadn't even noticed someone approaching her.

Still, Green's reflexes were sharp. Her fingers subtly moved toward the Pokéball at her waist, and the moment she touched the button, she leaped forward.

Bang!

The Pokéball popped open, releasing a flash of white light.

A Wartortle appeared in the alleyway.

In mid-air, Green completed a flip and landed behind her Wartortle, facing the person who had been standing behind her.

There, at the mouth of the alley, stood a man with his hands in his pockets and a faint smile on his face.

Even after she released her Pokémon, his expression didn't change. Instead, he spoke in a playful tone:

"Quick reaction, Miss Thief."

Hearing the word "thief," Green's movements paused ever so slightly. She blinked and looked at Asahi with an innocent expression.

"Thief? What thief? How could someone like me be a thief?"

Even as she spoke, Green's mind raced to figure out how her cover had been blown.

---

Asahi hadn't expected to run into Green in Cerulean City.

After all, it hadn't been long since their last encounter in Pallet Town. Meeting her twice in such a short period felt almost like fate.

The reason he had cornered her was simple: Professor Oak had helped him a great deal. Now, seeing the culprit who had stolen the Squirtle from the lab, Asahi couldn't just pretend not to notice and had followed her here.

Watching Green's innocent act, Asahi couldn't help but smirk. He pointed at the Wartortle in front of her.

"Next time you lie, maybe try putting your Wartortle away first?"

"Pallet Town, Professor Oak's lab, Squirtle—do I need to spell it out?"

Green instantly realized he wasn't bluffing.

When did the Kanto Alliance become this efficient? Not only had they solved the case so quickly, but they had also tracked her down?

While internally complaining, Green put on a shocked expression. "I don't know what you're talking about. Professor Oak's lab... Is that the famous Professor Oak's lab?"

"I really admire Professor Oak!"

As she spoke, she subtly stepped backward.

When she felt she was at a safe distance, she didn't hesitate to throw another Pokéball. A Jigglypuff appeared beside her.

At the same time, Green commanded her Pokémon to attack: "Wartortle, Bubble Beam!"

The Bubble Beam wouldn't cause serious harm to a trainer, but it could effectively hinder their movements.

With Wartortle blocking Asahi's path, Blue grabbed the inflating Jigglypuff and shouted:

"Fly, Jigglypuff!"

She clung to the Jigglypuff as it carried her into the air. As she floated higher, Green's innocent and surprised expression faded. Her face broke into a mischievous grin as she stuck out her tongue at Asahi.

"See you later! Think you can catch me? Not a chance!"

She had no intention of being caught without a fight.

But when she glanced at Asahi, she didn't see the anger or frustration she'd expected. Instead, his lips curled into a smile.

"What makes you think you've successfully escaped?" he said calmly.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a flash of light appeared beside Asahi, revealing his Gardevoir.

Even without any commands, Gardevoir raised its arm.

Green felt an invisible force envelop her, freezing both her and Jigglypuff mid-air. They were completely immobilized.

Her grin froze on her face.

A Gardevoir from the Hoenn region? Psychic powers!

This trainer was definitely not one of the clueless Alliance officers.

With a gesture, Gardevoir pulled Green and Jigglypuff out of the sky.

"You said it was too early for me to catch you, right?" Asahi said with a playful smirk.

"I'm sorry! I was just joking! I had no choice!"

Green quickly switched to a pitiful expression, trying to appeal to Asahi's sympathy.

"Hmph, save it for Professor Oak," Asahi replied coldly.

He didn't take her directly to the police station. Since she had stolen the Squirtle from Professor Oak's lab, it was only fair to let Professor Oak decide what to do with her.

---

"...So that's what happened, Professor Oak."

Through a video call, Asahi recounted everything that had occurred and gestured toward Green and her Wartortle.

Green, seeing Professor Oak on the screen, quickly clasped her hands together and bowed repeatedly.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Oak! I deeply apologize!"

"You little thief..."

Professor Oak was clearly angry, but seeing Green's earnest apologies, he hesitated to send her to the police.

After all, from Wartortle's current state, it was clear that she cared deeply for Pokémon.

If she had stolen something else from the lab, it might have been easier to condemn her. But the fact that she had only taken Squirtle suggested it was a momentary lapse in judgment.

After a moment of thought, Professor Oak sighed, unwilling to make a harsh decision.

"Asahi, I'll leave this to you. After all, I'm just a Pokémon professor," Oak said, essentially passing the responsibility onto Asahi.

"..."

Seeing Professor Oak kick the ball back into his court, Asahi was speechless.

He was only an international police officer because Lance had fast-tracked his promotion. He'd only been on the job for a month and hadn't even memorized all the rules yet.

Still, since Professor Oak had left it up to him, Asahi couldn't back down.

Turning to Green, who was giving him pleading eyes, he thought for a moment before speaking:

"I can sense that you're not a bad person at heart. Since Professor Oak left this to me, I'll let you off this time. But..."

Hearing the first part, Green sighed in relief, but the word "but" made her tense up again.