Upon receiving the Executive's call, the Trio imdiately rushed to Celadon City.
Natsu t the three of them at a restaurant near Celadon City.
The table was already piled high with empty plates.
"Munch munch!!" The Trio was still devouring food ravenously.
Natsu couldn't help but ask, "Have things been... that rough lately?"
The mont he ntioned it, all three of them teared up.
"All the funds from our last stall went into building an enhanced cha... which got blown up by the twerp again, ow."
"Plus, we already advanced a huge chunk of our budget." Jas finally swallowed his curry and sighed. "We've had to tighten our belts..."
"owth, that's my fried chicken!" Jessie shoved owth's face away.
"What's the big deal, ow? The Executive's treating us!"
According to the Trio's explanation, with no good inco sources available,
their limited operational funds ca from Jessie's extra roles, Jas' magic shows, and owth's fire hoop acts.
The heartbreaking scene almost moved Natsu to pity. "Why not just work honest jobs? Once you save up, you can get all the Pikachu you want, right?"
"But it's not just any Pikachu."
Jas' eyes glead. "It's special, the kind that's just... different—"
Before he could finish, Jas yelled, "Hey, Jessie! That's my curry!"
Jessie's cheeks bulged like a hamster's, sauce sared at the corner of her mouth. "owth did it first!"
Natsu helplessly waved. "Boss, three more servings, please."
"Coming right up, kid."
The Trio's eyes shimred with gratitude. "Thank you, Executive!"
Never thought he'd be the one getting taken advantage of soday.
Natsu's mood was complicated.
Guess this was what they called the hunter becoming the hunted?
"Alright, the reason I called you here is to give you a proper fundraising opportunity."
Natsu slid a blueprint across the table.
"This'll be your stall—I secured it just for you."
"Put Pikachu on hold. For now, focus on running this stand during the P1 Grand Prix... and work your way out of poverty!"
The Trio froze in stunned silence.
Not only did he treat them to a al, but he also solved their livelihood...
This was the true ntor of Team Rocket!
"Don't worry!" Jessie snatched the blueprint with fiery determination. "We'll make this stall the biggest and best!"
"Right! Once we earn enough, we'll tribute part of it to the Executive as thanks!" Jas clenched his fist.
"And with the rest, hehe..." owth rubbed his paws. "We'll build another ch to catch Pikachu, ow!"
"Sooo nice of a feeling~!"
...So it still cos back to Pikachu, huh?
Natsu silently gazed at the sky.
Sohow, he felt they contributed greatly to Kanto's GDP growth...
He didn't interrupt their daydreaming, just waved it off. "Figure out the stall's the yourselves."
"I'm a competing contestant, so don't blow my cover."
Rather than micromanaging, it was better to let the Trio's creativity run wild.
Honestly... give them a stall and let them work seriously,
and they might just beco billionaires.
"Leave it to us!"
...
Exiting the restaurant, Natsu pondered.
"They've got max-level fundraising skills... so why are they always broke?"
Maybe they're like him—
earning plenty, but debts keep piling up?
With a sigh, he felt a strange kinship with the Trio.
On the bright side,
given their talents, their stall might outsell even the shady rchant Green...
Following the Executive's orders, Team Rocket sprang into action.
That afternoon, a peculiar stall opened for business.
In the group chat, Green sent a video, clicking her tongue. "This place is packed!"
"What are they selling?" Lorelei asked curiously. "I might check it out later."
"I went earlier. They're selling contestant trading cards—kinda like Natsu-sensei's PTCG," Brock explained.
"Huh? So just contestant profiles? But marketed like this?!" Gold's eyes widened.
"So contestants' info is public on the official site anyway,"
Misty sent a photo. "But most people can't be bothered to look it up... Cards make it way more appealing."
Natsu opened the image.
The cards resembled PTCG but with creative twists—
clearly the Trio's bootleg version.
If anything, they were similar to Galar's wildly popular League Cards.
Curious, Natsu browsed tournant forums for discussions about the stall.
"Look what I pulled from that stall!"
"Why is my card only R-tier?!"
"YES! I got the 'Masked Royal'!!"
Among the known cards was a heavyweight contestant—Sinnoh's Water-type expert, the philosophical, shirtless, mask-wearing "Torrent Masked Man" (SR rarity), represented by his Poliwrath.
Another SSR card featured Alola's "Masked Royal"—
though Natsu-sensei knew the truth:
It was just Professor Kukui in disguise.
"Didn't expect the Professor to compete," Natsu murmured.
Then again, it made sense.
Professor Kukui's Incineroar was a top-tier fighting specialist.
The Trio's sales performance impressed him.
"Not bad at all."
Natsu stroked his chin, deep in thought.
"Maybe I should... have them handle PTCG Trainer Cards?"
Currently, PTCG only had Pokémon cards.
The sole Trainer Card—an unannounced "Cynthia"—was the exception.
If the Trio developed Trainer Cards,
it'd ease Mina's workload while giving them legitimate jobs.
And if successful,
Galar's League Cards would be obsolete.
In a way, this was also rehabilitating the Trio...
"Ugh, disaster."
In the group chat, Green groaned. "Today's sales are way below projections!"
The Trio's stall had completely overshadowed her prepared rchandise—Clefairy plushies, Full Restores—
which might have to wait for next ti.
Silver: "How much short?"
Green: "Huh?"
Silver checked his balance. Hmm... probably enough to buy everything.
"No rush," Lorelei smiled. "You can always sell the rest tomorrow."
"True." Green nodded cheerfully. "I'll just have Natsu-sensei endorse my products after he wins!"
Natsu stared at the sky.
Not that I mind endorsing...
But at this rate, other stalls won't survive long enough to see it happen.
...
"Make... PTCG Trainer Cards?"
The Trio gaped at Natsu's proposal.
"Y-You an it?!"
Jas trembled with excitent. "Our version could beco official?!"
Natsu nodded, eyeing the cards on the table. "Who drew these?"
Given the Trio's history of near-perfect counterfeits in the ani, their bootlegs were shockingly authentic.
"Jas did, ow." owth grinned, tail swishing. "He studied Western art back in the day."
"Hey, not bad, Jas!" Jessie clapped his shoulder.
"Ah, it's nothing special..." Jas scratched his head sheepishly.
"I trust your skills." Natsu handed Jas Oleana's contact card. "Once you finish the starter designs, call this number. She'll handle distribution."
"Y-You can count on !" Jas pounded his chest.
Hooray! I never dread I'd illustrate official PTCG cards!
Jas looked ready to ascend to heaven.
"Your bottle cap collection is weeping," Jessie said dryly.
"They're in the trash, screaming 'You heartless traitor!'" owth shone a flashlight under his chin.
"Shut up, you two!"
"Then this project's yours. Forget Pikachu for now."
Natsu plucked a card from the table. "Oh, and I'm taking this one."
"No problem!" Jas bead—before freezing. "W-Wait, that's—!"
"Our first UR card!!"
"I spent hours perfecting that...!"
As the Executive walked away, Jas collapsed, his soul leaving his body.
"Alright, ti to work."
Jessie and owth each dragged one of Jas' legs.
"Can't let the Executive down now!"
Not far off,
Natsu examined the card and nodded approvingly.
It depicted a dashing trainer—capturing roughly one-tenth of Natsu-sensei's real-world charm.
"Only UR-tier could possibly do justice."
Tucking it into his pocket, he grinned. "Sirfetch'd, ti for our next match!"
"Sirfetch'd?!"
So the day of reckoning had co...
Sirfetch'd sighed internally before steeling its gaze.
Fine. Let them witness the resolve of a slacker turned warrior!
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