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This unexpected delivery didn't catch Sato off guard. Instead, it was a pleasant surprise. He continued riding at a steady pace without stopping his bike.
Just as the black package was about to land on Sato's head, the red-and-white cap on his head suddenly opened its small eyes, stretched out its tiny hands, and firmly caught the package.
Once the Ditto, disguised as a cap, successfully secured the black package, Sato slowly pulled over to the side of the road. He then took the package from Ditto's hands.
Rather than opening the package imdiately, Sato first stored away his Acro Bike. Then, accompanied by Growlithe and Bellossom, he stepped off the dirt path and headed into a dense patch of tall grass nearby.
With Bellossom's help, the thick grass ahead of Sato seed almost sentient, parting to form a safe path for him.
Additionally, the wild Pokémon in the surrounding grass seed to sense his presence and moved away, allowing Sato and his Pokémon to proceed unhindered until they reached the base of a towering tree.
Sato then released Golbat, instructing it to use ultrasonic waves to confirm that no one was nearby. Once he was sure they were alone, he finally began opening the mysterious package.
The black package wasn't heavy, which made it clear that it didn't contain anything particularly weighty. Upon unwrapping it, Sato found a black plastic box inside.
A large red "R" was emblazoned on the lid, instantly revealing that it was sothing from Team Rocket.
The box's material was clearly unique—lightweight yet incredibly sturdy. The opening was also secured with a combination lock.
It was obvious that unless Sato obtained the three-digit code, his only other option would be to force it open.
However, he discarded that idea in less than a second.
Knowing Team Rocket's usual tricks, Sato figured that if he tried to force the box open, its contents might be destroyed—or worse, the box could explode.
He carefully examined the plastic box, looking for clues to the combination. However, there were no apparent hints. Since he wasn't sure what might happen if he tampered with the lock, he refrained from randomly inputting numbers.
Finally, his gaze shifted to the black wrapping cloth that had covered the plastic box.
As expected, upon closer inspection, he discovered sothing unusual about the seemingly ordinary black fabric.
Using a small knife, Sato carefully sliced open the fabric, revealing a hidden inner layer. From it, he extracted a strip of white cloth, identical in texture to the black wrapping.
Embroidered on the white fabric were three black numbers: "269."
Seeing these numbers, Sato considered his options and decided to use them to unlock the combination lock.
Sure enough, with a faint click, the lock opened as soon as he entered the numbers in order.
Even so, Sato didn't rush to open the box right away. Instead, he let his imagination run wild, considering the worst possible scenarios.
Taking extra precautions, he placed the box at a distance and released his Nidorino. Then, he commanded it to use Psychic to remotely open the box.
Upon receiving the order, Nidorino's eyes glowed with an intense blue light, and the plastic box was instantly enveloped in a shimring psychic aura. Under Nidorino's control, the lid slowly lifted.
The next mont, with a sharp whoosh, a red object shot out from the box like a bullet, rocketing straight into the tree canopy. It snapped three small branches before getting lodged among the higher branches.
Narrowing his eyes, Sato recognized the red object—a boxing glove with a white plastic fist inside. A tal spring was attached to the bottom of the plastic fist.
Clearly, if Sato had opened the box head-on, he would have been struck square in the face by the glove.
Judging from the force with which the glove had shot out, a direct hit to his head wouldn't have been fatal, but it definitely would have left him dizzy—possibly even with a bruised or swollen face.
"Good thing I was cautious; otherwise, I would've taken that punch for sure. Who the hell designed this? What a ridiculous prank. Is this supposed to train rookies in dodging sneak attacks?"
Looking at the red boxing glove stuck in the tree, Sato felt exasperated. He then turned his attention back to the plastic box, feeling sowhat speechless.
Fortunately, apart from the glove, there were no other traps inside. The box now lay open, revealing a communication device and six black PokéBalls.
Still wary, Sato had Nidorino once again use Psychic to retrieve the items from a distance.
The communication device resembled a tablet but was only the size of an adult's palm. On the back, there was a recessed slot designed for holding a minimized PokéBall.
As for the six black PokéBalls, aside from their color, they were identical to standard PokéBalls.
The communicator was currently turned off. As soon as Sato picked it up, he switched it on. The screen lit up almost instantly, playing a short video.
Due to poor lighting, the footage was sowhat grainy. It showed a person seated in an executive chair, their back facing the cara. Beside them, a Persian lay lazily.
After a brief mont, a tallic, synthesized voice began speaking:
First, it welcod Sato to Team Rocket. Then, it listed a long series of supposed benefits of joining. Finally, it wished him good luck in the upcoming Rookie Competition.
The entire video was short, lasting only a few minutes. Once it finished, the communicator's program automatically deleted the video and displayed a text box containing details about Sato's next mission.
It was a bug-catching mission, but it offered three different ways to complete it:
Use the six black PokéBalls to capture six Beedrill or Butterfree.Use the black PokéBalls to capture three Pinsir or Scyther.Capture a single Bug-type Pokémon from outside the Kanto region using one of the black PokéBalls.
As expected, the mission ca with rewards. Completing it would not only provide information about the next task location but also grant points based on the Pokémon turned in.
Each Beedrill or Butterfree was worth 100 points. Pinsir and Scyther, being much rarer, were worth 2,000 points each. As for Bug-types from outside Kanto, they were worth a whopping 5,000 points.
"This is basically a free points giveaway. No wonder all the veteran recruits looked so excited when they talked about the Rookie Competition. This whole thing is designed to help rookies train."
Seeing the mission details on the communicator screen, Sato's eyes lit up, and he smiled to himself.
To him, this bug-catching mission was practically a handout.
Beedrill and Butterfree were incredibly common in Viridian Forest, and they were weak. Any Team Rocket rookie who had been training for over a month could easily capture six of them.
Pinsir and Scyther, however, were trickier. Only recruits with real strength could go after them, as both species were highly territorial and often lived in groups. Facing them unprepared could an serious injury—or even death.
As for the final option, it was by far the most difficult.
Due to human activity, invasive species occasionally appeared in Viridian Forest, but they were rare. The local Pokémon were incredibly strong and highly territorial, making it difficult for outsiders to settle.
Only the toughest foreign Pokémon could survive in such a hostile environnt. They were naturally elusive and excellent at evading capture, making them extrely difficult to find, let alone catch.
Most importantly, they were exceedingly rare. Simply encountering one was already a stroke of luck.
Without specialized tracking thods, locating such a Pokémon in the vast Viridian Forest was nearly impossible.
Sato carefully considered his options for the mission. Before long, he had made up his mind.
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