Chapter 47: Why Did the Boss Laugh?

Apollo's expression changed drastically in an instant.

Is that an automatic identity-recognition machine?!

Damn it, what level of machine is this? My identity is hidden with the utmost secrecy, yet it was exposed in a single sentence?

As expected...

This kid is already a menace!

What should I do? Should I resort to a direct confrontation right now...?

Given my current strength, I can barely manage to hold my own against an ordinary Elite Four-level opponent. Can I really handle such a powerhouse...?

Apollo's facial expression shifted at least a hundred times in a split second before he abruptly pulled himself together and forced a calm composure.

Apollo squeezed out a smile once again.

However, his poise was already thoroughly shattered.

"Hehe, was someone just talking to me? Why couldn't I understand a single word...?"

He asked with a feigned look of bafflement.

Ash, meanwhile, shook his greasy palm stained with chicken leg oil and explained nonchalantly:

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Apollo. My Pokédex just loves talking nonsense; you don't need to take it seriously."

"!!!"

Apollo's expression turned astonished once more, with a faint hint of trepidation creeping in.

Don't let Ash's casual words fool you—that hand-waving gesture was clearly a subtle warning implying that he was no match for him, and starting a conflict would only end in his own miserable defeat?!

To subdue the enemy without fighting, what a truly formidable tactic!

So, what should I do about this Team Rocket team-building trip...

Should I report this to Boss Giovanni in advance...?

Apollo shook his head, his gaze turning cold.

No, only by completing this mission can I sweep away all the internal doubts within the organization and become the true successor of Team Rocket!

After a storm of intense mental calculation, Apollo finally cast a deeply cautious glance at Ash and slowly retreated toward the outer area of the room.

No matter what, as Team Rocket's premier tactician, he would surely figure out a way...

Hmph.

...

Ash: "?"

Naturally, he had no idea about the raging tempest inside the other man's mind; he was simply feeling secretly puzzled.

Protos or Apollo, it didn't really matter—wasn't it just a name?

It's just that earlier, he seemed to have heard the words "Team Rocket."

Could this guy be a colleague of Jessie and James?

Come to think of it, it had been so long since he last saw those three, why did he feel a strange sense of longing...

Ash shuddered violently, then picked up another large chicken leg and resumed devouring it.

"Pikachu, keep eating. Don't even think about losing weight."

After all, you need to be full before you have the strength to lose weight!

Who would have thought that from start to finish, Pikachu hadn't lifted its head even once? Taking advantage of the two men's conversation, it had already polished off several more chicken legs.

When it came to eating, it needed no reminders from anyone.

Ash: "..."

...

Soon, Apollo retreated behind the curtains, continuing to observe Ash, who was still stuffing his face, in secret.

"Is this the state of 'great truths are simple, entering the mortal world to temper oneself'...?"

He had heard that many powerful trainers, upon reaching the peak of their strength and finding themselves unable to advance any further, would relax their mindset and experience the world anew by playing the role of a novice.

He never expected that a young boy named Ash would reach such a supreme realm at such a tender age.

"Boss, what's our next move...?"

The subordinate in the tailcoat asked, looking perplexed.

He had never seen Apollo wear such an expression before.

With too many layers of consideration at play, he couldn't comprehend a single thing.

"Hold our position for now and proceed according to the original plan."

After a long period of contemplation, Apollo slowly spoke.

Their original plan was to make their move only on the final day of the voyage, so there was no need to rush right now.

However, the young man before him had to be dealt with...

Yet, could all of this merely be the result of his own wild speculations? Perhaps the boy was just an ordinary trainer, and he was simply overthinking it?

Even so, that possibility was infinitesimal, practically bordering on the impossible.

Still, cautious as he was, he needed confirmation!

Apollo turned around, deep in thought for a long time, and finally ordered:

"Go fetch the top-secret Pokémon combat power detector developed by Team Rocket."

Hearing this, the tailcoated subordinate's gaze hardened into a respectful and solemn salute.

Then, he hurried off in a specific direction.

That was a piece of supreme black technology that Team Rocket's R&D team had spent a fortune to create. It was rumored that a single glance was all it took to pierce through and reveal the exact magnitude of a Pokémon's combat power.

It could even scan right through Poké Balls!

Would he finally have the privilege of witnessing the brilliance of this divine artifact today?!

...

At the banquet, Gary was still eloquently holding forth on stage about his grand ambitions for the future.

Ash continued to stuff his face relentlessly; for a body-tempering trainer, consuming massive amounts of food brought the greatest gains.

BOOM!

At that moment, the banquet hall doors were abruptly kicked open, and the violent commotion instantly drew everyone's attention to the entrance.

Apollo: "?"

Could it be that we've run into rival poachers trying to steal our thunder?!

The doors swung open, revealing a brown-haired girl wearing a white sun hat stepping slowly into the hall. An aura of near-palpable death and gloom drifted around her body, striking a chilling note in everyone's chest.

The thick, concentrated aura of doom was practically solidifying as it surged straight toward the spiky-haired boy still laughing loudly on the stage.

Slung across her shoulder was a heavy slab of stone over a meter high.

With every step Leaf took onto the red carpeted floor, the heavy stone slab landed with the resonant thud of a giant war drum, making everyone's hearts tremble.

Inscribed on the stone slab was a bold line of text:

Tomb of the Hometown Flea!

As Leaf shouldered the makeshift gravestone, the surrounding upper-class guests consciously and voluntarily parted to clear a pathway straight to the stage.

Even Ash's eyes lit up brightly. Disregarding his greasy hands, he pulled out his Pokédex and switched it to camera mode.

He was going to document this scene!

...

"Gary, aren't you taking this a bit too far this time?"

Deep within their shared consciousness, Green's brows were furrowed deeply; he still couldn't fathom Gary's bizarre sense of humor.

"Small matter, big brother Green, it's all just a small matter. Next time, I'll take you clubbing at a graveyard."

Gary, however, merely chuckled lightly.

If Ash's journey was one where Red guided him from behind the scenes...

Then Gary's situation was entirely different... instead, he was the one carrying Green on his back.

Green: "..."

Just then, the arrogant expression on Gary's face instantly shifted into one of joyous delight, as if he had just run into a long-lost hometown friend.

Gary spoke loudly into the microphone:

"Let me introduce everyone to our guest of honor walking up the aisle—she's my hometown friend of many years, Leaf from Pallet Town! Let's give her a round of applause!"

Polite applause rippled through the crowd.

However, Leaf's eyes remained glazed and devoid of emotion. She ignored the reception entirely, advancing step by relentless step.

No matter what anyone said today, she was going to bury this flea...

"Perhaps some of our friends here don't know yet, but this young lady has another monumental identity!"

The corners of Gary's mouth curled into a stealthy grin as he shouted into the mic:

"She is also the newest legendary hero of Vermilion City!! The Tree-Chopping Monarch!!"

As soon as those words dropped, the atmosphere immediately descended into chaos.

"My Farfetch'd... could it be that same Tree-Chopping Monarch?!"

"Now that you mention it, she does look a bit like her..."

"I remember seeing her chop a tree trunk several people thick right in half with her bare hands."

"I was at the scene; a chill ran straight down my spine."

The most sensational figure in Vermilion City recently wasn't any flashy celebrity or VIP... it was this mysterious tree-chopping maniac who had seemingly materialized out of nowhere and spent the last few days reducing the city's weeds and trees to absolute splinters.

Combined with the frantic media hype and persona-building orchestrated by the Vermilion City press,

Leaf's popularity had skyrocketed to dazzling heights, making her the hottest viral internet sensation of the new generation.

In the reverse sense, of course.

In an instant, numerous reporters clutching cameras and various upper-class socialites swarmed forward, surrounding Leaf.

"Can we get an exclusive interview, Miss Tree-Chopping Monarch...?"

"Can I get an autograph? I want to chop trees too..."

"Could you live-stream your tree-chopping sessions in the future? I'd like to know how to chop my boyfriend, too..."

"I have some pork floss pastry here; would you be interested in a brand endorsement...?"

Vermilion City didn't have much else, but it certainly had no shortage of idle onlookers with too much time on their hands.

Facing multiple flashing camera lenses and a dense wall of pressing humanity,

and looking at their fanatical expressions, a blush crept onto Leaf's pretty face.

At long last, her oppressive aura instantly dissipated, and she suddenly grew immensely shy.

Leaf reverted back into that innocent, energetic young girl in the blink of an eye. Even the makeshift gravestone on her shoulder let out a loud *clang* as it crashed down onto the red carpet.

"Ahahaha, hello everyone, I am Leaf, the Tree-Chopping Monarch..."

She scratched the back of her head, completely dazzled by the sea of camera lenses and bobbing heads, her vision growing blurry.

...

Up on the high platform, Gary watched Leaf floundering in panic amidst the crowd and finally couldn't help bursting into soft, mocking laughter:

"Haha, that is honestly hilarious..."

He had known about this weakness of hers—that she would completely lose her combat readiness when facing a camera lens—for a long time.

Meanwhile, down at the dining table, seeing that there was no more drama to watch, Ash looked toward Gary with considerable annoyance, feeling deeply disappointed.

He was well aware of that weakness, too.

As for Apollo behind the curtain, he paid no mind to the chaotic scene, letting his gaze sweep across the three youths.

Finally, he locked his eyes back onto Ash.

"Hiss... I still can't see through him..."

...

"Boss, I've brought the combat power detector!"

Before long, the tailcoated subordinate handed over a sleek, single-lens electronic eyepiece.

The lens was made of high-tech material with a translucent green tint. Once it locked onto a target, it would display the target's combat power directly across the glass surface.

"Hmph..."

Apollo carefully fitted the combat power detector over his right eye, clicked the switch, and first aimed it at Leaf, who was still trapped in the center of the crowd.

He already knew that this girl was the third trainer from Pallet Town.

In moments, the detector automatically locked onto the Poké Balls hanging at Leaf's waist.

"Beep, beep... 500, 700, 600..."

Watching the numbers rapidly fluctuating across the lens, Apollo sneered dismissively, even letting out a chuckle.

Generally speaking, a newly hatched baby Pokémon had a combat power rating of 10, while the Pokémon of an average novice trainer ranged anywhere from 100 to 1,000.

More elite trainers scored somewhere between 1,000 and 10,000.

A combat power rating exceeding 10,000 belonged to true powerhouses.

For instance, his own ace Pokémon, Houndoom, possessed a formidable combat power rating of 13,000!

"Why is the Boss laughing?"

Seeing Apollo chuckle repeatedly, the tailcoated subordinate asked with a puzzled look.

"Hmph, I am laughing at that country girl. She's nothing more than a rookie trainer. I thought she might actually be some kind of big shot—what a joke..."

However, just as he burst into laughter and prepared to switch targets,

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!!

The numerical values on the detector suddenly surged without rhyme or reason, instantly skyrocketing from an unremarkable three-digit figure straight into the five-digit realm!!

Apollo: "?"

Did it malfunction?

Apollo hurriedly shifted his gaze away from Leaf and locked onto a random passerby nearby.

Since this person didn't carry any Poké Balls, the lens switched to detecting the human's combat power instead.

"5."

Apollo let out a slight sigh of relief. It seemed it was just a temporary glitch.

With a bated breath, Apollo adjusted the eyepiece and aimed it toward the spiky-haired boy on stage who was still actively stirring up trouble.

"Beep, beep, beep! 1,000, 3,000, 2,000..."

Seeing those numbers, Apollo couldn't help letting out another cold snort of laughter.

As expected, the strength of Professor Oak's grandson wasn't something an ordinary novice trainer could compare to.

Yet, if this was the extent of his level, he still posed zero threat!

"Hmph-hmph-ha!!"

Hiding behind the curtains, Apollo laughed out loud once more, his voice brazen and unrestrained.

"Why is the Boss laughing again?"

The tailcoated subordinate behind him startled slightly and asked with lingering confusion.

"I am laughing at that grandson of the Professor and his arrogant posturing. I thought he was some incredible big shot, but he's just another wet-behind-the-ears rookie..."

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!!!"

However, before he could even finish his sentence, the detector emitted yet another frantic alarm, freezing the expression solid on Apollo's face.

Across the lens, the digits climbed at a furious pace, breaking into the five-digit territory in the blink of an eye.

"80,000, 90,000..."

The numbers were still climbing!

Apollo's jaw nearly hit the floor, his entire body trembling violently.

He was genuinely terrified.

"Hoo... hoo...!"

He quickly ripped off the eyewear, panting heavily as he forced himself to calm down.

It malfunctioned!

Yes, it had definitely malfunctioned!!

He hurriedly shifted his gaze back to another random passerby.

"5."

No malfunction?

Apollo was completely baffled now.

Before he knew it, cold sweat had soaked through his tailcoat. Sweat streamed down Apollo's forehead, and his composure was thoroughly shattered.

Yet, as Team Rocket's premier tactician, he managed to maintain a shred of outward poise.

Gritting his teeth, Apollo mustered a massive surge of courage and slowly aimed the lens toward the boy who was still stuffing his face...

First, he looked at the electrical rodent sitting beside him, mindlessly cramming food into its mouth. To his surprise, the detector produced two sets of data simultaneously.

"10", "3,000".

Furthermore, the four-digit number in the back kept climbing steadily.

The most bizarre part was that the two-digit number in the front kept dropping continuously.

Apollo: "?"

This was the first time he had ever seen a detector output such contradictory data.

Taking a deep breath, Apollo locked his eyes onto the Poké Balls resting at Ash's waist.

"500, 700, 900, 8,000..."

These were all completely normal readings for a novice trainer, except for that 8,000 at the end, which looked somewhat abnormal.

"Could it really be that I was just overthinking things... Ahahahahaha!"

At last, Apollo burst into laughter from behind the curtains once again.

His laughter was wild, utterly uninhibited!

It really was just me overthinking it!

This sight finally drove the tailcoated subordinate past his breaking point, prompting him to ask with a trembling voice:

"Boss, can we... maybe stop laughing now?"

Apollo's gaze hardened as he reined in his laughter, transforming back into the image of an invincible, brilliant strategist he had worn earlier.

Tactful, collected, and carrying an undertone of chilling ruthlessness.

"Why shouldn't I laugh? I laugh at that country bumpkin. I thought he possessed some heaven-defying abilities, but it turns out he's just a rustic simpleton! Blame it on my own paranoia and bad eyes—truly laughable, hilarious, hahaha..."

Staring at the modest data displayed on the lens, Apollo threw his head back and roared with laughter once more.

BOOM!

The very next second, Apollo's detector exploded.

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*(A large chapter, looking for recommendations and bookmarks....)*