"Alright. Let's start with you," Rosa said, pointing at James. "What type or city do you want to affiliate yourself with? Keep in mind, it's not an easy decision."
"Dragon!" James declared smugly. James declared smugly. Wasn't that the easiest Gym to get a rare Pokémon from, anyway? "Obviously, only the Dragon Gym can handle someone like me!"
"Funny," Rosa replied dryly. "Clair Blackthorn decided that only someone who catches a Dragon-type with their own effort is allowed to join her Gym. The only exceptions are those she scouts personally. So... good luck with that."
"THAT'S UNFAIR!" James, Jessie, and Meowth shouted in unison.
"It sure is," Rosa agreed, shrugging. "But she's not wrong. You can't just hand out dragons. They're way too difficult to handle."
"Alright," James sighed. Then, for a surprisingly brief but serious moment, he looked genuinely thoughtful—an expression so unlike his usual self it startled even Jessie. "Bug. I want to join the Bug Gym."
Jessie and Meowth stared at him, eyes bulging in disbelief.
"WHAT THE HELL, JAMES?" Jessie exploded.
"Aren't we here to snag some rare Pokémon?!" Meowth hissed. Then, noticing Rosa's unamused expression, he cleared his throat. "I mean—aren't we here to crush Blue?!"
"He's right!" Jessie shouted. "Why in the world would you choose BUG?!"
"You don't get it," James said with a deep, almost solemn sigh. He'd always followed exceptional people—his obscenely wealthy parents, then Giovanni, who was a literal criminal genius. What he'd learned along the way was this: James wasn't one of them. He was just a regular guy who'd gotten by on luck and charm.
And then he saw that guy—Larry, from the broadcast. A man even more average than him, who had somehow risen to greatness in spite of it.
That was the kind of man James could learn from.
"Bug Gym it is," Rosa said with a small smile. "Here are your options for a starter Pokémon."
"1.Pinsir – pure Bug-type."
"2. Scyther – Bug/Flying, with potential to evolve into Bug/Steel."
"3.Heracross – Bug/Fighting."
"Oh wow," Meowth murmured, genuinely impressed. "Those are some pretty rare picks!"
"Now, just so you're informed," Rosa continued. "Scyther and Heracross are mostly as you know them, though some of our hatchery breeds might have different moves than those typically seen in Kanto. Pinsir, however, is... a bit different."
"Different how?" James asked, intrigued.
"The Oak Hatchery's developed some kind of secret breeding technique," Rosa said with a shrug. "No one really knows how it works, but the results speak for themselves. Here's the thing: Pinsir and Heracross used to be almost identical in terms of stats. Heracross had more HP, Pinsir had better Defense—but overall, they were too similar.
Because of that, most trainers only ever picked one—and usually, it was Heracross. That Fighting sub-typing and a more flexible movepool gave it the edge. It's kind of frustrating, honestly. Strong Bug-types are already rare, and the fact that two of the best ones were practically duplicates? Total waste of potential."
James nodded. "Yeah, there's that whole rivalry between Bug Catchers in Kanto and Johto. Heracross usually wins."
"True," Rosa said. "But this Pinsir? It's something else. Like our Champion always says, 'We can't let Kanto Pokémon look lame, right?'" She grinned. "This new Pinsir has sky-high Attack and Speed, with its other stats trimmed down to maximize pure offense. Paired with a game-changing ability and a few devastating new moves, it's the perfect sweeper for any Bug team."
"A glass cannon," James said thoughtfully.
"Exactly. And because of its new stat spread, it has a wildly new diverse movepool. It doesn't just rely on Bug and Fighting moves anymore. If it hits you, you're gonna feel it. The trick is bringing it down before it wipes you out. It's the embodiment of 'offense is the best defense.'"
"I'll take it," James said with newfound resolve. "I want to see for myself if the Champion's breeding program really improved Pinsir."
Jessie looked at Meowth, then leaned in and whispered, frowning, "Why is he so… motivated?"
"Alright, next one! We've got no time to lose!" Rosa pointed at Jessie. "You. What type?"
"Dark-type, of course!" Jessie declared confidently.
"Denied," Rosa shot back without missing a beat.
"But why?!" Jessie protested, utterly baffled. Wasn't Dark-type perfect for a self-proclaimed villainess like her?
"Lady," Rosa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "One day, furiously, you'll thank me for denying you access to that Gym. Trust me—you're just not unhinged enough for that mess."
"Alright, fine," Jessie grumbled, folding her arms. She'd always felt that crueler, more sinister Pokémon suited her far better—unlike James, who was apparently cursed to attract nothing but naive, doe-eyed idiots.
"You can try the Ghost Gym," Rosa offered with a deceptively sweet smile. "There's a Ghost-type starter with a secondary Dark-typing, so you can still get your edgy fix without throwing yourself in with the lunatics up on Twilight Plateau."
Ghost-types, huh? Jessie paused, considering it. In terms of raw, villainous aesthetic, only Dark-types could match Ghosts. Poison-types were probably a respectable third place in the hierarchy of supervillain Pokémon.
And a Ghost/Dark-type?
That sounded… perfect.
"I'll join the Ghost Gym!" Jessie declared triumphantly.
"Suit yourself," Rosa said with a shrug. "The Kanto League's always happy to welcome another poor soul into the clutches of that haunted crypt-keeper in Lavender Town. Alright, here are your starter options."
"1. Gastly — Ghost/Poison-type. The only native Kanto representative. Your new boss adores them. Gengar is practically the official mascot of everything ghost-related."
"2. Duskull — Pure Ghost-type. Has two evolutions and a terrible attitude. Agatha fell in love the moment Blue handed her one, which should tell you everything. Blue even spouts some nonsense about situations where the first evolution is stronger than the second. I don't know why. I don't care. They're a menace—like every Ghost-type."
"3. Spiritomb — One hell of a weird one. Nobody really knows how these things even come into existence. Back in the day, they were famous for having no weaknesses at all—until Fairy-types came along and ruined that. Now they have one weakness. Ghost/Dark-type. They look terrifying… until you see them trying to run."
Rosa paused, sighing. "Now that I think about it… one Ghost/Poison, one pure Ghost, and one Ghost/Dark… This is probably the most vicious Starter Trio in all of Kanto. No wonder we have such a hard time recruiting for that Gym."
"Spiritomb!" Jessie called out without hesitation, completely ignoring Rosa's warning. The moment she locked eyes with that creepy, swirling face, something just clicked. They understood each other.
They vibed.
"Alright. James and Jessie, please read through your contracts carefully and sign them to receive your Pokémon. With that, you're officially integrated into the new system of the Kanto Pokémon League," Rosa said, handing over the papers.
"James, your direct superior is Larry, up north in Viridian Forest. Jessie, you poor woman—you're now under Agatha, east in Lavender Town. You should report to your Gyms in the near future. Especially you, Jessie. I did warn you."
Rosa chuckled darkly. "Now, let's talk about you, Meowth."
"Me?!"
"Our Champion has a special offer for you. So, what do you say—want to become the first Pokémon to train other Pokémon as an official trainer?"
"I CAN DO THAT?!"
And wouldn't that be hilarious?
The moment Blue pitched the idea, Rosa had immediately agreed. A talking Pokémon—not just battling, but actually training a full team like any other human? That would be a huge spectacle. And who knows, maybe this weird Meowth was actually a decent trainer, too.
"Yes. Your type will be Normal, naturally. Since you are a Normal-type, it only makes sense to represent your own kind, right?"
"I agree!" Meowth nodded enthusiastically. Him—finally recognized as a League-approved Trainer? There was nothing better in the world!
"Now. The Normal-type Gym is here in Viridian, currently led by Whitney. Your starter options are:
1. Munchlax.
2. Teddiursa.
3. Slakoth."
"Wow!" Meowth's eyes sparkled. "I'll take—"
"Actually," Rosa cut in, smirking. "For you, the boss decided on a special starter." She handed him a Poké Ball.
Meowth blinked, then opened it. Out popped a—
"Farfetch'd?!" Meowth stared, aghast. "Are you kidding me?! They're a joke! Everyone knows they're just… so weak!"
"Don't judge a book by its cover," Rosa said with a wink. "And just be grateful we're even allowing you to train Pokémon as a Pokémon yourself. Congratulations, Meowth—you're now an official Trainer."
"But… But—!"
"Oh," Rosa blinked, then casually handed Meowth another four Poké Balls. "That's the rest of your team, by the way. Since this whole thing's experimental, the League—well, Blue, specifically—decided to pre-select your entire team. If you prove yourself a capable trainer, we might let you start catching your own Pokémon."
Meowth blinked, then slowly opened the first Poké Ball.
"Rattata!" the little rodent squeaked, landing with a bounce.
Meowth blinked again. Seriously? A Rattata? The most basic of basic Pokémon? They were everywhere! And everyone knew they were weak!
He opened the next one.
"Jigglypuff!" it chirped sweetly.
"A Jigglypuff?" Meowth sighed, deadpan. "Not as bad, but definitely not my style…"
Next Poké Ball.
"Ditto!"
A blob of pink goo flopped to the floor, staring at him with a vacant expression. Meowth tilted his head. Dittos were rare, sure—but in battles? Practically useless unless you really knew what you were doing.
He opened the last one.
"Lickitung!"
Out came a waddling pink Pokémon with a massive tongue that instantly made Meowth recoil half a step. Not weak, technically—but always overshadowed by flashier Normal-types. And, well, that tongue freaked people out.
And with Farfetch'd as his starter…
"ISN'T THIS A TOTAL NOOB TEAM?!" Meowth howled. "AND WHERE THE HELL IS MY SIXTH MEMBER?!"
Rosa chuckled, then pointed at him. "I'm literally pointing at it."
"Huh?"
"You," she said, smirking. "You're the sixth member. And honestly? A Meowth fits that team perfectly."
Meowth paused. Blinking. Thinking. Now that she said it… a Meowth would fit right in. Wasn't this the team of every oddball, overlooked Normal-type in Kanto?
Maybe this was the right team for him.
"Here," Rosa added, handing him a sleek black card with strange markings. "This lets our Champion track you down. He wants to speak with you personally about the… unique nature of your team."
"Unique nature?" Meowth asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's a story for another time," Rosa said briskly, already waving them aside. With one practiced motion, she shoved the infamous Team Rocket trio out of the way.
The line of waiting trainers behind them was massive.
"Next Trainer, please!"