"Hey, you can't go in here." A man in black blocked Yellow and Baiyin at the entrance. At his words, over a dozen men in black gathered further ahead turned to look their way.
Recalling the plot from the games, Yellow figured these people must be part of Team Rocket. Naturally, he couldn't say his Pokémon had been stolen—that would be like a little lamb walking right into a wolf den, or jumping straight from the frying pan into the fire. Instead, he simply said, "I heard there are Pokémon in Mt. Moon that suit me well, so I came to take a look."
The man in black barked angrily, "You can't go in here! Get out!"
Not daring to pick a fight, Yellow tried again, "Just looking, buddy. No harm meant."
Before the man in black could speak, one of the men further ahead piped up, "Since he's a trainer, let him come in and take a look. The research is almost done anyway."
Looks like the boss.
The man in black stepped aside, and Yellow and Baiyin walked in under everyone's watchful eyes.
Yellow didn't dare release any Pokémon, because Team Rocket made a living by selling stolen Pokémon. If he got targeted, he'd be done for.
He saw Zubats and Geodudes moving about in the cave. Yellow didn't even dare harbor thoughts of catching any; over a dozen men in black were guarding three researchers in white lab coats, alongside three Poké Balls locked inside a tiny cage.
Yellow couldn't see the faces of the three researchers; their bodies seemed to be trembling.
Moving further ahead, three or four Geodudes were punching and hammering away at a massive standing rock, sending several bluish-brown stones tumbling to the ground.
Geodude: I thought I was a boxing champion, but the moment they showed up, I realized I was just an unpaid laborer.
Yellow walked casually along the side wall when the man in black who had previously blocked Nugget Bridge suddenly appeared, shouting at another man in black, "Tian Gou! The Poké Balls he gave us are empty! It's these two brats!"
Several men in black closed in, and one of them said coldly, "That means they have Pokémon on them, huh? Knock 'em out and take 'em!"
Yellow inwardly cursed their bad luck, grabbed Baiyin by the arm, and ran for his life.
Several men in black gave chase from behind, making Yellow's head spin as his legs churned frantically.
Adrenaline: I'm ready, let's go!
The two of them fled wildly, charging straight ahead with the black-robed men in hot pursuit. One man grabbed the collar of Yellow's shirt, but lost his grip...
Another man clutched at Baiyin's hair, but her hair was like a waterfall, slipping right through his fingers...
A third man tripped and fell flat on his face, managing to pull down Yellow's pants, but his hands slipped away...
...
Panting heavily, before they even realized it, they had sprinted all the way to the exit of Mt. Moon. Several black sedans were parked outside the exit, two of them with their doors wide open.
"Get in, get in!" Yellow shouted.
"Yellow, can you drive?!" Baiyin gasped for air, too terrified to get in.
"No time to explain, get in!"
The two climbed into the car and slammed the doors shut with a loud bang.
Ignited the engine, shifted gears; since he wasn't tall enough, he dragged the driver's seat all the way forward, slammed his foot on the gas pedal, and shot out.
"Got a route, Yellow? Where are we going?!"
"No idea! From here on out, it's my randomized escape route!"
The sedan sped along, racing down the open road. Barely a minute or two later, they spotted a Nidoking playing in the middle of the road with several Nidorino and Nidoran.
"Yellow!" Baiyin screamed, though she had no useful suggestions to offer.
Yellow wasn't panicking, but there was no room left on the road to swerve or dodge. He had no choice but to aim for the biggest target. If he swerved into the Nidorino and Nidoran, he'd probably plow right over them and kill them on the spot, and then that Nidoking would tear him and Baiyin to bloody shreds.
Hearing the commotion, the Nidoking turned its head and stood frozen in place.
Nidoking: What the hell? Are you aiming at me?!
CRASH!
The airbags deployed instantly. Both Yellow and Baiyin passed out cold, and the entire sedan billowed with white smoke.
The Nidoking was sent flying several meters back, collapsing onto the road and coughing up blood.
Five men in black arrived on the scene. One of them stepped out of a car and looked heartbroken, "The company just assigned us this new car!"
"No time to mourn! That Nidoking is knocked out—while these Pokémon are still panicked, grab your Poké Balls and catch them!"
The man in black hurled a Poké Ball, and a beam of red light instantly sucked a Nidoran inside.
Barely two or three were captured when the fallen Nidoking suddenly erupted into action, leaping high into the air and crashing heavily back down to the earth, sending shockwaves that blasted the men in black flying.
Zubat, Geodude, and Meowth were released, and a dozen or so Pokémon launched a coordinated attack on the Nidoking...
Who knows how much time had passed before Yellow finally woke up. Everything in front of him was pitch black. He bit down hard on his lip to snap himself fully awake, then flipped down the vanity mirror—no injuries to speak of, just a pounding headache.
Remember, everyone, no matter how busy or rushed you are when driving, always wear your seatbelt~
Yellow quickly checked on Baiyin's condition. She was also fine, save for a bump on her forehead, and her breathing was completely normal. He reclined her seat so she could rest more comfortably.
Still too afraid to step out of the car, he could only peer through the glass to see the battered Nidoking crouching miserably on the ground, its hands tenderly cupping a dying Nidoran.
Several men in black lay sprawled out on the ground nearby, their Pokémon all knocked out cold as well.
Yellow pulled out two Max Potions and slowly stepped out of the car.
The Nidoking turned its head to look at him, its eyes glowing crimson, its body covered in scars as it let out a mournful cry.
Yellow stretched out his hand and asked tentatively, "Don't be afraid. I'm not a bad guy. I can help your kids recover. Are you willing to trust me?"
The Nidoking let out another miserable howl.
Nidoking: Not a bad guy? You stepped on the gas and plowed right into me?!
Yellow tossed a Max Potion close to the Nidoking and said softly, "This is a recovery spray. Spray it on Nidoran, and it'll get better."
The Nidoking turned its head back away, ignoring him entirely.
Cautiously, Yellow inched closer and sprayed the Max Potion onto Nidoran from a safe distance.
The next second, Nidoran opened its eyes.
The Nidoking turned around, its growl noticeably weaker than before.
"Come on, let me patch you up too. Trust me."
Yellow: Heh, you don't have fingers, so you've definitely gotta rely on me.
The Nidoking offered no resistance, letting Yellow spray the Max Potion all over its body.
Once sprayed, the Nidoking was fully healed. Yellow then used more Max Potions to completely restore the Nidorino and Nidorans as well.
He walked over to one of the fallen men in black and pulled open his jacket to reveal the [R] emblem.
Sure enough, more Team Rocket thugs.
"Nidoking, wanna get revenge?"
The Nidoking nodded heavily and let out a fierce roar.
"Come with me in a bit. I'll take you to settle the score."
Yellow carried Baiyin out of the car. She fluttered her eyes open in a daze, and upon seeing the Nidoking, grabbed Yellow by the collar and trembled, "Yellow, run! That giant Pokémon is still out there!"
"Relax, it's listening to me now."
Baiyin gasped for breath, cracked a weak smile, and murmured powerlessly, "Is this... a fateful encounter?"
Yellow chuckled at that and replied, "Yeah, a fateful encounter—even though it was entirely my fault. Rest up for now."
Baiyin collapsed weakly onto the ground, too exhausted to speak another word.
Yellow walked up to the Nidoking and said, "Nidoking, I don't know how strong they really are, but are you willing to enter my Poké Ball? I'll boost your power. Trust me."
The Nidoking nodded, allowing Yellow to catch it inside a Poké Ball.
Yellow maxed out the Nidoking's IVs and EVs, and even hacked in a Life Orb. Because the Nidoking's [Sheer Force] Ability negates the recoil damage from the Life Orb, it was like giving wings to a tiger.
He maxed out its level as well, turning it straight into a Level 100 beast. He recorded its existing moves and replaced them with [Earth Power], [Fire Blast], [Ice Beam], and [Sludge Bomb].
Even though Nidoking's Physical Attack base stats were higher, all the moves he equipped were Special Attacks, but combined with the [Sheer Force] Ability, those who know, know.
"Come on out, Nidoking!"
BOOM!
A beam of red light released a massive, 2.8-meter-tall Nidoking. Its purple body armor shimmered with brilliant light, radiating an entirely different aura—it had become a plus-version.
"Let's go. Hold this orb in your mouth," Yellow said. The Nidoking let out a roar and swallowed the Life Orb whole. Who knows what it felt, but it started shaking violently from head to toe, looking immensely satisfied.
Nidoking: Your daddy is back for blood!