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"Pay Day!?"
"Whoa, I didn't expect this move!"
"Isn't this Nami's favorite!?"
Seeing the unusual move displayed before him, Red's expression suddenly turned strange.
This move might not be particularly powerful, but its effect could be astonishing in the right situation.
Still...
"It's only got 40 power and it's a physical move, so there's no point wasting Zoro's time," Red muttered.
Red closed the game interface. He wasn't exactly disappointed, but the initial excitement had definitely dulled.
After all, whether in games or in reality, they hadn't yet reached the point where money dictated their progress.
For now, this move was useless to Red.
Perhaps its only real value would be attracting Nami's attention and helping her acknowledge her role as a trainer sooner rather than later.
But that would have to wait until they dealt with the Arlong Pirates.
Without resolving the pain in her heart, Nami wouldn't trust them so easily.
Not dwelling on the move for long, Red led Zoro up the hillside and into Mt. Moon.
As soon as they entered the cave, two figures with wide, expressive eyes appeared before them.
One was a man with short light-blue hair, while the other was a woman with long pink hair.
Both wore white uniforms emblazoned with a large R on their chests!
"Team Rocket?"
Seeing the pair who always moved together, Red licked his lips slightly.
He knew these two "experience banks" would soon provide Zoro with a substantial amount of growth!
"What a surprise!"
Inside the cave, Jessie and James of Team Rocket seemed to be in the middle of an argument about something.
However, it hadn't yet escalated into a fight. When they noticed Red and Zoro, the two immediately fled deeper into the cave in a panic.
"They ran, huh?" Red said, watching their retreating figures. He turned to Zoro without hesitation and said, "Let's go! We're chasing them!"
In this game world, the targets wouldn't simply vanish just because the NPCs ran off-screen.
But still...
If they lost track of Team Rocket, it would be a hassle to find their location again and continue the quest chain.
Besides, there were plenty of wild Pokémon scattered throughout Mt. Moon, making exploration time-consuming.
Following Team Rocket seemed like the best way to find the cave's exit.
"Got it!"
Zoro, who had grown accustomed to following Red's orders, responded immediately and took off after them.
To avoid losing their target, Red let Zoro handle the various trainers they encountered along the way by himself.
As a result, Red had to sacrifice some of the command experience he could have earned, but the tradeoff was worth it.
Even so, after half an hour of pursuit, Zoro's experience points had successfully crossed the 2,000 mark!
That was double what they could have earned by grinding on Route 3!
After all, the number of trainers in the cave far exceeded those found in the open wilderness.
Finally, just as the battery life on the game device dipped to 15 minutes, they managed to catch up with Team Rocket and found the correct route through the cave.
"Phew~ Good thing we didn't lose them," Red muttered softly. "Otherwise, with Zoro's terrible sense of direction, we'd be stuck wandering this cave forever!"
Without wasting another moment, Red pressed forward.
A Team Rocket grunt dressed in black suddenly stepped out to block their path. Like all the trainers before him, he wouldn't let them pass without a fight.
"This isn't a place for kids!" the grunt sneered.
"Zoro, deal with him!" Red snapped, noticing his device's low battery. He was determined to finish the Mt. Moon storyline before it died.
"Got it!"
Zoro grinned, stepping forward and unleashing a "Ittoryu: Shishi Sonson" to take down the grunt's Level 10 Drowzee in a single strike.
Then came the second Rocket grunt... the third... and the fourth.
By the time they had defeated all four Team Rocket members, Zoro had gained over 300 experience points. However, the process had eaten up nearly five more minutes of Red's dwindling game time.
Finally, at the last moment, Red and Zoro found a researcher examining two rare fossils.
Red stepped forward and initiated the conversation.
After another straightforward battle, Zoro's experience points increased by nearly 200.
Zoro's current experience value stood at: 3025/4500.
Only 1475 points remained before his next level-up.
Unfortunately…
It didn't seem likely they'd achieve that milestone today.
"Ah, what a pity!"
After defeating the researcher, Red pocketed both fossils with a bittersweet smile.
The game mirrored reality in a way; unlike in traditional games where the winner could only pick one fossil, here the victor took everything.
Just as he placed the fossils into his backpack, hurried footsteps echoed from behind them.
"Who's there!?"
Zoro instinctively drew Narukami, eyes sharp and vigilant.
It was the Rocket trio—Jessie, James, and Meowth—finally catching up to them.
"Since you asked the question sincerely!"
"We'll answer with grace and mercy!"
Jessie and James struck dramatic poses, gesturing toward Red and Zoro as if they were performing on stage.
"Prepare for trouble."
"And make it double."
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all people within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessie."
"James."
"Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light."
"Surrender now or prepare to fight."
"Meowth. That's right."
With their signature flourish complete, Team Rocket officially made their entrance.
"Uh… what was that?"
Zoro, already accustomed to strange behavior in this world, was momentarily speechless after witnessing their performance.
Red, on the other hand, couldn't help but smirk. Seeing the famous scene unfold in real time made the corners of his mouth twitch upward.
"You're in luck, Zoro!" he said with amusement. "You don't get to see performances like this every day!"
"Hah…" Zoro gave an awkward laugh, his expression deadpan. "I wish I hadn't. Even I feel embarrassed for them."
"So..."
Clang!
The cold glint of steel flashed as Zoro unsheathed his sword.
"They're the enemy, right?" he asked, tilting his head toward Red.
"That's right," Red confirmed, glancing at the dwindling battery on his device. "Finish them quickly. We don't have time to waste!"
"Gladly!"
With a determined grin, Zoro drew his Wado Ichimonji and placed it between his teeth. His two remaining hands pulled out Narukami and his third sword.
Zoro's Santoryu was ready.
Meanwhile, Jessie and James, having finished their speech, threw their Poké Balls into the air.
In an instant, two Pokémon appeared: a Level 15 Koffing and a Level 15 Ekans.
"So these are my opponents?" Zoro muttered through clenched teeth. "They look a bit tougher than the others."
He tightened his grip on his blades.
"Still… they're not nearly strong enough."
In the blink of an eye, Zoro vanished from his spot, moving faster than the eye could follow.
"Santoryu: Oni Giri!"
Three sharp, glimmering slashes tore through the dim cave air, striking both Pokémon in an instant.
Slash!
Both Koffing and Ekans were left with deep gashes. Their health bars plummeted to zero.
If the game world weren't sanitized, Red thought, Zoro's attack alone would have likely split their bodies apart.
"We're blasting off again!"
With that classic line, the Rocket trio fled the cave in a hurry, defeated yet again.
Zoro gained another 200 experience points from the battle.
However, the low battery warning on Red's device signaled that their adventure had come to an end for the day.
After briefly explaining the situation to Zoro, a bright light flashed, and the two of them returned to their respective bedrooms.
Under the moonlit sky, the ship rocked gently on the ocean waves, quiet and peaceful.
Zoro's eyes snapped open. He quickly scanned his surroundings, confirming that he was back in his cabin on the Going Merry.
He sat up, his body tense with excitement.
"So..."
"That wasn't just a dream?"
He flexed his hands, vividly recalling the exhaustion from training that had put him to bed earlier.
In the game world, Red had taken him to the Pokémon Center in Pewter City, where a strange device had instantly restored his stamina.
Now, back in reality, Zoro's body felt exactly as it had when he left the game.
He clenched his fists and smiled faintly.
"No doubt about it... everything that happened was real."
Looking out at the starry sky through the cabin window, Zoro exhaled softly.
"A trainer, huh?"
He chuckled to himself.
"I never thought I'd meet someone as strange as Red, much less team up with him."
Zoro stared at the moonlit ocean, his gaze unwavering.
"Kuina…"
"I think I'm one step closer to my goal."