Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

Bluewater Town, suburbs

The sun was high in the sky, making people feel listless.

The Rockets' trio sprawled out on the lawn under a large tree, their stomachs growling loudly.

"Damn it! I'm so angry!" Jessie waved her fist, her face contorted with rage. "We, the mighty Team Rocket, have been reduced to mowing the lawn and cleaning the warehouse for that stingy old woman, just to earn this pitiful amount of lunch money!"

Clutching a few crumpled banknotes in her hand, she felt utterly humiliated.

"Oh dear... there's nothing we can do about it, Musashi." Kojiro sighed, his handsome face crumbling. "We've failed too many times lately. The boss has cut off all our basic operating funds, let alone bonuses... If we don't find a way to earn some money soon, we won't even be able to afford Pokémon food."

"That's right, meow!" Meow lay listlessly on the ground, scratching at the grass with its paws.

"It's all that brat's fault in Pallet Town! And his damn Pikachu!"

"Next time we see Pikachu, we absolutely have to snatch it and present it to the boss! That way, the reward will be huge!"

"That's right!" Musashi and Kojiro said in unison, their eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

But soon, the rumbling of their stomachs dampened their spirits.

"Alright, stop talking, let's eat first!!" Kojiro was starving.

"Smack~ Smack~"

A clear chewing sound came from behind.

Musashi paused, frowning. "Hey, Meow! I haven't even started eating yet, and you're already stealing some!"

"Meow?" Meow looked up innocently, its mouth clean. "I haven't eaten yet, meow! My paws haven't even touched the food!"

"Huh?" Kojiro was also taken aback: "Then that sound just now..."

The three of them realized something at the same time, and turned their heads sharply to look at the other paper bag containing a slightly larger lunch that they had casually placed on a rock not far away.

On the rock, a circle of... Squirtle had appeared out of nowhere!

And it's not your average Squirtle!

Each one wore a small pair of black sunglasses, covering most of its face, making it look both comical and arrogant.

They were sitting in a row, happily eating the rice balls and energy bars that originally belonged to Team Rocket, clutched in their paws.

The "smacking" sound is what they make.

The lead Squirtle, which was slightly larger, even unscrewed a bottle of orange juice that should have belonged to Team Rocket, tilted its head back and took a few gulps, then let out a satisfied burp.

"Hey!!!"

Musashi's scream almost pierced the sky.

She jumped up with a "whoosh," her finger trembling as she pointed at the group of Squirtle in sunglasses, her hair practically standing on end in anger: "You...you bunch of bald bastards! You've got some nerve! How dare you steal from Team Rocket!"

"Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!" Kojiro also stood up and assumed a fighting stance.

"Meow, meow, let's get it!"

Meow meows and swings its paw forward.

………………

Five minutes later.

On the thick branches of the big tree, the two Rockets members and their cat were tightly bound by sturdy vines, hanging there like three rice dumplings, swaying gently in the wind.

"Let us go! You stinking turtles!" Musashi struggled in vain.

"Help... Is anyone there...?" Kojiro was on the verge of tears.

"Meow... Our Team Rocket has been reduced to being bullied by a bunch of Squirtle... I'm too ashamed to face Boss Giovanni, meow..." Meowth was utterly despondent.

Under the tree, the group of Squirtle wearing sunglasses had finished enjoying their "spoils".

The leader, Squirtle, patted its round belly, nodded in satisfaction, and then arrogantly waved its claws at the three Team Rocket members who were hanging up, roughly meaning "Goodbye."

They then formed a somewhat disorderly line and swaggered away with an air of nonchalance, clearly heading to find their next prank target.

Only the Rockets trio remained, drifting in the wind on the tree, tears streaming down their faces.

………………

On the other side, at the edge of the forest.

Jiangchuan, Huazi, and Xiaoxia finally emerged from the dense forest, and their view suddenly opened up.

Ahead, we could already see the neat rooftops and wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys of Bluewater Town.

"Wow! We're finally out! It feels like we've been walking in the forest for ages!" Xiaoxia cheered, her legs feeling much better now.

At this moment, she was full of energy, like a bird released from its cage, hopping and skipping ahead, her light orange short hair flying in the sunlight.

"Xia, slow down, watch your step," Hanako gently reminded her, her eyes filled with worry and maternal care.

She was discussing with Jiang Chuan what supplies to replenish in Bluewater Town, as well as the food recipes for Bulbasaur and Oddish.

"Okay, Hanako-nee... Ouch!"

The cheerful response had barely faded when it turned into a gasp of surprise.

Then came a muffled "thump," and then silence.

"Huh?" Hanako looked up, blinking in confusion. "Where's Kasumi? She was just here... Did she learn 'teleportation' sometime during this time?"

Jiang Chuan sensed a cleverly concealed trap pit beneath the road ahead, and Xiao Xia's life force was currently at the bottom of that pit, feeling somewhat dizzy, but mostly filled with surging anger.

"She didn't teleport," Jiang Chuan sighed, his tone somewhat helpless, "she 'burrowed underground'."

"Huh?"

Before Hanako could react, Jiangchuan had already strode forward.

On the once flat dirt road, a large pit, about one meter in diameter and nearly two meters deep, had appeared. The pit opening was partially covered with thin branches and grass, making it quite well disguised.

At the bottom of the pit, Xiaoxia sat covered in dirt, rubbing her sore bottom, her hair ribbon askew.

"Xiaoxia! Are you alright?" Hanako exclaimed, and she and Jiangchuan quickly reached out their hands.

Jiang Chuan grabbed Xiaoxia's wrist, exerted a little force, and, with her own push-ups, easily pulled her up.

"Who! Who did this! How dare they plot against me?!"

As soon as Xiaoxia regained her footing, she immediately bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She was so angry that her cheeks puffed out. She put her hands on her hips and shouted loudly at the empty grass around her, completely unaware that Jiang Chuan was still holding her hand.

At that moment, his waveguide transmitted a clear signal again. Behind the bushes not far from the roadside, several small, active creatures were preparing to make their escape, smugly pleased with their successful prank.

"Pikachu! Over there in the bushes, prepare Thunderbolt!" Jiang Chuan's eyes sharpened, and he shouted in a low voice.

"Pikachu!"

Pikachu and Jiangchuan have traveled together and fought side by side, their tacit understanding has become extraordinary.

It locked onto the direction almost the instant Jiang Chuan spoke, and its cheeks flashed with golden light!

Almost at the same time Pikachu charged up its battery, a rapid stream of water shot out from behind the bushes!

The target was Xia, who had just climbed out of the pit and was still yelling.

The dazzling golden electric snake struck first, crashing headlong into the water gun!

Water can conduct electricity!

A violent current surged against the flow of water in an instant!

Jenny!!!

A piercing scream came from behind the bushes, accompanied by a plume of black smoke.

Immediately afterwards, a rustling sound arose in a panic. Four Squirtles wearing small sunglasses hurriedly carried their companion, who was charred black from being electrocuted, whose sunglasses were askew and still smoking, out from behind the bushes. They disappeared into the woods on the other side in a few quick "whoosh" sounds, leaving behind only a mess and a faint smell of burning.

"Damn it! Squirtle!" Misty saw it clearly now: "You dug these traps? Stop right there!"

As a trainer aspiring to become a Water-type Pokémon Master, Misty has a natural affinity for and a desire to collect most Water-type Pokémon.

But there are always exceptions.

Squirtle is one of the top few on her "exceptions list".

In her own words, these guys looked really sleazy!

They're always sneaking around and playing pranks, showing none of the gentleness or spirit of a Water-type Pokémon!

When I was little, I helped my older sisters take stock of the Pokémon they were fostering at the Cerulean Gym. Squirtle was the most troublesome. It would go missing all the time, hiding in pipes or at the bottom of the pool, making me sweat profusely every time I searched for it!

Of course, at that time I just found it troublesome, not particularly annoying.

What truly traumatized her was Gyarados.

The experience of being swallowed whole by a Gyarados when she was a child remains a nightmare that she can't shake off to this day.

She once swore she would never catch a Gyarados, and wouldn't even watch Magikarp.

But fate can be quite ironic sometimes.

The Gyarados that she hates and fears the most will become her most trusted and powerful trump card in the future.

Her Gyarados even possessed fire abilities, making it an exceptionally powerful creature.

Of course, the young girl Xia doesn't know any of this yet.

All she knew was that she had initially been "indifferent and a little annoyed" by the Squirtle, but now she had fallen hard into the hole they had dug and almost got attacked by a water gun!

Can this be tolerated?

It went straight from "mediocre" to "turning against"!

Xiaoxia was so angry her hair almost stood on end. She pulled out her Poké Ball and was about to chase after them: "Don't run! Let me teach you a lesson..."

"Wait, don't chase them!"

Just then, a mature, older woman's voice came from the other side of the road...