"Maybe it's just a coincidence, but to be an Executive of Team Rocket, that person must be very strong."
As a Gym Leader in the Kanto region, Misty naturally knew the names of other Gym Leaders.
However, she couldn't believe that a Gym Leader would be in cahoots with an evil organization like Team Rocket, so she assumed it might just be a coincidence.
What the heck? Would that guy really be so bored that he'd take the same name as an old Gym Leader?
Eddie could only roll his eyes at Misty's naïve thinking.
"Misty, I have a question. Do you only have your Staryu and the Gyarados you just got back?"
Although Misty was the Gym Leader of Cerulean City, her strength was about the same as Brock's, placing her at the bottom among Kanto's eight Gym Leaders. Still, even if she ranked low, she should have the strength of a Gym Leader.
Eddie noticed that Misty wanted to go in and continue chasing Team Rocket, so he planned to ask if she had brought her strongest Pokémon.
If she had, he could use Viridian's power along with her two Gym Leader-level Pokémon, giving them a better chance against Koga.
"Well, I only have Staryu and Gyarados with me. After I found out Gyarados was stolen, I grabbed a Staryu and ran straight out of Cerulean City," Misty admitted, looking embarrassed. She had been too anxious and ended up leaving behind her main Pokémon, bringing only Staryu instead.
"...Then I guess we can't beat them. That so-called Executive must be at least Peak-level, maybe even Quasi Elite-level."
In reality, Koga was at the quasi-Elite level, but Misty was unaware of his true strength. Eddie decided to downplay the opponent's level.
His implication was clear: If we can't win, are we really going in just to get ourselves beaten up?
"Let's go in and take a look. If we leave now, I won't be satisfied. At the very least, I want to see how strong the opponent is. That way, I can train and come back stronger for a rematch."
Misty seemed conflicted but ultimately spoke with determination.
"What do you mean?" Eddie raised an eyebrow, not fully understanding her logic. What does she mean by 'going in to take a look'? Wouldn't we be walking straight into a trap?
"If we run into him, we'll assess his strength and then retreat. Caves like this should have multiple exits. We can collapse a passage and escape from another side."
"..."
Isn't this straight out of a story plot? Misty was seriously suggesting this plan?
Faced with such an outlandish idea, Eddie was speechless for a long time. He had no idea how to respond to Misty's unexpected strategy.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes, I've made up my mind. It's risky, so I won't force you to help me. Can you at least take these Team Rocket grunts to the police station?"
Misty understood the danger involved and didn't want to drag Eddie into it unnecessarily, so she suggested he leave first.
Eddie looked at her determined expression and knew she wasn't going to back down. Then, he glanced at the word "unfinished" on the task list.
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he weighed the pros and cons.
But after considering everything, he still felt the risk was too high, and deep down, he couldn't help but complain about the mission.
Do they really expect me to face a quasi-Elite-level powerhouse just because this is a hidden task?!
Eddie could train a Pokémon to level 20 in just one day and level 30 in two days. He was a man with a bright future.
If he died because of such a dangerous task, his Pokémon would likely be captured by Team Rocket. And then what? How would he ever obtain strong Pokémon again?
So, no matter how tempting the rewards of this hidden task were, he had no intention of risking his life—or his Pokémon—for it!
"Ding! The task difficulty has been detected. Adjusting task content!"
"Hidden Task: 'Misty's Request for Help!'
Mission content has been modified: Follow Misty to meet Koga, the third Executive of Team Rocket, and then escape with Misty!"*
"Ding! Due to the temporary task adjustment, the mission rewards will now be doubled upon completion!"
Eddie: "..."
Ahem. Eddie cleared his throat. "Misty, what do you take me for? Do you think I'm some coward who abandons his companions?"
He looked at Misty with a displeased expression, as if her earlier suggestion that he leave had insulted his very dignity.
"Uh… Eddie, I was wrong! I won't say things like that again!" Misty quickly backtracked. "In that case, let's go in now!"
She was overjoyed. She had thought Eddie would leave, but instead, he chose to stay and face danger with her. Her respect—and fondness—for Eddie grew even more.
"Ding! Because of your actions, Misty's affection for you has increased. [Now Trust]"
Eddie felt satisfied with his decision. The task wasn't completed yet, but he had already gained some favor.
Then again, if they only had to meet Koga and escape, it didn't sound too difficult.
According to Misty, they just needed to confirm Koga's approximate strength before retreating. Even if he chased them, they could collapse a section of the cave and escape from another exit. The plan seemed solid.
Eddie thought it over and felt confident it could work. That was the real reason he stayed—not because of the doubled rewards! Definitely not!
After convincing himself, Eddie gathered his Pokémon and entered the cave alongside Misty.