There are many caves in Mt. Moon, and many of them are rich in Moon Stones. Eddie and Misty had originally planned to spend a few days exploring these caves one by one.
However, whether it was due to a hidden mission or Eddie's own reluctance, things took an unexpected turn.
As soon as they discovered the first cave, they spotted several individuals dressed in black uniforms.
A large "R" was emblazoned on their chests, clearly identifying them.
"I didn't expect us to be so lucky to find Team Rocket this quickly," Misty said.
Hiding behind a bush, Eddie and Misty observed the cave entrance. Team Rocket members were patrolling in groups of two or three, likely trying to claim the area and ward off intruders.
Misty wasn't particularly concerned with their motives. Instead, she excitedly turned to Eddie.
Eddie, on the other hand, was silently complaining. This didn't feel like luck at all—finding them so quickly likely meant that an Executive was nearby.
"Morning Sun, let's take them down and tie them up before they can react. Then, we can head into the cave to see if there are more Team Rocket members and capture them all to hand over to the police."
Misty's excitement was evident as she made her suggestion. Eddie wasn't thrilled with the plan, but since he hadn't completed his task yet, he had no choice but to go along with it.
Besides, Misty had her own reasons for wanting to take them down—these were the very people who had stolen her Pokémon. It was only natural that she wanted to teach them a lesson.
"There are six of them in total," Eddie assessed. "Since they're just guarding the entrance and patrolling, they're probably not very strong. If we strike quickly, we can take them all down at once."
"Alright, let's do it. But don't make too much noise—if the sound reaches inside the cave, that won't be good for us."
Eddie agreed to Misty's plan, and both of them reached for their Poké Balls, preparing to ambush the unsuspecting patrol.
Meanwhile, one of the Team Rocket members sighed. "Why do we even have to patrol here? There's no one else around. What's the point? I'd rather be inside searching for Moon Stones—I heard there's a reward for finding one."
"Stop complaining," another member responded. "Don't you know? The reconnaissance team in Viridian Forest lost contact yesterday—twenty people, gone without a trace. That means something must have happened, and we need to stay on high alert."
"You mean the outer reconnaissance team?" the first grunt scoffed. "Even their captain was just a Intermediate-level Trainer. If they lost contact, so what?"
Finding the topic amusing, he continued his rant.
"Besides, the weakest one among us is still a mid-level Trainer, and we have Koga, one of Team Rocket's three Executives! What could possibly happen to us? In the Kanto region, no one can stand against Team Rocket!"
The other patrol members nodded in agreement, their arrogance evident.
"Thanks for the useful information," a calm voice suddenly cut in. "Now you can sleep in peace."
The Team Rocket members at the cave entrance stiffened in shock.
Before they could react, they all groaned in unison and collapsed one after another.
There were six Team Rocket members patrolling the area—not a large number—and Eddie and Misty launched a surprise attack, making it easy to take them down in an instant.
Charmeleon, Riolu, and Grovyle swiftly approached individual Team Rocket members, covering their mouths with one hand to prevent them from making noise while using Thunder Punch with the other to electrocute them.
Since Frogadier didn't know Thunder Punch, it instead used Aerial Ace, knocking out two opponents with incredible speed.
Misty sent out Staryu, and with a single Rapid Spin, it took down the last one.
At this point, all six Team Rocket patrol members outside the cave had been defeated.
"Misty, have Staryu use Ice Beam to freeze their hands, feet, and mouths. That way, we won't have to worry about them escaping or alerting anyone inside," Eddie suggested.
Since neither of them had ropes, Eddie proposed freezing them instead. To demonstrate, he had Frogadier use Ice Beam first. Once Misty understood, she instructed Staryu to do the same.
Before long, the two had successfully immobilized the six Team Rocket members.
"The ones outside are dealt with, but once we enter the cave, we won't be able to keep using sneak attacks in such a confined space," Eddie observed.
He examined the entrance—it seemed wide enough for about five people to walk through at once. The passage appeared straight, making a stealth approach nearly impossible.
"If we can't sneak attack, we'll just fight head-on. But I think I heard them mention someone named 'Koga'," Misty said, recalling what the grunts had discussed earlier.
"Yeah, they were talking about Mr. Koga, the third Executive," Eddie replied seriously. "He's a person of high status and formidable strength… Are you sure you still want to go in?"
Although Eddie maintained a calm expression, his words carried a clear message.
Koga, the third Executive of Team Rocket, was also the Gym Leader of Fuchsia City. His skill level was quasi-elite, and in the future, he would rise to the ranks of elite-level trainers.
As someone who had been reborn, Eddie knew Team Rocket's structure well. That's why he was now trying to convince Misty to turn back.
They had already found the culprits and taught them a lesson. Wasn't that enough?
Besides, hidden missions like this often adapted based on the initiator's decision. If Eddie could persuade Misty to leave now, the task would still be considered complete—though the reward might be slightly reduced.
However, compared to a mission reward, his own life was far more valuable.