At Baimu's strong urging, Zhen Ya sent out the Garchomp he had just recalled.
"Garchomp~"
Fine scales caught the faint light of the dim cavern, and the dragon with sharklike features gave an eager rumble.
It clearly felt at home here. It had probably even been born in Meteor Falls.
"See these two oval things? They're Garchomp's sensory organs. It can easily detect movement no matter how far away it is."
Zhen Ya sounded rather pleased with himself. "A mere Team Rocket—"
"Stop! I know Garchomp is impressive. You don't need to say the rest." Baimu cut him off before he could tempt fate, then glanced at Mawile, who had edged closer to his feet to get away from Garchomp.
"Uh!"
Everything Zhen Ya had been about to say died in his throat.
He had actually wanted to sell Baimu on Garchomp, but Baimu seemed more concerned about Team Rocket. That gave him some idea of what was going on.
Still, Zhen Ya couldn't help asking, "Baimu, why do you seem so afraid of Team Rocket?"
"I'm not afraid. I'm taking them seriously."
Baimu shook his head. "Objectively speaking, the fact that Team Rocket has caused trouble in Johto and Kanto for so long without being wiped out by Pokémon League inspectors proves how powerful and well-hidden they are. We can't let our guard down.
"What concerns me more is the technology they have at their disposal... That might sound a little vague."
He gave Mawile a reassuring look, then stepped back to a higher, open patch of ground and took off his backpack. "Have your Garchomp hit me with Dragon Claw. Aim for my clothes, if you can. They're among the best protective gear available right now."
"What's protective gear... Huh? Wait! That's too dangerous!"
Zhen Ya froze, then