How could one man stand against a behemoth like Team Rocket?
Besides, the Gambler was an old man who had lived more than fifty years.
You counted the "chips" you held and found them pitifully few. Not one could turn the tables for you. You sighed.
The Gambler fell silent after that.
But Baimu doubted he would accept his fate so easily.
A man who had relied on one-hit KO moves to challenge Pokémon Gyms and ultimately won eight Badges had to have a fierce, reckless spirit burning inside him.
So how would the Gambler escape?
Baimu watched the screen expectantly.
They had both been forced to work for evil organizations. The Gambler's living conditions might not have been as oppressive as those in Pyrite Town, but Team Rocket was every bit as ruthless as the Quicksand Team.
Baimu desperately wanted to know what awaited the Gambler.
On the screen,
the Gambler opened his arms to two Pokémon.
You welcomed back the Krabby and Diglett you had entrusted to Team Rocket's breeders for training. Your Krabby had evolved into Kingler. Your Diglett had evolved into Dugtrio.
Thanks to the Team Rocket breeders' hard work, Kingler and Dugtrio had reached levels high enough to handle most battles.
But they were the only two young Pokémon among the Gambler's elderly team. After so long apart from their Trainer, they did not immediately warm to him again.
And so,
the Gambler turned down a string of upcoming shows and appearances, saying he needed to rebuild his coordination with his Pokémon to perform well at the Indigo League.
Team Rocket seemed to think his popularity was nearing its peak, too, and stopped squeezing him for every last bit of value.
They knew their final harvest would come at the Indigo