Star in Daylight

"I don't know how you found out about those two losers, but..."

Butch tapped his forehead, looking solemn. "But remember this: we're the real Team Rocket Trio!"

"That's right. How could Jessie possibly compare to me?"

Cassidy planted her hands on her hips, fuming.

"Shuck, shuck!"

A yellow Pokémon with a brilliant red shell hopped out too, chiming in happily. It was Shuckle.

Snap.

Dian snapped his fingers with a smile, then looked at the two people atop the Rhyhorn. "Long time no see, Butch. Oh, and Cassidy. Let's hope we don't meet again."

"I told you, it's Butch!"

Hearing someone say his name, Butch roared back on reflex. Then he froze. Huh?! This time, the name had actually been right... But a dark chapter of his past, one he never wanted to revisit, flashed through his mind.

"You got Butch's name right. Does that mean...?"

Cassidy immediately crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "It's you?!"

Terror filled her face. "What are you planning to do to us this time, you beast?"

That incident with the Tails was one of the few memories Butch and Cassidy wanted to bury forever. It had been seared into them so deeply that even the sound of claws being sharpened at night made them shudder.

That was why they had left the Raticate they had worked so hard to raise at headquarters for the time being, too afraid to bring it along.

"Cassidy!"

Butch suddenly tackled Cassidy. He still remembered exactly how the two of them had ended up at the mercy of a whole pack of Tails last time.

"Let's get back inside the machine first!"

Cassidy quickly regained her composure and tried to turn back.

Unfortunately, dark shapes had already appeared behind them and were lunging their way.

"Shuckle!"

At the