Partnering with Cynthia

Watching the Team Rocket Trio turn the stall into a thriving business in less than half a day, Mingyou felt bitter, though he couldn't bring himself to say it.

How were those guys so good at this?

When he thought of how he'd waited half a day without a single customer at the Festival of Masks and had relied entirely on Akari to promote his stall, he felt even more embarrassed. He couldn't bear to stay.

But they worked for him. The better their business did, the more he earned... Why did finally making money have to feel so awful?

"Ahem..."

Mingyou cleared his throat and forced a smile. He walked over, clapped James on the shoulder like they were old friends, then gestured toward Ash and the others. "These are the friends I mentioned. I brought them over to see what you've got."

"Since they're the boss's—"

"I'm a friend of the boss!"

"Right, right! Since they're friends of the boss, of course we'll... It's the twerp and Pika—"

James had turned around without thinking. The moment he saw Ash and the others, he couldn't help blurting it out, but Jessie and Meowth clapped their hands over his mouth. Both immediately put on awkward but polite smiles.

"Let's see what our customers would like to buy~ Our stock's the real deal! Packs a punch, too!"

"..."

Ash and the others were puzzled. Why did that nickname sound so familiar? Where had they heard it before?

As long as the Team Rocket Trio changed outfits and didn't give themselves away—or no one knew in advance—people simply couldn't recognize them. It seemed to be some sort of special rule.

So Ash and the others suspected nothing. Since these were Mingyou's friends, they might as well take a good look at the