Chapter 117: The Secret Base of Team Rocket

Deoxys was not actually Deoxys, but a Nidoking named Deoxys.

Team Rocket had recently established a research initiative concerning extraterrestrial Pokémon. For reasons unknown, Giovanni had given his own Nidoking this codename—Deoxys. Sending the Nidoking over before had merely been a stalling tactic; this time, Giovanni intended to go himself. That secret base served a purpose far beyond merely distributing Pokémon to other outposts. Hidden within it was a critical project they had been researching for years.

Lance. The young man’s figure surfaced in Giovanni’s mind. This was not the first time he had hindered Team Rocket’s operations. Three weeks ago, this League Champion and investigator had destroyed a Team Rocket research facility in the Fuchsia City Safari Zone. The computers in that base had contained research results regarding Pokémon viruses. Although they had managed to transfer a portion of the data in time, some of it was still lost in the explosion.

Giovanni picked up his coat from the sofa, pushed open the door with a grim expression, and headed downstairs. He walked into the darkness shrouding Viridian City, his tall figure soon vanishing into the shadows.

...

Viridian Forest.

Guided by Gengar, Huyang successfully located the area where the three trees grew. After confirming the location was correct, he stood between the trees and recited the password in broken English.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of machinery operating echoed from beneath the ground. The grass parted, and a metal platform rose from the earth. Huyang and Gengar stepped onto it casually, and the lift began its slow descent.

Doing this for the first time, Huyang felt a bit nervous. He thought for a moment and released Cramorant from its Master Ball. Seeing that familiar, vacant expression, Huyang felt his heart relax a little. Yes, this would be fine.

Gengar, standing to the side, said nothing.

Soon, the elevator reached the bottom level. As the silver metal door slid open, the corridor outside was completely empty; there wasn't a soul in sight.

Huyang felt strangely disappointed. At that moment, a violent explosion echoed from deep within the complex; it seemed someone was engaged in a fierce battle.

"Hm? Has Lance been discovered?" Huyang wondered with surprise. He pondered for a moment—given Lance’s strength, he should have no problem dealing with these Team Rocket grunts. After all, he carried three Dragonites with him. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to intervene. The most important thing now was to take advantage of the chaos to loot the base.

Looking at the deserted silver-white corridor, Huyang rubbed his hands together and snuck in with Gengar and Cramorant. Although there were scenarios in the games involving infiltrating villainous organizations, the reality was a completely different experience. In the game, failure just meant the screen went black before being warped back to a Pokémon Center. In reality, failure likely meant being finished off by Team Rocket.

Thinking of this possibility, Huyang felt an even greater sense of thrill. No worries, Cramorant would protect him! As if hearing his thoughts, Cramorant let out a dull, "Gah."

Huyang chose the direction opposite to the sounds of battle. He pushed open the door to the first room and found a dining hall. Like the outside, it was completely deserted. However, some leftovers remained in the kitchen, appearing to be Team Rocket’s dinner for the day. Huyang took a peek and found their diet was actually quite good—sushi, curry, chicken legs, seafood noodles—a wide and rich variety.

On the surface, Team Rocket was a large, trans-regional corporation. They provided employees with comprehensive social benefits. Although there was an entry fee when joining, once a member, the Team Rocket headquarters provided salaries, equipment, Pokémon, and other resources. High-performing subordinates could even participate in the company’s fellowship meetings, tea parties, and incentive gatherings. If a subordinate was unfortunately captured while on a mission, Giovanni would even use his connections to get them pulled out unscathed. Some employees even had the right to speak with him directly.

Seeing all this, Huyang finally understood why Team Rocket members were so loyal to the organization.

The second room was a reading room for the base staff. Huyang browsed through it for a while and discovered that, in addition to some light entertainment, there were many rare books on Pokémon cultivation. He thought for a bit, then packed them all into Gengar’s extradimensional pouch, intending to bring them back as a gift for Slowking.

While Huyang and Gengar were packing the books, Cramorant stood on a table, boredly grooming its feathers with its beak. Suddenly, as if it had discovered something, it jerked its head up, stared in one direction, and then flapped its wings and took flight.

Gengar, busy stuffing things into the pouch, noticed Cramorant’s actions and poked Huyang, saying, "Huyang, the silly bird flew off again!"

By the time Huyang turned around, Cramorant had already reached the door. It slammed its body against the metal, creating a hole in the shape of a bird-type Pokémon, passed through it, and flew off.

A large question mark appeared over Huyang’s head. He stopped what he was doing and chased after it with Gengar. The man and his ghost followed behind Cramorant, traversing the narrow metal corridor until they reached a password-locked door that looked exceptionally sturdy. On the left side of the door was a scanning device that appeared to be for iris recognition.

In movies, such places were usually rooms for storing classified files and data. To enter, one needed the corresponding iris or fingerprint; otherwise, it was impossible to breach.

But that was for ordinary people.

To Cramorant, this door was as fragile as a block of tofu. It tilted its head, took a look, and its brain quickly formulated a solution. The next second, Huyang saw two flashes of intense purple light erupt from Cramorant’s wings. The light condensed into two blades that seemed to tear through space, slashing straight ahead. Under the impact of the powerful energy, the entire door was instantly destroyed, exposing complex electronic components where the "Spacial Rend" had cut through.

Cramorant flew through the gap. Huyang and Gengar followed close behind, stepping through the breach. A vast space filled with various complex instruments and transparent glass containers was instantly revealed to them.

The faint scent of disinfectant and chemical reagents rushed toward them. Under the pale lighting, rows of transparent containers standing on the metal floor reflected a cold, white glow. Inside the containers, which held a pale green liquid, various shadowy shapes floated.

They were, perhaps, not yet dead. With each of their breaths, strings of bubbles rose from the solution and dissolved into the air.

Watching this scene, Gengar’s expression changed instantly, and it muttered, "That is..."