The forty-eighth day on the Orange Islands, light rain.
A fine curtain of rain draped the whole world in a hazy veil. The air was thick with moisture, and a delicate drizzle drifted down from the sky.
Yu Hai slept until he woke naturally in the warm covers. Sunlight slipped through the gap in the window and fell across his messy hair.
He stretched lazily, yawned, and went to the bathroom to wash up. Then he fed breakfast to his Pokémon. Watching them eat so happily, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Afterward, he straightened his clothes. Wearing a light black trench coat with dark blue jeans and black sneakers, he headed outside and onto the street.
Pedestrians came and went along the street while vehicles wove through the traffic. Raindrops struck the ground and splashed up tiny sprays of water. He casually found a restaurant and sat down. There were quite a few people inside, with lively conversation and the clatter of tableware mingling together.
He sat by the window and watched the rain outside. After thinking briefly, he ordered a simple lunch, planning to begin his next move after eating.
Finding Team Rocket's research base was not something that could be rushed. As a prosperous metropolis, Saffron City covered a vast area and contained countless buildings. Finding a hidden research base among them would not be easy. He had to narrow down the search.
Sitting at the dining table, he lightly tapped the surface with his fingers and sank into thought. First, he could rule out the wilderness. If the research base were outside the city, a laboratory of that scale would require vehicle after vehicle to transport supplies. There was no way to hide its tracks, and it would be easily discovered.
If the research base