Team Rocket at Silph Co.

Silph Co.'s building!?

Wasn't this the company building Team Rocket occupied in the Pokémon games!?

Xia You took a closer look. Everything on the ground floor seemed normal. Security guards patrolled back and forth, and even the receptionist sat at the front desk, yawning out of boredom. Yet somehow, something felt wrong.

Just then, a police car sped past Xia You with its siren blaring. It did not stop at Silph Co.'s building, instead heading farther down the road.

Xia You looked into the distance and listened carefully. There seemed to be a disturbance a few streets away.

Strange. How had the whole city changed after I went inside for just one Gym battle?

It was as though something big was happening!

Walking into a deserted alley, Xia You climbed up to a high vantage point, took a pair of binoculars from his backpack, and looked toward the upper floors of Silph Co.'s building.

The smoke there had already cleared. He could see several people in black uniforms with large "R" letters on their chests herding a group of researchers elsewhere and using fire extinguishers to put out the flames.

It really was Team Rocket!

After a moment's thought, he found a public phone booth and called the police.

The phone rang for a long time before someone answered. But once Xia You explained the situation, the response left him stunned!

"What? You've already sent officers to Silph Co.'s building? And they didn't find anything unusual?"

"That's right!" the person on the other end said. "We've already been there twice, and everything was normal. We didn't find anything! Team Rocket members are causing disturbances all over the city right now. We're run off our feet, and we really don't have officers to spare for pranks like yours!"

"Huh?" Xia You hurriedly said. "This isn't a prank. I..."

He stopped halfway through, sighed, and hung up.

By now, he had figured out Team Rocket's plan.

First, Team Rocket had called the police themselves, drawing officers to Silph Co.'s building. But when the police arrived and found everything normal, they could only treat it as a prank and return to the station.

Then Team Rocket sent out its peripheral members to cause disturbances throughout the city and draw the police's attention, while its main force began taking over the building.

Even if a researcher called the police, when the officers returned, the disguised Team Rocket members in the ground-floor lobby would handle them. With the earlier visit in mind, the police would not inspect the place too closely and would dismiss it as a second prank.

At that point, they could seize all of Silph Co. without a care!

What a clever scheme!

Still, Team Rocket was an evil organization. Now that Xia You had seen what was happening, he certainly would not turn a blind eye.

With that in mind, he took a few pictures with his phone and sent them to Looker.

However, he had taken the pictures a little too late. Neither Team Rocket nor the captured researchers appeared in them. All they showed were a few patches of black smoke and flames that were about to fade.

Looker called him back almost immediately.

"Is this really a major Team Rocket operation?" Looker sounded excited, but also regretful and angry with himself. "Damn it. I'm in Celadon City investigating the Team Rocket Base right now. Even if I leave immediately, I'm afraid I won't make it in time."

"It definitely is," Xia You said slowly. "And judging by the situation, they've probably taken over the entire building already."

"Have you called the police?" Looker asked.

"Of course."

"What did they say? Did they send anyone?"

With a wry smile, Xia You told him everything he had just heard, along with his own deductions.

"I see..." Looker also grasped the key to the situation. "It looks like they planned this well in advance. But why attack that place?"

Silph Co. was the most famous manufacturer and retailer in the Pokémon world. It produced many products, including Poké Balls.

But given Team Rocket's financial resources, they should not have needed those Poké Balls. Besides, once word got out, the police were bound to strike back. No matter how he considered it, Looker could not make sense of their motives.

"Why worry so much about that?" Xia You said casually. "Even if Team Rocket went there to wish Silph Co.'s boss a happy birthday, we still couldn't let them get their way!"

"You're right." Looker laughed, then changed his tone. "But none of these pictures actually show Team Rocket. Even if I submit them to headquarters and have them speak with the police, I'm afraid they won't be convincing."

Xia You blinked. "Is your position in the International Police that low? Your word doesn't carry any weight at all?"

"Ahem... let's not get into that..." On the other end of the phone, Looker gave an awkward little cough. "Our immediate priority is to find a way to determine what they're after. Could you help me with that?"

Although Xia You already intended to help, he still said, "Hey, hey. You're with the International Police, but you're asking an ordinary person like me to get involved in something this dangerous. Isn't that a little inappropriate?"

"You're no ordinary person!" Looker flattered him. "What happened aboard the S.S. Anne showed that you're a kindhearted Ace Trainer. Besides, I won't make you go in alone. I'll send a request to the Pokémon League right away and use my personal connections to get them to send someone to assist you!"

Someone from the Pokémon League?

They handled things like this too?

After hanging up, Xia You stood in the shadows and carefully watched Silph Co.'s building. After he had waited a while, a woman about his age walked up behind him.

Xia You turned around. It was Sabrina!?

"Why is it you?"

Sabrina was surprised to see Xia You as well. "The Pokémon League just contacted me and said someone from the International Police needed help. I never expected it to be you."

"I'm not with the International Police," Xia You said, quickly waving his hands. "I'm just helping him with something. Have you heard what happened?"

Sabrina shook her head.

"They only said it was urgent and told me to come here to help and follow instructions, so I hurried over."

Sabrina's help would certainly be a powerful asset, so Xia You explained the whole situation to her as well.

"So we just need to enter the building and find out what's happening inside?" Sabrina turned toward Silph Co.'s building and asked, "How do we get in, then?"

"Sneaking in through the ground floor is out of the question." Xia You had clearly already come up with a plan. "Originally, I planned to have Kirlia use Confusion to lift me in through the air, then have Gastly scout around. But now that you're here, let's go in together!"