Chapter 41: Team Rocket of the Sylph Co

Silph Co.!?

Isn't this the corporate building that gets taken over by Team Rocket in the Pokémon games!?

Xia You observed more closely. Although everything on the first floor of the building seemed normal—with security guards patrolling back and forth and even the receptionist sitting there yawning out of boredom—for some reason, he felt that something was not quite right.

Just then, a police car sped past Xia You with its sirens wailing, but it didn't stop at Silph Co.; instead, it drove off toward the distance.

Xia You looked out into the distance and listened intently. It seemed that a riot was breaking out several streets away.

Strange. How could the entire city feel so different after he went in for a Gym battle and came back out?

It was as if something major was happening!

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

The smoke there had already dissipated. He could see several people wearing black uniforms with a large "R" printed on their chests, driving a group of researchers elsewhere and using fire extinguishers to put out rising flames.

It really was Team Rocket!

After a moment of thought, he found a public telephone booth and dialed the emergency number.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered, but once Xia You finished explaining the situation, the information he received back left him utterly shocked!

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

"That's right!" the person on the other end said. "In fact, we've already been there twice, and everything is normal! We haven't found a thing! Right now, Team Rocket is causing riots in many parts of the city. We are already overwhelmed and simply don't have the extra police force to deal with your kind of prank!"

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

Halfway through, Xia You sighed and hung up the phone.

Now, he had figured out Team Rocket's plan.

First, Team Rocket would call the police themselves to send them to Silph Co. But once the police arrived and found everything normal, they would dismiss it as a prank and return to the station.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket would dispatch perimeter members to cause chaos throughout the city to draw the police's attention, while the main force began the takeover of the building.

Even if researchers called the police, when the officers arrived again, they would be dealt with by the disguised Team Rocket members in the first-floor lobby. Because of the previous experience, the police wouldn't inspect too thoroughly and would treat it as a second prank.

By then, they could boldly and confidently seize the entirety of Silph Co.!

What ingenious methods!

However, as an evil organization, since Xia You had witnessed this, he naturally wouldn't just stand by and do nothing.

With that thought, he took a few photos with his phone and sent them to the "Handsome Guy."

However, these photos were taken a bit too late. Team Rocket did not appear in the pictures, nor did the captured researchers; there were only a few patches of dissipating black smoke and flickering flames.

The Handsome Guy's call came in quickly.

"Is it really a major operation by Team Rocket?" The Handsome Guy's tone was excited, yet tinged with regret and self-reproach. "Damn it, I'm currently in Celadon City investigating a Team Rocket base. Even if I rush over now, I'm afraid it'll be too late."

"It is indeed a major operation," Xia You said slowly. "And from the looks of it, they have likely already completely taken over the entire building."

The Handsome Guy asked, "Did you call the police?"

"Of course."

"What did the police say? Did they deploy?"

Xia You gave a bitter smile and recounted everything he had heard and his own deductions to him.

"I see..." The Handsome Guy also understood the crux of the matter. "It seems they planned this well in advance. But why attack there?"

Silph Co. was the most famous manufacturer and seller of products in the Pokémon world; many products, including Poké Balls, were produced by this company.

Given Team Rocket's financial resources, they shouldn't need those Poké Balls. Moreover, once the matter leaked, it would inevitably trigger a crackdown from the police. No matter how he thought about it, the Handsome Guy couldn't understand the logic.

"Why worry about all that?" Xia You said nonchalantly. "Even if Team Rocket is going there to celebrate the Silph Co. CEO's birthday, we can't let them succeed!"

"You're right," the Handsome Guy laughed, then his tone shifted. "However, these photos of yours didn't capture Team Rocket. Even if I hand them over to headquarters to negotiate with the police, I'm afraid we won't be able to gain their trust."

Xia You was stunned. "Is your status in the International Police that low? You don't even have any influence?"

"Ahem... let's not talk about that..." On the other end of the phone, the Handsome Guy coughed awkwardly. "The priority right now is to find a way to figure out what their actual intentions are. I wonder if you can do me this favor?"

Although Xia You intended to help, he still said, "Hey, hey, as an International Police officer, it's not quite appropriate to involve an ordinary person like me in something so dangerous, is it?"

"You are not an ordinary person!" the Handsome Guy flattered him. "From the incident with the St. Anne last time, it's clear you are a kind-hearted elite Trainer. Besides, I won't let you go in alone. I'll immediately send a request to the Pokémon League and use my personal connections to have them send someone to assist you!"

People from the Pokémon League?

They actually care about this?

After hanging up the phone, Xia You stood in the shadows, carefully observing the situation at Silph Co. After waiting for a while, a woman of a similar age to him walked up behind him.

Xia You turned around to look, and it was actually Sabrina!?

"What are you doing here?"

Seeing Xia You, Sabrina was also quite surprised. She said with a hint of astonishment, "The Pokémon League just contacted me saying an International Police officer needed help. I really didn't expect it to be you."

"I'm not an International Police officer," Xia You said, waving his hands dismissively. "I'm just helping him with his work. 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 rushed over."

With Sabrina's help, it would indeed be a powerful boost. Xia You then explained the whole story to her once more.

"So, all we have to do is enter the building and find out what's going on inside?" Sabrina turned to look at the Silph Co. building and asked, "How should we get in?"

"It's impossible to sneak in through the first floor." Xia You had clearly already thought of a plan. "Originally, I planned to have Kirlia use Telekinesis to send me in through the air and then have Gastly scout around, but since you're here now, let's go in together!"