Chapter 42: Infiltrating the Building

Chapter 42: Infiltrating the Building

Natsume asked calmly, "So, where should we enter from?"

Xia You looked up, glanced at the surveillance cameras surrounding the Silph Co. building, and then looked around before pointing to another commercial office building next to it.

"The height of this building is only half that of the Silph building. If we can enter the Silph building from its rooftop, we can avoid the Team Rocket members on the lower floors."

Natsume did not object. She followed Xia You as they crossed the street, blending into a crowd of white-collar workers to enter the office building.

The two took the elevator to the top floor. At the stairwell leading to the upper levels, Natsume used her psychic powers to snap the door lock, allowing them to reach the rooftop unimpeded.

*Looking at it now, psychic powers really are a powerful and convenient ability!*

A cold wind blew against Xia You as he stood at the edge of the railing and looked forward.

On the street below, the flowing stream of vehicles had become tiny, and the Silph building across from them was still quite a distance away.

"What? Are you afraid?" Natsume asked softly.

"It's not that I'm afraid, my legs are just shaking a little..." Xia You didn't try to act tough and admitted it frankly. "But at a time like this, there's no way I'm backing down."

Having said that, his gaze searched the opposite building, and he quickly spotted a window that had been broken during Team Rocket's intrusion.

It was a well-lit floor-to-ceiling window, but it was already shattered. The room behind the window was an office, which was currently empty due to the chaos.

"Let's go in through there!"

Seeing Natsume nod slightly, Xia You signaled to Kirlia. Kirlia immediately came to his side and wrapped its arms around his waist.

*Teleport, activate.*

In the next second, Xia You vanished. When he and Kirlia reappeared, they were already standing inside that office.

Looking back at Natsume, he saw her body moving as if driven by an invisible wind, flying directly in from the rooftop across the way.

*Alright, you have psychic powers, you're amazing!*

Once the two reunited, Xia You whispered a summons: "Gastly."

Gastly's body emerged from his shadow. "What is it?"

But before Xia You could speak, Natsume covered her mouth in rare surprise.

"It can actually talk?"

"What's so strange about that!" Gastly glanced at Natsume. "It's just mere human language. Little girl, you've seen far too little of the world!"

"Alright, stop being cheeky," Xia You said. "Let's hurry and scout the area. Remember to get a clearer idea of Team Rocket's positions."

Watching Gastly pass through the wall, Natsume turned back to look at Xia You as if seeing him for the first time.

"A Pokémon Trainer, an Interpol agent, and a talking Gastly... I didn't realize that despite being around my age, you've experienced so much."

"That still doesn't compare to you." Despite the perilous environment, Xia You's mood didn't seem particularly tense. "Not only do you have psychic powers, but you've also become a Gym Leader. You're the one who is truly enviable."

Perhaps because she had heard so many compliments, Natsume didn't dwell on it and instead asked, "Do you know what Team Rocket's ultimate goal is?"

Xia You shrugged, indicating he didn't know.

Because the events regarding Silph Co. in the games had happened so long ago, he couldn't remember them clearly, but he was certain it had something to do with the company's president.

At that moment, he took out his phone to check. As expected, just like on the S.S. Anne, the signal was completely jammed.

It wasn't long before Gastly returned.

"Most of the Team Rocket members are concentrated in the lower and upper sections; there are very few in the middle."

"What about the employees in the building?"

Gastly replied, "They've all been gathered into several rooms and are being held separately. However, I don't see any intention from Team Rocket to harm them, so they are relatively safe for now."

"What do you want to do next?" Natsume asked.

"With so many people, we certainly can't rescue them all by ourselves." Xia You thought for a moment. "I think we should find the president's office and rescue him. As long as we ensure his safe departure, no matter what Team Rocket does, their plan will fail."

Natsume nodded. "It sounds very dangerous, but don't worry. Since I have accepted this commission, I will definitely assist you."

"Those words are truly reassuring."

Taking a deep breath, Xia You poked his head out to look down the corridor, but quickly pulled back.

"There are cameras ahead of us. If we go out like this, we'll definitely be seen. We must deal with the surveillance before we leave!"

With that, Xia You turned to Gastly and commanded, "Next, we'll split up. You go to the security room first and see if you can paralyze the entire system, then meet us on the top floor!"

"Heh heh." Gastly grinned. "Leave it to me. Destruction is what I love most and what I'm best at!"

With that, its figure dissipated within the room.

...

Silph Co. Building, first-floor security room.

At this moment, two Team Rocket members were staring intently at the monitors, terrified of missing any information.

Before today's operation, both their Big Boss and their high-ranking commanders had ordered everyone to be on high alert, with no room for even a moment of slackness.

As ordinary members with grand ambitions and ideals, they naturally executed this order perfectly.

Although they were an evil organization that often did bad things, the internal treatment within Team Rocket was actually excellent.

Not only were they large-scale, owning many large cross-regional listed companies, but they also provided members with complete social benefits, timely salaries, equipment, and Pokémon resources. They even frequently held social gatherings, tea parties, and encouragement meetings, which was why their cohesion was so strong.

A man's frivolous voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkie: "Hey, hey, how's the situation on your end?"

"Reporting, Mr. Lance!" one of the Team Rocket members said respectfully. "No abnormalities found around the perimeter of the building!"

The walkie-talkie asked again, "What about inside the building?"

The member's gaze swept across all the monitor screens. "No abnormalities found on any floor!"

"Very good." The frivolous male voice offered a few words of praise and then instructed, "Stay vigilant. If there are any problems, report them immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

Setting the walkie-talkie aside, the member wiped the sweat from his forehead and joked to himself, "Sigh, no matter how many times I talk to these executives, every single time makes my heart race."

However, after his words had been out for a long time, he didn't hear his partner respond or agree. Surprised, he hurriedly turned back to look, only to see the other member slumped over the control console, motionless, seemingly fast asleep!

"Hey, are you kidding me!?" He stood up, walked over to the member, and gave him a hard shove. "How dare you sleep at a time like this? You've got some nerve!"

(End of Chapter)