Leaving the experienced veteran instructor behind to securely guard their grounded shipping container resting deep inside the freezing forest allowed Enzo to confidently lead Anna, Proton, and Ronnie toward the towering iron gates of the notorious city.
Far from being a simple enclosed street or a forgotten warehouse district, Spikemuth actually expanded across a massive sprawling territory densely populated by thousands, serving as the exact miserable location where all the rejected trash of modern society eventually ended up.
The surrounding environment felt extremely dirty and rapidly decaying, breathing an incredibly heavy air completely filled with rampant drug abuse and desperate prostitution.
Unlike the Kanto region, where Team Rocket carefully regulated all underground markets while keeping criminal activities strictly organized, the Galar authorities simply chose to blindly throw all their worst crime into this isolated sinkhole, hoping to easily contain the massive problem, ultimately creating a highly volatile and incredibly dangerous environment for anyone lacking the proper means to defend themselves.
Knowing they needed to quickly sell all their regular Pokémon stock before the newly discovered Fairy type was officially announced to the global public, Enzo prompted his squad to stop near a flickering streetlamp to plan their strategy.
"We need to cover more ground quickly to find this Ratchet guy tonight, meaning Proton and Ronnie will search the eastern blocks while Anna will come with me to check the western alleys," the disguised squad leader ordered smoothly, firmly establishing their tactical approach.
Hearing the specific division of the squad caused the two male subordinates to immediately exchange a smirk, playfully teasing Enzo for specifically choosing to take the beautiful young woman alone with him.
Enzo completely ignored the silent joke while keeping his unfamiliar face perfectly stern, prompting Anna to quickly look away toward the dirty pavement, desperately trying to hide her growing embarrassment by pretending she absolutely did not notice the highly suggestive smiles of her teasing teammates.
Walking side by side through the incredibly dark and highly dangerous streets of the western district allowed Enzo to finally take a peaceful moment to check on his newest recruit.
"I'm sorry for not having the time to talk with you earlier, considering everything happening all at once lately, but I want to know how you're handling this new life?" he asked softly, keeping his sharp eyes constantly scanning the shadowy alleys while walking at a relaxed pace.
Anna offered him a genuinely sincere smile, stepping carefully over a dirty puddle before answering.
"I am doing fine, mostly considering the rest of the squad has been treating me incredibly well since the very beginning," she explained softly. "Ronnie is obviously completely crazy and entirely out of his mind, but he is actually very sweet, while Proton seems much more shy and highly practical but clearly possesses a genuinely good heart underneath all that strict professionalism."
Hearing this caused Enzo to suppress a dark chuckle, silently recalling the exact terrifying moment Ronnie gleefully celebrated after completely obliterating an entire town and ruthlessly murdering thousands of innocent people, quickly followed by the deeply disturbing memory of Proton casually carrying two severed human heads directly toward him, exactly as if he were simply holding fresh fruit, during their brutal days on Trial Island.
"I am glad to hear that, but please remember to immediately inform me if absolutely anyone ever treats you badly or makes you feel uncomfortable," Enzo warned her with absolute sincerity. "But tell me, do you notice a big difference between this job and your previous job under the Madame back in Cerulean?"
"The difference is huge considering my entire job was strictly focused on handling business logistics and quietly organizing important meetings," Anna admitted openly, pulling her jacket slightly tighter against the freezing night wind. "I fully recognize the severe danger surrounding our current operations, but I feel relatively safe with the protection of my Meowth."
Hearing her mention her previous logistical duties caused Enzo to turn his disguised face toward the beautiful young woman while offering a highly provocative smirk.
"If your previous job was entirely focused on strict business logistics, then please tell me exactly what part of logistical management involved you greeting me like that at the Cerulean hot springs during my first meeting with the madame?" he teased mercilessly, fully enjoying the opportunity to completely fluster his new member.
The highly unexpected question caused Anna to instantly turn completely red, feeling her entire face burning with profound embarrassment while frantically waving her hands to defend her compromised honor.
"The Madame specifically ordered me to do that, so we could properly evaluate what kind of man you truly were, while also testing to see if you would actually recognize me from our past," she stammered defensively, looking incredibly cute while desperately trying to explain her highly suggestive actions. "That was literally the only time I ever did anything remotely like that, and I would really appreciate it if you could just permanently forget that highly embarrassing moment ever happened."
Watching her become so incredibly flustered prompted Enzo to burst into genuine laughter, finding her desperate explanation completely adorable.
"I will certainly try my absolute best to eventually forget it," he promised while flashing another teasing smile, earning a surprisingly firm slap against his arm from the highly embarrassed girl.
Allowing the playful moment to naturally fade away prompted Enzo to let his expression shift into a much more serious and highly professional demeanor.
"Jokes aside, Anna, you really need to get a new Pokémon to properly guarantee your safety," he advised her strictly. "Your Meowth possesses a good potential and will undoubtedly evolve into a great Persian one day, but relying on a single partner is simply not enough protection for the situations we constantly face."
Hearing the serious tactical assessment made Anna feel suddenly nervous, fully knowing she lacked the proper combat experience shared by the rest of the squad.
"I am honestly not a very talented trainer yet. I would really appreciate it if you could personally help me choose my next Pokémon," she requested softly, looking at him with highly hopeful eyes.
"No problem, I can help you build your team, so tell me exactly what specific type you prefer to work with?" Enzo asked curiously, wanting to properly match her natural combat style.
The simple question caused Anna to blush a bit once again, nervously playing with a lock of her hair before finally answering in a very quiet voice.
"I would really love to train a Dark type like you…" she admitted shyly.
Hearing her incredibly sweet reasoning caused Enzo to let out another loud and genuinely warm laugh, feeling thoroughly amused by her admiration.
"No problem at all, I will find a talented Dark type that is easy to properly train as your Meowth," he promised smoothly, offering the nervous girl a deeply reassuring smile.
Feeling an immense wave of relief wash over her prompted Anna to offer a genuinely grateful expression, softly thanking Enzo, while confidently walking by his side through the freezing night.
"Well, look at that, it seems we have spent far too much time simply wandering around enjoying our pleasant conversation instead of actually focusing on our primary objective," Enzo pointed out with a slight smirk, gesturing toward an incredibly old and deeply suspicious bar radiating a highly dangerous atmosphere from its dilapidated entrance. "Perhaps we should step inside this lovely establishment and see if we can gather some useful information regarding our missing target."
"That sounds like a good idea," Anna agreed immediately, following him out of the freezing night wind and stepping directly into the filthy establishment.
The sudden entrance of the young woman immediately drew the predatory attention of nearly every hardened criminal present, forcing Enzo to instantly formulate a strategy upon noticing how Anna's undeniable natural beauty shone far too brightly in such a dark place.
"Just come sit quietly with me in that corner booth and let me handle all the talking," he instructed smoothly, guiding her through the crowded room before catching the attention of a passing waitress. "We would love to get two cups of your strongest black coffee, please."
The tired waitress nodded slowly, returning a few moments later to place two steaming mugs onto the incredibly sticky wooden table.
Wrapping her cold hands around the warm ceramic allowed Anna to offer a genuinely sweet smile, feeling surprisingly happy simply sharing a quiet coffee with Enzo despite the highly dangerous environment surrounding them.
Before she could even take her first sip, a grossly overweight man dressed in filthy punk attire aggressively approached their table, completely ignoring Enzo while staring directly at the young woman with a highly disgusting expression.
"I have never seen you walking around these parts before, sweetheart, so tell me exactly how much you charge for a quick hour of your time?" the repulsive man asked loudly, disrespecting Anna by speaking to her exactly as if she were a common prostitute selling cheap services in the Spikemuth gutters.
Hearing the deeply insulting question caused Enzo to casually pick up his steaming coffee mug, intervening smoothly before the shocked young woman could even formulate a proper response.
"What a spectacular way to speak to a lady," Enzo praised with heavy irony, perfectly provoking the furious criminal.
"Do you have any actual idea who the hell you are talking to right now?" the fat punk growled, aggressively slamming his fleshy hand onto Enzo's shoulder and squeezing with all of his formidable physical strength.
Unbeknownst to the angry attacker, the dense bulletproof padding woven directly into the tactical suit easily absorbed the massive pressure, allowing Enzo to continue casually sipping his strong coffee without feeling a single ounce of pain.
"I honestly have absolutely no clue who you are, but judging strictly by your terrible manners, I highly doubt I am missing out on anything important," Enzo mocked calmly, taking another slow sip from his warm mug while staring directly into the eyes of the angry thug.
Feeling utterly humiliated, the enraged man raised his other fist, preparing to deliver a devastating punch, but suddenly felt an unnaturally freezing cold touch gripping his raised wrist. Looking down toward the floor caused the criminal's angry expression to instantly transform into sheer terror, finally noticing Enzo's dark shadow twisting into a grotesque smiling face staring directly back at him with two brightly glowing red eyes.
"I am so incredibly sorry, I am just a little bit drunk, and I clearly mistook you two for completely different people," the terrified man babbled frantically, pulling his hand away from Enzo's shoulder while desperately scrambling backward to flee the terrifying ghost. "Please forgive me and have a truly wonderful night!"
Watching the bully instantly turn into a massive coward made Anna sigh with profound relief, assuming the scary situation was finally over, but Enzo kept his expression perfectly cold as the man turned his back to leave.
"I never actually gave you permission to leave," Enzo stated with an icy voice, tolerating absolutely zero resistance, freezing the fleeing man exactly in his tracks. "Sit down on that chair right now."
Hearing the icy command forced the terrified man to immediately sit onto the wooden chair, sweating profusely while staring fearfully at Enzo, who as still enjoying his coffee.
"We completely understand your drunken mistake, but you still actively chose to disrespect us, meaning you currently possess exactly two different ways to properly pay for your terrible manners," Enzo explained calmly, leaning slightly forward while maintaining a terrifyingly polite smile.
"You can either let me cut out your tongue right here, or you can do us a favor."
Choosing the favor instantly without a single second of hesitation allowed the fat punk to nod his head frantically, eagerly waiting to hear the specific request to save his own tongue.
"What can you tell us about a local thug named Ratchet?" Enzo asked quietly, watching the criminal visibly flinch upon hearing the familiar name.
"Are you sure you mean Ratchet?" the fat thug asked nervously, leaning closer to whisper across the table. "I have no idea where you heard that name, but I highly advise you to stay completely away from him, considering that boy is nothing but a massive walking pile of shit, heavily drowning in dangerous debt owed to several incredibly bad people."
"I genuinely appreciate your deep concern for our personal safety, but tell me exactly where I can find him right now," Enzo demanded smoothly, watching the sweating man attempt to shake his round head in denial.
"I honestly haven't seen him in several months," the punk said, afraid about the result of his answer, completely failing to hide his obvious nervousness.
Enzo remained completely silent while allowing his dark shadow to slowly grow significantly larger across the dirty floor, letting the two glowing red eyes burn brightly in the dim light.
Seeing the terrifying ghost expanding aggressively toward his boots caused the fat man to enter a state of absolute panic, frantically thinking of something that could help.
"I swear I do not know where he is right now, but I know he used to work at one club!" the terrified thug blurted out desperately. "It is located over in the rich part of Spikemuth, a highly exclusive club called Coffin! That's all I know, I swear!"
"That is very helpful, I truly appreciate the valuable information," Enzo thanked him politely, casually taking another slow sip of his warm coffee. "However, before I officially allow you to leave, you still need to formally apologize to the lady, and if she chooses to forgive you, I will happily let you walk out of here alive."
Hearing those specific conditions caused the massive man to instantly throw his entire heavy body directly onto the filthy floor, pressing his sweaty forehead against the disgusting wood while loudly screaming desperate apologies toward Anna.
Watching the gross criminal literally begging on his knees created a massive public spectacle, drawing the curious attention of the entire bar, causing the young woman to feel absolutely mortified by the sudden screaming.
"I forgive you, please just get up and go away right now!" Anna rushed her words frantically, dying of profound embarrassment while desperately trying to hide her face in her hood, gladly watching the sobbing man scramble quickly out the front door into the freezing night.
Openly laughing at Anna's completely embarrassed reaction, Enzo decided it was time to go, stepping out of the highly disgusting bar back into the freezing night before turning toward his newest member to satisfy his sudden curiosity.
"Tell me, Anna, considering your highly extensive logistical background working under the Madame back in Cerulean City, do you happen to possess any experience dealing with the chaotic environment of busy nightclubs?" he asked smoothly, wanting to properly gauge her comfort level before entering their next dangerous destination.
"I actually managed the entire inventory regarding the buying and selling of all premium beverages for the highly exclusive club owned by the Madame back in Cerulean, so I definitely know my way around the nightlife industry," Anna explained confidently, feeling an immense wave of pride washing over her upon seeing Enzo look genuinely impressed by her highly useful, specialized knowledge.
"Great, having someone possessing actual nightlife experience is an absolute blessing," he praised sincerely, quickly pulling out his TR Device to send a brief message ordering Proton and Ronnie to immediately meet them right outside the luxury club named Coffin.
Arriving at the highly exclusive venue revealed a massive line of people waiting outside, alongside a highly energetic Ronnie literally bouncing on his heels while loudly expressing his profound excitement about finally entering a real club for the very first time in his entire life.
"Please try to focus, Ronnie. We can properly celebrate after we finish our actual business. Let's find our target," Enzo commanded strictly, instantly killing the excited mood before confidently walking straight past the massive line directly toward the giant security guard protecting the entrance.
Instead of showing any form of identification, Enzo simply pulled out a massive stack of money, pressing the cash directly into the giant hand of the silent guard, who simply nodded before opening the barrier, allowing the entire squad immediate access into a wildly intense rave completely dominated by blinding strobe lights, screaming crowds, and deafening techno music.
Realizing the massive crowd was incredibly dense prompted Enzo to swiftly instruct Ronnie and Proton to go search the perimeter, before quickly grabbing Anna by the hand to firmly prevent her from getting lost inside the chaotic sea of dancing bodies, making the young woman jump slightly in surprise before tightly squeezing his fingers back while letting him carefully guide her toward the busy bar area.
"Now I want you to pay close attention and properly watch my natural charm flawlessly extract exactly what we need," Enzo boasted confidently, leaving his subordinates behind while leaning smoothly against the sticky counter to flash a highly seductive smile toward the female bartender.
"What's your poison?" the female bartender asked casually, wiping the sticky counter while staring directly at the confident man standing before her.
"We didn't actually come here to drink tonight, but I am sure we can easily find some common ground," Enzo purred smoothly, subtly sliding a large rolled bill between his fingers, hoping to successfully seduce the woman by acting boldly.
The bartender stared blankly at his face without showing a single ounce of interest, completely ignoring his cheap seduction before glancing past his shoulder to look directly at the beautiful young woman standing right behind him.
"I honestly do not know anything useful for a guy like you, but perhaps I might know a few little secrets for her," the woman offered with a highly suggestive smirk, making Enzo suddenly realize she strictly preferred women.
Feeling incredibly foolish caused Enzo to aggressively slap his own forehead in profound frustration, silently cursing his completely failed tactical charm before gesturing for Anna to step forward.
The bartender immediately offered a highly colorful free drink to the young woman, completely changing her demeanor while speaking with a very sweet and gentle tone.
"So, what can I do for you tonight, gorgeous?" the woman asked softly, leaning much closer over the sticky counter while completely ignoring the frustrated captain standing nearby.
"I am actually looking for a man named Ratchet. We were supposed to meet here so he could give me some highly important medical documents belonging to my sick father," Anna lied flawlessly, looking incredibly worried while perfectly playing the innocent victim.
"You really need to forget about that guy completely, sweetheart, considering absolutely nothing good ever comes from dealing with him," the bartender warned softly, leaning closer over the counter.
"He is currently upstairs on the second floor aggressively scamming rich people just like he always does, so please be incredibly careful if you truly need to speak with him."
Anna politely thanked the helpful woman before walking away alongside Enzo, instantly bursting into uncontrollable laughter upon remembering his completely failed attempt at seduction.
"Not a single word about this to anyone," Enzo demanded sternly, pointing a strict finger directly at her face while feeling his own cheeks burning with embarrassment, completely failing to stop the young woman from continuing to laugh at his miserable failure.
"Okay, Mr. Charming, let's go find Ratchet," Anna teased playfully, wiping a joyful tear from her eye while continuing to giggle.
Enzo simply sighed while looking directly toward the distant stairs leading up to the VIP area. "I'll follow right behind you. Go ahead."
Hearing him say that made Anna feel a sudden wave of sadness, incorrectly assuming he was not going to hold her hand while walking through the dense crowd this time around. Turning her back toward him, she began walking away alone, but the very moment she took her first step, Enzo suddenly grabbed her hand firmly, instantly making her feel incredibly happy once again. Smiling brightly, Anna excitedly pulled the disguised captain right through the chaotic sea of dancing bodies.
While navigating the massive crowd, Enzo easily spotted Proton and Ronnie standing together, looking absolutely everywhere, trying to find their target.
Catching their attention with a quick upward nod signaling them to come over, Enzo watched the two dangerous grunts immediately join, and the four of them finally walked up the glowing stairs together.
Reaching the top of the stairs revealed a much more refined second floor completely filled with expensive private tables alongside wealthy clients, immediately showing Enzo how incredibly spacious the VIP area truly was compared to the chaotic rave downstairs.
Noticing the massive amount of free walking space prompted him to gently let go of Anna's warm hand, stepping forward freely to properly gather the squad together in the shadows before easily spotting their elusive target sitting comfortably at a large table entirely surrounded by a highly curious crowd.
Ratchet truly was an incredibly ugly man possessing giant, disgusting rat teeth, somehow managing to achieve the physically impossible feat of actually being significantly uglier than Ronnie.
Seeing the target made Proton and Ronnie immediately position their bodies strategically around the area, perfectly blocking every single possible escape route while Enzo quietly analyzed the illegal betting game currently happening directly on the table.
Ratchet was actively manipulating three simple wooden cups across the table, deliberately letting a highly arrogant, rich man win the first few easy rounds to build up a massive amount of false confidence.
Once the betting pool grew large enough, the incredibly ugly scammer seamlessly switched to using cheap sleight of hand, effortlessly hiding the small ball inside his dirty sleeve while completely wiping out the poor victim by stealing his entire fortune in one single turn.
Slamming his empty fists against the table in total defeat, the ruined man angrily stormed away, leaving the victorious scammer displaying his giant, disgusting rat teeth while letting out a highly obnoxious laugh.
"Who else wants to try their luck tonight and win some incredibly easy money?" Ratchet asked the curious crowd, shuffling the wooden cups around with practiced speed while flashing his terribly ugly smile toward the wealthy clients standing nearby.
Stepping forward from the shadows with absolute confidence, Enzo smoothly took the empty seat right across from the notorious scammer, violently throwing a massive pile of cash directly onto the center of the table.
"I want to play a few rounds with you," Enzo stated coldly, instantly awakening absolute blinding greed inside Ratchet's wide eyes upon seeing so much money sitting completely unprotected.
"Just to be perfectly clear before we start playing, there are absolutely no hard feelings or violent retaliations when you inevitably lose all this beautiful cash tonight, right?" Ratchet asked with a highly greedy smirk, staring directly at the massive pile of money sitting on the table.
"I completely understand the rules, just play your game," Enzo agreed calmly, resting his hands flat against the felt while projecting an aura of total innocence.
Hearing the confirmation, Ratchet immediately began shuffling the three wooden cups around at an absolutely dizzying speed, blurring his dirty hands together, hoping to completely confuse his wealthy new victim.
Watching the rapid movements attentively, Enzo perfectly faked a look of profound confusion, pretending to guess randomly before finally pointing a single finger directly toward the cup resting on the far-right side.
Preparing to execute his cheap optical illusion to steal the hidden ball, Ratchet quickly reached out, attempting to grab two cups at the same time, but Enzo instantly slammed his hand down flat against the table right next to the cups to completely block the sneaky movement.
"I only picked the one on the right, so please only touch that specific cup," Enzo commanded with a highly polite but dangerously firm voice, making the ugly scammer sweat slightly under the sudden intense pressure.
Forced to change his entire strategy at the very last second, Ratchet expertly flicked his wrist using his filthy sleeve to secretly swallow the small ball right before lifting the chosen wooden cup, successfully revealing an empty space underneath while provoking a collective gasp of disappointment from the highly invested crowd watching them play.
"Well, that is certainly unfortunate for me, but can we at least see what is under the middle one?" Enzo asked, playing the role of the innocent loser perfectly, watching the highly confident scammer happily lift the second cup to reveal another completely empty space.
"Better luck next time, pal," Ratchet laughed victoriously, reaching out with both greedy hands, hoping to finally drag the massive pile of cash directly toward his own chest.
"Wait just a second, I want to lift the last one myself just to be absolutely sure," Enzo stated suddenly, completely ignoring the scammer while reaching his own hand directly toward the final wooden cup still resting firmly on the table.
Absolute panic instantly struck Ratchet directly in his chest, knowing perfectly well the small ball was currently hiding safely tucked inside his own sleeve, meaning the final cup was completely empty, frantically throwing his hands forward trying to physically block Enzo from touching the wooden object.
"You already lost the game, so keeping your hands off the table is the main rule!" Ratchet yelled desperately, completely failing to hide his sudden extreme nervousness from the observant audience.
"Let the man lift the cup and show us the ball!" a loud voice from the surrounding crowd demanded angrily, instantly sparking a massive wave of aggressive agreement from all the other wealthy clients standing nearby, leaving Ratchet sweating completely cold upon realizing his entire rigged operation was finally being completely exposed to the public.
Sweating profusely under the intense pressure coming from the angry crowd surrounding the table, Ratchet desperately looked down seeking an immediate escape route, only to completely freeze in sheer terror upon seeing Enzo's dark shadow twisting into a grinning face possessing two brightly glowing red eyes.
"Where are you looking at, Ratchet?" Enzo asked with a dangerously calm smile, completely ignoring the massive commotion happening around them while locking his cold gaze directly with the terrified scammer.
Experiencing absolute blinding panic, Ratchet violently flipped the entire heavy wooden table straight up into the air, sending massive stacks of cash flying everywhere while desperately sprinting away trying to save his own miserable life. Anticipating the chaotic reaction perfectly, Proton stepped forward, exhibiting flawless military precision, delivering a brutally fast punch directly into the side of the running scammer's neck.
Instantly losing consciousness, the incredibly ugly man began collapsing heavily toward the floor, but Proton and Ronnie quickly grabbed his limp arms, wrapping them firmly around their own broad shoulders, seamlessly pretending they were simply carrying a highly intoxicated friend heading home after partying way too hard.
Calmly stepping through the massive mess, Enzo carefully retrieved his own original stack of money from the dirty floor, grabbing all of Ratchet's remaining illegal winnings before violently throwing the stolen cash directly up into the air. Watching the incredibly greedy crowd instantly erupt into an absolute frenzy fighting over the falling money provided the disguised squad the perfect noisy cover to smoothly exit the luxury nightclub completely unnoticed.
Walking victoriously through the freezing night streets eventually led the successful team deep into the dark forest, finding Viper waiting patiently right next to the massive shipping container.
"Did everything go according to plan?" the one-armed instructor asked quietly, stepping out from the cold shadows to closely inspect the captured target.
Without saying a single word, Proton and Ronnie unceremoniously dropped the heavy body directly onto the wet grass, letting the ugly scammer hit the hard ground with a very painful thud.
Instead of celebrating their flawless victory, Enzo slowly walked over toward the motionless body, staring coldly down at the dirt.
"You can drop the terrible acting, Sleeping Beauty. I've got a massive job for you," Enzo whispered softly, crouching down right next to the trembling man. "If you don't open your ugly eyes this very second, I'll happily make your little nap permanent."