Chapter 77: I'm Reporting This — There's a Team Rocket Base Here!
"Wow — you're incredible. Ariana couldn't even beat you."
The girl with the long chestnut hair stared at the red-eyed boy, then at the Charizard and Pikachu behind him, genuinely impressed.
She'd only wanted someone to slow Ariana down long enough for her to get away. She hadn't expected this boy — who looked about her age — to actually beat her.
If Ariana hadn't read the situation and cut her losses when she did, she might not have walked away at all.
"…" The red-eyed boy pulled his cap brim lower, covering his eyes, and said nothing.
Playing the silent, stoic type?
The girl made a mental note. She knew he wasn't actually mute — he'd called out commands just fine during the battle. But that was fine. She was a social menace by profession.
Someone this young and this strong was going to be useful someday.
"Thank you so much for helping me. I don't even want to think about what would have happened otherwise."
She gave him a bright, genuine smile.
"I'm Blue. Leaf Blue — you can call me Leaf. Can I ask your name?"
She blinked up at him, big eyes, sweet voice, full effort.
"…" The cap went lower.
Leaf didn't give up. She just kept looking at him, patient and expectant.
"…Red." Low voice. Barely offered.
"Red! You're so amazing, Red. Those awful Rocket people — oh, wait, I almost forgot!"
Leaf already had her phone out, dialing.
"Hello? Is this Lorelei? Yes — I need to report something. Southern district of the city. There's a major Team Rocket base. An actual base, not a small one."
"Yes, I'm certain. I just escaped from inside. At least two senior executives confirmed on-site."
"Of course, I won't do anything rash. My name? Hmm… I'm just a concerned citizen who happened to be passing by."
"If you need to write something down — just put Red."
She rattled it all off at full speed, then hung up with characteristic modesty.
Red: (⊙ｏ⊙)
"Sorry about that~ using your name without asking." Leaf stuck her tongue out and tapped the side of her head with one white-gloved hand, the picture of adorable mischief. "I just really hate being in the spotlight."
She did, genuinely. Because if certain former associates saw her name attached to something like this, they'd come to Celadon City looking for her.
The brightness in Leaf's expression flickered for just a moment. Something moved through those clear, pretty eyes — brief and dark — before it was gone. She'd gotten out. But the shadow of that organization had a way of following her around regardless.
Red noticed. He was quiet and inward by nature, but he read people more precisely than most. There was something underneath this girl's cheerfulness that didn't match the surface.
Though what he was more focused on right now was something else.
A major Team Rocket base. Here.
He looked toward the direction Ariana had fled.
Team Rocket. He had no goodwill toward them whatsoever. Not after the St. Anne — they'd tried to steal the Pokémon of every Trainer on board, without any hesitation, without any care for what that meant.
A Trainer's bond with their Pokémon. The future they were building together. Team Rocket would cut right through all of that without a second thought.
That was unforgivable.
Red loved Pokémon battles with everything in him. He aimed to become the strongest Trainer in the world. But alongside that — he genuinely, deeply wanted this world to be a better place. He wanted the sky above it to stay clear and blue.
An organization like Team Rocket, one that caused others pain without a moment's consideration —
The world didn't need them.
So now that he knew where the base was—
Indigo Plateau.
"A major base discovered in Celadon City?"
Goodshow's white brows drew together as he listened to Lorelei's report.
"Yes, sir. The Celadon City Police Department won't have the strength to clear it on their own. And we've been unable to reach Gym Leader Erika."
Lorelei's voice was even, professional.
A major Rocket base would have senior executives on-site as standard. And Rocket executives operated at Elite-Four-tier — even the weaker ones were beyond what ordinary Trainers could handle. Beyond what city police could handle.
And Erika had gone silent. Lorelei wasn't reading the worst into that yet — Erika had been in her Gym that morning, perfectly fine — but it was a flag.
"Should I dispatch Lorelei and the others, Chairman?"
"Lorelei." Goodshow said the name with a quiet weariness. "That's Celadon City you're talking about."
Lorelei fell silent.
The problem with the Kanto Elite Four, when it came to Team Rocket operations, was this:
Agatha was too senior. Her age, her standing — she was a last resort, not a first response.
Bruno was effective as muscle but wasn't suited for operational leadership. He trained and lifted weights and fought when pointed at something. That was the extent of it.
Which left Lance and Lorelei.
Both of them were the most motivated people in the League when it came to dismantling Team Rocket. And that was precisely what made Goodshow's head hurt.
Because their approach to Team Rocket had no moderation in it.
By the numbers: of every ten Rocket members Lorelei apprehended, eight had severe frostbite injuries. Some of them carried lasting physical damage even after treatment.
Lance was more direct. The ones who survived his Pokémon's attacks were the ones who got to be arrested.
That ran directly against the League's humanitarian principles. Goodshow had spoken to both of them about it more than once. Neither had shifted. Their hatred of Team Rocket was too deeply embedded, and you couldn't change a person's convictions just by talking at them.
"Lorelei — come to my office."
He thought about it for a moment, then sent the message. The base had to be dealt with. That was simply true. He'd just have to manage the fallout after.
Lorelei arrived shortly.
"Chairman."
"Lorelei. Large Team Rocket base confirmed in Celadon City. I need you and Bruno to go."
"Celadon City. Understood."
Lorelei's expression didn't change. She pushed her glasses up and replied in a flat, measured voice.
But both Lorelei and Goodshow felt it — the temperature in the room dropped slightly.
Goodshow started to say something, then stopped. He sighed quietly instead.
She'd been such a warm child, once. He remembered. When she was young, she'd watched a Seel nearly die from industrial water pollution — watched it right in front of her, those dying eyes full of pain and grief, and it had carved itself into her permanently.
To build a better future for nature and Pokémon, she'd joined the Kanto League and risen to the Elite Four.
But somewhere along the way, that warmth had turned to cold. A cold that went deep now.
"I'm counting on you, Lorelei."
"Don't worry, Chairman." She turned to leave. A thin smile crossed her face.
"Those filthy, evil pieces of garbage. I'll freeze every last one of them solid."
Goodshow watched her go.
A quiet, deep concern settled over him.
The future of Kanto…
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