Every offiputer in the facility had a promi logo of Silph Co., the rgest teology corporation in the Kantion.

  Sato's mind reeled. He vividly remembered—in his past life, when he had visited Team Rocket's headquarters, he had noticed something odd about their offices.

  Every single puter there had no brand markings. As an assassin, Sato had developed areme awareness for details. At the time, his curiosity had led him to ask a Team Rocket member about it.

  The response had been one of pride—"To prevent data leaks, Team Rocket has always manufactured its own puters!"

  So thehing here was fake. Or rather, it had been deliberately staged—a setup meant to frame Team Rocket.

  Sato should have realized it sooner. A criminal anization like Team Rocket, known for its shady geic experiments, would never leave its signature "R" insignia all over the pce, practically advertising their presence.

  But that raised another critical question—Who had the motive, power, and influeo frame Team Rocket? Only one anization in Johto fit that description.

  The Pokémon League.

  "We're leaving."

  Sato's thoughts clicked into pce. He had to get out of here—now.

  This facility was a tig time bomb, a trap carefully set by the League for Team Rocket's eventual downfall. It wouldn't be exposed until the right moment.

  As he hurried back, a sense of utled in his chest.

  Had the League already noticed my presence?

  Zoroark and Haunter exged gnces but didn't ask questions. They simply followed him without hesitation.

  As Sato reached the entrance, his foot had just touched the first step when—a wave of disdain surged through his Dark Energy. The source was ahead, hidden in the long passageway leading out.

  It burned in his mind's eye, as if a spotlight had been cast on something invisible.

  "Zoroark, Night Daze! Haunter, secutive Shadow Balls—bst it!"

  Sato jumped backward just as his Pokémon uheir attacks.

  "Staarr!!"

  A Starmie was suddenly exposed, its Camoufge shattered by the Dark-type energy wave. Behind it, a middle-aged man emerged, his expression sharp with shock.

  Perched on his shoulder, a Golbat unfurled its wings, hissing menagly.

  The remaining attaight Daze and Shadow Balls—came crashing down.

  "Protect!"

  A green barrier fshed ience—Golbat's Protect had absorbed the remaining blows, shielding both itself and its trainer.

  But Starmie, which had relied on Camoufge, had been pletely defenseless.

  It colpsed on the spot, knocked out irike.

  The man frowned, recalling his Starmie. Then, with a measured gaze, he looked directly at Sato.

  "...How did you see through that?"

  Sato remained silent. Haunter, floating nearby, snickered softly.

  The answer was simple—Dark Energy.

  He could feel presences, especially those that cealed themselves. But there was no reason to expin that to the enemy.

  Instead, Sato's expression remained cold as he asked a question of his own.

  "You're from Team Rocket, aren't you?"

  The man smirked, shaking his head.

  "Oh? So that's what you think?"

  His lips curved, but his eyes held something unreadable.

  Sato's mind worked rapidly. This entire facility had been desigo make Team Rocket look guilty.

  If this man truly beloo them, he wouldn't admit it so easily. But if he art of the League, pying along would be his best option.

  "Of course," the man sighed dramatically. "I'm just here to up evidence. You know, standard Team Rocket work."

  Sato's stomach twisted.

  He's lying.

  Before he could respond, the man's hand moved slightly—

  "Golbat, Air Ssh!"

  Golbat's wings gleamed, sending two sharp, crest-shaped wind bdes flying toward Sato's position!

  "Haunter, intercept!"

  Haunter's ghostly haended, summoning a barrier of Shadow Balls to ter the attack.

  "Zoroark, Dark Pulse!"

  Zoroark roared, ung a surge of darkness straight at Golbat!

  The man remained eerily calm, giving his order smoothly.

  "Golbat, Air Cutter!"

  Golbat's wings whipped forward, unleashing shockwaves that collided head-on with Dark Pulse.

  BOOM!

  The entire passage shook as dust and debris scattered everywhere.

  Sato's brows furrowed. This is trouble. The man before him was undoubtedly a veteran trainer.

  He hadn't reached the Pseudo-Elite Four level yet, but he had already reached Peak Elite strength! Judging by his age, Sato had no doubt that this man had at least six Pokémon at Peak Elite level.

  "When I was ye," the man mused, shaking his head with a tinge ret, "I was celebrating the fact that I owned a mere Ordinary Peak-level Pokémon. But you… you're something else."

  Then his voice turned cold.

  "Unfortunately, you came to the wrong pce." Without hesitation, he gave his and.

  "Golbat, Air Ssh!"

  It was the same move as before—except this time, the twin bdes of wind moved at double the speed and carried far more power.

  "Dodge!"

  Haunter immediately sank into the ground, while Zoroark and Sato each leaped to opposite sides. The Air Ssh carved deep into the solid ground, leaving two crossed scars—eaeter long and half a meter wide. Dust erupted from the impact, filling the room with a thick haze.

  "Golbat, finish them off."

  Golbat, relying on its echolocation, wasn't hindered by the dust in the slightest. Instead, the darkness worked in its favor. Its wings tilted slightly before it dove straight down—targeting Sato.

  "Wait," Sato murmured, signaling Zoroark and Hauo hold back. He had already begun eling Dark Energy through his arms.

  A human's body had some natural resistao Pokémon attacks—but it was still far tile to take direct hits. Sato khis. Golbat khis. Which meant this first strike wouldn't be its stro attack. That was exactly what he was ting on.

  Sato's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. This was a bait-and-punish strategy. It was a trick he had used tless times in his past life—he kly how to time it.

  "Kak!"

  Golbat's screech was shrill and grating—like an old man trying to cough up phlegm. But Sato saw everything. His vision, tinted pitch bck, made Golbat's fiery aura stand out against the darkened world.

  "Here it es."

  At the st possible sed, Sato lunged folbat wasn't expeg him to ter. Its angle was off. It had itted too hard to its dive—this was the worst possible position for an attack. And Sato exploited it instantly.

  His Dark Energy-infused fists smmed into Golbat's ears. A direct hit. Disrupting its senses.

  "Night Ssh! Shadow Ball!"

  Golbat was stunned. Zoroark's Night Ssh tore into its oint—its exposed back. At the same time, Haunter's Shadow Ball shot directly into its open mouth. The resulting explosio shockwaves through the air.

  Sato took some of the impact, but he didn't care. Not when his life was on the line.

  "Keep going!"