Chapter 175: 175. Base

Words : 1159 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

---- Kai commanded his Haunter to use Hypnosis, swiftly incapacitating the Team Rocket members stationed on patrol along with their Pokémon. Although the guards were diligently patrolling, Haunter's stealthy and ghostly nature allowed it to slip behind them unnoticed. They didn't even have the chance to let out a cry before collapsing to the ground. From a distance, Lorelei adjusted her glasses as she observed Haunter's efficiency. Though impressed, she couldn't help but suspect this wasn't the first time Kai had done something like this. "Your Haunter is incredible! Its Hypnosis is so powerful and effective. It feels as strong as Agatha's Gengar... no, maybe even stronger!" "Of course." Kai raised two fingers and made a peace sign. "If your Pokémon had lived for 2,000 years, they'd be just as powerful." "T-Two-Two thousand years?! That's impossible!" Lorelei's jaw dropped. For a moment, she thought Kai was joking. "It's really that old?" "What's so surprising about that?" Haunter floated back to Kai's side, noticing Lorelei's stunned expression. It smirked mischievously. "Kid, the last time I took a long nap, you were probably still a fetus in your mom's belly!" Lorelei: ... Hearing Haunter's words, and remembering the incident with the Never-Melt Ice, Lorelei felt exasperated. 'Hmph. As expected, the kind of trainer determines the kind of Pokémon they have. They're two of a kind!' After clearing out the perimeter guards, Kai's group cautiously approached the warehouse's back entrance. Initially, they thought everything was going smoothly, but their presence was detected by hidden infrared sensors. Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the warehouse. Within seconds, thick steel barriers dropped over every door and window. "I knew it wouldn't be that easy!" Lorelei sighed in frustration. Realizing stealth was no longer an option, she changed tactics to a direct assault. She took out her phone and sent a message to the police officer, instructing him to mobilize reinforcements immediately. At the same time, she released her Dewgong to attack the back door, attempting to force their way in. Unfortunately, the barriers and doors were made of an unknown material that was incredibly tough. No matter how hard Dewgong struck, it only managed to leave faint scratches on the surface. Breaking through was proving impossible. At that moment, a raspy male voice came through the intercom beside a security camera. "Lorelei?! Damn it! I can't believe our carefully hidden warehouse has been discovered so quickly. But you might as well give up you won't get in without the access code!" The voice belonged to Petrel, one of Team Rocket's four executives. Hearing this, Lorelei glanced at the wall and spotted a small keypad near the door. "What are you so smug about?!" Lorelei glared at the security camera, her frustration evident as she shouted, "We may not be able to get in, but you're trapped inside. Sooner or later, you'll run out of options!" "That's not necessarily true," Petrel sneered through the intercom. "Let's see if you've got what it takes to catch me!" Kai surveyed the area and, noticing no sign of reinforcements or heavy weapons that could turn the tide, suspected Petrel had some kind of escape plan. "Judging by how confident he sounds," Kai said thoughtfully, "there's probably an escape route inside the warehouse. It's a typical Team Rocket tactic they always have a backup plan." Petrel: ... There was a brief silence over the intercom as if Petrel had been caught off guard. Then, the camera turned to focus on Kai. "It's you bastard?! Hah! Do you think a mask will stop me from recognizing you?!" Petrel's voice was filled with resentment. "I can't believe you're here too. You're like a ghost haunting us, constantly sabotaging Team Rocket's plans. Mark my words, one day you'll fall into our hands, and when that happens, you'll feel the full force of Team Rocket's wrath!" "I look forward to it," Kai replied, unfazed. "But you'd better worry about yourself first. Once we find that escape route, you'll be out of options!" Kai signalled Haunter with a glance. Understanding immediately, Haunter grinned wickedly and phased through the thick walls into the warehouse. Inside, the Team Rocket members had hoped to buy time for an orderly retreat by relying on the warehouse's sturdy defences. However, when Haunter suddenly appeared in their midst, chaos erupted. "Aaaahhh!!" Screams and sounds of battle echoed from within the warehouse. Standing outside, Kai and the others could only hear the commotion, unable to see what was happening. Before long, the noise subsided, and sparks began flying from the keypad by the door. Finally, the device short-circuited and powered down. Realizing Haunter had disabled the security system, Sabrina and Gardevoir simultaneously used their psychic powers to pry open the heavy warehouse door. Lorelei, who had been racking her brain trying to figure out how to breach the warehouse, watched in amazement as Kai and Sabrina effortlessly resolved the problem. "You two are amazing! If I were alone, I'd probably still be stuck here, watching them escape. Inviting you both to join this operation was definitely the right decision!" Kai smirked. "That's what you call having the right tools for the job. Taking down Team Rocket? That's our speciality!" Inside the warehouse, Team Rocket members and their Pokémon lay sprawled across the floor, clearly defeated. However, after surveying the area, they found no sign of Petrel. Could he have escaped?! In one corner, they found hundreds of cages stacked together. Most were empty, but some still held the Pokémon that had been poached by Team Rocket. As Lorelei moved to free them, Kai quickly stopped her. "Don't. There are too many Pokémon here, and releasing them would waste valuable time. Leave this to the police we need to focus on catching Petrel!" Realizing her near mistake, Lorelei nodded and refocused her efforts. "You're right. But where could he be hiding?" The group scanned their surroundings. Although the warehouse had only one floor, its interior was massive, with several smaller rooms branching off from the main storage area. These rooms seemed to serve as living quarters and offices for Team Rocket members. After searching several rooms without finding Petrel, their attention turned to the last remaining office. Kai kicked the door open, and the group peered inside. While Petrel was nowhere to be found, the equipment in the room confirmed they were in the right place. The wall was lined with multiple monitors displaying live camera feeds, and a microphone rested on the desk. This was clearly where Petrel had been speaking to them. ---- For early access to advanced chapters on p@treon. P@treon/iamxeno Thank you so much for your support and for reading!

Chapter 175: 175. Base

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