A dozen agents surrounded us in the blink of an eye. Unlike the guards and agents stationed around the city, these women and men wore matching Team Rocket uniforms. Each held one, two, or sometimes even three Poké Balls.
"Ready to save all those Pokémon and take these guys down, Luxray?"
Luxray bristled his fur and released sparks of blue electricity.
"Stand down, intruder!" called the nearest agent. "You're outnumbered!"
"Am I?! Go!" I tossed up the four Poké Balls containing my wonderful set of sentient magnets. "Everyone use Thunder Wave!" Luxray, Magnemite, and Magneton disabled all agents before they could release their Pokémon.
"Arghh..." growled the agent who tried to confront me. Now on the floor in the fetal position, red hair collapsed in disheveled patterns around her face. She struggled to rip a walkie-talkie from her belt.
"No, no." I moved the device away from her hand and crushed it. "Sorry. I can't have you contact anyone. Now, on another note, you're hoarding a bunch of Pokémon here, right? Where are they? This building's too big to search each floor one by one, though. I really don't want to do that if I don't have to."
She stuck her head up and spat, "Go to hell."
"Already been there."
I threw out two more Poké Balls. Gengar put everyone to sleep with Hypnosis. Butterfree gathered them all together and glued them against the walls with String Shot. She put together a beautiful web despite possessing only two arms.
"Wow, I thought only spiders could create webs like that," I said as Butterfree landed on my head. Gengar also looked impressed. As he hovered at my side, I mustered up the courage to give him a high-five. "Nice work, you two."
Next, I examined the only two ways to the upper floors: a stairwell, and an elevator.
"I don't want anyone to use that. Magneton!"
Magneton zipped across the room and slammed its side into the elevator buttons. The panel began smoking instantly. Several explosions could be heard from inside the elevator shaft as well.
I used the nearest computer to check the elevator's status, disable the security system, and obtain a floor plan of the building.
"Perfect. It's good and fried, and now the cameras are off, and the alarm is out." My ears thanked me for turning it off. "Let's move to the second floor right away." I took a second to recall Rhyhorn, thanking him for busting down the entrance. "You all need to stay with me. We'll disable anyone else we encounter along the way. Got it?"
My Pokémon all agreed.
We shoved open the door into the stairwell and hurried to the second level.
Once there, I led everyone to my main objective for this floor: the server room.
"I need to find where all of Silph's files are stored. Sensitive data, confidential info, pending patents, anything. That stuff's nothing but the motherload as far as sinister organizations are concerned. I'm going to make certain that Team Rocket can't access any of it any longer."
When we neared the server room, Luxray used his x-ray vision to look around the corner. Two armed guards and a pair of Arbok stood sentry. A card reader had been placed next to the server room door, meaning it required a special pass to get inside.
One that I lacked.
Of course, I needed to eliminate all guards first before searching for the key. I came up with an idea and summoned Zubat. "Haze up the hall, please," I whispered while telling the others to cover their faces.
Zubat emitted a thick, black smoke from her mouth that seeped into the adjacent hallway.
"What the ... hell?!" exclaimed one of the guards. He and his partner reacted violently to the poisonous cloud and coughed and sputtered, struggling to catch their breath. Their Arbok seemed unaffected, aside from their reduced vision.
"Go check it out. Attack anything you find," growled the second guard.
The pair of Arbok slithered down the hall towards us with fangs bared.
With one hand covering my mouth, I used the other to grab another ball. "Okay. This is a good time for your debut!"
Hitmonlee emerged from the Poké Ball bursting with energy. Then, he got spooked at the presence of the smoke cloud before him, impairing his vision as well. He disliked the idea of fighting enemies that he couldn't see.
"Master Koichi said you know Mind Reader," I said to him. "If you use it, you can detect the exact location of those Arbok, whether you're blinded or not. At that moment, we'll strike 'em down. You can do it!"
Hitmonlee looked between me and the cloud, then nodded, and closed his eyes. I could see his facial expression shifting, a clear sign that his mind was actively focused on trying to find the opponents.
I could hear the Arbok's hissing as they closed in. The other Pokémon got nervous about being discovered, but I had faith in Hitmonlee. I urged the others to trust him. That was the reason Master Koichi gave him to me.
Finally, Hitmonlee opened his eyes and straightened up.
"Go, Hitmonlee! Mega Kick!"
Hitmonlee leaped straight into the smoke. With a single roundhouse kick, he sent the pair of Arbok flying back into their Trainers. The impact sent them flying backward, too. All four hit the door with a force strong enough to knock the metal slab off its hinges.
"That was perfect!" After Butterfree cleared the air with Gust, I skipped over to Hitmonlee, who stood by the door into the server room. "See? I knew you could do it."
Hitmonlee turned red at my praise, apparently a bashful Pokémon.
With the door out of our way, we entered the room easily, key or no key. I stepped over the unconscious bodies and searched the room for the main server. With my Pokémon's assistance, I found it; it was the largest device in the room. Next, I took note of its identification numbers, then found the central hub, and logged into the system. I searched through any files saved onto the main server.
"Yep. There's lots of stuff here that we don't want Team Rocket to have."
In a nearby cabinet, Luxray found an empty thumb drive and brought it to me.
"Perfect. This guy has plenty of space for downloading all of this."
I shoved the drive into an unoccupied USB port.
"I'll copy everything that looks important and delete the originals, and I'll give this drive to a loyal Silph worker, or maybe I'll hand it directly to Silph's president. Maggie said he was being held hostage, so I imagine he's in the building somewhere. I know I came to save the Pokémon, but I'm not leaving without freeing the people, too."
Luxray felt happy to hear that, despite my general dislike of people, I wanted to help everyone in the building be free of Team Rocket's rule.
Once the mass download finished, I removed the thumb drive and stowed it away.
"That's done. Now, we need to erase all evidence that we were here. Help me get these guys out of here."
The Pokémon dragged the guards and the Arbok out of the room. From there, Gengar insured that they'd have a long slumber, and Butterfree tied them up. I recalled all of my sentient magnets and summoned the squad of sentient Poké Balls instead.
"We need to destroy everything in this room. Show me the power of your explosions."
They happily blew every device in the room to smithereens.
We continued to the third floor. I had Hitmonlee and Luxray bust down doors as we searched for people and Pokémon to rescue. On the third floor specifically, we came upon lots of frightened workers held under detention by Team Rocket.
"You must be why the alarm went off," said one of the rescued workers.
"We're here to eliminate this Team Rocket infestation," I informed. Nearby, Luxray stood over the unconscious body of an agent. All of them got promptly taken out by a combination of Pokémon attacks. "And save you guys, too. We're also trying to search for the Pokémon they're keeping here. Do any of you know where they're being stored?"
"I overheard these thugs saying that Pokémon are being stored under lock and key on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors," said one of the workers, "but I'm not sure where exactly on those levels they're being held."
"That's still more information than no information. Fourth, fifth, and sixth? Got it. You guys need to head downstairs, leave the building, and then get to safety. The police are on their way. Let's go, everyone!"
"Wait!"
I paused and glanced back at a woman with her arm stretched out to me.
"Miss, please. I beg you." Her hand moved over her heart. Her lips quivered. Her eyes looked watery. "You have to save the Pokémon, and the president, too. Team Rocket is forcing us, and everyone here, to do the unthinkable, at the expense of those Pokémon. They threatened not just their lives but our beloved president's as well if we didn't do exactly what they asked.
"Please. Save them."
"Don't worry," I replied. "I came for the Pokémon, and I'm staying to make sure Team Rocket doesn't get away with this. Just get yourselves to safety. The floors below are all clear for you to safely get to the main entrance. I'll take care of the rest. I promise to save everyone."
With a trusting smile, she ushered her colleagues out of the room and over to the stairs.
★
Just as the worker guessed, Team Rocket held all of their captive Pokémon on the fourth, fifth, and sixth levels. The layout of the Pokémon containment rooms was extremely similar to the layout of their Celadon hideout. I wrestled a master keycard off one of the agents charged with monitoring the Pokémon's vitals.
"That card will get you access to anywhere in the building. You can unlock any cage or door you want," grunted the man while glued to the wall with Butterfree's String Shot.
"Why are you telling me that, exactly?"
"Can't imagine I'm able to do much else like this."
"You're right. Thanks for the tip. Now, sleep tight. Hypnosis."
Gengar put the man to bed.
With the keycard in hand, I finally managed my first priority.
"You guys get out of here! Keep running, and stay together!"
Herds of Pokémon dashed out of their cages and into the empty corridors. My Pokémon directed them to the stairs, though the fliers decided instead to bust through windows and take to the sky.
By the time we freed all Pokémon on the sixth floor, we must've freed over two hundred.
"That's everyone on this floor," I muttered. Luxray, Zubat, and Magneton scoured the halls to confirm that nobody got left behind. "Next, we need to check the remaining floors for people, and possibly more Pokémon. Plus, we still haven't found the president."
Hitmonlee suggested that Team Rocket might be keeping him on the top floor.
"That's probably exactly where he is. If so, it'll be guarded. Better get ready for a fight."
On the seventh floor, the Pokémon and I stumbled upon a series of connected laboratories, science rooms, and engineering offices and cubicles. "This must be their R&D floor.".
Magneton and the three Magnemite flew off to search the many rooms for signs of life.
"Don't worry. They have full authorization to fry anyone who isn't very friendly," I said to a concerned Butterfree still perched on my head. Unfortunately, the magnets returned with nothing even remotely interesting.
Upon making our way back toward the stairs, we found a massive laboratory towards the south side of the building. I wanted to investigate it further in search of those who needed rescuing. However, as we stepped closer, a quartet of jacked Team Rocket agents jumped out from the adjacent hallway. They each held an assault rifle in their hands and had four Pokémon at their backs: Golbat, Vileplume, Victreebel, and Weezing.
"Uh oh."
A fifth man appeared behind us, an army of Koffing and Weezing at his back.
"About time you showed up. We knew you'd climb to this level, eventually."
Now good and trapped, I stuck close to my Pokémon. Hitmonlee and Gengar kept their eyes glued to the four guards, while Luxray and Butterfree remained fixated on the talking man; presumably, the leader of this small squad. Magneton and all the Magnemite circled around my head. "You knew we were coming. I take it someone managed to warn you about us."
"Sure did. Said some brat was making a mess of the place, freeing the workers and the Pokémon we worked so hard to gather."
"Don't make me laugh! You're capturing Pokémon and torturing them! It's sick!"
"No. What's sick is how you managed to get this far. Ariana should've taken care of you. She should be ashamed, but, hey, at least I get to deal with you instead. This is as far as you go. Willingly, anyway. Hope you don't mind if I bring you to the boss so I can get that promotion I've been dying for."
I bared my teeth. "Let me guess, Giovanni? That means he's here, isn't he? I can't wait to beat the pulp out of him!"
"Not like I'll let you."
Upon the man snapping his fingers, the four guards ordered their Pokémon to attack. A combination of Razor Leaf from Victreebel and Vileplume, plus an Air Slash from Golbat, and a Sludge Bomb from Weezing.
"Counter it!"
Gengar used Shadow Ball, Butterfree used Psybeam, and Hitmonlee used Focus Blast.
An explosion rocked the hall.
"Is that all you got?!" I taunted back at the squad leader. "You guys should just let us pass. It's the healthiest option!" Luxray stuck to my side like glue. The fur on his back was raised, his tail curled around my leg, and snarls oozed from his mouth. He threatened to pump anyone full of electricity if they got any closer.
"Face it. You're trapped. Now, stand down."
"Over my dead body! Luxray!" He roared.
The man ripped a Poké Ball from his belt. "You're coming with us whether you like it or not, mis—!" The man's body suddenly flew into the wall and left behind a human-shaped imprint.
A Hitmonchan appeared in his place, one glowing fist thrust outward.
"She's staying with me."
"Paul!" He ran over to place himself between me and the four guards. "Good timing as always!"
"Too late if you ask me. You okay?"
Eevee dashed over to check on Luxray.
"Thanks to you."
"Yeah, yeah." Paul glared over at the four guards and all their Pokémon. Eevee and Hitmonchan stood in front of him, ready to battle together. "You can thank me after I take care of these pathetic losers."
The other guards had sent out multiple Zubat and Raticate in addition to the Pokémon they already had out. "Don't talk to us like that, you brat." They launched a barrage of random attacks.
"Comet Punch and Swift!"
Eevee and Hitmonchan defeated the group of Pokémon without breaking a sweat.
As for the Koffing and Weezing army, my Electric-types wiped the floor with them.
"Now, that's some teamwork!" I cheered after we beat everyone.
While Gengar and Butterfree worked quickly to restrain all the baddies, Hitmonlee praised his brother for a job well done. Luxray praised Eevee for her battling skills, which made her blush.
"You enjoying your new Hitmonchan?"
"It's definitely a useful Pokémon to have around. And Hitmonlee?"
"We're thicker than thieves, right?" Hitmonlee agreed. "We'll have to thank Masters Koichi and Junichi for gifting them to us."
"But first," Paul looked back at all the restrained agents, "let's finish what we started."
I eyed the laboratory they previously guarded, noticing the heads of people inside. "I'm gonna free whoever was being held hostage inside. Can you clear the rest of this floor? We'll meet back up at the stairs."
"Got it. Let's go, you two!" The trio raced off.
Magneton, Hitmonlee, and I smashed down the door to the laboratory. We found a lonely Team Rocket agent on the inside, who tried to send out a Pokémon. Luxray pounced and electrocuted him before he got the chance.
"It's your turn to run!" I barked at the scientists. "Hurry up! Take the stairs all the way down and leave the building!"
Everyone made a break for it, gawking at the sleeping agents littered across the floor.
The last man leaving the laboratory paused to speak with me. "I can't believe we're saved. Team Rocket has been putting me and my colleagues through absolute hell. How can we ever thank you?"
"Nothing special. I'm just trying to help out," I said with a smile. "All the floors below this one are all clear. You can lead the others down the stairs and escape out the front entrance without any trouble." I turned to run off.
"Wait!" he called before I could get too far. "Just a minute, please. As a way of expressing my gratitude, there is something I can give you. You are a full-fledged Pokémon Trainer, correct?"
"Yeah?"
"Then, I imagine you can make use of this guy." He retrieved a Poké Ball hidden underneath a loose tile in the floor. "I was hiding him from Team Rocket. He's a very unique and clever Pokémon, a strong swimmer capable of crossing entire oceans."
"A Pokémon that can cross oceans?"
I scanned the Poké Ball with my Pokédex: "Lapras the Transport Pokémon. This Pokémon is a gentle soul capable of understanding human speech and reading people's minds through the use of telepathy. It likes to ferry people across water on its back, but in recent years, people have over-hunted this Pokémon to almost extinction."
"Almost extinction, huh? Why are people so cruel?" I stored away the Pokédex and my new Poké Ball, and then I bowed my head toward the scientist. "Thank you very much. I promise to take good care of him. Now, please, get yourself to safety."
With a grateful nod, he dashed past me toward the exit.
Now with Paul at my side, we cleared the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors together. We defeated wave after wave of Team Rocket agents. None of them proved to be very difficult to fight, though we made sure to switch Pokémon from time to time to give everyone a reasonable break.
As we cleared the tenth floor and climbed the stairs to number eleven, I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I have a feeling that the man of the hour is waiting for us at the top. Which means... I glanced over at Paul. If he's up there, I may not be able to hide how we know each other. I just hope Paul won't be too upset for not telling him ahead of time.
The eleventh floor only contained a few rooms: one massive office in the middle, a restroom, and a few tiny storage closets. The center room, which we assumed to be the president's office, possessed one pair of double doors. The only way in or out.
"Ready?" asked Paul. "There's no telling who or what is behind this."
I scowled at the only room we had yet to enter and recalled everyone except Hitmonlee.
"Whoever or whatever, let's end this."