27. Looker

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After paying, Kai received the Magikarp into its Poké Ball, marking it as his seventh Pokémon.

As he walked through the corridor, the number of tourists gradually thinned.

By the time he reached the guestroom area of the cruise ship, even the crew were scarcely seen.

It seemed most passengers were congregated in the main hall or on the deck, enjoying the start of the voyage.

After all, few would board a luxury cruise ship just to rest in their rooms.

Glancing around, there was no sign of Team Rocket. However, due to the security cameras, Kai dared not wander aimlessly.

Pretending to head to the restroom, he planned to return to the lobby but spotted a shadowy figure darting around a corner in the corridor ahead.

Could it be Team Rocket?

Exchanging a glance with his Kirlia, Kai decided to follow quietly.

As he reached the corner, he carefully peeked out and saw the figure crouching in front of a guestroom door, using a lockpick to tamper with the lock.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in a brown trench coat over a suit and tie.

He was of average build, neither particularly slim nor heavy, with a serious but weary face that suggested frequent sleepless nights.

Kai's gaze shifted to the surveillance camera above. He noticed the feed had been blocked by a jamming device, which explained the man's boldness.

The man concentrated on his task, his lockpick working deftly. With a faint click, the door unlocked.

However, just as he was about to feel triumphant, the light from the hallway revealed a shadow creeping onto the door panel in front of him.

Startled, the man broke into a cold sweat.

He spun around, one hand instinctively reaching for his waist, only to find a young man, about 20 years old, watching him with an amused expression.

"Who... who are you?" the man stammered, his voice betraying a foreign accent due to his nervousness.

"Uncle, are you with Interpol?" Kai asked casually.

"Ah?" The man's expression shifted dramatically. His heart seemed to skip a beat as he hastily denied it. "What nonsense are you spouting? I'm not with Interpol!"

"Oh, really?" Kai replied with feigned innocence. He pulled out a wallet and waved it in front of the man. "But I found this wallet earlier, and it contains your Interpol ID photo."

The man's hand shot to the pocket on his back, only to find it empty.

"Ah... well..." He snatched the wallet back with an awkward smile. "Alright, you got me. I am with Interpol. But I'm currently investigating a major criminal organization, so please keep this a secret."

"A criminal organization?" Kai raised an eyebrow. "You mean Team Rocket?"

The man's composure crumbled further. He grabbed Kai's arm and led him to a nearby stairwell.

"are you from interpol? What's with this detective skills? How do you know about Team Rocket?" he whispered urgently.

Kai shrugged. "It's hardly a secret. They're infamous, with plenty of bounty posters to their name. I'd be more surprised to find a trainer who hasn't heard of them."

"Fair enough," the man admitted, casting a glance at Kai's Kirlia. "Are you a trainer?"

Kai pulled out his Pokédex and showed his identification. "Not just a trainer, but also a special research investigator for a research institute."

The man straightened his tie and adopted a more formal tone. "My apologies for not introducing myself earlier. My code name is Looker, and I'm currently investigating Team Rocket's operations in the Kanto region to put an end to their criminal activities."

"Looker?" Kai blinked, giving the man a once-over. "With that name, are you sure you're not just being narcissistic? You don't exactly scream 'Looker.'"

The man's face turned red, possibly from indignation or embarrassment, and he coughed a few times before responding. "It's just a code name! No need to read into it!"

Kai taunted. "Still, choosing 'Looker' as a code name is a bit... self-indulgent, don't you think?"

Looker sighed, clearly exhausted by the banter. "Let's move on. I still have work to do."

"Work? You mean breaking into that room?"

Looker hesitated but finally nodded. "Yes. While tracking a senior member of Team Rocket, I discovered he had boarded this ship the S.S. Anne. I suspect they have plans for this cruise, so I was trying to gather information while he was away."

"Well, that's a coincidence," Kai said, deciding to offer a clue. "Before boarding, I noticed a group of people sneaking onto the ship in disguise. If there's a Team Rocket squad here, it's probably them."

"What? A whole group!?" Looker's expression darkened. "This isn't good. If they've deployed multiple operatives, they must be planning something major. I need to contact headquarters immediately."

But just as he finished speaking, the ship's whistle sounded, and the vessel began to sway as it pulled away from the port.

"Hoooot!"

Looker rushed to a window, watching as the S.S. Anne departed. "This is bad. If I can't alert headquarters now, it'll be too late!"

He pulled out his phone, but his expression soured when he saw there was no signal.

"Damn it!" He moved around, trying different angles, but the result was the same. The signal was completely blocked.

Kai also checked his phone and confirmed there was no service.

Looker sighed and looked at Kai with a complicated expression. "You should leave this area. I'm heading to the captain's cabin to investigate. This is no place for civilians."

When Kai returned to the lobby, he saw Misty and Brock at a dining table, eagerly devouring their meals.

Ash sat beside them, uncharacteristically quiet, his expression melancholy.

"What's wrong, Ash? Did you lose your last battle?" Kai asked, puzzled.

Ash looked up at him with a rare seriousness. "No... I won."

"Then why the long face?" Kai pressed. "Did something else happen?"

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