66. The Hidden Base of Team Rocket.

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Celadon City

At nine o'clock in the morning, two sleek black cars pulled up outside the bustling Celadon Game Corner, one after the other.

The street buzzed with activity vehicles of all sizes flowing continuously, and pedestrians hurrying about their day. No one paid much attention to the two cars stopping abruptly.

"Is it time?" asked a young man seated in the passenger seat, his face hidden behind a Gengar mask.

The driver, a frail-looking man, glanced at the dashboard and nodded. "Right on schedule."

"Shall we move?"

"Not yet. We need to wait for the signal. Team Rocket has eyes everywhere here. Stay alert."

"Understood!"

"Hey, hey!" interrupted Erika, her tone a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Could you two talk normally? You're making it sound like we're spies in a bad movie!"

"Ah, my bad!" the man in the driver's seat, known simply as Looker, replied sheepishly. "It's just that Kai's mask gives off such a villainous vibe. I can't help but get into character!"

Kai shot him a solemn look. "Mr. Looker, please refrain from making careless remarks."

"Huh? What did I say wrong?" Looker blinked in confusion, sensing an unexpected seriousness.

Kai responded with deliberate precision: "When we're in action, do not call me by my name. Use my codename instead of 'Player'!"

"...Seriously?" Looker exhaled, his frustration evident. "I thought it was something urgent, but you're just nitpicking about a name!?"

"Of course," Kai replied earnestly. "It makes us sound more professional."

From the backseat, Erika covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter, while Sabrina allowed the faintest smile to touch her lips.

Suddenly, a distant explosion echoed from outside the city, followed by the relentless crackling of what sounded like fireworks or gunfire. Despite the distance, the noise carried clearly.

Pedestrians paused, looking toward the outskirts of Celadon City, but their view was obstructed by towering buildings.

"Is that the signal?" Kai asked, his tone sharpening.

Looker checked his watch, nodding decisively. "Time's up. Let's move!"

At his command, the group exited the vehicles. From the car behind them, Lance, Agatha, and Nanu emerged, their expressions grim and focused.

Without hesitation, the team made their way into the Game Corner.

Inside, the atmosphere was lively, with players engrossed in various arcade games.

The sudden arrival of the group drew curious and startled glances from the patrons.

Ignoring the stares, Kai and the others headed for a seemingly ordinary staircase leading to the second floor.

Instead of ascending, Looker began examining the wall near a poster. After a few moments, he found a concealed switch hidden behind it.

With a press of the button, the floor opened, revealing a staircase descending underground.

At last, the veil over Team Rocket's long-hidden secret base in Celadon City was lifted!

Two disguised Rocket grunts, posing as Game Corner employees, rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

The moment they saw the hidden entrance exposed, their faces turned pale.

"Intruders!" one of them shouted.

Before they could sound an alarm, Lance and Nanu surged forward. With swift precision, they knocked the grunts unconscious and dragged them into a corner.

The team descended into the hidden base, their anticipation growing. The underground space was vast, illuminated by bright lights and filled with advanced equipment.

However, the flashing red alarms on the walls signalled a disturbance. The International Police and a Special Task Force were attacking another entrance to the base on the outskirts of Celadon, diverting Team Rocket's attention.

"Perfect," Looker said with satisfaction. "Everything is going according to plan. Let's split up as discussed!"

Nodding in agreement, everyone released their Pokémon and divided into two groups, heading down separate corridors to secure critical areas like the control room, R&D lab, archives, armoury, and power generator.

Their objective: outmaneuver Team Rocket and take control of these key locations.

Kai teamed up with Looker, Erika, and Sabrina. They moved quickly, taking down any Rocket grunts they encountered.

However, the deeper they went, the stronger the resistance grew.

Team Rocket operatives armed with firearms and groups of Pokémon launched coordinated attacks, forcing the team to fight with all their might.

"These guys are tougher than the usual grunts!" Looker exclaimed, narrowly dodging an Acid Spray that melted part of a nearby wall. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his face pale.

Kai commanded his Haunter to unleash a Shadow Ball, taking out several opposing Pokémon. "Not just tougher they're more experienced too!"

"Over here!" Erika suddenly called out, pointing to a large, reinforced door. "This looks like the R&D lab!"

Looker inspected the door and peered through a small glass panel. "You're right. This is where they develop their tech and equipment. But the door's too thick we can't break it open."

"Leave it to me," Sabrina said, stepping forward. Her eyes glowed with psychic energy, and the supposedly indestructible door bent and tore apart under the force of her Psychic attack.

Inside, the lab was in disarray. Papers littered the floor, and coffee mugs lay shattered. It was clear the researchers had fled in a hurry.

"Damn it!" Looker growled, rushing to the computers. He began typing furiously, searching for any useful data that might have been left behind.

Meanwhile, Kai wandered through the room, observing the still-active equipment. Among the clutter, a peculiar pair of binoculars caught his eye.

The device was sleek, with a white body and faintly glowing blue lenses. Curious, Kai picked it up.

"What's this?" he muttered, examining the object.

Out of curiosity, he held it up to his eyes. To his surprise, the binoculars didn't magnify, zoom in, or offer any special vision capabilities everything appeared normal.

However, when he turned toward his Haunter, something extraordinary happened.

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