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While Erika raced back toward Rainbow City at maximum speed with her team, Eddie had already successfully infiltrated the Game Corner. Rather than forcing his way inside, he had simply followed a group of Team Rocket operatives and walked through the entrance as naturally as if he belonged there.
The Game Corner in Rainbow City contained a relatively hidden inner chamber, carefully concealed from the general public. Security personnel stood guard outside the reinforced door, their instructions clear: no unauthorized individuals were permitted entry under any circumstances.
However, when the guards observed Eddie approaching in his stolen Team Rocket uniform alongside legitimate operatives, they treated him as completely invisible. Without a second glance or any form of verification, they allowed the entire group to pass through the checkpoint and enter the restricted area.
"Haven't you found her yet?" bellowed an angry voice the moment Eddie stepped inside. "Erika, Rainbow City's Gym Leader, will return tomorrow! If we can't locate our target before then, we'll all be in serious trouble!"
Eddie's eyes immediately focused on the source of the commotion: a man wearing a distinctive red scarf who radiated the unmistakable aura of a top-tier elite trainer. His bearing and the deference shown by the other operatives made it clear that he served as the captain of this particular Team Rocket branch.
The captain's fury was evident in every gesture as he repeatedly slammed his hands against a metal table, his face flushed with anger and frustration. The sound echoed through the chamber like gunshots, emphasizing the gravity of their current situation.
On the table's surface lay a conspicuous photograph that immediately caught Eddie's attention. The image showed a young woman with striking beauty, though she appeared to be still in her teenage years. Despite her youth, her mature features and elegant bearing suggested she would grow into a truly stunning adult.
Eddie studied the photograph carefully, and a brief gleam of recognition flashed in his eyes. His expression shifted to one of understanding as pieces of a larger puzzle began falling into place. However, mindful of his precarious position deep within enemy territory, he quickly suppressed any telltale reactions and maintained his disguise as just another Team Rocket grunt.
While Eddie possessed the strength to single-handedly eliminate everyone in the room—what he privately referred to as activating "unparalleled mowing mode"—such dramatic action would be premature. He still had critical intelligence to gather and specific objectives to accomplish before revealing his true identity.
"Listen carefully!" the captain continued his tirade, his voice carrying both rage and desperation. "Today, even if you have to search through the entire night without rest, you must find this girl for me! Failure is not an option, and the consequences for disappointing me will be severe!"
The Team Rocket captain's anger was entirely justified, though his subordinates couldn't fully appreciate the pressure he faced from his own superiors. The situation had escalated far beyond a simple missing person case—the young woman in the photograph had stolen something of immense value to Team Rocket's operations, making her recovery a matter of organizational survival.
"You should all understand that Gym Leader Erika's departure from Rainbow City was never about training or personal business," the captain explained, his tone growing more serious as he shared critical strategic information. "Her absence was a calculated move designed to draw us out of hiding. We're operating on borrowed time, and when she returns tomorrow, she'll be ready to launch a full-scale assault against our operations."
The captain paused to let this information sink in before continuing his briefing. "Make no mistake—Team Rocket is not afraid of Erika. Regardless of her individual strength, she's still just one person. The trainers supporting her are relatively weak compared to our collective force."
He began pacing behind the table, his strategic mind working through their available options. "Our plan is to engage her in guerrilla warfare, striking at multiple locations simultaneously to force her into a defensive position. We'll create so much chaos and destruction that she'll have no choice but to negotiate a ceasefire on our terms."
The captain's expression grew grim as he acknowledged the costs of such a strategy. "However, this type of prolonged conflict will inevitably expose both our strength and the locations of our hidden bases. Future operations will become significantly more challenging once our capabilities are known. Despite these drawbacks, we're willing to accept these risks solely to recover what was stolen from us!"
The captain's anxiety was becoming increasingly apparent as he spoke. In his emotional state, he seemed to forget that such sensitive strategic information should never be discussed openly in front of large groups of operatives.
Eddie absorbed every word while maintaining his facade of casual interest. "So Erika's field expedition was actually bait to lure Team Rocket into the open? That's different from what I initially understood. It seems the situation has evolved considerably from the original timeline I'm familiar with. I need to be more cautious moving forward, or I risk being misled by outdated information."
Eddie's mind raced as he analyzed the implications of what he'd learned. While the changing circumstances complicated his mission, he recognized that chaos often created opportunities for those prepared to exploit them. The more unstable the situation became, the more room he would have to maneuver.
"However, this captain is clearly more sophisticated than I initially gave him credit for," Eddie mused silently. "His decision to reveal strategic information at this particular moment suggests he's playing a deeper game. He probably suspects there's a spy within his organization feeding information to Erika."
If Eddie's theory was correct, the captain's apparent indiscretion was actually a calculated move. By allowing this intelligence to reach Erika through her presumed insider, he hoped to discourage her from launching an immediate attack. The prospect of widespread destruction throughout Rainbow City might force her to reconsider her aggressive plans, especially if she believed such action would ultimately prove futile.
Of course, neither Eddie nor the Team Rocket captain knew that Erika was already racing back to Rainbow City with a full strike team, expected to arrive by dusk. With Eddie operating from within Team Rocket's ranks and Erika's own agents providing external intelligence, the Rainbow City branch was heading toward inevitable destruction.
However, in the absence of this crucial information, only Erika's embedded spy could appreciate the irony of the situation. Hidden somewhere among the assembled operatives, this agent undoubtedly found the captain's performance highly entertaining, watching as both Eddie and their target unknowingly played out their respective roles.
Eddie's respect for the Team Rocket captain increased as he observed the man's tactical acumen. "This guy deserves his position as branch commander. His methods and strength are both first-rate. While he hasn't quite reached gym leader level, he's definitely a top-tier Peak trainer who could make that jump in the near future."
When comparing organizational hierarchies, Eddie noted that Alliance gym leaders held roughly equivalent positions to Team Rocket's regional commanders, while even Team Rocket's most powerful gym leader-level trainers rarely advanced to become one of the organization's three executives. The gap in power and influence was significant, though not insurmountable.
"Therefore!" the captain concluded his briefing with renewed intensity, "we've invested too much in this operation to accept failure now. If we can't locate this girl, I'll face serious consequences, and your fates will be even worse! Do you understand the gravity of our situation?"
The captain's gaze swept across the assembled operatives, seeking confirmation that his message had been received and understood. Having laid out the strategic situation and made his expectations clear, he felt confident that his subordinates would approach their search with appropriate urgency.
His assessment was accurate—the stakes truly were that high. After committing substantial resources and compromising their operational security, failure to recover the stolen item would result in severe punishment from Team Rocket's upper management. The captain would face demotion or worse, while his subordinates could expect even harsher treatment.
"Understood, sir!" came the unified response from every Team Rocket operative in the room, their voices creating a thunderous chorus of acknowledgment.
The operatives had previously understood that their current mission carried significant importance, but the captain's briefing revealed just how critical success had become. The realization sent a shock of motivation through the entire group, and they immediately began preparing to dedicate every available resource to finding their target.
"Excellent!" the captain nodded with satisfaction, pleased to see his team's renewed focus and determination. "Now we'll redistribute assignments to maximize our search efficiency. Remember—you must locate her before dawn tomorrow, no matter what it takes!"
With military precision, the Team Rocket division captain began organizing his forces into specialized search teams, each with specific geographic areas to cover throughout Rainbow City.
"Team A will conduct a systematic search of the eastern districts, covering zones sixteen through twenty-one," he announced, pointing to a detailed city map spread across the table. "Team B will focus on the western sectors, particularly the residential and commercial areas where a fugitive might seek shelter."
He paused to ensure both teams understood their assignments before continuing. "Team C will accompany me to the underground intelligence center, where we'll analyze all available data and coordinate the overall search operation."
Following the captain's orders, the operatives in the room immediately sprang into action with practiced efficiency. Teams A and B moved quickly toward the exits, their urgency evident in every step. They showed no concern for maintaining subtlety or avoiding the attention of Rainbow City's civilian population—the mission's importance superseded all other considerations.
Meanwhile, the division captain led Team C toward a seemingly innocuous corner of the Game Corner. With practiced ease, he grasped the edge of a promotional poster featuring various Pokemon and casino games, tearing it away to reveal a concealed electronic panel.
Behind the poster lay a sophisticated security system: a numeric keypad with reinforced casing designed to control access to Team Rocket's most sensitive facilities. Without hesitation, the captain input the sequence '2887' with confident, precise movements.
Eddie's initial reaction was one of shock, and his body tensed involuntarily as survival instincts kicked in. For a brief moment, muscle memory from his previous life nearly caused him to dive for cover or flee the area entirely. However, he quickly regained his composure and forced his expression back to neutral, hoping no one had noticed his momentary lapse.
"Seriously? Who chose that particular number sequence as a security code?" Eddie thought incredulously, fighting to suppress his amused disbelief. "Are they trying to give visitors heart attacks by making them think this place might explode at any moment?"
Eddie felt tremendous relief that he had managed to control his reaction in time. This was definitely the Pokemon world, not some military conflict zone where '2887' might actually trigger a self-destruct sequence. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but question the wisdom of whoever had selected such an ominous combination for their security system.