This time, Maki had no intention of taking a leisurely journey to Cerulean City like before, when he traveled from Saffron City to Celadon. After all, the distance from Celadon City to Cerulean City was much greater. He could either backtrack to Saffron City and head north or take a more direct route through the forest.
The latter was a shorter distance, but it might actually take more time to traverse.
Sticking to his original plan, Maki first visited Celadon Department Store to purchase some necessities. As the second-largest city in Kanto, it was much more convenient to stock up there than waiting until he reached Cerulean City.
He bought a large supply of Berries—not just for his Cottonee, Charmeleon, and Lance's Dratini, but also an extra portion for Dragonite. That guy was, after all, his bodyguard, and he had to make sure he was well-fed.
Along the way, he discreetly concealed his identity and stopped by the Rocket hideout in Celadon City to retrieve some items he figured he might need.
After finishing his shopping and returning to the Pokémon Center, Maki planned to prepare some Pokéblocks. They were much more convenient to carry than just raw Berries. Just as he was about to get started, his phone rang—it was Carsten calling.
"Hello, Master Carsten. What's the matter?"
"Nothing major. Just wanted to remind you that you can now log into the Breeder Association's website using your breeder credentials. Any updates will be posted there, and as a high-level breeder, you'll also have a dedicated contact person reaching out to you."
Maki nodded as he listened and replied, "I'm about to set off for Cerulean City."
"Cerulean City?" Carsten was momentarily taken aback. Maki had only just arrived in Celadon City—normally, most people would choose to stay a while, especially considering how far Cerulean City was.
"You should already know—I came to Celadon City specifically to earn the Gym Badge, so my next target is Cerulean City's Water-type Gym."
"That makes sense. Large cities like that typically have an association branch, so it won't affect anything."
There was nothing wrong with Maki's reasoning. He had initially refused to become a breeder because he wanted to be a trainer. Challenging Gyms was the logical next step.
As for why he specifically chose the Cerulean Gym, that was easy to explain. The larger the city, the more difficult the Gym challenges tended to be. Many trainers deliberately sought out tougher challenges.
From Carsten's perspective, Maki was clearly one of those trainers.
After spending a few more hours preparing the Pokéblocks, he arranged for a courier to send Lance's portion to him.
Since it was already getting late, Maki decided to stay another night in Celadon City.
The next day. Cerulean City.
"Hmm… Let's check things out first."
Cerulean City wasn't his actual destination. He was only passing through because it was the most convenient way to reach a particular abandoned island controlled by Team Rocket.
The only "normal" way to get there was by boat. But this was the Pokémon world—given the distance, a Dragonite could easily fly across.
The only issue was that taking off within Cerulean City would attract attention. That would be a hassle.
Once he reached the outskirts of the city, Maki returned Cottonee and Charmeleon to their Poké Balls and summoned Dragonite.
"Booh?"
Dragonite crossed its arms and frowned at him, as if asking, What are you up to this time?
"Relax. I just need to change clothes. If anyone or any wild Pokémon approaches while I'm changing, take care of them for me."
"Boooh~" Dragonite nodded, even though it didn't fully understand Maki's plan. But it could guess this had something to do with Team Rocket.
Not that it needed a sixth sense for that—the Rocket uniform Maki pulled out of his bag was a dead giveaway.
"Also, could you at least turn around while I'm changing?"
Holding the black Rocket uniform in her hands, Maki shot a helpless look at Dragonite. He knew he was male, but still—it felt weird changing in front of someone… uh, a dragon.
"Boooh boooh!" Dragonite waved dismissively, urging him to hurry up. As if he hadn't seen this before. He'd seen Silver's Rocket disguise before, too.
Besides, it's not like he was stripping completely, right?
"Fine, whatever." Maki clicked his tongue and swiftly changed into the uniform.
After putting on the Rocket mask and matching cap—there, now he looked indistinguishable from a regular Team Rocket member.
"Let's go. Head for the research facility—the biggest one. We're on the outskirts of Cerulean City, so you should know the way, right?"
Adjusting his cap, Maki smiled at Dragonite.
"Booh?" Dragonite furrowed its brows at the mention of their destination. Why are you going there?
As one of Giovanni's main Pokémon, Dragonite often doubled as his personal transport, so it knew the island's location like the back of its hand.
"I just want to check it out. There's been a lot of activity there lately… If I had to guess, the experiments must be making progress. Otherwise, Team Rocket wouldn't be withdrawing from so many areas."
"Booh!" That's not something you should be worrying about! Agatha and the others are handling it.
"Yeah, yeah, just take me there."
Maki patted Dragonite's broad shoulders, signaling that he had his own plans.
Eventually, Dragonite relented. After quickly determining their current location, it adjusted course and took off.
There was no doubt about it—Dragonite's flying skills were top-notch. Considering Giovanni was its usual passenger, if it wasn't smooth, Giovanni probably would've swapped dragons long ago.
Even as it flew at extreme speeds, Dragonite controlled its energy to cancel out the wind resistance around Maki. Despite traveling through the air, it felt no different than moving along solid ground.
Maki figured he should have Charizard learn this technique after it evolved—it was way too comfortable! Even airplanes had occasional turbulence.
Even though the island was north of Cerulean City, it wasn't exactly close. Even at Dragonite's speed, the trip took about half an hour.
Once they entered the airspace above the research island, Maki wasn't attacked—thanks to the Rocket uniform he was wearing. And since he wasn't sneaking in, there was no need for secrecy.
Dragonite landed in an open area near the island's edge, and the moment they touched down, a group of Rocket members in black uniforms surrounded them.
"Who goes there!?"
A man stepped forward, accompanied by a Pidgeotto—likely one at Great Ball level.
He glanced warily at the Dragonite standing beside Maki. He could tell right away that this Dragonite was way out of his league, but if he stalled for time, stronger reinforcements would arrive.
Even though Maki was wearing a Team Rocket uniform, he remained cautious. This base was far too important—no one was getting in easily.
"Get me in touch with Blaine."
Maki glanced at him and spoke in a deliberately altered voice.
Before the man could respond, a shadow swooped down from above—a Crobat.
A figure swiftly leaped down from the Crobat. It seemed like he had arrived in a hurry, as he wasn't even wearing a hat. His light blue hair stood out.
At the sight of this man, even the Rocket members—including the one who had questioned Maki—instinctively stepped back half a step. Their previously tense expressions shifted to admiration, as if their leader had arrived.
"Lord Proton!"
"Dragonite?"
But at that moment, Proton's attention was entirely focused on the Dragonite standing beside Maki.
Back at the base, his Pokémon had sensed a powerful presence approaching—one far beyond what the guards could handle—so he had rushed out immediately.
But when he laid eyes on Dragonite, he froze.
As one of Team Rocket's Four Generals and a top executive, he immediately recognized it as Giovanni's Dragonite.
But why was Giovanni's Dragonite here?
If this really was Giovanni's Dragonite, then the person standing beside it must be…
Proton's gaze immediately shifted to Maki. Though Maki was wearing a mask to conceal his identity, his physique remained unchanged. Proton recognized him in an instant.
"General Proton, long time no see."
Maki, hidden behind his mask, greeted Proton with a smile. As one of Giovanni's most trusted subordinates, Proton was, of course, aware of Maki's existence, as well as that of Silver.
And when it came to loyalty toward Team Rocket and Giovanni, Proton was beyond question.
"Yes…"
Though Maki's voice had changed slightly, after already deducing that the person before him was indeed Maki, Proton immediately recognized it.
Even though he didn't know why Maki was here, and Giovanni hadn't informed them in advance, he swiftly decided to escort Maki inside.
"There's nothing to see here. Go back to your duties."
Proton swept his gaze across the surrounding subordinates, speaking in an indifferent tone.
"Yes, sir!"
Everyone responded in unison and promptly withdrew. While Proton held immense prestige within Team Rocket, they all understood one thing—he was, in truth, a rather ruthless man. It was best to obey his orders without question.
Once he was certain they were alone, Proton strode quickly toward Maki.
"Young Master Maki, what brings you here? And Giovanni's Dragonite…"
"Hmph."
Dragonite exhaled two bursts of white mist from its nostrils, as if to indicate that its mission was complete, before returning to its Poké Ball.
Now that they were alone, Maki saw no need for pretense. He removed his mask.
"Dragonite was sent by my father to protect me. As for why I'm here, I just wanted to check on the situation."
"Hmm… The experiment is progressing as usual."
Proton's expression remained unreadable—so convincing that even Maki almost believed him.
"That's not quite right, is it? From the looks of it, everything is going exceptionally well. Was there some major breakthrough?"
Hearing this, Proton let out a wry smile.
"If you already know, Young Master, then please don't make things difficult for me. You're well aware that this is a direct order from Giovanni."
Even as he spoke, Proton's mind was already at work, wondering who had leaked the information to Maki. After some thought, it seemed the most likely culprit was Sabrina.
After all, that girl was famously protective of Maki. There was even a time when Proton suspected it wouldn't be long before he'd see Giovanni's grandchild running around.
"Is Blaine busy? If he's tied up, then never mind—I'll just go in and take a look myself."
Maki put his mask back on and began walking toward the inner chambers. Proton quickly followed.
"Since you already know most of it, I won't hide it from you. The experiment has been progressing remarkably well. Even if Blaine were to step away, there wouldn't be any major issues."
"Forget it, I won't bother him then. I'll just take a look myself."
Maki shook his head before shooting Proton a strange glance.
"You've been stationed here for a while. You must have some understanding of the project, right?"
"Don't look at me like that. I'm only here to ensure security. If you want details on the experiment, ask Ariana instead."
Proton's lips twitched slightly at Maki's question. Research wasn't his area of expertise—if it were a battle-related issue, he'd have no problem answering, but scientific experiments were a different story. The only reason he knew anything at all was because he had overheard bits and pieces from Ariana.
If he actually had to sit through Ariana's long-winded explanations, filled with cryptic scientific jargon, he'd rather die.
Still, it was clear how much Giovanni valued this project. Among Team Rocket's executives, Proton's strength was top-tier—comparable to an Elite Four-level trainer.
As for Blaine and Ariana, while they weren't quite at that level, they were still formidable.
Blaine's abilities had declined somewhat due to the aging of his main Pokémon, but if push came to shove, he was still more than capable of holding his own.
And Ariana, despite primarily handling research, had fought her way to a high-ranking position within Team Rocket, meaning her strength was nothing to scoff at either.
With a lineup like this, unless the Elite Four attacked as a unit, there was no way this island could be taken down quickly.
Not to mention, the base was equipped with ample weapons and manpower. Even if an invasion did occur, they could hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive.
"Ariana is here too? Then let's go find her. She should have some free time—or rather, she should be very free right now!"
Maki stroked his chin, gritting his teeth as he spoke.
He knew Sabrina well—her social circle was limited, and there weren't many people she could hold a conversation with. The way she had spoken during their recent call, so sharp and aggressive, was absolutely not her usual style!
Someone must have influenced her!
And considering the people Sabrina interacted with, the culprit was all too obvious.
It had to be her.
What kind of things had she been teaching Sabrina?!
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