Chapter 409:
March 23rd.
"Phew, compared to all this, Eastova really does feel much more stable. It's a shame I couldn't pinpoint the location of Team Rocket's headquarters."
Only after confirming there was no unusual online activity in Kanto over the past few days did Hayashi Kaede finally allow himself to relax.
What had taken him aback was the sheer number of Team Rocket's research facilities—over a dozen, large and small!
When he realized the scale, his mood sank entirely. *No wonder the Kanto League struggled to develop properly in previous years. With an organization like this operating within, how could Pokémon in the safari zones thrive? And if that's the state of the safari zones, how could the relationships between Pokémon and humans there be good?*
To be honest, these last few days of travel had been the most grueling since he arrived in this world.
Yet, whenever he saw the Pokémon subjected to experimentation, he felt this was something he had to do.
"Hah..."
The conditions for some Pokémon inside these facilities were horrific. But Kaede couldn't rescue them immediately. Saving them now would jeopardize the entire plan, and most of the institutes would remain operational. That wouldn't achieve much.
Fortunately, tomorrow was the day.
Kaede checked the time, finalizing his plans for the next steps.
Team Rocket had numerous offshore research institutes—five in total. The sea was ideal for them, largely beyond the League's jurisdiction, or at least where its oversight was weakest.
The operation was set for 10 AM. Once it began, they needed to dismantle all five institutes with lightning speed. He had informed Blue: after 10:10, the League would arrive with rescue teams to secure the liberated Pokémon. The faster, the better.
Doing this with just Gardevoir and Mewtwo would be challenging. The main issue was the distance between the five locations; handling everything swiftly and thoroughly would be difficult.
But it wasn't impossible. This was where Giratina's Distortion World would come into play.
"I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow..." Kaede murmured, lying on the bed of a random inn he'd found, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.
...
March 24th.
A gentle sea breeze blew under a vast, clear blue sky. Warm sunlight danced on the ocean's surface, creating a shimmering tapestry of light, occasionally broken by leaping fish.
High above, hovered a figure in white travel clothes, wearing a mask, accompanied by a humanoid Mewtwo and a Gardevoir—Hayashi Kaede.
"Stick to the plan. Mewtwo, hypnotize all personnel inside. Gardevoir, use the Poké Balls Mewtwo created to secure every single Pokémon. I'll be outside, receiving the Pokémon you send out."
"Mmm."
"Gardevoir!"
Kaede then gently touched the Keystone on his wrist. A white light flashed, and amidst a cascade of colored light, Mega Gardevoir appeared in her elegant black dress.
Time ticked by quietly.
On the island below, Pokémon went about their lives—Wingull resting on shores, playful Mankey in the central woods, Caterpie and Weedle, Krabby and Psyduck on the beaches, and Slowpoke lounging. They played, foraged, squabbled over food.
Then, the moment the clock struck the appointed time, every Pokémon on the island simultaneously fell into a deep sleep.
This anomaly was instantly noticed by Team Rocket members monitoring the surveillance feeds inside the facility. Their faces paled; they reached for the alarm. But in the next second, everyone present slumped into unconsciousness.
In their final flicker of awareness, they saw a pink-and-white figure gazing down at them with cold eyes.
Elsewhere in the labyrinthine facility, Gardevoir's form flickered from room to room. One by one, restrained Pokémon were targeted by levitating Poké Balls controlled by her psychic power and safely contained.
A few researchers, not yet enveloped by Mewtwo's psychic wave, caught a glimpse of Gardevoir and froze in shock before also being immobilized—their consciousness left painfully awake.
Dozens of Poké Balls floated around Gardevoir. Before the bewildered Pokémon could even react, they were collected and teleported to the island's surface.
On the beach, Kaede looked at the growing crowd of rescued Pokémon, meeting eyes filled with confusion, fear, aggression, or defensive bluster. A silent sigh echoed within him as he channeled his Viridian Power, enveloping them all.
It was a wave of soothing, healing energy—the first time since arriving in this world he had used it on such a massive scale.
Watching their eyes gradually clear of panic and fill with dazed wonder, Kaede spoke softly, "Don't be afraid. Soon, people will come to take you away, back to where you belong, or to places better suited for you to live." Leaving such a large, distressed group uncalmed would make the League rescuers' job immensely difficult later.
"Pidgey?"
"Whismur..."
Various cries filled the air, but the potent calming effect of the Viridian Power gradually settled them. Or perhaps, they also sensed the formidable, yet benevolent, strength emanating from this human.
As the stream of Pokémon brought out by Gardevoir slowed to a trickle, Kaede knew the rescue inside was nearly complete.
He then retrieved the Poké Balls for Salamence and Dragonite.
Placing a hand on Gardevoir's shoulder, he teleported into the heart of the research facility.
Inside, instruments still blinked, data flickering across screens. But all researchers and Rocket personnel had been gathered in one area, held immobile by Mewtwo's psychic grip.
At that moment, Mewtwo released its Hypnosis. The Rocket members and researchers, rousing from forced sleep, saw the masked figure standing beside Mewtwo.
Though they had experienced a brief blackout, only about a minute had passed—a blink of an eye. Yet, in that time, their secure facility had been completely compromised.
A pink, feline Pokémon, a completely concealed, masked individual, and a... Gardevoir? A Gardevoir unlike any they'd ever seen!
"Who are you people?!"
"I'm warning you, don't be fools! This is Team Rocket territory! Cross us, and you'll regret it!"
"Damn it... I can't move my hands!"
Ignoring the shouts and threats, Kaede didn't spare them a glance. He simply tapped the two Poké Balls in his hand. "The demolition is yours. Salamence, Dragonite..."
Then, he turned and walked away.