As Sato ventured deeper, the surroundings gradually became more organized, showing clear signs of recent activity.
Zoroark and Haunter flanked him on either side, their eyes sharp, carefully surveying the area.
With two Pokémon guarding him, Sato didn't focus solely on scouting ahead. Instead, he occasionally picked up discarded research notes, flipping through them for clues.
"They evacuated in a hurry."
He held a nearly complete research report on Scyther's evolution. The study had painstakingly detailed every aspect of its transformation: the attribute shift, physical enhancements, and potential growth thresholds.
However, despite its value, the document had been left carelessly on a desk, as if no one had bothered taking it along when retreating.
"If this were the Pokémon League, they would've swept the entire lab clean, confiscating everything as 'evidence' before repurposing the research for themselves."
Unable to make sense of it, Sato pushed aside his thoughts, continuing his search for more clues.
Haunter pointed toward a corridor ahead, signaling that this was the spot where it had previously encountered a Pokémon.
After its brief report, it hurriedly floated behind Zoroark, hiding like a subordinate seeking protection from its boss.
"Stay cautious, Zoroark."
Zoroark flashed him a confident look, then waved for Haunter to lead the way, following closely behind to provide support.
Sato trailed at a steady pace, unhurried.
Zoroark's evolution had significantly boosted his confidence. If Zoroark couldn't handle the situation, then there was no point in worrying, even Dark Energy wouldn't help against an overwhelming force.
Haunter and Zoroark had already entered the room, but they hadn't engaged in battle. Instead, they seemed to be having an argument over something.
Sato, growing curious, walked past the corner, stepping into the room.
Both Haunter and Zoroark turned to face him, returning to his side.
Ahead of them, on an oversized mattress, several infant Abra and Drowzee lay crawling about blindly, their tiny limbs fumbling as they searched for something in distress.
Zoroark's gaze flickered with uncertainty, casting a side glance at Sato, seemingly unsure of how to react.
Meanwhile, Haunter was utterly unfazed. It playfully grabbed a tiny Drowzee by its tail, lifting it upside down.
The frightened Pokémon flailed wildly, kicking its stubby legs helplessly in midair.
"Haunter, put it down. Stop messing around."
Haunter reluctantly released it, watching as the little Drowzee tumbled back onto the mattress.
Sato's eyes darkened.
"So that's how it is."
Both Alakazam and Hypno were known to live in groups, but Psychic Pokémon were naturally rare. Even in colonies, they typically formed small, selective groups.
Moreover, Alakazam was far superior to Hypno in nearly every way. They normally wouldn't associate with them.
However, in desperate situations, an Alakazam that couldn't find a suitable mate might settle for a Hypno.
That realization made Sato hesitate.
Both Alakazam and Hypno were valuable Pokémon.
With Wester's connections, selling them was one of the fastest ways to earn a fortune.
Even more tempting were these young Abra and Drowzee; they were easier to capture, easier to train, and easier to control.
But...one of the infant Drowzee, the same one that Haunter had teased earlier, seemed to recognize the scent of its parents on him.
With unsteady movements, it clumsily crawled toward Sato, its tiny body trembling with uncertainty.
Sato's chest tightened as he retrieved Alakazam and Hypno's Poké Balls and switched them to release mode before tossing them forward.
A flash of blue light signaled their return.
The defeated Alakazam and Hypno sat motionless, their expressions hollow. But then, a familiar sound echoed through the room.
Alakazam sprang to its feet, instinctively reaching out to catch a tiny Drowzee that had nearly tumbled off the mattress.
Hypno reacted just as quickly, forcing itself to stand despite its injuries, positioning itself between Sato and its offspring, as if shielding them from harm.
Several Figy Berries rolled across the ground, Sato had casually tossed them over.
He glanced briefly at the sealed metal wall behind the mattress, then turned away without a word.
Zoroark silently followed, its crimson gaze flickering like stars, filled with a steadfast warmth as it looked at Sato.
Haunter glanced back at the newly freed Alakazam and Hypno, then at Sato's retreating figure, scratching its head in confusion.
It didn't quite understand but, as always, it simply floated after him without question.
This research facility was large. The room where Alakazam's family had been kept was just one of many laboratories.
As they ventured further, the experiments they encountered became increasingly disturbing.
Inside one chamber, a Metapod had been completely stripped of its shell. A pulsing, crimson mass of exposed flesh floated lifelessly inside a tank.
A Parasect lay on a surgical table, its massive mushroom entirely removed.
Nearby, a container of organic soil had become a breeding ground for smaller, identical mushrooms, eerily replicating the one that had been extracted from its back.
A Beedrill's once-lethal stingers had been replaced with metallic spikes, thick tubes protruding from its body, signs of desperate struggle evident in the broken apparatus surrounding it.
One by one, these gruesome experiments unfolded before them.
Even someone like Sato, who had long grown numb to death, found his emotions unsettled.
Zoroark strode ahead, wordlessly observing.
The warmth it had displayed earlier toward Sato was nowhere to be seen, only cold detachment remained.
People often said, "Ghost Pokémon have no hearts, but they feel emotions."
Sato found the saying oddly fitting.
Haunter showed no reaction to the horrors before it. It even leaned in curiously, as if fascinated by the grotesque sights.
Yet, Haunter respected and trusted Sato, it feared and admired Zoroark, and it loved playing pranks on the ever-serious Larvitar.
That meant it had feelings.
Most of the specimens were sealed in reinforced containment units, isolating the horrors within.
There was no overpowering stench of decay, no visible pools of blood. The cold sterility of it all only deepened the mystery.
'Why had Team Rocket left in such haste?'
They had abandoned their work mid-progress, they hadn't even destroyed the evidence before fleeing.
The more Sato saw, the more uneasy he felt. Team Rocket was the undisputed overlord of Kanto and Johto's underworld.
A group like that would never leave behind such obvious incriminating evidence.
For a fleeting second, something flashed through his mind.
A memory... something important, but just as quickly as it surfaced, it vanished before he could grasp it.
He muttered to himself, tracing a web of connections in his mind.
A secret underground lab.
The Pokémon League...
He was close... he could feel it, the truth was just within reach.
His gaze drifted across the lab, idly scanning his surroundings.
Then, suddenly... his thoughts froze. His steps faltered, for just an instant.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he steadied himself and continued walking, his expression unreadable, though a hint of frustration flickered beneath the surface.
He slowed his pace, eyes drifting toward a computer terminal sitting on a nearby desk.
There was a brand logo on it.