Ogi Isle—this was one of the smaller islets in the Whirl Islands region, located near Silver Rock Isle.
At this moment, Lucas and his group had arrived here.
"Carr, that guy… at least he still knows how to behave."
Standing on the beach of Ogi Isle, Lucas glanced at the message displayed on his phone and let out a light chuckle.
Last night, after blurting out the word "shorty," he didn't even need to think—knowing Carr's irritable temper, the guy must have been driven half mad with rage.
So, Lucas had decisively hung up the call on the spot.
Early this morning, Lucas sent another message asking Carr for Dr. Namba's contact information. Though Carr was extremely displeased, he still ended up giving it to him. Of course, this might also have been because Carr knew full well that even if he didn't hand it over, Lucas had other ways of obtaining it.
"Speaking of which, you Team Rocket members don't seem to get along very well with one another, do you?"
Holding her phone and typing rapidly, Green casually asked Lucas.
Ever since she had discovered yesterday that people on the forum were belittling Indigo trainers, this girl had been frequently jumping into heated debates online.
Mm, though she usually looked playful and unreliable, her sense of regional pride turned out to be surprisingly strong.
Thanks to her "excellent" trash-talking skills, Green had become famous on the forums overnight.
The name "Green Flamer" rose like lightning!
"In private, yeah, things aren't that harmonious. But that kind of thing is the same everywhere."
Lucas only shrugged noncommittally. While on the surface everyone carried out their duties with diligence, the relationships between Rocket executives really weren't all that great.
But then again—was there any power in the world where everyone truly lived in perfect harmony? Even within the Pokémon League, internal contradictions and rivalries existed everywhere.
"Is there really a Team Rocket squad stationed here? I don't see anything at all."
Dressed in a casual blue outfit, Ilene looked curiously around. Even the surface of the sea was calm and undisturbed.
Yes—she had come along as well.
She had already instructed her attendants to head to Olivine ahead of time and purchase boat tickets for the return trip to Kanto. As for herself, she had chosen to accompany Lucas to Ogi Isle for the time being, since after all, she would soon have to head back to Roto Kingdom. So naturally, she wanted to spend as much time with Lucas as she could before leaving.
"There is—and in fact, they're already here." Lucas chuckled lightly.
At that very moment, the calm surface of the sea suddenly began to stir. Before long, a massive sealed metal base slowly rose from beneath the waves.
"The Rockets' technology really is no small thing." Green raised her fine brows. Constructing such a gigantic base was no easy feat.
The base floated on the surface of the sea, its front section gradually opening.
"Cassidy!"
"Butch!"
"Welcome, Lord Lucas, to our facility."
A man and a woman—two Rocket elites—stepped out from the front platform of the base and greeted Lucas with the utmost respect.
They were none other than Cassidy and Butch—the very rivals of Jessie and James in the original story.
Unlike those two notorious clowns, Cassidy and Butch were indeed more competent on a professional level. They were recognized as elite Team Rocket operatives. Of course, outside of doing mischief, Jessie and James had unique talents in other fields that were hard for others to match…
"Where is Dr. Namba?"
Lucas and his group boarded the aircraft Butch had sent out, arriving on the base.
"Dr. Namba is inside, awaiting Lord Lucas's arrival," Cassidy said respectfully.
Lucas was currently the highest-ranking executive within Team Rocket, second only to Giovanni himself. Naturally, they had to show him proper deference.
"Take me to meet Dr. Namba then."
Lucas nodded. He did have some impression of this man.
One could say Namba was a genius. After all, anyone Giovanni recruited as a Team Rocket scientist was no ordinary figure. Each one was an expert in their field.
Team Rocket had no need for deadweight. The dark underworld was not a place where freeloaders could survive—especially not within a top-tier villainous organization like Team Rocket.
"Please, come with us." Cassidy and Butch led the way.
"This really is unbelievable… being treated with this much respect by Team Rocket…"
Following closely behind Lucas, Ilene clutched the edge of his robe, her eyes filled with curiosity and nervousness as she gazed around.
No matter how she looked at it, she had always been a noblewoman, a benevolent and gentle queen in the eyes of her people.
And yet here she was, deep inside a Rocket base, treated with such respect by these infamous members…
The world had changed too quickly. So quickly that she had not yet fully adjusted.
But this was the reality. Along the way, every Team Rocket member they encountered lowered their heads in humility and saluted as soon as they saw the group pass.
Ilene was used to being treated with respect in Kingdom of Rota, but how could this possibly compare?
Those people were her loyal subjects and attendants. These, however, were Team Rocket members with notorious reputations!
"Stay calm, get used to it." Marnie, seemingly reading Ilene's thoughts, spoke in her flat and steady voice—the so-called emotionless girl betraying just the faintest flicker of her real feelings.
After all, they were following Lucas. There was no way these Team Rocket members wouldn't show them respect.
Lucas and the others followed Cassidy and Butch into the base's command center. Outside, the gigantic base once again sank back beneath the waters.
"Mr. Lucas, you are most welcome."
In the command room, as soon as Lucas and his group entered, an elderly man in a lab coat, his hair and beard a distinctive pink color, stepped forward eagerly to greet them.
He was none other than Dr. Namba—the figure holding the highest authority within this base.
Within Team Rocket, senior executives and the scientists were considered to be on an equal tier of status. Namba himself held a high authority level.
And in truth, this man was something of a genius.
"Sorry to bother you on such short notice, Dr. Nanba."
Lucas smiled faintly as he greeted the man. But the moment his words came out…
Green, Marnie, and Ilene all glanced at him in confusion. Lucas had actually mispronounced Namba's name!
A man as meticulous as Lucas would never make such a small mistake. So, was it… intentional?
Yet even Lucas himself froze for a second.
Meanwhile, Cassidy, Butch, and the other Team Rocket members nearby showed not the slightest change in expression, as though everything was completely normal.
But then—
"It's not Nanba, it's Namba!" Dr. Namba instinctively roared.
The instant he shouted, however, realization hit him. His face stiffened as he looked nervously at Lucas.
Lucas was the strongest Rocket executive, second only to Giovanni himself.
And here he was, raising his voice at him during their very first meeting…
"Mr. Lucas, just now, I didn't mean—"
"There's no need to worry. I've long heard of Dr. Hamba's famous reputation. Now that I meet you in person, I must say, it is truly… beyond words."
Lucas chuckled, clicking his tongue in mock admiration as he looked at Namba.
So, it really was exactly as in the anime—though he knew perfectly well that the man's name was Namba, whenever he said it aloud it somehow came out wrong.
"Hehehe…" Dr. Namba forced a polite but awkward smile. This time, he suppressed his reflexive reaction.
Yes, this was his peculiar curse.
Though people knew his name perfectly well, and never got it wrong in private, the moment they spoke to him directly, they would somehow always mispronounce it.
"I wonder, Mr. Lucas, what brings you here?"
Dr. Namba didn't dwell on the slip. He was long used to it. What mattered more was why Lucas had suddenly come.
"The truth is, I struck a deal with the priestess of the Whirl Islands. Her condition was that the Team Rocket squad near Ogi Isle withdraw from the area."
Lucas spoke openly, not bothering to hide it.
"This…"
Namba's face stiffened, his expression growing unpleasant.
Wasn't that far too domineering?
Cassidy and Butch exchanged uneasy glances, quietly stepping back. They were merely elite members, and had no right to interfere in the disputes between executives and scientists.
"Mr. Lucas, I have very important research here…" After some hesitation, Dr. Namba finally spoke with difficulty.
What he meant was clear enough—he didn't want to leave the Whirl Islands.
"Lately, relations between Team Rocket and the League have been extremely tense, Dr. Kenbo. Though you are currently in Johto, that does not mean the League wouldn't dispatch forces to raid this place."
Lucas regarded him with interest. He could already guess what Namba was thinking.
"You've already been noticed by people around the Whirl Islands. The local Officer Jennys may not have found this base yet, but if you remain here…"
"Sooner or later, they'll report it to the Indigo League. At that point, even if just one Elite Four member came to conduct a carpet search, all of you would be arrested."
Lucas's voice was calm, but his meaning was sharp. Did they really think hiding underwater made them safe?
It was true the base was concealed, but the League wasn't blind. If they were determined to root out the Rockets here, this base wouldn't remain hidden for long.
"But there really is an important discovery here. If I can just have more time, I will succeed…"
Dr. Namba's brows furrowed deeply. Lucas's reasoning was sound, yet he couldn't bring himself to give up.
And besides—he didn't want to share this glory with anyone else. If he succeeded, Giovanni would surely reward him generously with more research funding.
"I already know. It's Lugia, isn't it?" Lucas said casually.
"???"
Dr. Namba froze. Cassidy and Butch were stunned as well.
"The Whirl Islands have long been steeped in legends of Lugia. But you must have only just found traces of it, right? Dr. Jinbo, do you realize what kind of mistake it is to conceal intelligence about Lugia instead of reporting it?"
Seeing the look on Namba's face, Lucas knew he had guessed correctly. His lips curved into a faint, meaningful smile as he stared at the man.
The search for Lugia and Ho-oh—that was something Giovanni had personally agreed upon with Lucas. Whenever there was news, it was to be reported directly to him.
But from the look of things, Namba had been hiding it all along.
"Th-this…"
Sweat instantly broke out on Namba's forehead. He gazed at Lucas in panic.
Damn it. He never should have let this guy in. He was too dangerous!
(End of Chapter)