The Elite Four of the Kanto region, with the Champion position currently vacant, were, on the surface, the four strongest individuals in the entire region. They were Fighting-type Elite Four Bruno, Ghost-type Elite Four Agatha, Ice-type Elite Four Lorelei, and Dragon-type Elite Four Lance.
Lance, the Dragon-type Elite Four, was a handsome man with red hair who liked to walk around dramatically in a cape. He possessed an explosive sense of justice. While serving as an Elite Four member, he was also part of the Pokémon League's investigators, dedicated to combating crime. Relying on the formidable strength of his Dragon-type Pokémon, he had successfully dismantled one underground criminal organization after another.
In the course of fighting crime, he inadvertently discovered the illegal activities of Team Rocket. However, a behemoth like Team Rocket was not an organization he, as a single Elite Four member, could confront alone. Therefore, he decided to investigate in secret, collecting evidence of Team Rocket's crimes, hoping to crush them in one fell swoop.
A few days ago, Lance received a tip from an informant that the Silph Co. headquarters building in Saffron City was suspected to have fallen under Team Rocket's control. To verify the information, he secretly infiltrated Silph Co.
Sure enough, he found traces of Team Rocket. Just as he was disguised as a Team Rocket grunt, following the trail into the Team Rocket base to collect evidence, he found a Team Rocket grunt standing at the entrance of the secret elevator leading down to the base.
'This is bad,' Lance knew he had been seen. If he turned and walked away now, it would be too suspicious. So, he suppressed the urge to turn around and continued forward.
Taking slow steps, Lance pulled his cap low, concealing his eyes. 'It's fine. My face has been treated. Unless I run into someone familiar, it will be difficult for them to recognize me.'
He adjusted his breathing and walked casually to the other side of the elevator entrance.
To his surprise, the Team Rocket grunt turned and proactively approached him. "What a coincidence, you're going to the base too."
'Does this person know him?' Lance was about to try to muddle through with a few casual words when the hairs on his entire body stood up, as if he was facing an extreme threat. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a hand move like lightning toward his neck.
'I've been discovered?' Shocked, he desperately twisted his neck and quickly pulled back, narrowly dodging the blow.
"Oh?" The opponent seemed surprised as well, but the speed of his hand movements did not decrease in the slightest, enveloping Lance's entire body like a phantom.
'So fast!' Lance felt like he was facing Bruno. His self-proclaimed mastery of close combat was like that of a baby before this opponent. In less than a second, his hands were pinned.
'I have no choice.' Lance widened his eyes and met the man's gaze, releasing the power of the Dragon Master, Dragon's Might. However, he also saw a pair of swirling eyes that seemed to threaten to pull him under.
Aided by the Dragon's Might, he could barely maintain consciousness, and he was already suspicious of the man's identity. 'He is definitely not a Team Rocket member!'
Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, a "ding-dong" sounded—the elevator had arrived.
The elevator doors slowly opened. The two men's pupils contracted, and they simultaneously released one hand, turning into close companions mutually embracing each other by the neck.
Two Team Rocket grunts stepped out of the elevator. Seeing the two in such a close embrace, they were visibly startled, but then pretended not to see anything and walked away without looking.
"Are there people like that in the team? That's terrifying."
"I heard a lot of people choose to form new families with their partners."
"You... no way."
"Of course not! We're brothers, just brothers!"
The two whispering grunts gradually walked away, while the utterly embarrassed Lance was pulled into the elevator.
The elevator door slowly closed. Aomori pressed the button for the lowest floor, and the elevator began its slow descent.
Looking at the Team Rocket Grunt he was embracing, Aomori showed a cryptic smile. He leaned down, closed in on the man's ear, and whispered, "Dragon Elite Four Lance?"
Lance's body twitched. He replied in an equally tiny voice, "Who are you?"
It really is the Flying-type Elite Four, Lance.
Aomori realized Lance's identity from the mental attack released by his Dragon's Might. He hadn't expected his casual operation to so conveniently run into this Elite Four member who enjoyed playing spy.
This Lance seemed less cold-blooded and more spirited, suggesting he was the Justice Seeker from the anime version. Aomori didn't have a bad feeling about him.
Cooperation, however, was out of the question.
"Who I am isn't important. What's important is that I'm not your enemy." Aomori loosened his grip and released Lance. "Our goals aren't the same. Let's just pretend we never met."
"Suits me fine." Lance rubbed his reddened wrist, his vigilance toward Aomori maxed out. He would feel extremely insecure operating alongside such a dangerous person.
When the elevator stopped, Aomori stepped out first and left without looking back.
Lance pursed his lips and chose a different route.
Using the ID of the unlucky grunt he had knocked out, Aomori passed through four security gates, but the fifth door displayed an insufficient access level.
"Akihiko, prepare for action."
"Understood. The final countdown for forcibly shutting down the security system and opening all lockdown doors has begun."
"10, 9, 8, 7…"
Archer stood in the central control room, monitoring the scene in the Master Ball laboratory on the screen. Giovanni highly valued the Master Ball, and as his most loyal subordinate, Archer was determined to ensure its absolute security.
"6, 5, 4, 3…"
Lance looked at the heavily guarded doorway around the corner, his expression thoughtful.
"2, 1, 0!"
The moment the countdown ended, the base was instantly plunged into darkness. All lockdown doors sprang open. In that instant, Aomori dashed out, moving rapidly according to the route in his mind.
Weeeeng…!!!
The alarm blared loudly.
Archer in the central control room realized something was wrong and hurriedly asked, "What is going on?"
"Someone attacked the security system! The system is now paralyzed, and the power has been cut off!"
A cold light flickered in Archer's eyes. He commanded loudly, "Activate the backup power, immediately begin restoring the security system, and everyone, fan out to search for the infiltrator! Collapse the formation towards the Master Ball laboratory!"
He himself, taking several grunts, immediately rushed to the Master Ball laboratory.
They could abandon everything else, but the Master Ball could not be lost!
When the power was cut, Lance realized it was the work of the mysterious person. He looked at the panicking Team Rocket grunts, seized the opportunity, and took down everyone he encountered along the way, finally reaching a laboratory in the deepest part of the base.
Seeing the purple Poké Ball in the transparent apparatus, the perceptive Lance knew this was what Team Rocket wanted.
Just as he was about to grab the purple Poké Ball, he found a group of people blocking the doorway. Leading them was Archer, the senior Team Rocket Executive he had met a few times before.
Lance gave a wry smile, knowing his identity could no longer be hidden. He voluntarily removed his disguise and sent out his main Pokémon.
"Dragonite, Gyarados, Kingdra, I'm going to need your help again."
"Who do we have here? It's Dragon Elite Four Lance. What business do you have barging into Team Rocket's facilities?" Archer said through gritted teeth.
"Executive Archer, would you believe me if I said this was a misunderstanding?"
"I'll believe you if you surrender now."
"Then there's nothing more to discuss."
"Don't try to stall for time! Go, Crobat, Houndoom, Weezing!" Archer aggressively waved his hand, and the Pokémon below him charged forward.
Lance sighed, dramatically flicked his cape, and his eyes grew fierce.
"Dragonite, Gyarados, Kingdra, let's go!"
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