After briefly exploring the city, Silas returned to the Pokémon Center. In truth, he hadn't just been sightseeing,he had been carefully observing the city's layout and terrain.
Even with memories from another world, Silas couldn't help but admire the ingenuity behind the city's design.
"Gym Leader Wattson really does have a talent for urban development."
Silas grew even more curious about this remarkable Gym Leader. While a Gym could certainly stimulate a city's economy, completely transforming an entire city from top to bottom was something rarely seen.
The technologically advanced city before him was vastly different from the backward small town Silas had lived in before.
Silas remained at the Pokémon Center for several more hours. Only after dinner did he leave again. This time he dressed casually, wearing ordinary clothes and a common baseball cap.
"I never expected Team Rocket's Hoenn branch to be hidden right under the nose of such a massive technological city."
The streets were somewhat quiet at night. After locating the entrance to the black market, Silas could clearly feel a chilling atmosphere lingering in the air.
Most people in the black market hurried along silently. Hardly anyone spoke to each other.
After weaving through several winding alleys, Silas eventually arrived at a small general store tucked away in a corner. The shop had no signboard or advertisement and was hidden in a dim alley.
If one wasn't paying attention, they might never even notice such a place existed.
There were no customers inside,only a few receptionists yawning lazily behind the counter.
"What can we do for you, sir? Our shop will do its best to satisfy your needs," one receptionist said with a professional smile.
Silas glanced at the other two employees. Though they appeared relaxed, their hands unconsciously hovered near their waists, ready to react at any moment.
Although Silas wore a large black cloak, none of them reacted strangely. In the black market, this kind of attire was extremely common.
Silas slowly took out his Team Rocket Squad Leader identification card and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Which executive is currently overseeing the branch here?"
The moment those words were spoken, the three receptionists trembled.
"Greetings, sir!"
All three immediately bowed respectfully, revealing the hidden "R" logo on their chests.
They were Team Rocket grunts.
"Reporting to you, sir. The Executive in charge of overseeing the Hoenn branch is Lord Archer," one of them said respectfully.
Silas scanned the shop's interior. Eventually, he noticed something suspicious on the wall beside the counter.
Most likely a hidden door.
Just as he stepped forward, he was suddenly stopped.
One of the Rocket grunts nervously spoke up.
"My lord… although you are a Squad Leader, I must still follow Team Rocket protocol. Please inform us which branch base you belong to."
After all, the identification card Silas had shown did not include a portrait, nor did it indicate which city's base it came from.
Silas paused.
He slowly turned around and stared coldly at the grunt who dared to question him.
The sharp gaze hidden beneath his mask placed enormous pressure on the three men.
The air grew tense.
Several seconds passed.
"Hmph."
"I come from Saffron City in the Kanto Region."
Silas had long understood the psychology of members of dark organizations.
They bullied the weak and feared the strong.
If he didn't act arrogant enough, it would hardly match his identity as a Squad Leader.
Even now, he was already holding back.
One of the grunts hesitated before speaking again.
"Then please tell us your name, sir."
He had already sat down at a computer, clearly intending to verify the information.
Of course, Silas couldn't reveal the psychic man's name.
The identity records hadn't been updated yet.
"Hmph!"
"I am carrying out a covert mission personally assigned by the Boss."
"How dare the three of you attempt to investigate it?"
Silas' aura suddenly surged. His cloaked figure slowly stepped forward.
The three Rocket grunts immediately retreated.
They were only gatekeepers,so why provoke a Squad Leader?
Besides, even if Silas didn't enter through this entrance, the black market contained several other hidden passages leading to the Rocket base.
They hurriedly opened the concealed door and allowed Silas to pass.
Beyond the entrance was a narrow corridor surrounded by thick iron fences. Thorny vines covered the metal bars, and the area appeared to be equipped with an electrical defense system.
Silas removed his black cloak and changed into Team Rocket's standard uniform.
Under the watchful eyes of several guards, he stepped into the Rocket base.
Inside, no one bothered hiding their identities anymore. Everyone openly wore clothing marked with the bold "R" symbol, their faces filled with pride.
Silas wore only the most basic Rocket uniform, so few people paid him any attention.
Instead, a trainer dressed in ordinary clothing nearby drew subtle glances from others.
That person was clearly not a Team Rocket member,just a trainer operating in the gray areas.
Silas walked calmly through the base.
Beside him, he released Crawdaunt.
"Crawdaunt! Craw!"
The Pokémon followed silently as Silas headed toward the center of the base.
Upon reaching the administrative hall, Silas immediately went to the identity registration window.
His Squad Leader rank allowed him to skip the line, bypassing several grunts waiting ahead.
"Fortunately, the psychic Rocket member whose identity I took had just arrived in Hoenn and hadn't even registered yet."
Silas easily filled in the information on the Rocket identification card, replacing it with his own details.
However, he deliberately chose not to register his face.
The receptionist seemed slightly puzzled but didn't question it.
After all, most members of Team Rocket lived dangerous lives.
Many of them preferred hiding behind masks and never revealing their true identities.
Within Team Rocket, this was allowed but only for ranks below Captain.
To put it bluntly, anyone below Captain was considered expendable personnel.
Even if a batch of them died, replacements would quickly rise.
Only when one reached Captain rank would they be considered true core members.
When promoted to Captain, members underwent strict investigations to ensure they were not undercover agents sent by the Pokémon League.
Only those who passed could receive Team Rocket's core training.
Captains were often considered quasi-executives, and many of the current Rocket executives had once risen from this rank.
However, once promoted to Captain, one's face and fingerprints had to be recorded, effectively binding them permanently to Team Rocket.
Silas quietly let out a breath.
From now on, he had gained access to Team Rocket's underground network,an identity he could abandon at any time if necessary.
What Silas didn't know was that many trainers who operated within the gray world did not mind holding an identity in organizations like Team Rocket.
After all, it served as a useful fallback.
As long as their real faces were never recorded, they could discard that identity whenever they wished.
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(End of chapter)