Chapter 159: Interpol

"Before asking someone else questions, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" The middle-aged man smiled slightly and released his grip on Ash. This move reassured Ash that the man likely had no ill intentions.

Ash flexed his wrist slightly, glancing at the middle-aged man and the two younger men beside him in surprise. He responded casually, "I'm just an ordinary tourist."

"That's a pretty boring answer," the middle-aged man said, shaking his head. Then, noticing that people around them were beginning to pay attention, he subtly signaled to the two young men.

The two men immediately understood. They nodded slightly and positioned themselves on either side of Ash, pushing him gently toward a nearby alley.

Ash wanted to resist, but considering his current situation, he had no choice but to follow them.

"Ash Ketchum... Born in Pallet Town... Became a Pokémon Trainer a few months ago... Disrupted Team Rocket's operations in Viridian City... Rescued the Pokémon at the Pokémon Center... Exceptionally allowed to register as a Poké Ball–level Trainer..."

As Ash was looking for an opportunity to escape, the middle-aged man pulled out a small notebook and read his information aloud.

Ash's expression darkened. While his background wasn't exactly a secret, the fact that this man had access to it so quickly proved he was part of a powerful organization. Could they be... Team Rocket?

"I told you—I don't have any bad intentions," the man said, closing the notebook and slipping it back into his coat pocket. He sighed and added, "I don't understand why someone as young as you is so cautious."

"Anyone would be wary in this situation," Ash replied, his right hand inching toward his waist.

"Relax, relax..." The man raised a hand, signaling his companions. Only then did Ash notice that the two young men had already grabbed their Poké Balls. A bead of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.

"I really don't mean you any harm. After all, I saw you send Pikachu into Silph Co. earlier to investigate, and I didn't stop you, did I?" the man said with a smirk, revealing another piece of information that shocked Ash.

Ash's heart pounded. Every move he had made had been observed. Even his secret plan to have Pikachu scout inside Silph Co. hadn't gone unnoticed.

"You seem suspicious of Silph Co.," the man continued, acting as if Ash's reaction didn't surprise him.

Ash hesitated for a moment but decided to answer honestly. Since the man already knew so much, lying wouldn't help.

"That's right," Ash admitted with a nod.

"And why is that?" the middle-aged man pressed.

"Just a gut feeling," Ash said, tapping his temple. He had no concrete evidence, so the best he could do was call it intuition.

"Intuition, huh?" The man didn't seem skeptical. After all, Ash was just a kid, and his background was unremarkable. He was merely a student of Professor Oak, which made his identity easy to verify.

"So, what do you think is happening inside Silph Co.?" the man asked, still studying Ash closely.

"Maybe someone has infiltrated it. The company might be under the control of an unknown organization," Ash said after a brief hesitation.

"And what makes you think that?" The man raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by Ash's reasoning.

"Master Ball," Ash stated.

Though he didn't elaborate, the middle-aged man immediately understood what Ash meant. Master Ball was rumored to be an ultimate Poké Ball, capable of capturing any Pokémon without fail. That alone was enough to attract dangerous organizations.

The man's expression shifted slightly. He studied Ash carefully before murmuring, "You have an impressively sharp intuition." Even the two young men beside him seemed surprised.

"You're right," the man finally said. "Their target is indeed the Master Ball. And yes—Silph Co. has been taken over. The ones behind it? Team Rocket."

"As expected..." Ash muttered, not looking too shocked. The scenario was unfolding just as it had in the games. But now the question was—who were these three men?

"You seem curious," the middle-aged man said, noticing Ash's scrutinizing gaze. Smiling, he reached into his coat and pulled out an identification badge.

"We are Interpol—a law enforcement agency made up of members from different Pokémon Leagues. Our mission is to investigate and counter criminal organizations worldwide. My code name is 'Handsome Guy,'" the man introduced himself.

"Interpol... Handsome Guy..." Ash repeated, finally remembering where he had seen this man before. He had appeared in the Pokémon Diamond & Pearl series as an Interpol officer.

"You don't seem too surprised," Handsome Guy remarked, tucking his badge away. However, he didn't press further. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Ash, on the other hand, felt a wave of cold sweat forming on his back. He had been so caught up in the situation that he forgot to act surprised. Luckily, Handsome Guy was more focused on the mission.

"We need the information your Pikachu gathered from inside Silph Co.," Handsome Guy said. That was the real reason he had approached Ash. After seeing Pikachu sneak inside, he realized that Ash might have valuable intel.

"No problem," Ash agreed. Now that he knew Interpol was involved, working together seemed like the best way to stop Team Rocket.

Taking down an organization like Team Rocket wasn't something he could do alone. The real world wasn't a video game—criminals wouldn't wait in line for a fair one-on-one battle.

Back on the main street, Pikachu had already returned. But upon noticing Ash was missing, it looked around anxiously. When it finally spotted Ash walking out of the alley with three strangers, its expression changed. Sparks crackled in its red electric sacs.

"Wait, Pikachu!" Ash called out, quickly moving forward to scoop Pikachu into his arms before it could attack. He whispered soothingly, "It's okay, don't worry. They're not bad people."

"Pika...?" Pikachu looked confused but stopped generating electricity.

After briefly explaining the situation to Pikachu, Ash asked about what it had seen inside Silph Co.

Inside Silph Co.

Pikachu had managed to slip inside through a vent near the back of the building. Moving cautiously, it explored several hallways, avoiding patrolling guards.

From what Pikachu saw, the entire building was crawling with Team Rocket members. Many employees had been detained in different rooms, unable to leave. Scientists appeared to be working under duress, likely forced to complete the Master Ball project for Team Rocket.

There were also high-ranking Rocket members, distinguishable by their uniforms. Among them was a man with slicked-back silver hair, dressed in an expensive black suit. He seemed to be the one in charge.

Additionally, Pikachu had overheard a conversation about a secret underground facility beneath Silph Co., where rare Pokémon were supposedly being experimented on.

Hearing this, Ash clenched his fists. "We need to act fast."

Handsome Guy nodded. "I agree. Now that we've confirmed the situation, we need to come up with a plan."

"But how do we get in?" Ash asked.

"Leave that to us," Handsome Guy replied. "Interpol has its ways."

With Interpol now involved, Ash felt a surge of hope. This was bigger than anything he had faced before. But with allies by his side, he was ready to take on Team Rocket once again.

To be continued…