Chapter 161: Infiltrating

Ash moved swiftly through the streets, dodging the crowd and slipping into an alleyway before arriving at the back of the Silph Co. building. Under Pikachu's guidance, he quickly found the ventilation duct it had used to sneak inside earlier.

Since Silph Co. had no back entrance, there were no Team Rocket guards stationed there, nor were there any passersby. Taking advantage of this, Ash swiftly removed the brown trench coat that had concealed his Team Rocket uniform.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu leaped onto a small platform beside the ventilation duct, gripped the metal grate covering the entrance, and pulled it open. Holding it up with its small hands, it signaled Ash to enter.

"Thanks, buddy!" Ash whispered. He jumped, grabbed the vent opening, and used his upper body strength to pull himself inside before carefully closing the grate behind him.

Pikachu took the lead, crawling ahead and gesturing for Ash to follow. "Pikachu! Pikapika!"

Ash took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. Crawling through a ventilation duct was not something he was used to, and the confined space only added to his growing unease.

The vent was narrow, forcing Ash to crawl forward slowly. After a short while, they reached a vertical shaft. Ash looked up and estimated it was at least five or six meters high.

"This is a problem…" he muttered. If the shaft were wider, he could brace his feet against the walls and climb up. But the space was too tight, leaving him unable to spread his legs for support.

Pikachu, realizing the oversight, scratched its head in frustration. "Pika..."

Understanding the situation, Ash had no choice but to backtrack as Pikachu led him down another path.

For nearly ten minutes, they crawled through the maze-like ventilation system. At one point, Ash paused near an opening with metal bars, peering down at the lobby below.

Through the gaps, he could see several Team Rocket members patrolling. Though he couldn't count them all, there seemed to be around ten guards on the first floor.

Ash held his breath, moving cautiously to avoid making noise. If they discovered him in the air vents, the mission would be over before it even began.

After carefully navigating through the narrow tunnels, they finally reached a different section—directly above what seemed to be a restroom.

"If I drop down here... it should be safe," Ash whispered to Pikachu.

He observed for a moment, ensuring that no Team Rocket members were nearby. Once he was certain the coast was clear, he silently removed the iron grate. Pikachu peeked out, scanning the area, then nodded in confirmation.

Ash took a deep breath and jumped down, landing softly on the tiled floor of the empty corridor.

"Click…"

The sound of his shoes hitting the floor echoed slightly in the silent hallway. Ash froze, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He waited. After several tense seconds, no one came to investigate.

"That was close..." he muttered, exhaling in relief.

He hurried into the men's restroom, knowing it would be a good place to regroup and plan his next move.

Inside, the restroom was empty, making it the perfect spot to think without distractions.

"According to Handsome Guy, I need to find the research room where the Master Ball is being developed," Ash reminded himself.

But how would he know which research lab held the Master Ball data?

"In the game, I reached the top floor and rescued the president of Silph Co… So, does that mean I need to go up to the eleventh floor? But how do I get there?"

Ash sighed, taking off his black cap and running a hand through his messy hair in frustration.

"Pika…" Pikachu patted Ash's shoulder gently, sharing his concern but having no immediate answers.

Before they could think further, the restroom door suddenly swung open.

Ash's eyes widened as a Team Rocket grunt entered. The man froze, his gaze locking onto Ash and Pikachu.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then, instead of raising an alarm, the grunt simply furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Hey, wait a second… I don't recognize you. You're not one of the guys stationed on the first floor. What are you doing here?"

The grunt's tone wasn't suspicious, just curious. He had clearly assumed that Ash was a fellow Team Rocket member.

Ash's mind raced.

"Think! Quick excuse!"

"Uh... um..." Ash stammered. He glanced at Pikachu, considering attacking, but before he could act—

"You're not slacking off, are you?" the grunt smirked, chuckling to himself. "Man, I get it. I've been tempted to take breaks too, but with Archer and Petrel in charge, you'd better be careful."

Ash blinked. Archer and Petrel…?

The names rang a faint bell—both were high-ranking Team Rocket admins.

The grunt continued casually, unaware of Ash's true identity.

"If those two catch you slacking, you're in for some serious punishment," he warned, shaking his head. "They're really strict."

Ash forced a nervous chuckle, pretending to play along. "Haha… yeah, you're right. I just needed a short break. It's been exhausting on the fourth floor."

"The fourth floor?" The grunt raised an eyebrow. "How's it going up there?"

"Oh, uh... the hostages are secured, and the rest of the team is still searching for the research room," Ash lied, trying to mirror the grunt's casual tone.

"Figures," the grunt laughed. "Man, you guys upstairs have it rough. Down here, all we gotta do is take shifts keeping tourists out. Nothing serious."

Satisfied with the conversation, the grunt washed his hands and glanced at Ash through the mirror.

"Well, don't take too long. You don't wanna get caught slacking. Trust me."

The grunt clapped Ash on the shoulder, then left the restroom, whistling as he walked away.

Ash waited until the door closed, then exhaled deeply.

"That was close."

He frowned, processing the new information.

"Archer and Petrel… If those two are in charge, then this mission is even more dangerous than I thought."

Suddenly, his eyes widened in realization.

"The air vent! I forgot to close the grate when I came down!"

Ash rushed to the stall where he had dropped down, expecting to see the open vent exposed.

But when he looked up, he saw something strange.

The grate was already closed.

Ash's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What…?"

He was certain he hadn't shut it himself.

"Then… who did?"

A thought crossed his mind. His gaze lowered to his own shadow stretching across the floor.

"Marshadow…" Ash whispered.

He had almost forgotten—the Mythical Pokémon had been hiding in his shadow all this time.

Marshadow's invisible presence had covered his mistake, preventing anyone from noticing the open vent.

"Thank you," Ash said sincerely.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu also realized what had happened and nervously thanked Marshadow.

From within the shadows, two glowing eyes briefly flickered before vanishing again.

Ash tightened his fists. He had been lucky this time. But the mission was just beginning…