Chapter 78: No Problem

"Good thing Sabrina still had some left. I should've just asked my old man for a few from the start."

Maki muttered to himself while pulling a mask out of his bag.

It was a hyper-realistic human face mask, so lifelike that it was nearly indistinguishable from a real person's face when worn.

The only downside was that it was difficult to produce. Even within Team Rocket's base in Saffron City, there weren't many of them available.

However, the main reason for their scarcity wasn't just the complexity of making them—it was because there was an even better alternative.

Ditto.

Ditto wasn't only capable of transforming into Pokémon. If it adhered to a Trainer's face, it could alter their facial features, creating an even more convincing disguise than a mask.

Not only that, but Ditto could change its appearance at will, making it exponentially more useful than a simple mask.

Still, for Maki's current situation, the mask was the better choice.

"How do I look? Can you tell the difference?" Maki asked his Charmander after putting the mask on.

"Char?"

Charmander tilted its head and shook it. If it hadn't just watched Maki put on the mask, it might have thought its Trainer had been swapped out.

"If even you can't tell, then it should be fine."

Satisfied, Maki removed the mask and carefully stored it for later use.

After having dinner at the Pokémon Center and waiting until nightfall, Maki temporarily recalled Charmander into its Poké Ball and set out alone.

Finding a secluded spot, he donned a pre-prepared coat along with the human face mask before stepping into a building—one of Silph Co.'s Pokémon Clubs.

"Dratini's tail is sweet."

Maki approached the front desk and whispered the phrase to the middle-aged man standing there. Upon hearing it, the man's expression stiffened slightly before he responded in an equally hushed tone, "I prefer Slowpoke tails."

"Slowpoke tails are bitter."

Confirming Maki's identity, the man gave him a brief nod before leading him into a hidden area behind the establishment.

Maki couldn't help but wonder who had come up with this password. Why the fixation on Dratini and Slowpoke tails?

Once inside a private room, the man's demeanor shifted entirely. He pulled out a chair for Maki with a respectful bow and asked, "How may I be of service?"

Maki didn't hesitate as he took his seat. With his current disguise, he appeared to be in his mid-twenties.

Of course, not just anyone could know this password. If the Pokémon League had caught wind of it, this place would have been raided long ago.

Even for someone like Maki, gaining access required careful selection to minimize risks.

Generally speaking, those privy to this code were at least mid-ranking Team Rocket operatives. While Maki's masked appearance made him look older, even someone in their twenties would still be considered young within Team Rocket's ranks.

While appearance could be altered, voice was much harder to change. Despite Maki deliberately modifying his tone, it was still clear he wasn't some elderly veteran.

This piqued the man's curiosity about Maki's true identity.

Not that he would ask. In this line of work, curiosity was the quickest way to get yourself killed.

"I want some information regarding the mines."

Maki's instincts told him something was off. However, it didn't seem serious enough to trouble Giovanni just yet. Instead, he decided to gather some intel from those in the know.

"Ah… well…"

The man hesitated for a moment.

"What exactly do you want to know?"

"Just the general situation. Why did such a large-scale Pokémon outbreak occur?"

Upon hearing the question, the man no longer hesitated and answered directly, "There wasn't anything particularly unusual. Based on our reports, it seems the excavation process disturbed the natural habitat of the wild Pokémon, leading to their aggression."

"That's it?" Maki frowned. The explanation seemed almost too simple.

"This conclusion has been thoroughly verified. The Pokémon had no other apparent reason to riot."

The man spoke with absolute certainty.

"In a day or two, the League will send people to resolve the issue. It should be settled soon."

At first, they had considered other possibilities, given the scale of the outbreak. But all evidence pointed to this straightforward and widely accepted cause.

"Alright then."

Maki still found it odd, but he didn't dwell on it. If both the League and Team Rocket had found nothing unusual, there was no reason for him to dig deeper.

Besides, he planned to leave tomorrow regardless of whether the situation was resolved. Whatever happened next would be the League's problem, not his.

After all, the most valuable minerals were still controlled by the League. If something went wrong, they would be the ones to suffer the most, not Team Rocket.

With that in mind, Maki left the club, found another deserted spot, and changed out of his disguise.

Just as he was lost in thought, an elderly gentleman in a neatly pressed suit called out to him.

"Young man, could you tell me how to get to the Orange City Department Store?"

Maki had visited the department store earlier that morning, so he immediately pointed the man in the right direction.

"It's that way."

"Much obliged."

The old man politely removed his hat and gave Maki a slight bow, exuding the air of a refined gentleman.

"No problem."

Maki responded with a smile, but as the old man walked away, his expression gradually turned serious.

Something about that old man felt… off.

It wasn't his clothing—it was the aura he carried. A natural presence of authority, one that Maki found strangely familiar.

That man's demeanor… it was strikingly similar to Giovanni's.

Perhaps the old man hadn't considered Maki a threat, so he hadn't entirely concealed his presence. But Maki, having grown up under Giovanni's wing, could sense it immediately.

Still, he didn't dwell on it too much. Orange City was a major metropolis, after all. It wasn't uncommon to run into high-ranking League officials, corporate executives, or even retired Elite Four members and Champions out on a stroll.

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