Chapter 35: X Laboratory
Game Corners always had their own tricks to keep customers hooked. According to the rules, you could exchange the coins you won for Pokémon. But interestingly, her classmate only played the games and never redeemed any Pokémon with their coins.
At one point, Ophelia had pooled her coins with Mia Hjelle's to exchange for a rare Scyther. Sadly, the Scyther fell ill and passed away later.
Yet, despite that loss, those days remained some of their happiest memories—a rare joy during the intense training under the Shadow Ops.
As the current executive secretary to the Vice President of Silph Co., Ophelia was well aware that nearly every Game Corner in Kanto was under Silph Co.'s monopoly.
Every month, Silph shipped large numbers of Pokémon to Game Corners across different cities as prizes for players.
From the information she had gathered, most of these Pokémon came from a company called Houston Corporation, a Pokémon breeding firm.
She remembered clearly—the person in charge of this business at Houston Corporation was Tyler Jorron, a man who seemed refined but had the air of a scoundrel.
As Ophelia's thoughts raced, Mia Hjelle suddenly spoke up.
"You've been at Silph for a year now, haven't you?"
"Yeah," Ophelia nodded. "Why do you ask?"
"Have you ever heard of 'X Laboratory'?"
X Laboratory…
Ophelia's pupils shrank.
Of course she had heard of it. As an undercover agent from the League's Shadow Ops embedded within Silph Co., she had only one mission: infiltrate X Laboratory and uncover its secrets.
Even the League only knew that X Laboratory was somewhere in the Orange Archipelago, conducting secret Pokémon genetic engineering research.
But with the archipelago consisting of nine large islands and countless small ones, the exact location of X Laboratory, its research projects, and progress remained a mystery to the League.
Due to the mission's high confidentiality, even the Shadow Ops refrained from assigning her any tasks in Cerulean City the night before. They wanted to avoid drawing attention to her in such a heavily watched area.
"No." Ophelia's expression remained calm as she shook her head naturally. With a curious tone, she asked, "Why? Does this lab have something to do with our company?"
A mission this classified wasn't something she could reveal, even to a close friend.
"Hmm..." Mia pouted, then abruptly changed the subject. "Recently, we received a commission to assist Onando Research Institute in Unova with an archaeological project."
Ophelia nodded. She knew that Mia had joined her family-owned research institute after graduating. Collaborating with other research institutions on archaeological projects was routine. What puzzled her was why Mia brought it up now.
"We had everything arranged—personnel selected, plans finalized. But yesterday afternoon, Unova suddenly backed out." Mia's gaze sharpened as she looked at Ophelia. "They canceled the partnership, even at the cost of paying a hefty penalty fee."
"Was it because of Silph?" Ophelia narrowed her eyes.
"Unova didn't say outright, but according to our investigation, yes—Silph replaced us. And it seems 'X Laboratory' is involved." Mia blinked her large eyes, clearly hoping to glean something from her brilliant friend's reaction.
"Yesterday, you say?" Ophelia's expression remained steady. "I wouldn't know. I've been tied up with the Cerulean City dispute these past two days."
"Heh, Ophelia, I'm not accusing you of anything." Mia chuckled softly. "Silph is a giant in Kanto, so it's no surprise they'd compete with us. But if they're going to such lengths, it must be something big. If you can, keep an eye out for me. I'll buy you ice cream later."
Ophelia shook her head helplessly. "Fine."
Even without Mia's request, she would investigate. Any lead related to X Laboratory was critical.
But unlike the oblivious Ophelia, Lucius within her knew far more.
Onando Research Institute's archaeological project? Wasn't that the ruins excavation Dolores had mentioned?
So, before approaching Team Rocket, Syndicate had sought partnerships with other organizations.
That wasn't surprising. Large-scale cross-regional operations were impossible without local allies.
But why abandon the Hjelle Research Institute and side with Team Rocket?
Could it be because of the enigmatic X Laboratory?
The name intrigued Lucius immensely. After all, Mewtwo—a Pokémon with legendary-level power—was born from Team Rocket's lab.
That lab was supposedly in the Orange Archipelago as well—until it was obliterated when Mewtwo awakened.
So, what connection did X Laboratory have to the one destroyed by Mewtwo?
The thought sparked Lucius's curiosity. If this archaeological project was just a cover for excavation, it might be the perfect opportunity.
Ruins, remote and isolated, were ideal for experimentation. Perhaps he could even test the new virus strain there.
The conversation drifted to trivial topics after that—nothing important. Mia teased Ophelia about potential office crushes, complained about the no-skirt policy at her family's research institute, and gossiped about the latest luxury brands at the Celadon City Premium Mall.
Lucius, listening from within, found it all profoundly dull.
...
Indigo Plateau.
Nestled beside Mt. Silver, Indigo Plateau was the heart of both Kanto and Johto—the very center of power.
Here, decisions shaped the world—policies that determined the fate of millions.
It was the epicenter of wealth and authority, holding countless resources and untold secrets.
The place was sacred and solemn, its grand halls lined with statues forged from the legacies of champions.
Every trainer here was elite—four Elite Four members and one Champion guarded the League headquarters at all times.
This was the seat of the world's strongest authority—the headquarters of the Pokémon League.
Today, the sanctity of the Plateau was broken by the roar of a helicopter's engines.
A rare occurrence—helicopter landings were only permitted for matters of utmost urgency.
The chill wind swept across the grand entrance, where a young champion-level figure stood, lost in thought.
He had almost forgotten what the grand hall looked like—before everything had changed.
...
After parting ways with Mia Hjelle, Ophelia returned to her hotel room and quickly drafted her report on the Cerulean City Police Department incident.
If no further orders came from the company, her next step was to return to Saffron City.
Given the incident's impact, the ongoing legal disputes would likely remain unresolved for some time.
Soon, she received a reply from her superior, Andreas.
To her surprise, Andreas did not instruct her to return to Saffron City. Instead, he ordered her to meet with Tyler Jorron, the Houston Corporation External Affairs Manager stationed in Cerulean City, to receive a shipment of supplies.
As for what the supplies were for, Andreas gave no explanation.
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