The next morning, after leaving the Pokémon Center, Cain disguised himself and headed north of Mahogany Town.
The Lake of Rage is located to the north of Mahogany Town. Originally, there were some residents around the lake, but due to Team Rocket's invasion of the area, everyone moved to Mahogany Town.
Now, everything around the Lake of Rage is controlled by Team Rocket.
Cain, dressed in civilian clothes and without carrying any Pokémon, walked north. Previously, many people would visit the Lake of Rage from Mahogany Town as tourists, so the League built a road to facilitate access for residents and visitors. However, now that road benefited Team Rocket.
On the way, Cain encountered a few people, most showing subtle signs of being with Team Rocket. Although not obvious at first glance, Cain noticed these details. Without stopping, he continued walking alone to the north.
After two hours, the path ended at a steel wall, with only one entrance guarded by a gate and several guards stationed there. Cain adjusted his clothes as he slowly walked towards them under their watchful eyes.
One of the guards approached Cain, expressionless, and said, "This is a private area; entry is not allowed without authorization."
Without saying a word, Cain slightly lifted his clothing, revealing a belt with Team Rocket's emblem on his waist. He then took out a Team Rocket ID card.
Although the guard kept a neutral face, seeing Cain's belt and ID card softened his expression slightly. He took Cain's ID and said stiffly, "Wait here." He then stepped aside and entered the guard booth to verify Cain's identity, while the other guards kept watching him.
Cain nodded slightly in his mind. Although corruption was rampant in many other Team Rocket bases, the management system here seemed quite solid. At least the quality of the guards indicated that Team Rocket in Mahogany Town wasn't just a front.
After a short time, the guard returned, handed Cain back his ID card, and motioned for him to pass through the gate.
This place was only the entrance to the Lake of Rage area, not the research base. Even so, the control was quite strict, likely due to recent changes in Mahogany Town.
Cain walked through the gate set up by Team Rocket, with still an hour's walk left to the Lake of Rage. Once past the gate, it was evident that people no longer hid their affiliation with Team Rocket; everyone wore some emblem of Team Rocket, whether in full uniform or at least a badge on their chest.
To avoid trouble, Cain also took a Team Rocket badge from his belt and pinned it to his chest. Then, he tucked in his shirt to clearly display the Team Rocket belt on his waist. After these adjustments, the curious glances around him noticeably decreased.
Calmly, Cain adjusted his outfit and released Murkrow from its Pokéball. Immediately, the looks around him disappeared completely.
Sometimes, it's necessary to show your fangs so that those with ill intentions back off. With Murkrow by his side, Cain headed directly toward the research base at the Lake of Rage.
There were more and more Team Rocket members accompanied by Pokémon, and no one paid attention to Cain's presence; he had fully blended in.
An hour later, at the entrance of an underground tunnel, ten uniformed Team Rocket members guarded the entrance, surveying the area and securing the perimeter. Unlike the areas Cain had passed before, the atmosphere here was much more serious.
Cain's appearance caught their attention, though they weren't as strict as before. After all, most who reached this point were Team Rocket members whose identities had already been verified.
However, this wasn't a place just anyone could enter, so two guards approached Cain to stop him.
"Kid, you're not allowed to come any closer," said one of them, a fierce-looking man with a menacing smile. His expression was intimidating enough to make a child cry.
"I need to see your captain; I have an issue," Cain said, looking at him.
The man was at least two meters tall, with muscles that looked chiseled out of rock. Compared to him, Cain looked like a child.
The two guards exchanged glances, then looked at Murkrow on Cain's shoulder. Seeing that Cain didn't seem afraid, they recognized he wasn't a rookie in Team Rocket.
"Come with us, and don't look around," said the man in a stern tone. They seemed to have recognized Cain's strength; otherwise, they wouldn't have allowed just anyone to ask to see their captain without question.
They led Cain to the entrance of the underground tunnel, where they presented him to a young, ordinary-looking man.
"Captain, this kid wants to see you," the fierce guard said, his voice less intimidating than before. Clearly, he didn't dare be so brazen in front of his superior.
The captain, who had been busy with a knife, looked up and examined Cain. "What's your business?" he asked.
"Uh, well, if there's nothing else, I'll return to my post," said the fierce guard, quickly slipping away like a mouse fleeing a cat.
Cain took a black badge from his belt and showed it to the captain before quickly putting it away again.
That black badge was the one Umbra had given Cain, representing his status as a reserve member of Team Rocket's shadow unit.
Although the captain only saw the badge for a second, he recognized what it was, and his expression changed slightly. He looked at Cain closely for three seconds before speaking: "I've been expecting you, it's about time you arrived."
Now it was Cain's turn to be surprised. What did that mean? Had he been sent by Umbra to wait for him?
The captain stood up and said to Cain, "Come, I'll take you inside." Then, he turned to his subordinates: "I'm taking him inside, and you better not slack off while I'm gone! Understood!"
The guards, who looked like bulls, trembled at his words and quickly nodded.
Satisfied, the captain opened the underground tunnel door and led Cain inside.