At 4 o'clock in the morning, it was raining again, while most people were still enjoying the tranquility brought by the rain and sleeping soundly in their beds.
A campaign of arrests against the Asuka group was underway in five different cities. Zachary's team had departed from the border, with Zachary personally escorting Eagle back to the Pokemon investigator base. The other three teams had been dispatched to support operations in the five cities.
John, Mira, and Hugh's team had been sent to Hoshino City for backup. Unlike the smooth and efficient frontier operation, the strike in Hoshino met fierce resistance from the very start.
By the time John and the others arrived, the investigators hadn't even breached the base.
"Hugh, what are you doing here?" Bill, the captain leading the Hoshino City operation, asked in surprise when he saw John's team arrive.
"Our mission is complete. We successfully captured Eagle, the leader of Team Asuka!" Hugh replied. "So, we're here to assist you now."
"You captured Eagle?"
"Zachary really is one of the four legendary investigators of the Draconia Kingdom. We launched our attacks at the same time, yet not only did he complete his mission first, but he also managed to take down Eagle himself?" Bill couldn't help but be impressed.
Investigators typically operated independently, without fixed hierarchies. In the past, Bill had assumed Zachary's reputation was mostly hype—just a few extra years of experience. But now, seeing the difference firsthand, he realized the gap was real.
"Actually, that's not quite..." Hugh glanced at John, about to explain the full details, but John stopped him with a glance.
"Captain Bill, what's the current status at the Asuka base in Hoshino City?" John asked.
Bill quickly replied, "The base here is guarded by their top Executive, Owl. The moment we launched our strike, he personally intervened to stop us. Since then, they've reinforced their defenses, making it even harder to get in. However, we've completely surrounded the base. There's no way for them to escape."
John nodded. If Eagle, the Asuka leader, had Gym Leader-level strength, then his top Executive wouldn't be much weaker.
He turned toward the Asuka base.
It was a five-story building. The first two floors operated as a general store during the day, while the upper floors served as living quarters for Asuka members. Fortunately, the attack had been launched after 3 a.m., ensuring there were no civilian hostages inside.
The surrounding residential buildings had already been evacuated. Bill's team had sealed the area from four directions, positioning Electric-type Pokemon at the perimeter. On a rainy night, Thunderbolt would be particularly effective.
"What about underground?" John asked.
"We've got four Dugtrios stationed down there. If they try to tunnel out, they'll be in for a nasty surprise," Bill replied confidently.
John nodded, then glanced up at the sky. "We need to finish this before dawn. The longer it drags on, the worse it'll get. Warn your men—if any birds try to escape, take them down immediately."
With that, he pulled out a Pokeball and released Blaziken.
Blaziken erupted in orange-red flames. With powerful strides, it shot forward like a blazing comet, smashing into the barricaded entrance.
The supposedly sturdy rock gate shattered like brittle clay under Blaziken's assault, blowing open with ease.
"Investigators are storming in!" came a panicked shout from inside.
Flames crackled, illuminating the entrance in a crimson glow. John charged through the breach without hesitation.
"Hey, wait a second!" Bill shouted in shock. "I'm the captain here! Isn't that way too reckless?"
Hugh quickly pulled Bill back. "Let him go. He just single-handedly took down the entire smuggling wing of the Asuka group and captured Eagle alive."
"What?!" Bill's eyes widened.
"I'm telling you, he—"
On the side, Mira yawned, tuning out Hugh's bragging as she jotted 'Let Him Cook' on a piece of paper. She leaned back, waiting for John to return.
Inside the Asuka base, Owl sat on the stairwell leading to the roof, surrounded by his core members.
"The investigators have the entire building surrounded. They've locked down both the air and underground. What's our move now?" a goateed middle-aged man asked anxiously, pacing back and forth.
"Any word from the other bases?" Owl asked suddenly.
"No response. Either our signal is blocked, or..." A young man hesitated.
"Or what? Spit it out," the middle-aged man snapped.
The grunt hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Or the other bases have also been hit. If every Asuka facility was taken by surprise, they might be under attack just like us. That would explain why no reinforcements have come."
Owl exhaled sharply. "No need to keep contacting the boss. If we're all under attack, he's already dealing with his own fight."
Silence filled the room.
"Grrr..." Houndoom growled suddenly, shifting restlessly, its nose twitching as it caught an enticing scent. It stared downward, tail flicking impatiently.
"What's wrong?" Owl placed a steadying hand on Houndoom's head. The Dark-type Pokemon stilled slightly, but its eyes remained fixed on the lower floors, clearly drawn by something.
Owl frowned. He had trained Houndoom to memorize specific scents—people and objects of high importance. If it was reacting now, that meant something significant had entered the building.
"Why now of all times?" he muttered. Then, a new thought struck him, and his expression darkened.
"Is it possible... the person Houndoom has identified is a Pokemon investigator? Or worse, the thing we're looking for is already in their hands?"