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[Defeat Shiftry (Rage) LV72, gain experience 8001]
[Defeat Shiftry (Rage) LV71, gain experience 7823]
The Pokemon Dr. Namba had forced into a Rage state using radio waves—Shiftry, Primeape, Mightyena, and others—were all either Dark-type or naturally aggressive species. Unfortunately for Team Rocket, Dr. Namba's control only provided general directional commands.
These Pokemon dominated by Rage fought purely on instinct, creating an enormous skill gap when facing Pokemon raised by a Trainer focused on proper breeding techniques. Even though Chris's Pokemon were three or four levels lower than their opponents, the combination of type advantages and superior move selection turned the battle into a one-sided massacre.
In just two minutes, all of Ariana's and Dr. Namba's Pokemon were defeated. Ariana wasn't limited to just three Pokemon—she had a full team of six. Her Vileplume and Roserade were pinned to the ground by Mega Gardevoir's Psychic, while her Murkrow didn't survive a single Dazzling Gleam attack.
"Pokemon raised with quality Pokeblocks, at least 4 perfect IVs, plus strategic move combinations and intensive training..." Chris surveyed the battlefield with undeniable pride. "My team's strength far exceeds their numerical level. I bet they could easily handle Level 70 challenges in the future."
Ordinarily, an Executive like Ariana would have been a formidable opponent with her high-level Pokemon. But her reliance on Poison-types proved catastrophic against Chris's Mega Gardevoir holding Garcidea. No tactical approach could have changed the outcome given such a severe type disadvantage.
Based on this battle and the recommended level scaling, Chris estimated that once his Pokemon reached Level 70, they'd be capable of infiltrating Team Magma's Base and Team Aqua's Hideout in the Hoenn region.
Looking around at the defeated Rocket members, Chris realized the mission wasn't complete yet. There were still 53 seconds before Lance would arrive.
"Is there something I'm missing?" Chris wondered. "Could it be that Ariana isn't actually the leader of the Mahogany Town Rocket Hideout?"
That seemed unlikely. As one of the four Team Rocket Executives, Ariana was the most senior. If she wasn't in charge of this operation, then who would be?
Archer? Or perhaps Giovanni himself?
Chris dismissed the latter possibility—this kind of research facility would likely be something Giovanni would oversee personally rather than visit directly.
Shaking his head slightly, he decided not to overthink it. Perhaps there would be additional plot developments when Lance arrived.
While waiting, Chris casually took out his "Treasure Detector," a tool he hadn't used in quite some time, to see if there might be any valuable items hidden in the Rocket Hideout.
"Buzz!" The detector immediately activated with a strong signal.
The directional lock pointed firmly behind Chris, indicating what was likely a legendary item based on the intensity of the reading.
"There's a legendary item here?"
Chris turned around to face a seemingly ordinary wall.
"Is there a hidden space behind this wall, like in Olivine City?" he wondered suspiciously. As if on cue, cracks began appearing on the wall's surface.
"BOOM!" The wall shattered, revealing a large, muscular arm.
A moment later, the entire wall collapsed completely as Lance's Dragonite stepped through the opening, followed by the Dragon Master himself.
"Ariana?" Lance exclaimed upon seeing the Team Rocket Executive lying hypnotized on the ground. "You defeated and captured her!"
Chris ignored Lance, his attention still fixed on the Treasure Detector. Its direction hadn't changed despite Lance and Dragonite's arrival—it continued pointing emphatically toward the passage that Dragonite had forcefully opened behind the wall.
This meant the legendary item wasn't on Lance or his Dragonite. Any legendary items they possessed wouldn't register on the detector since they were already claimed.
It seemed the legendary item was still somewhere within the Rocket Hideout!
Chris recalled all his Pokemon without acknowledging Lance, instructing Mega Gardevoir to teleport him toward the legendary item's location.
But Chris could only teleport about a hundred meters at once.
As Lance grabbed Ariana in the hall, the scene before Chris suddenly changed, and he found himself back at his secret base. On his device screen, the game protagonist had returned to the entrance of the Rocket Hideout.
A dungeon completion notification appeared:
[Dungeon "Rocket Hideout - Mahogany Town" (completed), rewards are as follows:]
[1. Random Advanced Pokemon Item]
[2. Rare Technical Machine]
[3. Random Team Pokemon Mega Evolution Stone] (First completion special reward)
[4. Random Team Pokemon Exclusive Item] (Special reward for defeating Ariana before Lance's arrival)
The rewards were impressive, but Chris was more concerned about the legendary item he'd been teleported away from before he could claim it.
When he attempted to re-enter the Rocket Hideout dungeon, a notification immediately appeared:
[Dungeon cooldown time: 30 days]
He would have to wait a full month before trying again.
"I wonder if the legendary item will still be there when I can finally return," Chris thought uncertainly.
Items in dungeons were unpredictable. The "Zapdos's Treasure" had been obtained in a previous dungeon, but other items refreshed later, while some treasures never reappeared.
"Next time I enter any dungeon, I'll activate the Treasure Detector immediately," he resolved.
With no other option but to wait a month before re-entering the Rocket Hideout, Chris turned his attention to examining his dungeon rewards.
The random advanced Pokemon item turned out to be a Secret Treasure-tier item:
Morning Sun Fire Stone: Capable of evolving specific Pokemon. When held, it increases all stats by 10%, doubles stamina recovery speed, increases Fire-type move power by 10%, and doubles effectiveness under Sunny Day conditions.
"A Secret Treasure-tier Fire Stone? Perfect for Growlithe!"
Chris had been seeking such an item for a while. His Steelix had evolved using a Secret Treasure-tier Metal Coat, and he'd planned to ask his teacher to help locate someone willing to trade for another Secret Treasure-tier evolution item. This reward saved him the trouble.
However, Chris decided against evolving Growlithe immediately. Pokemon that evolved through items needed to maximize their potential at their current stage before evolving. This approach ensured they would reach higher potential and strength after evolution!