Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 62: The Proper Use of a Search Warrant

Vermilion City Gym

Ever since Lt. Surge left, the entire Gym had been on high alert.

Under the moonlight and streetlamps, over a dozen Gym trainers stood guard at the entrance, their eyes scanning the surroundings with vigilance.

In a nearby alley…

Asahi and Green observed the Gym from a distance.

"Should we just walk up with the search warrant and kick down the door?" Green asked, even mimicking a door-kicking motion.

Clearly, this fit her image of how the International Police—this so-called 'violent institution'—should operate.

"If our Kanto branch still had its full team instead of just the two of us, then maybe."

"But since my former colleagues were all dismissed by my former boss in one fell swoop… we're a little short on manpower."

Asahi spread his hands helplessly.

Honestly, he shared Green's sentiment—he, too, wanted to experience the thrill of kicking down a door FBI-style.

Unfortunately, with just the two of them, it wasn't feasible.

If they stormed in head-on, by the time they fought past the guards, all the crucial evidence inside would probably be destroyed.

"How about sneaking in?" Green suggested next.

This was something she excelled at. Whether it was disguise infiltration or scaling walls with the help of Pokémon, she was proficient in both.

However, Asahi still shook his head. His reasoning was simple:

"If we sneak in, then what was the point of getting a search warrant?"

"?"

Not charging in openly and not sneaking in either—Green had no idea what Asahi was planning.

She decided to just stay quiet and watch.

Asahi smiled. "This search warrant has a special use. Today, I'll show you the true meaning of 'attacking from the center.'"

He nodded to Gardevoir.

A moment later, Gardevoir grasped both Asahi and Green's arms, her eyes glowing blue as she activated her psychic powers.

Swish

The three of them vanished from the alley in an instant.

---

Inside Vermilion Gym…

Green felt a wave of dizziness. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a room filled with equipment and monitors.

On the wall in front of her was a massive screen displaying a map of Vermilion City, covered with moving red dots.

Below the screen, a group of Rocket members in uniform were busy coordinating with their squads. They were so focused on their tasks that they didn't even notice the sudden arrival of Asahi and Green.

(This is… the hidden Rocket command center inside the Gym?)

Green immediately understood what Asahi meant by 'attacking from the center.'

What's next?

Should they start fighting?

She turned to Asahi to ask for instructions—only to see him calmly pulling out the search warrant.

In the next moment, Asahi raised it high and cleared his throat loudly.

"This is the International Police Kanto Branch. You are suspected of involvement in an attack against League personnel. Step away from the equipment and Poké Balls immediately and prepare for questioning."

Green was utterly stunned.

Did he seriously just announce himself… inside the heart of Team Rocket's operations?!

This… this is your 'proper use' of a search warrant?!

The Rocket members in the command center were either too busy or too confident in their security to react immediately.

Seeing that he was being ignored, Asahi repeated, "This is the International Police Kanto Branch. You are suspected of attempting to overthrow the League. Step away from the equipment and Poké Balls immediately."

This time, perhaps because of the change in wording, someone finally noticed the strangers in their 'secure' command center.

And that one stranger was waving an official search warrant in their faces.

"Who the hell are you?!"

A Rocket grunt quickly reached for his Poké Ball.

But before his fingers even brushed it, Gardevoir's eyes flashed blue. The grunt collapsed to the floor instantly.

Several other Rocket members who reacted just as quickly met the same fate.

Asahi sighed. "Why can't you people ever just listen?"

"I told you twice not to touch your Poké Balls, but you just had to try…"

"Trying to reason with Rocket members is exhausting."

Since Lt. Surge had deployed most of his forces, the Gym had been left with only a skeleton crew, relying on pre-set traps for defense.

So when Asahi teleported directly into the command center, the entire Gym essentially became defenseless.

Gardevoir hypnotized one of the remaining Rocket grunts and had him lure the rest of the guards inside, where they were promptly subdued.

Meanwhile, Green handcuffed the administrative staff and began gathering evidence.

Asahi walked into the Gym's battle arena, took a seat in Lt. Surge's chair, and played with Eevee while waiting for his arrival.

All that was left… was to bring this operation to a perfect close.

---

Lt. Surge was in a terrible mood.

He had never faced such an infuriating opponent.

First, they sent him an anonymous threat instead of challenging him outright.

Then, when he deployed his forces, they refused to confront him directly, targeting only his isolated subordinates.

Fine. Maybe they guessed he had set traps inside the Gym.

So, to force a direct fight, he left the Gym himself. Surely, they'd come after him now.

But…

The enemy was nowhere to be found.

He had spent the entire night patrolling Vermilion City with his team, and they hadn't spotted even a shadow of the so-called "Masked Corps."

Frustrated, he ordered Electabuzz to zap a passing Fearow out of the sky with Thunderbolt. Then, deciding to cut his losses, he prepared to return to the Gym and request reinforcements from headquarters.

Sighing, he pulled out his communicator.

"Command center, notify all teams to fall back."

Static.

"Command center, respond."

Static.

He repeated the call several times, but the only reply was the sound of interference.

"Jamming?"

This wasn't unfamiliar to him. Team Rocket themselves used communication jammers against the International Police all the time.

"So they're still not done messing with me? Are they trying to isolate my teams and pick them off one by one again?"

Lt. Surge felt utterly disgusted—like he had just swallowed a Grimer whole.

Fortunately, the Gym had anti-jamming equipment stored in the vault, though only he had the authorization to retrieve it.

Quickening his pace, he headed back.

But for some reason… a faint sense of unease crept into his heart.

---

***

To read an advance 80+ chapters before public release

And

Support me at [email protected]/NahinS77