The farce had e to an end. Dr. Parlo, who had assumed that having research results would grant him trol over the discourse, came to uand the ways of underground forces at the cost of two of his colleagues.

  Researchers were not fools—anyone capable of such work was naturally intelligent. When a group of smart people gathered, their thoughts became even more intricate.

  While Dr. Parlo was still hesitating about whether to obediently hand over the results, the more self-preserving researchers had already reported to Voya.

  "Lady Voya, it was that old bastard Parlo who forbade us from speaking. In fact, we wao inform you the moment the research results came out."

  An elderly researcher, well-regarded iside world, was now hunched over with his frail back, fawni nervous as he reported to Voya, whose face remained expressionless.

  "And what are your research findings this time?" Voya crossed her legs, leaned back slightly, and asked in a casual tone.

  "It's…" The old researcher faltered. Though he was aged, his abilities and character were mediocre at best, so he actually had no idea what the findings were.

  "You don't know?"

  "I…" Cold sweat started dripping down the old researcher's forehead. The woman before him, as beautiful as a painting, felt to him like a ferocious beast.

  "Leave," Voya said, her expression unged from beginning to end. The old researcher, as if granted a reprieve, hurriedly and clumsily left.

  "Deal with him. A useless old man."

  "Yes, Lady Voya!"

  Voya spoke into the empty room as if she were merely crushing a cockroach.

  With deliberate dissemination, news of the old researcher's fate spread quickly throughout the underground base.

  The already fearful researchers could no longer hold out, and in the end, they all turned against Dr. Parlo!

  Hiding in the ventition duct for barely a m, Sato had watched the entire show unfold.

  He couldn't help but marvel—how could a girl of just seventeen hteen have such a calg mind?

  ----------

  That afternoon, Dr. Parlo, looking utterly dejected, was surrounded—or rather, threatened—by the others as he approached Voya and voluntarily handed over their research findings.

  "Team Rocket invited all of you here because you are all capable researchers. We provide the manpower and resources, and you focus entirely on your research. Isn't that ideal, Dr. Parlo?"

  "Y-yes, yes… I was being foolish La-dy V-Voya," Parlo muttered, looking at Voya, who was about the same age as his granddaughter, his heart gripped by genuine fear.

  "Everyone, go a for now. Tomorrow, be ready—I will e to review your research results. Dr. Parlo, does that arra work for you?" For the first time, Voya smiled.

  It was, undeniably, stunning.

  "N-no problem!" Parlo hurriedly replied before he was escorted back to the research area by his colleagues.

  With the metaphorical bde already at their throats and the deadli for tomorrow, no researcher was foolish enough to actually go rest.

  Sato instructed Gengar to find an abandoned warehouse without security surveilnce. After hastily feeding the Pokémon, he crawled back through the ventition ducts toward the research zone.

  "Rolle, is the Potential Enha Serum still stable?"

  "It's retively stable, but we've been w on the Fire-type Potential Enha Serum, so its energy has remained rather votile."

  "Have you ducted live experiments?"

  "A total of 138 live trials. Aside from the initial 16 cases, where improper serum tration ratios caused the test subjects to explode, all other subjects showed varying degrees of potential enha," reported a researcher named Rolle.

  "Ordinary talent successfully enhao Elite talent: 93 cases, failed: 27. Elite talent successfully enhao Pseudo-Elite Four: 18 cases, failed: 10…"

  Dr. Parlo muttered to himself as he held a data report, then smmed it onto the table with force, shouting angrily, "Uable! duct as many experiments as possible tonight—push the numbers up!"

  "But… One night isn't nearly enough for the test subjects to show ges," Researcher Rolle hesitated.

  "Then ihe serum faster! A little more pain won't matter—they're just test subjects," Dr. Parlo said coldly, his eyes menag, making Rolle too afraid tue.

  From the ventition duct, Sato watched the researchers moving around, his gaze icy.

  One Fire-type Pokémon after another was brought onto the operating table, ied with the Potential Enha Serum, which looked like molten va.

  Among these so-called test subjects, Ponyta, Houndour, and Slugma were the most on, though there were occasional rarer Pokémon like Magmar, Vulpix, and daquil.

  Onjected with the serum, the Pokémon's bodies occasionally showed magma-like flows across their surfaces—a terrifying sight.

  At the same time, eaje was apanied by agonized, ear-pierg wails.

  When a Houndour, uo ehe pain from the serum, let out a desperate howl, Sato's Houndour's Poké Ball began trembling violently in his hand.

  "Don't worry, I'll stop this!"

  Pg the now gradually calming Poké Ball back, Sato knew he wasn't a saint, but he was willing to act for the sake of his own Houndour.

  "Gengar, put everyone in the monit room to sleep!"

  "Gengar!"

  The clever Gengar instantly vanished, floating toward the area he had already scouted earlier. Within minutes, Gengar returned, pletely at ease.

  ", the researchers."

  "Gengar!"

  H above the bright indest lights, Gengar released pink hypnotic waves, amplified by the light, affeg all the awake researchers.

  It was the middle of the night, and after everything that had happened during the day, there were no Team Rocket members guarding the research area.

  Before long, Gengar had successfully put all the researchers to sleep. Sato dropped down from the ventition dud released Houndour and Zoroark.

  Having once been a pack leader, Houndour quickly calmed the panicked Pokémon, while Zoroark's overwhelming presensured that no chaos broke out.

  "Gengar, find the best escape route nearby—not just for us, but for all of them as well," Sato said, pointing to the caged Pokémon.

  "Gengar!"

  Gengar nodded seriously—at the moment, the only way out was to "hypnotize" a path through, making the task incredibly difficult.

  "Spinarak, Larvitar, you e out too—help Houndour free the imprisoned Pokémon!"

  After issuing his ands, Sato quickly ran to the puter sole. Fortunately, he had some knowledge of puters, so he po copy the entire experiment's data.

  Since he didn't o restart the system, the process didn't take him much time.

  Meanwhile, the Pokémon were being freed even faster than Sato's as. Under Houndour's and, the Pokémon used Ember, Cut, and other moves, keeping their o a minimum.

  Even those Pokémon still suffering in pain were instructed by Houndour to cry louder, helping to cover the sounds of the entire operation.