As the elevator ascended, Helena's mind raced, replaying everything Gardevoir had uncovered. A genetically modified Zoroark? The implications of such experimentation were beyond anything she had ever imagined.
And Dune—her strong, unshakable lover—seemed unusually tense, lost in his own thoughts.
'One of the most optimal strategies to hunt legendary Pokémon is to have a Zoroark use its [Illusion] ability to take the appearance of a fighting or poison-type Pokémon and take advantage of a dark-type's immunity to psychic types,' Dune murmured.
'But to think such a basic strategy, one used in games to cheese legendary Pokémon like Ultra-Necrozma, would be employed right in front of me...'
His thoughts trailed off, and a dark chuckle escaped him. The dim lights inside the elevator flickered as they moved up, and Helena, Gardevoir, and Lopunny could all feel the weight of Dune's emotions—rage, lust, anger, disappointment.
The girls exchanged uneasy glances, choosing to remain silent, unsure of what was going through his mind.
Lopunny, ever the tension-breaker, leaned back against the wall, her eyes half-lidded as if bored by the ominous atmosphere.
"Legendary hunting?" Helena asked quietly, trying to make sense of Dune's mutterings.
Dune didn't respond immediately, his eyes narrowing in deep thought. Finally, his deep voice rumbled, "If Silph C.O. is modifying Pokemon to this extent, they're preparing for something far worse than we've seen."
"This Zoroark might be just the beginning. If they can perfect these cheap strategies, they have more dangerous plans in the works."
Helena's heart skipped a beat. "You mean… they could capture and control legendary Pokemon using this technology?"
Dune nodded grimly. "Legendaries operate beyond the status quo. Some are weaker than ordinary Pokemon, but others can't be defeated through a regular fight. You need strategies to handle them."
"Zoroarks just so happened to be proficient at countering some of the strongest legendaries."
The air in the elevator seemed to grow colder. Helena clenched her fists, a fierce determination solidifying within her. "We can't let that happen."
The elevator jolted to a halt with a soft ding, and the doors slid open, revealing a stark, sterile corridor.
Gardevoir floated gracefully ahead, her senses sharp as ever. She led the way, her luminous chest casting the only light in the pitch-black facility.
"I've pinpointed Subject 606-6's containment chamber," Gardevoir whispered, her voice a mix of urgency and calm.
"It's just ahead, but we must be cautious. The security system may have triggered additional defenses with the blackout."
They crept through the corridor, their footsteps muffled by the oppressive silence. The laboratory was eerily deserted, as though everyone had fled when the power went out.
Helena's breath was shallow, her pulse racing as they approached the door to the containment chamber.
Suddenly, a mechanical hum filled the air, and the door slid open.
The scene felt surreal as the door slid open, revealing not a sterile laboratory but a cozy living room—an odd view amidst the chaos of the rest of the floors and rooms.
Two elderly men sat at a small table, seemingly engrossed in a pleasant conversation, as if oblivious to the disaster surrounding them.
One was Giovanni, the infamous leader of Team Rocket, and the other wore the badge of authority—the director of Silph Co.
On the far side of the room, a female Zoroark with massive breasts, bound and beaten, was chained to the wall.
Her fur was matted, and bruises marred her body; she was completely naked, and her pink nipples were hard due to the cold floor and walls she was chained to; her once majestic and voluptuous form was reduced to a pitiful state of captivity.
Helena's eyes widened in shock, her pulse quickening at the sight.
Giovanni turned his head at the sound of the door opening, an amused smirk playing on his lips.
"Ah, Red! So we meet again! The PRESIDENT and I were just discussing a vital business proposition—" He paused mid-sentence, his expression shifting from casual confidence to confusion as his sharp eyes focused on Helena and her group.
His gaze hardened, his voice turning cold. "Wait... You're not Red. Who the hell are you?"
Helena stepped forward, her heart pounding in her chest, trying to control the anxiety inside her. "I'm Helena," she declared, trying not to stutter, her voice steady despite the rising tension.
"And we're here to stop whatever sick plan you and Silph Co. have been hatching."
Giovanni's smirk returned, darker as he rose from his seat. "Helena... as in Helena Devon, you say? Another meddler, then." He looked her up and down, stopping in her chest momentarily before moving briefly to Dune and Lopunny beside her. "What exactly do you think you can accomplish here?"
Before Helena could answer, Dune stepped forward, his towering form casting a shadow over the room. Giovanni arched an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
"I got a Garchomp. He may not be the same color and size as yours, but it sure puts on a fight..." Giovanni said as his hands played with the Pokeballs under his jacket.
"You... Free that Zoroak and surrender, or I may forced to use... Force," Helena said as Gardevoir and Lopunny prepared to fight their battles.
"You must be joking. This Zoroark is far too valuable. Do you even understand what you've stumbled into?" He gestured toward the chained Pokemon.
"Subject 606-6 is the key to something far beyond your or anyone's understanding, don't you get it? I'm doing this for the good of everyone, and I'm not about to hand her over to some wannabe hero."
The director of Silph Co., who had been silent until now, spoke up, his voice shaky and nervous. "We have made advancements that could change everything."
Helena's eyes furrowed as she stared them down. "I don't care what you two old farts think... I will act as I see fit, and what I see..."
"Is two men too afraid of themselves to stop and think about what they are about to do"
Giovanni chuckled darkly, unfazed by her outburst. "Call it what you want. But power is power. And when it comes to Pokemon like Zoroark, you either use it or lose to it."
As Giovanni's words hung in the air, the Zoroark let out a weak snarl, her red eyes glowing faintly. Dune's claws clenched, and Helena could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.
He was holding back, but just barely.
'Spill the beans, Giovanni; what use does a Zoroark have for you? You stopped the investigations for 20 years, and now you start it all over again...'
"We're done talking," Giovanni said, his voice cold and authoritative, as he heard explosions approaching rapidly. "I'll free you later, Mr. President, I can't win this fight, not yet."
With a nod, the President pressed a button. Immediately following, an Alakazam wearing a strange metallic helmet appeared beside Giovanni and [Teleported] him away.
Helena clenched her fists, frustration bubbling to the surface as the man who had orchestrated so much suffering slipped through her grasp.
But before she could dwell on it, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.
Red appeared at the entrance, covered in metallic dust that made his body shine under the dim lights. His iconic red hat was pulled low over his eyes, and his shiny Charizard stood tall beside him, its scales gleaming with an otherworldly glow.
On his other side, a Lapras gazed into the room gracefully, its massive frame filling the doorway.
"..." Red didn't say a thing, but his gaze said, "Where's Giovanni?"
"He teleported away," Helena replied, her tone frustrated but steady. We couldn't stop him, but he left something behind." She gestured toward the Silph Co. president, who was still sitting on the opposite side of the room, his expression a mix of fear and defiance.
Red's gaze shifted to the President, and before the man could react, Gardevoir stepped forward. Her eyes glowed a deep violet as she used [Psychic], locking the President in place before he could attempt his own escape.
"You're not getting away that easily," Helena said, her voice cold and formal.
The President struggled but was no match for Gardevoir's immense power. He remained frozen, his face contorting in frustration.
Red was confused. What was the Silph C.O. president doing here, and why was a Zoroark naked and chained up in one of the walls of the room?
Meanwhile, Lopunny darted toward the chained Zoroark. She released the locks holding the Pokemon captive with a swift, practiced kick.
As soon as the chains fell away, the Zoroark staggered forward, her body trembling from exhaustion and pain. But her instincts kicked in, and in a flash, she activated her [Illusion] ability.
The beaten Zoroark's form shimmered momentarily before she transformed into a young blonde woman with a flowing green dress.
The illusion was flawless, and if not for the lingering tension in the room, it might have seemed as if the woman had always been there.
Without waiting for anyone to react, the disguised Zoroark bolted toward the door, her movements quick and desperate as she fled the room. Helena, Red, and the others watched as she disappeared down the corridor, her footsteps growing fainter with each passing second.
"...?" Red looked at Helena, confused, as if asking, "Should we go after her?" Tilting his head as he watched the Pokemon fade from view.
Helena shook her head, her gaze still locked on the Silph Co. president. "Let her go. She's been through enough."
Red nodded in agreement, though his eyes remained confused by everything happening.
He stepped forward, his Charizard and Lapras moving with him as he approached the immobilized President, standing alongside Helena.
"Why was Giovanni here? What were you two planning?" Helena asked as Dune grabbed the President by his neck, raising him high.
The President, still held in place by Gardevoir's psychic grip, glared at them with defiance and fear. "You don't understand," he spat.
"What we were doing—what we're still doing—will change everything. Giovanni saw that, and so did I."
"Change everything?" Helena repeated, her voice tight with anger. "You're torturing Pokemon and using them for your own gain. That's not change—it's madness."
The President sneered. "You think you know the world, but you're nothing but a child. Power is the only thing that matters, and Giovanni knows how to wield it."
"We saw what your "Trusty" Pokemon are capable of doing. We were creating something beyond your comprehension for the good of—"
Helena cut him off, her voice steely. "Enough." She turned to Gardevoir. "Take him down. The authorities will get the rest of the answers when he's more... cooperative."
Without hesitation, Gardevoir nodded and released a powerful [Hypnosis] on the President. His eyelids fluttered for a moment before he slumped forward, unconscious.
The room was quiet once more, save for the steady hum of the lab's backup generators.
Helena sighed, feeling the weight of the situation settle in. "What now?" she asked, looking at Red.
"..." Red, confused by everything happening right now, only gave Helena and the rest of the party a confused look. For all he knew, Team Rocket wasn't so involved in Kanto's upper echelons.
Helena sighed and looked at Dune, who was playing with one of the boxes under where Giovanni and the President were sitting down.
Helena said, "We need to figure out exactly what Giovanni and Silph Co. were planning, and we need to stop them before they get any further."
As Helena talked, Dune cried out in pure joy, making everyone look at him as they did; with a broad smile, Dune held the ultimate Pokemon Item between his fangs.
The Masterball