"Time to restock..."
Inside the cave, Haruki muttered quietly while rummaging through his backpack.
Cubone stood silently nearby, still trying to figure out how to use Iron Head with 100% success.
Beldum, on the other hand, stared intently at Haruki's backpack. It knew that all the good stuff came out of there.
Seeing his two companions so completely uninvolved, Haruki let out a helpless sigh.
"We'll head back today. Beldum, return for now."
"Beldum~"
After returning the reluctant Beldum to its Poké Ball, Haruki headed back to Steelrock Town with Cubone.
He arrived at the ramen shop just in time for the afternoon break.
"Yo, finally back, huh?"
As soon as he walked in, Captain Christopher teased him, though the quick up-and-down glance he gave was full of concern.
Haruki pretended to beg for mercy on the surface, then pulled Christopher into the backyard to explain seriously.
"Auto-uploading the intel?"
Christopher's eyes widened as he struggled to grasp what Haruki was saying.
"Yeah. First, I gather all the intel, then I write a little program that uploads it at random times between 12 and 1 PM each day. Headquarters won't detect anything. Don't worry, boss."
Christopher stared blankly. He realized he'd seriously underestimated Haruki's IT skills.
"Don't slack on your duties to the organization. Just make sure you're managing it properly."
He didn't understand the technical stuff, so he brushed it off lightly and added:
"Steelrock Town's seen a lot of new faces lately; I heard there's a tournament coming up. Make sure to gather full data on it."
Haruki immediately nodded.
His mind flashed to Gardenia, whom he'd run into a few days ago. He wondered if she was here for the same event.
According to Team Rocket's intelligence protocol, any publicly announced event, no matter how small, had to be documented thoroughly.
Depending on the intel's value, operatives could also receive bonus point rewards; one of the easiest ways to earn points beyond regular reporting.
At the internet café, Haruki quickly accessed the regional network and started digging through information.
He figured it out pretty quickly.
Steelrock Town's first large-scale department store -Galactic Department Store- was about to open. To attract customers, they were holding a small Trainer tournament on opening day, three days from now.
[As long as you had a Pokémon, you could sign up. No other restrictions. Each contestant was limited to just one Pokémon.]
[Every participant would receive a guaranteed 200 Pokédollar voucher, and the winner would take home a 100,000 Pokédollar voucher.]
Haruki stared at the information, deep in thought...
The mall opening? Nothing unusual.
Hosting a tournament? Also fine.
Issuing prizes? Still fine.
But in the Sinnoh region, the name "Galactic" couldn't be so easily brushed aside.
Team Rocket had a firm grip on the underground networks in both Kanto and Johto.
In Hoenn, Team Aqua and Team Magma split the influence.
But here in Sinnoh, what would later become Team Galactic was currently just the "Galactic Corporation", a massive business entity that controlled major portions of the region's economy.
They looked harmless. In fact, until their true motives were exposed, they were still a VIP guest at the Sinnoh League's table.
If all this intel were packaged and submitted to headquarters...
Haruki shook his head quickly.
There were too many complications. This was way beyond what a low-level intel officer like him could handle.
Besides, he didn't want to get too closely tied to Team Rocket anyway.
If there was ever a chance to get out… great!
If not, then at the very least, he'd be a spy within a spy within a spy.
He gathered all intel related to the tournament, without mentioning anything about the Galactic Corporation.
Now it was just a matter of waiting for the tournament to begin, logging the participants of interest, and submitting it all for points!
Back at the ramen shop, Haruki immediately reported his findings to Christopher.
After hearing that there was nothing out of the ordinary, Christopher immediately patted Haruki on the shoulder.
"The ramen shop's been a bit busy lately. Think you can handle the rest of the intel gathering on your own? If not, we can bring in someone new. I've been watching a few of the new staff, two of them might be worth a try."
"You're the captain, so it's your call who gets hired. But if I had an extra pair of hands, I'd definitely have more time to train," Haruki said with a grin.
"Heh, you really…"
Captain Christopher looked both exasperated and amused, but he was satisfied with Haruki's cheerfulness and honesty.
"Alright, I'll keep evaluating them. For now, though, I'm still counting on you."
"No problem, boss! Oh and can I sign up for the tournament? I haven't had much real battle experience."
"Go for it. Your identity checks out. Feel free to compete."
Christopher waved his hand dismissively, unconcerned. He'd already noticed that Haruki handled intel work with ease.
A small-town tournament like this wouldn't take much effort and wouldn't interfere with real responsibilities.
With permission granted, Haruki hurried off to sign up. The registration point was right in front of the Galactic Department Store.
"Trainer Haruki, here's your contestant number and a product brochure for Galactic Department Store. Don't miss out on the grand opening promotions!"
The sweet-looking receptionist handed them over with a gentle voice. Haruki found it hard not to accept.
He skimmed a couple pages of the brochure and nodded silently.
The new store's discounts were actually pretty decent. No way he was passing up a good deal, especially since he needed to resupply anyway.
Still, better to wait until the tournament ends; if he placed well, the discounts would be even bigger.
------
The next day, Steelrock Town was unusually lively. Both competitors and spectators crowded around the front of Galactic Department Store.
Good thing Steelrock had wide open spaces, the area across from the store had enough room for the crowd.
If they'd held the tournament at Steelrock Stadium, it definitely wouldn't have drawn this much attention.
Holding a micro camera in hand, Haruki found a spot with a wide view of the whole area and got ready to do his job properly.
After a brief advertisement pitch from the store, the tournament began.
Three temporary stages went live simultaneously. Haruki filmed discreetly while diligently recording everything down.
But it didn't take long for him to stop.
There just weren't that many noteworthy contestants. Most of them were middle-aged women entering with their pet Meowth or Glameow.
Then Gardenia stepped onto the stage, her orange hair glowing with energy, and Haruki finally perked up.
A flash of red light later, an adorably loud cry filled the air; drawing gasps and chatter from the crowd.
Short limbs, a big round head, and a tiny tree sprouting from its head… it was irresistibly cute.
Turtwig, the Grass-type Starter famous throughout the Sinnoh region!
Even Haruki got a little excited. It was his first time seeing a Starter Pokémon "of legend" up close.
All he felt was envy… pure envy.¹
Sure, his Cubone was great. But a Starter Pokémon? That was sentimental value.
"I've got to get one someday," Haruki muttered under his breath.
Soon enough, Turtwig knocked its opponent, a Bidoof, clear off the stage.
A clean Razor Leaf followed by a bone-crunching Bite, Turtwig's strength and flair earned it a wave of applause.
It was only a small victory, but Gardenia cheered and hugged her Turtwig, her joy and youthful spirit lighting up the stage.
"Next match: Contestant #146 Haruki vs. Contestant #51 Nanci at Stage 2!"
Haruki stood up.
His turn had come!
.
.
.
¹.WHAA? Oioi Shiny Beldum? This bro…