Leira made her way into the Pokémon Center. The nurse recognized her and said hello. After a quick healing Leira inquired: "Do you have a room I could use again tonight?" The nurse nodded and smiled, handing over a key. Leira smiled back as she headed down the hall. "Please have a good night!" the nurse called.
The little rooms in the Pokémon Center were "rented" without cost to trainers, so they could have a place to rest at night. This room had a one-person bed, a shelf to set bags and clothes on, and a TV in the corner of the room. Leira set her bag on the shelf, then sat down on the bed and untied her shoes. Soon she was in her pajamas, staring at the flyer she had taken from the Game Corner's restaurant. It was decorated with a simple "R" design in red and small black lettering giving the details.
"Join Team Rocket and serve the greater good!
Would you like to dominate the world? Do you want to gain money from Pokémon?
You've come to the right Team! We are always searching for new membership.
Prerequisites for joining: NONE!
Come to the Underground Path on Route 7 for the TOP SECRET recruitment!"
The blatant statement of the "secret" location could have been taken as a sign of stupidity, but the Game Corner was entirely Rocket-controlled. No police officers even bothered patrolling on the same street, and these types of signs were ignored by the gamblers and strange people who felt compelled to visit such a place.
Leira had nothing better to do. She decided to go the next day to be recruited. And that night, she had a difficult time falling asleep.
The next morning she woke up groggy, at least until the rustle of paper when she moved flooded her memory. Suddenly she bolted upright, snatching the paper from under her pillow to examine it. Quickly she went to one of the bathrooms to shower and get dressed. Soon she was eating breakfast at the nicest restaurant in town, sneaking some for her Pokémon. After a walk to the Underground Path Leira traversed the metal stairs into darkness.
The path ahead was, abnormally, pitch black. Leira grabbed a Poké Ball and threw it, as if combating the suffocating lack of light. Her Vulpix growled cutely and created a will-o'-wisp of flame which floated forward to light the way.
They moved along cautiously to the middle of the path. Vulpix yipped and pointed with its mouth at the wall. "Huh?" Leira nervously glanced at the wall, then looked all around to make sure they were alone. She peered more closely at the wall. After a moment she found the faint raised square shape Vulpix was pointing at. "Hmm..." She tried to find a seam along the edge, then poked at the center of the square. Suddenly it clicked into the wall and the panel slid like a rotating door. "Come on, Vulpix," she said, more to calm herself than anything.
They squeezed past the opening and found themselves in another hallway with a single yellowish light at the far end. Slowly Leira made her way toward it. When she was close enough to see the form of a woman slumped in a chair, lit by a lamp on the wall, the figure stirred. She woke up and was on her feet instantly.