"Well, Gold?" Lance asked Duncan and Crystal. They were in the cafeteria of the inn.
"I knew it! Some radio signal is being broadcast around here," said Duncan.
Crystal added, "And it's causing problems with wireless electronics!" How would she be able to watch MTV?
Duncan thought, how would I be able to watch the Tohjo Times? Or anything broadcast outside here?
"And what about those sick Pokémon?" Lance inquired.
Duncan replied, "Team Rocket must have done it. I know it!"
"We'll get to it immediately," said Lance.
---
Sandy showed Kamon and Bill the lab. There were various test-tubes, complex machines with lights flashing on and off, and computers. Scientists were working on various experiments. "This is where we conduct all experiments. This is Ross Gideon." The Rocket Admin introduced the scientist to Kamon.
"Hi, Kamon. You're Giovanni's kid, aren't you?"
"Yes, Mr. Gideon, that's him," said Sandy.
Kamon sighed. "Yeah, man, I guess so..."
"You're related to a criminal leader?" Bill was surprised. He knew a lot about Kamon, but never knew that he was a criminal leader's son.
Gideon then said assuredly, "Don't worry, Kamon, you'll accept it one day. Your dad will be back here soon."
Sandy then told Kamon, "So make yourself at home, and feel free to talk to me or Conner if you have any questions." She then headed out of the room.
Mom, I really miss you, Kamon thought to himself, looking down at his Silver Wing necklace.
---
Lance, Duncan, and Crystal traveled deep through the grassy forest with Lance holding a lantern, being very careful not to run into any guards, who may be lurking around. The full moon loomed over the horizon. Duncan used his PokéGear to track down the radio signal. "It's coming from somewhere... over... there!" He pointed to a clearing in the forest. As they entered the clearing, they saw a small cabin.
"That's where Silver's being held?" Crystal asked in disbelief. This couldn't be possible.
"I expected the place to be a bit bigger," said Duncan. "But the PokéGear is beeping very loudly and quickly here!"
Crystal then knocked on the door. There was no answer. The door was locked, too. Spike tried looking in the mail slot, but didn't find anyone in there, luckily.
"Ember, smash the door down!" Crystal and Spike quickly ducked out of the way. He called out the Quilava, which rammed full-body into the door, slamming it down. "Great job, Ember!" They gave a high-five.
As they entered the cabin, they noticed that it was dull and empty, save for a chair precariously placed in the middle of the room. "There's no way Team Rocket's hideout is right here," said Duncan.
"It might be hidden," said Lance, still believing that the hideout was in this cabin.
"Maybe we could sit down here and think..." Crystal sat down on the chair, Spike in her arms, but it tipped over, bumping her head, and Spike screeched.
"Hey! There's a trapdoor here," shouted Duncan.
"Quiet, or someone might hear," whispered Lance. "You're right. Let's go down the stairs."
"Should we split up?" asked Duncan.
"If we're splitting up, I'm not going alone! I'm going with you, and/or Lance," declared Crystal.
"Okay, we'll all go together," agreed Lance.
---
As they entered down the staircase, what welcomed them was a long hallway. Chrome walls, chrome floor, and Persian statues adorned the hall. The three trainers could see their reflections in the mirror-like, waxed floor and walls.
"No one seems to be here," said Duncan. "It looks safe to continue on from this point."
He and Crystal then headed into the hallway, but as they passed two statues, a faint, but audible alarm rang. "An alarm! They detected us!" shouted Lance. He quickly grabbed Duncan and Crystal, and they heard footsteps getting closer. "Get out of here, and I'll take care of them." Duncan and Crystal then headed back up the stairs, as two grunts reached Lance.
"Hey! An intruder! Not so fast, pal," yelled Hans Sontial, one of the grunts.
"There's no escape, cape-man! You're coming with us!" exclaimed Hans' brother Franz Sontial, the other grunt.
"I'm Lance Envimorph, the governor of Kanto! Bow down to me!" ordered Lance malevolently.
"Not a chance, pal! Go, Drowzee," ordered Hans.
"Go, Grimer!" ordered Franz.
"Go, Dragonite and Kingdra!" ordered Lance.
---
Duncan and Crystal heard the battle. It sounded like Lance was winning! "Two Team Rocket Grunts can't compete to a master trainer," said Duncan.
---
Hans bowed down in defeat. "Dang, we failed..."
Franz told Lance, "There are laser beams between the Pokémon statues. You'll keep getting attacked unless you step over the beam. And they're hidden!" The grunts then ran off into the hallway. Lance knew what would cause the beams to be visible... smoke!
Suddenly, Hans stopped. He told his brother, "You know what, Franz? We should just quit. We've got kids to take care of, and they're much more important!"
"You're right, Hans buddy! We've spent a long time away from our kids and wives, and they must be worried sick!"
Hans and Franz then ran out of the hideout, up the stairs, and out of the cabin.
"It's safe to come down now, Gold and Crystal," Lance yelled out. Duncan and Crystal then headed back downstairs. "Gold, doesn't one of your Pokémon know Smokescreen?"
"Yeah. My Quilava. Why?"
"It'll make the hidden beams you triggered visible, so you can just step over it."
"All right, then, go Ember, and use your Smokescreen!"
The Quilava appeared from its PokéBall, and breathed out a stream of smoke. As it cleared, a beam formed between the statues. It looked like they could step over it, and Spike could crawl under it. So they did.
---
"Mr. Gideon?"
"Yes, Kamon?"
"What's that blueprint of?"
"Why, this is a radio system, which influences evolution of Pokémon."
"All right, so you force Pokémon to evolve?" Bill grew suspicious of Gideon.
"Not exactly. We encourage them to evolve. We don't force them."
"I don't know, it doesn't seem right."
Gideon assured him, "Look, you'll understand when you're old enough."
Kamon had a weird feeling about this. Were Duncan and Crystal in the hideout? Were they looking for him?
---
Duncan, Crystal, and Lance sneaked through the hideout, all knowing that if they were caught, they would suffer a terrible consequence at the hands of the Boss. They found a doorway with the sign "Network & Information Room". This looked like the place to find information about Team Rocket's plans, among other things.
Crystal pushed the switch, opening the door, and they entered the room. It was filled with computers, and blueprints were pinned on bulletin boards. In the cabinets, servers were installed. There was no one else in the room, so they could search it freely, until someone came into here. If this happened, it's time for a battle, and they would have to keep any Rockets from informing the higher-ranks.
"Gold, bring up some information about 'The Influences of Pokémon Evolution'," ordered Lance.
"I'm on it." Duncan then sat down and clicked on the "confidential" folder... only to get an "Access Denied" message. "It says 'Access Denied'."
"Access denied?" There had to be some way to hack into the servers...
---
Conner and Sandy were having dinner of fried Magikarp with Bill and Kamon. The dining room was rather typical, and looked similar to Kamon's dining room back at his home in Viridian City. "So, where are you from?" Kamon asked to the Rocket Admins.
"We're from Danton," said Conner.
"Really? I'd like to go there someday," remarked Bill. "You're not such bad guys once we get to know you."
"We've got relatives still living there," said Sandy. "Conner's brother George, George's fifteen-year-old son, Artie, and our nine-year-old son Conrad."
"So you've got a son!" exclaimed Kamon. "I didn't know that. So, do you think I should tell my uncle that I'm here?"
Bill answered, "Yes! He must be worried sick about you!"
Sandy told them, "Don't worry about it. It's your dad you're looking for."
---
"Hey, you!"
"Ah, man! We're in trouble," said Crystal, shaking in fear.
A scientist came running toward the "Network & Information Room". Crystal quickly scurried into the room.
"Lance, we've got company," Crystal warned.
"Then I'll deal with that scientist, and force him to release any information about the radio and Silver," said Lance.
"How will you do that?"
---
Lance ordered, "All right, Gideon, log on to the terminal, and open up any plans, or Dragonite will attack!" Dragonite was ready for an attack if ordered.
Gideon shook in fear, as he logged in, clicking until he selected a file labeled, "Radio Broadcast.pdf". Then, he clicked on the print button, and the printer printed out the documents. Duncan took them, and gave them to Lance. "There! Now can I go now?"
"Yeah," answered Duncan. "but please, don't tell anyone!" Gideon then ran off. Duncan hoped that he wouldn't tell anyone.
---
A/N: So I decided to reveal a bit more about the Drayan family, such as about Conner and Sandy's son, Conrad. Maybe one day, I'll create an original series about him, Artie, and George.