On the other side, Haruki had already packed up the computer and quietly left the small hut.
Since Christopher had escaped from the east side, the majority of the patrols had all rushed in that direction, making Haruki's retreat smooth and easy.
Half an hour later.
Swoosh~
The wooden window was pushed open, and Christopher quietly slipped into the room.
Haruki glanced at the half-open door beside the window and pressed his lips together, forcing himself to hold back.
"The plan went smoothly enough, but since we caused a stir, contact HQ and proceed with Plan B. They'll delay pickup by three days."
"Understood, Captain!"
Haruki had already anticipated this and had even written the corresponding report, just waiting to click upload.
"Whew, you've worked hard tonight. Take off your clothes, I'll destroy them."
Only after Haruki completed his final debrief did Christopher finally let out a sigh of relief.
Haruki obediently undressed, his eyes glancing -intentionally or not- toward the backpack beside Christopher.
"Captain, what exactly is this thing? It's serious enough to make our intel station act directly?"
Normally, an intelligence station's primary role was to stay hidden and gather intel. It was the foundation upon which Team Rocket stood.
Unless absolutely necessary, they were never sent out for other tasks. The risk of exposure was far too high.
After all, Intelligence Officers were far harder and more expensive to train than standard combat personnel. The deeper and longer one stayed undercover, the more valuable they were and the less they could afford to be moved lightly.
Back to the point.
Christopher paused while removing his clothes. Thinking of Haruki's precise assistance just now, and his recent growth in strength, it was clear he had potential.
"I don't know what it is either. But if you're curious, you can take a look."
"Thank you, Captain. I'll be careful."
Haruki lit up and quickly stripped off his outer clothes, then stepped forward and opened the backpack.
In the moonlight, a gray fossil shaped like a curved blade slowly revealed itself, encased within a glass cylinder.
Christopher also leaned in. He hadn't taken a close look since obtaining the object.
Haruki rotated the glass cylinder, eyes locked onto it without blinking.
Two minutes later, Haruki handed the object back to the captain and shook his head.
"Heh, if we could tell what it was just by looking at it, they wouldn't have needed us to act directly."
Captain Christopher shrugged indifferently. There were plenty of things in the world he didn't understand, no need to trouble himself over it.
Better to spend the time simmering a pot of Tonkotsu ramen.
The two packed up the fossil, and Haruki grabbed his computer, ready to return to his room and rest.
He stood up, stepped out, and walked into the pathway.
'Human!'
BEEEEEEEEEEEP-
A shrill ringing stabbed into Haruki's ears like twin blades, accompanied by a voice that screamed through his skull like a curse.
Haruki couldn't help but groan, his body staggering as he collapsed to the side.
But the surroundings were eerily silent, broken only by the whispering wind.
The next second, Christopher rushed out in his pajamas, Raticate and Golbat already in battle mode.
"Haruki, what happened to you?"
Christopher scanned the area with sharp eyes while urgently questioning him.
If the Galactic Corporation had tracked them here, they'd have to evacuate immediately. And the ramen shop he'd worked so hard to open… would be lost.
At the thought, Christopher's face darkened.
Haruki struggled to stand, but the next moment the screaming voice struck again.
'Huh? Why is your mental energy so unstable? Ohhh~ you're injured, aren't you!'
The mysterious voice continued "speaking" on its own, and each word felt like a sword stabbing through Haruki's ears, piercing straight into his brain.
Miraculously, although the pain was still excruciating, Haruki clearly felt he had adapted a lot better this time.
He even noticed that the voice now sounded slightly more feminine.
'Forget it, I'll teach you how to restore your mental energy. You'd better recover quickly, I'll be back to find you again next time.'
As soon as that was said, the mysterious voice vanished, and the intense pain eased dramatically.
Haruki collapsed weakly to the ground, panting heavily, his face pale.
"Haruki, Haruki… are you alright?"
It took a long while for Haruki to come back to his senses, finally hearing Christopher's voice calling out to him.
"I'm fine."
Haruki forced himself to stand. Letting Christopher support him to the wall, he continued, "Maybe it's my first time on a real mission, just… too nervous. Once it all eased up, the headache hit me."
Christopher touched Haruki's cold forehead. Though doubtful, he saw how drained Haruki looked and decided not to press him further.
"Rest in my room for a while. Let Cubone out to keep you company. I'll check the area again for anything unusual."
"Okay."
Haruki didn't have the strength to say more. He just nodded lightly and let Christopher help him into the room.
Soon, Christopher left with Raticate and Golbat, and the room fell silent once more.
Haruki leaned against the wall to recover, and a creeping fear began to take root in his heart.
Ignorance was the source of fear.
'That mysterious voice… who was it?'
He knew powerful humans existed in this world, most commonly those with psychic abilities.
But for someone to transmit their voice across space like that… it would have to be someone on the level of Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City in the Kanto Region.
And every powerful Psychic who had appeared in the original story -including Sabrina- were not people he could afford to cross.
Why would someone like that take interest in someone as insignificant as him?
Haruki's heart turned cold. The more he thought, the more panic took hold.
Just then, the fossil inside the backpack began to glow faintly.
Molecules of pinkish-purple energy drifted out from the fossil, passed through the glass cylinder, and entered Haruki's body without him noticing.
For some reason, the overwhelming fear that had gripped Haruki now gradually faded. His eyes grew clearer.
'Forget it. When soldiers come, we block them; when water flows, we build a dam. Someone as weak as me… what kind of grand scheme could possibly involve me?
Besides, that voice did say they'd teach me how to restore my mental energy. Might as well take the benefits while I can!'
Having worked it through, Haruki's mind became even clearer, and the dull ache in his head faded away.
Swoosh~~
The window opened again, and Christopher flipped back inside.
"No abnormalities in the area. I doubt they'll trace this back to us. How are you feeling?"
"Much better now, thank you for worrying, Captain," Haruki replied with gratitude.
"As long as you're okay. Go rest up, don't push yourself too hard."
Christopher patted Haruki on the shoulder reassuringly.
"Yes, Captain. I'll head back now."
Late at night, Haruki returned to his room and collapsed into bed, his breathing soon deep and even.
And in his dreams, a bright full moon bathed him in endless, gentle energy. The invisible warmth caressed Haruki's frightened heart.
For a moment, he slept soundly and deeply…
----
The night passed without incident.
Haruki woke up early as usual.
But despite everything that had happened the night before, he felt no exhaustion… in fact, his mind had never felt clearer or more refreshed.
"The moon…"