August had come prepared. Without hesitation, he said, "I've been reviewing this case file for the past few days and found several inconsistencies."

  "First, the source of the intel. According to the report, a customs officer at Vermilion Port discovered an attempt to smuggle a batch of restricted equipment using a cargo ship during a routine inspection."

  "Following that, my former colleague, an International Police officer named 'Tetsuya,' confirmed through an informant embedded in Team Rocket that this shipment was indeed connected to them. He was also able to identify the target of the operation—the Camerupt, a cargo ship owned by the Silph Shipping Group."

  "At 11:00 PM on April 17th, under the leadership of the division commander, a total of fourteen International Police officers were dispatched to unch a raid on the Camerupt, which was docked at Vermilion Port."

  "At 11:15 PM, the team encountered an ambush inside the ship. Some officers were injured, and they sent out a distress call via communicator."

  "At 11:20 PM, their communication was disrupted, and contact with the team was lost."

  "At exactly midnight on April 18th, the Camerupt exploded violently. External support personnel immediately reported the incident to the League."

  "At 12:10 AM, Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge arrived at the scene with his subordinates and secured the area."

  "At approximately 12:30 AM, the Vermilion City Fire Department arrived and began organizing fire suppression and rescue efforts."

  "At 1:40 AM, the fire was brought under control."

  "According to Lt. Surge's report, no survivors or bodies were found in the subsequent search and rescue operations."

  After listening to August's full summary of the case file, Lance furrowed his brow slightly. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

  August spread his hands.

  "In simple terms, I suspect we have a traitor in our ranks."

  "What!?"

  To be honest, before reading this file, August had no intention of getting involved.

  As far as he was concerned, his former colleague and superior had likely gone missing due to some overwhelming force. If he were in their pce, the result wouldn't have been any different.

  But after going through the case file… his entire perspective changed.

  Everything about this operation reeked of something off.

  How did a regur customs officer uncover a smuggling operation run by a professional crime syndicate like Team Rocket?

  Why was there no record of the supposed informant who tipped off Tetsuya in the International Police's intelligence database?

  And, most baffling of all—his former superior. Why would he lead an extremely dangerous raid with every officer avaible, leaving no one behind at headquarters?

  The whole thing was full of holes!

  If he thought about it carefully, from the customs officer who reported the smuggling, to the colleague who gathered intelligence through an informant, to the superior who led the team straight into disaster… every single one of them looked like a traitor.

  Each step was perfectly synchronized. If even one part of this pn had failed, Team Rocket wouldn't have been able to wipe out the entire International Police division in Kanto.

  Yet, against all odds, it had happened. As if everyone involved had been working with Team Rocket in perfect coordination.

  It was ridiculous.

  Damn it, is there any hope for this League? The International Police Kanto Division might as well be a sieve with how badly Team Rocket has infiltrated it.

  Despair.jpg

  So, even though he wanted nothing more than to keep a low profile, August had no choice but to bring this to Lance's attention.

  Better to sound the arm now than wake up one day to find the Pokémon League repced by a Rocket League.

  After hearing August's deductions, Lance fell silent, clearly shaken by the implications.

  Lately, he'd been preoccupied with securing the title of Indigo League Champion, leaving little time for his "side job" with the International Police.

  He never expected there to be such a massive issue within the organization.

  Now, with August pointing it out so clearly, rereading the case report was downright terrifying.

  How did I not see how deeply Team Rocket has infiltrated the League before?

  Lance took a deep breath, then looked up at August with a serious expression. "It's a good thing you caught this, August. Otherwise, I don't know how much longer I would've remained in the dark."

  Even though he had only taken over the Kanto division after the incident, if things went south, he would still bear some responsibility.

  August, however, downpyed his contribution.

  "This isn't something I alone would have noticed. Sooner or ter, the League's strategic analysis department or the International Police investigators would have figured it out. I just pointed it out earlier."

  "What I really wanted to say is something else."

  Lance raised an eyebrow. "?"

  This isn't the biggest issue? There's something worse?

  Even Lance suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

  But what had already happened wouldn't change, no matter how unsettling it was.

  "This concerns Vermilion Gym Leader Lt. Surge. Don't you think his timing is a bit… off?" August asked.

  "Timing?"

  Lance flipped through the case file again and noticed the irregurity.

  "The explosion occurred precisely at midnight, yet Lt. Surge managed to gather his men and arrive on-site within ten minutes? Keep in mind, most people were already asleep at that hour."

  "I checked the map of Vermilion City. The direct distance between the gym and the port is over ten kilometers."

  "Ten minutes—to wake up, assemble his subordinates, and then sprint ten kilometers to the scene…." August shook his head. "That's absurd."

  "Which is why I strongly suspect Lt. Surge knew about the operation in advance. He might even be one of the masterminds behind the ambush on the investigation team."

  It was a bold accusation.

  But it also made a lot of sense.

  This operation was supposed to be highly cssified. As a Gym Leader, Lt. Surge shouldn't have had any prior knowledge of it. Yet somehow, he was able to respond almost immediately after the explosion?

  That was highly suspicious.

  Lance fell into deep thought for a long time before finally shaking his head.

  "As much as your reasoning makes sense, I can't accuse a Gym Leader with nearly a decade of service in the League based on suspicions alone."

  As an Elite Four member, Lance had to consider the political consequences.

  In the Pokémon League's structure, Gym Leaders weren't just battle instructors. They were key pilrs of the League, responsible for maintaining public order, hosting events, and attracting challengers who fueled the local economy.

  Even though the League technically had the authority to repce Gym Leaders through annual evaluations, the fact that Cerulean Gym had been scking for years without consequence proved that this rule was mostly for show.

  The League simply didn't have the power to micromanage Gym Leaders—at least, not in Kanto.

  Especially when there was no concrete evidence.

  "…I'm sorry," Lance said apologetically.

  August wasn't surprised by the response.

  To be honest, if he didn't already know the plot, he wouldn't have dared to accuse a Gym Leader of being in cahoots with Team Rocket after just a month on the job.

  The guy had covered his tracks well. Besides this one timing inconsistency, there was no hard proof.

  But still—he knew the truth.

  Lt. Surge?

  Heh, one of Team Rocket's top three executives.

  Of course, August never expected to take him down in one go.

  This was just pnting a seed.

  So that when Lt. Surge's true identity was exposed in the future, Lance would remember—August was the first to suspect him.

  Even if he wasn't showing it, August put on an act of frustration.

  His fists clenched and then loosened. After hesitating for a while, he let out a long sigh, as if resigning himself to reality.

  "…I understand."

  If his performance was graded out of 100, August felt he deserved a solid 99.

  "Now that I've warned Lance, Team Rocket should keep a lower profile. Which means… I can finally sck off in peace."

  Satisfied, he started fantasizing about earning the [Scker Supreme] title from his system by goofing off for thirty consecutive days.

  But August didn't notice the hesitation on Lance's face.

  And then—Lance made a decision.

  "I can't let a promising young officer like this lose his sense of justice."

  After a long pause, Lance took a deep breath, firmed his resolve, and said:

  "…I'll authorize you to conduct a covert investigation into Lt. Surge."

  August froze.

  "…Huh?"

  Was this a joke!?

  Lance, mistaking his shock for enthusiasm, smiled.

  "You have my full support. Don't worry about the consequences—I'll take responsibility."

  August's mind went bnk.

  No way… I acted too well!

  In that moment, he swore he could see his dreams of scking off waving goodbye as they drifted away.

  ---

  T/N: sck supreme must be the next level of Master of Scking OFfff