While Brock, Misty and I ventured our way toward Pokémon Tower. Red and Yellow already arrived late into Celadon City and soon after, had conquered Leader Erika's Gym.

The two had been lead by a powerful force from the North known as Mewtwo. Arriving at a Game Corner, which is said to be the location of Pokémon being trafficked into a hideout underneath the city.

The moment they entered that putrid, smelly, casino. They had lost track of the opening and there was no evidence to determine where the hideout was located since all they could see was the game lobby and the service desk in front of them. Luckily, under the tutelage of Mewtwo's psychic connection to Yellow. He confirmed that the hideout was near.

"Over there!" Pointed Yellow with enthusiasm.

Red observed the same thing that Yellow pointed at and was giving him a rather confused look.

".............."

"A poster?" Inquired Red.

Yellow nodded with a smile while continually holding his jovial point toward it.

"...........Are you sure that's where Mewtwo believes it's located?"

"Positive." He affirmed with another nod.

The poster was in the shape of a peculiar Pokémon that they couldn't clearly make out. Yet it was the largest distinctive poster out of the smaller ones. This one stood out like a sore thumb.

The two maneuvered passed the loud, gaming machines that clanged about from other citizens trying effortlessly to win prizes.

One gentleman who had his earnings near the two of them raised his arms in the air. Catching their attention away from the poster near the back of the room.

"Whooooo!!! We hit the jackpot folks!" Yelped a rich man wearing a rather exaggerated, white tuxedo and a top hat.

Red and Yellow watched precariously as the lucky number seven lined up on the machine and the lights flashed wildly with varied colors of illumination inside and outside the slot machine.

Soon after, the lucky man that won the game had coins that had been dispensed from it. The analogue data displayed that the man had won three hundred tokens.

"It's already a gamble if we don't locate the right poster. Should we just approach to see what we find?" Inquired Red while stroking his chin in thought.

"I think if we were to look at any other poster on any of these walls. We wouldn't find it, this poster right next to the clerks desk is the one, I'm sure of it. Mewtwo hasn't lead us astray so far. I trust he'll be able to lead us out of danger...."

There was a pause, normally when Yellow would receive communications from him it usually wasn't painful. Only this time, he started to receive a sharp migraine, brewing from within his head and it felt like his ears were screeching.

"Is everything okay?" Inquired Red with a raised brow. His Pikachu giving the same look of concern towards Yellow in unison.

"I-I, ugh." He grunted in pain.

"We need to hide, they are coming..."

"Who?" Inquired Red.

"Team Rocket, they are about to come in through the front door."

But where to hide was the real question? Red never particularly found any convenient spots to hide near the slot machine aisle's and unfortunately they all didn't have any crawl space underneath them where the luxurious, multicolored stools resided in front.

There were four slot machine aisles and one place to hide from the end of the aisle but it was too late to turn and run to the other end.

They needed another approach.

My friend pointed to the slot machine and eyed the spot nearest them.

"Let's pretend we are playing a game." Said Red as he urged Yellow by grabbing his shoulder, inching him toward a seat in the middle aisle.

"What if they recognize you!" Squeaked Yellow in a slight whisper.

"Let's hope that they at least don't see us when they come in." Smirked Red.

"This is suicide..."

A loud boom enveloped the entrance as both doors swung open.

Two Team Rocket goons in their black outfits and logo with the emboldened letter "R" stitched onto their torso. A gruff looking fellow with sideburns and another with a bit of a tall, lanky look made their way toward the clerks desk.

While these two walked forward, they were awfully quiet and everyone else who caught their presence within the casino also went silent.

The only noise you could hear in that building were the jumbling sounds of the games as they ran through their automated slots.

Team Rocket seemed to have a hold on this place. Almost like everyone was owed favors and in order for them to make up for credit that they owed to this mob organization. They made up for in gambling.

"Do you think they see us?" Whispered Yellow.

Red held his finger against his lips for Yellow to remain as quiet as can be. All while the two Rocket goons had come in for their most prized catch on the market. Each of them paced passed their slots. Not noticing the trainers in front.

Yellow was pretending to play the game on his slot machine while Red observed a Pokémon that was caught with the tall, lanky grunt. The bag being slung behind him.

He noticed a pink and blue, polygonal shape that was distinctly harsh in angle. Red couldn't make out the defining body of the Pokémon in question, other than what looked like a polygonal triangle that seemed to peak above the lined fabric.

He discovered that the Pokémon was moving about as if he was trying to escape.

"............ Do you see that?" Jumped Red to his compadre with hushed excitement.

"Yellow used his peripheral to get a peak at the bag that Red was eying as they made way to the front desk.

"It looks like they have a Pokémon in their possession."

"What do you think it is?" He asked with a curious, but hushed tone.

Yellow shrugged his shoulders. He too, was not sure as he had never seen a Pokémon like him before.

It did have a rather odd shape to it, anything was possible, especially if it was not local. To them, it could've been a new species from another region.

"I can hear his voice though Red, this Pokémon in his bag is crying out for help." He furrowed with concern.

After Yellow's useful power to hear the voices of Pokémon. Red squinted with intent to see where they would go.

"Once they finish, let's follow them to their secret door." He suggested to Yellow who was busily pretending to be a gambler.

Yellow nodded, "Mewtwo agree's, we should take advantage of that."

The goons approach a man who is wearing a white outfit and a name tag. His hair neatly combed near the front and round glasses accentuating the rim of his nose. The Rocket grunts pulled the string to tighten the lid of the bag and placed it onto the table in front of the clerk.

"You run a tight ship 'round here don't yeah!?" Smiled the gangly Rocket next to his buff partner.

"Heh! Well-uh, we get new tourists almost everyday." Smiled the clerk with nervousness.

"I bet you do." Snarked the man with the bag in his hand and as he opened the bag to reveal a Pokémon inside.

"Let me show you the Pokémon we are gonna use for our monetary operation here."

The clerk took a peak within to get an idea of what he was showing them. Then soon after he could catch a glimpse of the polygonal shape. The Rocket quickly sealed the rim of the bag and pulled it back over his shoulder.

"Ah-ah-ah! No peaking." He smirked with an evil chuckle.

"The Boss requires that we have this Pokémon be the prize for our customers. But in order to do that we need the Boss to inspect the Pokémon.

"I-is that a rare species of Porygo—

"Shhhh..." Silenced the Rocket to the clerks stunning revelation.

"We cannot have other jealous proponents know about this. I'm sure you'll understand. Let's go Frank."

The other Rocket goon to his right nodded and they carefully approached the poster and turned toward an open hallway.

"Guard the poster Frank, make sure no one enters into our hideout."

While the other goon was getting Frank ready to guard the poster. It became Red's cue to try and follow them.

"Let's go." Hastened Red as the two made a dash off of their console stools and maneuvered the aisle toward the poster.

Yellow noticed the only buff Rocket member near the poster and the other gangly individual had somehow disappeared.

"Where did the other guy go!?" Inquired Yellow with a surprised look on his face. Which only alerted the Grunt to his attention.

"Derek is not here." Furrowed Frank with a loud, gruffly voice.

"I'm guarding this poster. Go away, or else." He grumbled with a massive toss of his Poké Ball. Revealing a Pokémon that was familiar from Blue's party, a Raticate.

"Red, are we really gonna be battling him here in the middle of a public casino?"

The boy tipped his hat forward and with a determined look though his golden-brown eyes nodded to assure his decision.

"We have no other choice."

My friend tossed out his Poké Ball, revealing his starter Pokémon, Charmeleon. The red, hunchback lizard, sharpened his claws with a growl.

"Do you really think a puny lizard will stop me? I'm guarding for Derek. It is my duty, Quick Attack, Raticate."

The large rat sped toward his target and quickly engaged physical contact with Charmeleon's stomach. Throwing him quickly up against the aisle of slots.

Two of those machines were decimated from impact.

"What do you think you are doing Trainers?! This is private property!" Squeaked the clerk behind the desk with shocked apprehension.

Yellow kindly waved him off and smiled toward the man.

"Ehehehe, sorry, we kinda broke your games." He sweated with nervous laughter.

"You'll be paying for this!"

Just as soon as the clerk shouted his grievances. Charmeleon received some damage from the attack, but quickly recovered himself from the broken debris. Coins all flying out had pushed and exerted Red's starter back out onto the battlefield.

The boy raised his arm and soon, Charmeleon raised his claws for a Slash attack.

The Pokémon cut across the Raticate and he fell miserably from the powerful blow.

"Ugh, Raticate are you alright?!" Shouted the nervous Rocketeer as he learned he was unresponsive.

"..........."

"Just who are you kid?" He asked while retrieving his Pokémon within the capsule.

".........."

"Not much of a talker, are yeah?"

"He's usually like that sometimes." Smiled Yellow in affirmation to his question.

Frank threw his final toss. After the ball bounced, it released a Zubat. Fluttering to life and sensing his opponent by using sound-waves.

The teal, green bat narrowed his face and zoomed quickly toward Charmeleon.

"Wing Attack!" Shouted Frank to his second Pokémon out on the field.

Zubat lifted quickly up into the sky, fluttering his wings, the whole room started to move from the wind. Pots, plants, and even posters beside the one being guarded by Frank, were all tossed about from the current.

It sped up faster and faster as the Pokémon increased fluctuation by flapping his wings.

"I don't like where any of this is going..." Said Yellow nervously.

The clerk made a mad dash away from the battle and out the door.

"You'll pay for the damages done to my store!"

At this point, it became unsafe for anyone to be near the battle at the back of the casino lobby. The thirty or more people that had once lined the aisle's of the slot machines had retreated toward the exit and the wind began to pick up more power.

Zubat created two funnel currents and flung them toward Charmeleon's direction. The Pokémon was picked up by the current and was hurling back toward the wall. Charmeleon bounced against more slot machines and each time he bounced against them. The more coins seemed to shoot out of their respective slot dispensers.

Charmeleon came to rest above the top of the final slot machine. His body slunk against the back of the aisle. It seemed, Charmeleon was knocked out from this move.

"Heh! Even a Charmeleon can't take on a powerhouse like my Zubat. Let's see who else you got in your lineup." Smirked the Rocketeer with confidence.

Red retreated his Pokémon with caution and placed the Poké Ball back onto his magnetic belt line.

Pikachu was being called out non-verbally as usual and zoomed off the top of his hat and rested along the ground on all fours.

The Pokémon's cheek sacs were sparking with excitement and Pikachu was eager to finish this battle strong for his master.

"What a cute Pokémon. Too bad I'll have to blow him out of the Game Corner as well. You've messed with the wrong Trainers kid."

The sparks escalated, and the lights started to flicker within the lobby. Pikachu was absorbing a lot of energy, especially from the slot machines. Their multicolored lights started to flicker and their sound effects pitched with volume. The analogue display rolled with incredible speed that Pikachu's Thunderbolt had glowed with a brilliant light. Causing such an electrical disturbance that the machines themselves gathered their energy within the ball and while the power had intensified. Pikachu flung this condensed mass toward the Zubat.

"What the—

The Zubat had been hit with a very powerful and super effective attack, and jolted Zubat with such ferocity that he collapsed briskly to the floor. Destroying unsuspecting light bulbs and slot machines in his wake.

"E-e-e-e-electric attacks!?"

The lights went out and the games that were churning coins had hummed to a grinding halt. Leaving the poor Rocketeer stunned by his own loss.

"Dang." He said with an aghast look upon his face.

Frank then retrieved his Zubat who was twitching from the volts on the ground. Making a mad dash toward the hallway. He realized that he had failed at guarding his post.

"Our hideout might be discovered! I better tell the Boss!"

Suddenly, there was a loud noise that indicated an entrance of some kind, like a door opening and closing.

The backup power within Game Corner had ignited the lobby back to life.

Revealing a crooked poster and a hallway that lead to nothing and now. Frank was nowhere to be seen soon after the battle had ended.

"Well, that was rather anti-climactic." Said Yellow as light hearted as he could.

The slot machines started glitching to life as well and the chaotic noises seemed to drown out any environmental sound.

My friend then observed a metallic switch lever that was peaking behind the crooked poster.

Once Red had pulled the lever down. The polished, white, tile floor down the hallway started to shift out of place. Revealing a long staircase that lead into a basement room.

"Whoah!" Exclaimed Yellow with surprise.

"..............Jackpot." Smirked Red.

And Jackpot it was indeed. What secrets did Team Rocket have within that Hideout? How many Pokémon are down there that had been stolen? Is there someone else down there that wields incredible power? Red and Yellow were about to find the answer as they entered the ominous staircase.

It was time for my friends to put that theory to the test as they proceeded their way down toward Rocket territory. The most dangerous organization in all of Kanto was about to become their greatest obstacle.