Chapter 126: Storms Brewing

"You're saying that during the battle an explosion suddenly occurred, and no one appeared at all?" In the interrogation room of the Yuhong City Police Station, Officer Jenny held the record book, her brows slightly furrowed as she looked at the people before her.

According to regulations, the record should be taken one‑on‑one, but this explosion affected the entire Rainbow Gym, and Huo La and the others were the key to rushing into the fire to rescue people, so she granted a special privilege, allowing everyone to recount the events together.

"Right! At that moment my Pikachu had just hit Li Jia's Gloom with a Thunderbolt, and it looked like we were about to win, when suddenly there was a 'Boom—' and it exploded!" Ash immediately raised his hand, adding anxiously, lest he miss any detail.

"Hold on, Ash." Li Jia gently cut him off, her tone serious as she corrected, "The timing of the explosion is correct, but your Pikachu didn't suppress my Gloom—at that moment Gloom was about to use Synthesis to recover stamina, and the explosion occurred."

"That just means we didn't get to finish the match! If we kept going I'd definitely win!" Ash retorted, unwilling to accept it.

"If it didn't happen, it didn't, the battle must respect the facts," Li Jia insisted.

The two were still arguing over the battle's outcome, while Xiao Xia and the others tried to mediate, but Huo La had no mind to join; his attention was entirely on the crucial point of "no one appearing".

According to the Rocket Team Trio's modus operandi, before each act of sabotage they always jump out to shout slogans and announce their presence, never silently planting a bomb like this.

Both Li Jia and Ash clearly said they saw no one, which obviously doesn't fit those three's usual logic.

However, Huo La could be certain of one thing: the Rocket Team Trio was definitely in Yuhong City, perhaps even nearby; they had no reason to miss such a big commotion.

The facts were exactly as Huo La had expected.

At this moment, in the sewer a few hundred meters from the police station, the Rocket Team Trio were huddled miserably against the wall, their clothes stained with black ash, hair singed into a mess by the fireworks, their expressions heavy with gravity.

"Miao Miao! Weren't you told to plant the bomb? Is the bomb you set really that powerful? To blow up the whole Gym like that?" Musashi stood with his hands on his hips, his tone full of displeasure.

They had originally intended to seize the Gym's perfume formula amid the chaos, but instead the sudden explosion hurled them, nearly burying them in the rubble.

"Meow~ I'm being framed!" Miao Miao immediately wagged his tail in protest, "That wasn't the bomb I set! My money only bought a low‑power smoke bomb, at most to threaten someone or to run away, it couldn't blow up a Gym! Besides, I hadn't even had time to trigger it when that huge bang came first!"

"So you're saying someone had already targeted the Rainbow Gym, and we just happened to run into it, getting caught up?" Kojiro said, his tone tinged with speculation—what terrible luck.

"Meow~ Most likely that's it!" Miao Miao licked his soot‑blackened paw, gently patting his singed whiskers, "Otherwise where would such a huge explosion come from, even tearing off the roof!"

Musashi slammed a fist into the sewer wall, shouting furiously, "No matter who did it, daring to delay our business and turning us into this mess, don't let me catch him! Otherwise I'll make him taste my Wuzang Flying Kick!"

When the explosion occurred, they were ambushing on the Gym's roof; fortunately the blast's force threw them out into the adjacent alley, sparing them from being buried in the rubble—a life saved.

"Musashi, don't be angry yet," Kojiro suddenly spoke, his tone turning serious, "I suspect this matter may involve the Organization."

"Huh? The Organization?" Musashi was taken aback.

"Meow? The Boss's people?" Miao Miao also stopped licking his paw, his eyes full of doubt.

"Think about it, Yuhong City is a key stronghold of the Organization, and the Game Hall is still operating here," Kojiro analyzed, "Which ordinary person would dare target the Rainbow Gym here? Only the Organization has the nerve—after all, the Rainbow Gym makes so much money selling perfume, the Organization has long wanted a share."

"You're saying this was arranged by Banmu Laoda?" Musashi furrowed his brow—if it were the Boss's order, weren't their complaints just insulting the Boss?

"Meow~ It's not necessarily directly ordered by the Boss," Miao Miao shook his head, "Maybe someone lower down acted on their own, seeking credit! But Kojiro makes sense, I think we need to investigate first!"

"Even if we find out, it won't help!" Musashi remained fuming, "Even if the Organization did it, turning us into this sorry state, I can't just swallow it!"

On the other side, in the underground secret room of the Rocket Team's Yuhong City Game Hall, the atmosphere was oppressively tense.

A man with short blue hair was nodding and bowing at the video communicator in front of him, his torso bent almost to the tabletop, repeatedly saying, "Yes! Yes! Banmu Laoda, I understand! We'll investigate promptly, and will never let this affect the Game Hall's cash flow!"

In the video feed, only a silhouette hidden in shadow appeared, its fingertips casually tugging at the MaoLaoda in its arms, a deep voice coming through the communicator, bearing unmistakable authority.

Until the screen went completely black, the blue‑haired man finally straightened up, the flattery on his face vanishing instantly, replaced by extreme gloom.

"Bang!" He suddenly raised his hand, sweeping the glass cup on the table hard onto the floor.

The crisp sound of the cup shattering echoed in the secret room, frightening the several Rocket Team members standing below into bowing their heads, unwilling to meet his gaze.

"Who did this!!!" the blue‑haired man—who was General Aboluo, one of the Rocket Team's Four Great Generals.

At that moment his voice was full of fury, almost a shout, "Who acted on the Rainbow Gym without permission? Don't you know that area is a priority for the Boss? Now the explosion has drawn the police station, even the Boss is personally inquiring—who among you will take responsibility!"

Below, a JuniorCaptain wearing a black headband trembled as he raised his head, his voice cautious, "G‑... General Aboluo, we've checked; in the past few days none of our people approached the Rainbow Gym… could it be members of an organization from another area?"

"Impossible!" General Aboluo barked, his fingers pounding the table, "Just now Banmu Laoda said it himself; he's already verified all the squads in the surrounding areas, and no one received orders targeting the Rainbow Gym—meaning the perpetrator isn't any of our Rocket Team members!"

"Then… could it be another organization?" another member mustered courage, "Like the Phantom Group that operated in Kanto before, or forces from other regions?"

"Other organizations?" General Aboluo furrowed his brows, his tone tinged with caution, "Yuhong City is our Rocket Team's territory; when did any new force dare to infiltrate? To bomb the Rainbow Gym right under our noses—that's a provocation against our Rocket Team!"

He stared at the crowd below, his gaze sharp as a blade, "If you don't know, go investigate! Send people immediately to inquire near the explosion site, retrieve all intersection footage, even the sewer rats—find out who did it!"

General Aboluo took a deep breath, suppressing his fury, his tone turning icy, "Remember, this must be clarified—our Rocket Team may act proactively, but we must never take the blame for others! If the Boss learns we can't even identify the perpetrator, you know the consequences!"

"Yes!!!" the members below answered in unison, daring not the slightest delay, turning and briskly exiting the secret room, immediately assigning personnel to investigate.

In the secret room only General Aboluo remained; he walked to the window, gazing at the street illuminated by police car lights, his expression still grim.