Chapter 453: Rocket Team Alola Base

The next morning at dawn, faint light filtered through the inn's windows into the room; Huo La, Xiao Gang, Xiaoyin, Bilan and Paipa gathered again, all looking somewhat urgent.

As soon as they sat down, Xiao Gang spoke first, his tone unable to hide a hint of joy: "Good news—Ash is also on Alola Island, and… he brought us news about Doctor Neimu."

"Really?!" Bilan's eyes lit up instantly, the first to exclaim, the anxiety on his face largely fading, "Great, we already have a lead on Doctor Neimu!"

Xiao Gang smiled and nodded, adding, "From Ash's message, he's already hurrying toward us, planning to meet up and, incidentally… leave Alola with us."

"Leave Alola?" Huo La asked, brow slightly furrowed, tone tinged with doubt, "Why does he suddenly want to leave? We haven't found Doctor Neimu yet; having stayed on the island so long, he should know a lot."

"Yes, I just learned from his news that Ash has been on Alola for almost a year," Xiao Gang said helplessly, "The message didn't detail what he experienced, only that we'll discuss further after we meet."

"Then how did he get in originally?" Xiaoyin, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, tone cautious, "After all, Alola is now tightly sealed by the Aether Foundation's barrier; ordinary people can't easily slip in."

Xiao Gang shook his head lightly, his expression heavy, "I don't know; he didn't mention it, probably there's another hidden reason."

Huo La inhaled deeply, suppressing his doubts, his face becoming resolute—right now, finding Doctor Neimu and obtaining the Special Poké Ball are the top priorities.

He looked at Xiao Gang, getting straight to the point: "Putting Ash's leaving aside, tell me quickly—where exactly is Doctor Neimu now?"

"On Poni Island," Xiao Gang replied immediately, "Ash says Doctor Neimu has been on Poni Island lately, specifically studying the differences between Alola Coconut Trees and those from other regions; he should still be there."

As soon as the words finished, Huo La stood up, reached for his backpack with a swift, decisive motion, no hesitation: "Xiao Gang Ge, let's stick to the groups we discussed last night. You and Xiaoyin stay here to wait for Ash's arrival; I'll take Paipa and Bilan and head to Poni Island now to find Doctor Neimu."

Xiao Gang quickly raised his hand, trying to object, since Poni Island is also under Aether Foundation control, and rushing there would be too dangerous.

But Huo La gently shook his head at him, his tone solemn: "Xiao Gang Ge, do as I say. I've always felt Alola's situation isn't that simple; Ash suddenly wants to leave, the Aether Foundation is hunting everywhere—there must be hidden factors."

He paused, then continued to advise: "After you meet up with Ash, be sure to ask him about everything he encountered during this year in Alola, especially regarding the Aether Foundation and any abnormal incidents. Once we locate Doctor Neimu, we'll return immediately to regroup and discuss the next plan together."

Xiao Gang looked at Huo La's determined gaze, knowing his mind was set; further objections were useless, so he lightly nodded: "Alright, don't worry. We'll watch over here and get Ash's details. You must be careful on Poni Island; if danger arises, contact us promptly."

Bilan and Paipa also stood up at once, grabbing their gear, their eyes fixed on Huo La: "We're ready; we can depart at any time!"

Xiaoyin, though still expressionless, said calmly: "Stay safe, don't hold us back."

Huo La glanced at him: "Save that for yourself."

Then, turning, he was the first to stride toward the door.

Elsewhere in a secluded Alola forest, a dilapidated hut—once the Rocket Team's secret base in Alola, now covered in dust and in total disarray.

Musashi, Kojiro and MeowMeow, the trio, crouched inside, rummaging through boxes, dust coating their hands and faces, their expressions full of impatience and frustration.

"Ugh! Truly the worst!" Musashi kicked a rusted empty can beside her foot; the can rolled far across the floor, emitting a harsh clang.

She frowned, complaining with a scornful face, "When those guys evacuated, couldn't they have left anything useful? It's all junk!"

No one contradicted her.

Since the Aether Foundation completely sealed Alola, Sakaki ordered the withdrawal of all Rocket Team personnel from the island, leaving only this empty shell; the supplies and equipment inside had long been looted by the evacuees, leaving no trace of usefulness.

Kojiro slumped onto a pile of junk, sighing, his tone full of helplessness: "Should have seen it coming, Musashi. You know the Rocket Team's nature—whatever they have, they take it, leaving nothing behind; they'd never deliberately leave anything for us."

"Meow, stop complaining, stop complaining!" MeowMeow flicked her dust‑covered tail, stood up and brushed dust off, "Search more carefully; Meow heard that Banmu Laoda originally planned to make this one of the Rocket Team's core bases, intending to slip in when the Aether Foundation was researching spatial technology—there's no way they left no trace."

"Oh?" Musashi heard that, her eyes instantly brightening, the earlier frustration vanished, but as she looked around the cramped, wrecked hut, her gaze dimmed again, "But look here—it's empty, not even a cupboard to hide things in; maybe you're mistaken?"

MeowMeow ignored Musashi's doubt, lowering her head, her gaze slowly scanning the interior walls until she stopped at an inconspicuous section, extending a paw to feel the wall up and down; the sharp tip of her claw lightly scratched the surface, leaving a faint mark.

Suddenly, MeowMeow's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Found it! Meow found it!"

Musashi and Kojiro immediately crowded over, craning their necks; their faces full of doubt and contempt: "What? It's just an ordinary wall—bare, no cracks. Are you seeing things?"

"You two don't understand!" MeowMeow planted her hands on her hips, a smug grin, "The Rocket Team's truly important stuff is never left out in the open, especially at such a crucial base! If Meow says it's there, it definitely is!"

As the words fell, MeowMeow again extended a sharp claw, scraping a hidden notch in the wall's corner twice swiftly.

Immediately, the once smooth wall began to tremble, dust falling away; the wall slowly shifted to one side, revealing a pitch‑black passage that materialized before the three, faint light glimmering within.