Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect-Chapter 259: Team Rocket Hideout

After interacting with The Dog King, Caine, John's fanbase skyrocketed from a measly one to a staggering ten million. And it wasn't stopping there—his numbers were climbing by a million per hour.

With his title, looks, and sheer talent, estimates suggested he'd hit a hundred million fans by the end of the week. But for John, who barely posted anything, it didn't matter if he had one fan or a hundred million. He only registered an account and verified it so Senior Caine knew he was speaking to him directly.

The date was the 25th.

It was a bit of an awkward time. Technically, John should have gone back to school to wrap up his early graduation. After all, once he officially became a Gym Leader, he wouldn't have much time for school. Instead of constantly requesting leaves of absence, it made more sense to graduate now and be done with it.

But in just five days, his Breeder business was holding its second big Pokemon sale.

The breeding operation was still in its infancy, and he had to be there in person. Once they'd run a few more events and streamlined the process, he could start delegating tasks. Five or six successful sales would be enough to solidify a team capable of handling the logistics, and then John could step back a bit.

However, there was one problem—early graduation required a special assessment. He wasn't sure five days would be enough to handle both commitments.

"Eh, forget it. I'll just use these five days to grind levels in the Gym. Wouldn't want to get blindsided."

As a newly appointed Gym Leader, he had a two-month "Rookie Protection Period," meaning no challengers for now. But once that period ended? He was certain they'd come in waves.

If he wanted to maintain a dominant reputation, he needed to overwhelm his first wave of opponents completely. If they got obliterated, word would spread, and only serious challengers would step up. That way, he wouldn't waste time on weaklings.

His goal? Get his team to at least LV 70 before the first challenger showed up.

Thinking about all this, John made his way toward his temporary tent. His future villa was under construction, but it wasn't finished yet. Not that it mattered—he only used the tent to keep up appearances. At night, he stayed in his secret underground base anyway.

Inside the base, he grabbed a Coke from the fridge, threw on a movie, and sank into his plush recliner. Then, he pulled out his Gameboy.

His in-game character was still in Johto. Every Gym he could battle had already been defeated. The only exception was Jasmine—she was off at a Contest event, so her Gym was currently off-limits.

That left him with one path: onward to Kanto.

It was simple enough—head east from New Bark Town, cross Tohjo Falls, push through the long route ahead, and eventually reach Victory Road. From there, he'd arrive at the Indigo Plateau, where the Kanto Elite Four and Champion awaited.

Alternatively, if he veered west on Victory Road, he'd reach Mt. Silver.

John planned to check if the legendary Red was there.

But before heading to Kanto, he had unfinished business—clearing out Rocket Hideout in Mahogany Town.

The recommended level for that dungeon was 70, and his team was already at LV 67+. With those stats, he wasn't just ready—he was overqualified.

"Time to see what this Rocket Hideout has to offer."

More importantly, he needed to figure out if this dungeon was a permanent repeatable event, like the Volcano Project dungeon. If it was, that meant monthly access to high-tier loot. Two secret treasures a month would be game-changing.

Flying into Mahogany Town on Flygon, John made a mental note to hit Meteor Falls soon and catch a Bagon. A Salamence would make for an excellent flying mount—and while he was at it, he could stock up on Bagons for the Breeder business. Selling only Ralts was fine for now, but eventually, he wanted to offer an entire lineup of pseudo-legendary Pokemon.

After a quick healing stop at the Pokemon Center, he walked toward the infamous house where Lance's Dragonite had once Hyper Beamed a guy through the wall.

[Enter Dungeon: "Rocket Hideout"? (First-time completion rewards available)]

[Recommended Entry Level: 70]

John selected "Yes."

His surroundings blurred, and like every other dungeon instance, he found himself inside the game.

A long corridor stretched before him, bright overhead lights flickering slightly. Distant sounds of Pokemon battles and the occasional rumble of an explosion echoed through the halls.

Releasing Gardevoir as a precaution, John advanced, stepping into what seemed to be a central hall.

The place was a wreck. The floor was cracked, scorch marks covered the walls, and several Team Rocket grunts were sprawled on the ground, bound and unconscious.

In the middle of the destruction stood Lance and his Dragonite.

Hearing John's footsteps, Lance turned sharply. His frown relaxed slightly when he recognized him.

"...You?" Lance eyed him for a moment before pulling out his ID. "Lance, Johto Champion and Special Agent of the International Police. I'm tracking Team Rocket's latest scheme and could use your help."

John raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"My Dragonite's scan detected two possible escape routes for the Rocket leader. I need you to take one while I handle the other."

Lance studied him for a moment before adding, "Since you managed to take on two of the Rocket Executives at once, you should be capable enough. If you find their leader, stall him until I arrive."

He tossed John a small red device.

"If things get dicey, press this emergency button. I'll be there immediately."

Then, as if the conversation was already over, Lance turned and dashed into the left passage, Dragonite following close behind.

As soon as he disappeared, a mission notification appeared before John.

[Dungeon Objective: Prevent the Rocket Hideout Leader from Escaping]

[Time Limit: 30 Minutes]

John cracked his knuckles and smirked. "Alright, let's get to work." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ