Pokemon SoulSilver - Team Rocket Mahogany HQ

I found Lance in the Souvenir Shop with his Dragonite, and he ordered it to use Hyper Beam against the Scientist I saw earlier. Lance asked me what took me so long, and then told me that the radio signal was coming from there. We confronted the man running the shop, and Lance found the stairs below the golden box the man was standing next to. Lance told me we should split up to check this place, and he went first into the dark.

I quickly went down the stairs, and found myself in the Team Rocket HQ! I started down a hallway, only to feel like someone was watching me. I looked around, then noticed the Persian statue nearby was glowing, before it flashed and an alarm sounded. A Rocket Grunt ran up quickly, trying to stop me. I sent out Claire against his Drowzee, and Shadow Ball knocked it out instantly. The Grunt sent out Zubat next, and another Shadow Ball took it out easily.

Just as I was about to move on, another Rocket Grunt ran up to fight. I sent out Claire against his Zubat, and Shadow Ball took it out. Rattata was sent out next, and I sent Samuel out to fight it. Samuel knocked it out with Mach Punch, then Grimer was sent out and Flame Wheel knocked it out instantly. The Grunt told me that they would keep coming at me for each alarm I tripped, then he ran off.

I continued through the hallways, avoiding a couple Persian alarm statues before coming across a Scientist who wanted to fight. He told me that this place was once a ninja hideout, and that there were traps around to confuse intruders like myself. I sent out Claire to fight his Magnemite, and she used Shadow Ball for massive damage that knocked it out instantly. Another Magnemite was sent out, and another Shadow Ball took it out easily. A third Magnemite was sent out, and it too was knocked out by Claire's Shadow Ball. Claire grew to Level 31, and the battle was won.

After the battle was over, the Scientist told me that his PC behind him turned off the Persian alarms, and I had half a mind to keep them on to train my Pokemon, but I knew it would be far better and easier to just shut them off. I turned off the alarm systems, then grabbed the Guard Spec nearby before continuing through the hallways. I found a Hyper Potion down one path, then continued on and found a Nugget.

I soon found a warp panel to the entrance of the labyrinth, and stairs going further down. I switched Blake to the head of the team, and he followed me further down. I met Lance near the stairs at that floor, and he asked if I was alright. He gave me medicine to heal my Pokemon, and told me to give my best, then he continued further through the hallways.

I followed after Lance, and came across a Grunt. He sent out Venonat, and I sent out Blake. Blake used Ice Fang and knocked it out, then another Venonat was sent out. Blake used Crunch on the next one, and knocked it out easily. I checked the large doors near him and found them locked, and that they needed a password. I went through the hallways and found another Grunt, whose Pokemon were easily defeated by Blake. I saw stairs going further down, and I went even deeper into this maze.

I came across Lance again, who told me that to unlock the door to the radio transmitter, I would need the voice of a certain person. He told me that person was named Petrel, the Team Rocket Executive. He told me he found out the Executive is hiding in their leader's office, but told me that room is also protected with a password. Lance left to try to find the password, while I went down another hallway to try to find it myself.

I found a Full Heal down one hallway, then TM49 (Snatch) from another, then I went into one room to fight against a Rocket Grunt. After I beat him, he told me the password was RATICATETAIL, then revealed that there was a second password to get to open the door. I found an X Special and a Protein nearby, then fought another Scientist. His Ditto was knocked out before it could transform into Blake. The Scientist didn't care at all for the Pokemon they were hurting, and was excited at the thought of turning up the signal strength across the region.

I fought against another Scientist, who was formally a Silph Co employee, now running research for Team Rocket. I beat him easily, and Blake and Samuel both grew to Level 32, then I had Seth follow along. The Scientist revealed that the signal, which drives Pokemon mad, was his research, and he hoped to get a promotion soon because of it. I felt like having Seth Vine Whip him, but unfortunately I knew that would solve nothing.

I fought the Grunt nearby, and after I beat her she revealed that the second password was SLOWPOKETAIL, with no idea that I had the first password. I went up a second set of stairs through a hallway to more stairs going back down, and I beat another Grunt before I went down. I started toward the office, only to be stopped by Aiden, who was there for some reason.

Aiden said I must really like Team Rocket to mess with them again. He asked who that man in the cape was, with the Dragonite, and he told me his Pokemon were no match at all. He told me he didn't care that he lost, he told me he could beat him by getting stronger Pokemon. Aiden was actually bothered by what Lance told him, that he doesn't love and trust his Pokemon enough, and it made him furious that he lost to a 'bleeding heart' like him. Aiden told me he didn't have time for the likes of me before leaving.

I grabbed a nearby Ultra Ball, then went through the door. The man there said he had been waiting for me, then introduced himself as Giovanni. I didn't buy it for a second, and told him he didn't sound anything like Giovanni, and didn't even look like him. He told me that he worked so hard to mimic him, then revealed himself to be Petrel, a Team Rocket Executive. He knew I was trying to sneak into the radio-transmitter room, but he wouldn't allow it. He told me the password was "Hail Giovanni" and I was a bit surprised to hear that from him. He told me that it wouldn't help though, that his voice was the only one it would react to.

I got ready for a fight, and sent out Seth against his Zubat. Seth dealt damage with Cut, then Zubat got him confused by Confuse Ray, and Seth hurt himself and took damage from Wing Attack before he took out Zubat with another Cut. I switched to Edward to fight against his Koffing, and he used Thunder Punch for massive damage, before Koffing countered with Smoke Screen to lower Edward's accuracy. Edward hit it with Shock Wave next, and it was knocked out. Finally, Petrel sent out Raticate, and Edward hit it with Thunder Punch for massive damage before it countered with Hyper Fang for massive damage, a critical hit that put Edward in the yellow. Edward finished it off with Headbutt, and the battle was over.

Petrel told me that since disbanding Team Rocket three years ago, Giovanni had gone missing. He told me that they were certain he's been waiting for the right time for their revival. Petrel suddenly laughed, and said that losing to me wouldn't change the fact that I can't get in the radio-transmitter room. Petrel ran off, and then the Murkrow that was standing nearby mimicked Petrel with "Hail Giovanni" in Petrel's voice! The Murkrow ran off, and I chased after it. I found TM46 (Thief) in one room, then went back up the other stairs to find the Murkrow.

I kept after the Murkrow through many hallways until it ended up at the door of the radio-transmitter room, and it screamed the password, mimicking the voice of Petrel, and the doors opened up. The Murkrow ran off after the door opened, and I went in to turn off the system, before I heard a voice from the doorway. I went back to find Ariana, another Executive, telling me they couldn't let me do as I please forever. She was worried about Team Rocket's pride being crushed by my countless victories, and told me it was time to finish me. She figured if her and another grunt fought me at the same time, that I would have no chance of winning.

Suddenly Lance ran up from another hallway, telling her to hold it. He said how unfair it was for there to be a two-on-one battle, and that he would join the battle. Ariana asked about my sense of dignity by having an accomplice, but I could only ask the same thing when she was bringing a grunt to fight me too. She said as interim boss of Team Rocket, she would show me how wrong it is to mess with Team Rocket.

I sent out Seth, and Lance sent out Dragonite, while Ariana and the Grunt sent out Arbok and Drowzee. Arbok's Intimidate cut Seth's and Dragonite's attack, then Dragonite went high, and so Arbok missed it's attack, then Seth used Poison Powder aginst Drowzee to poison it before it countered with Confusion for great damage. I sent out Claire in place of Seth, then Drowzee got hit by Fly for massive damage and was knocked out, then Arbok used Glare to paralyze Dragonite before Grimer was sent out. Claire used Shadow Ball on Arbok for massive damage, then Arbok used Crunch for massive damage against Claire, before Dragonite flew high and Grimer's Sludge attack missed.

Claire used Shadow Ball against Arbok for great damage, and knocked it out, and Seth grew to Level 32, then Dragonite was stopped by paralysis before Murkrow was sent out. I switched out to Edward after Claire was knocked out by Murkrow's Pursuit, then Grimer used Minimize to increase it's evasiveness. Edward used Thunder Punch to knock out Murkrow, then Dragonite flew up high again before Grimer used Mud-Slap against Edward for great damage. Gloom was sent in, then Edward missed with Thunder Punch, and got hit by Sweet Scent to lower his evasion, then Dragonite's Fly missed again before Mud-Slap was used again for great damage.

Edward used Shock Wave against Grimer and knocked it out instantly, then he grew to Level 32. Gloom used Mega Drain for minor damage against Edward, then Dragonite used Thunder for massive damage against Gloom. Edward finished off Gloom with Headbutt, and thus ended the battle.

Ariana was angry at her defeat, but told me it was fine, that the broadcast experiment was a total success. She said it didn't matter what happened to the hideout now, and that they had much bigger plans. Ariana claimed I would come to appreciate Team Rocket's true power soon enough, and that I should enjoy myself while I could. After they left, Lance apologized to me, telling me he just hung back because he saw how well I was doing. All that was left was to turn off the signal, then we went to the machine creating it.

Lance looked over the machine, and told me that he couldn't find a switch on it, and then told me we would have to make all the Electrode powering it faint. It wasn't the Electrode's fault, and it made us both sad to have to do this. Lance said that we should split the job, and I went on the one side to fight the few there. I healed Seth, then fought and knocked out the three Electrode. With all the Electrode knocked out, the signal was stopped. Lance met with me at the front of the machine again, and complimented me on stopping Team Rocket. He thanked me for my help, and gave me HM05 (Whirlpool) which I could use to get through whirlpools only after getting the Badge from Mahogany Gym.

Lance wondered if I would keep going, knowing that it's so hard to become a Champion. I told him that I certainly would, that my Pokemon were strong and that we were all up to the task. I told him that if I gave up that easily, I never would have chased this dream to begin with. He told me he looked forward to seeing me again, then he left.

I made it out of the HQ, and found the Souvenir Shop empty. When I left, I saw that the tree-like cover of the antenna had been taken off or destroyed, and the antenna stood bare, heavily damaged and never to send out any signal again. I healed my team, and I knew my next stop would be the Mahogany Gym.

Current Team:

Claire (Haunter, Ghost/Poison, Lv. 31)
Blake (Feraligatr, Water, Lv. 32)
Seth (Weepinbell, Grass/Poison, Lv. 32)
Samuel (Monferno, Fire/Fighting, Lv. 32)
Edward (Electabuzz, Electric, Lv. 32)
Lucas (Pidgeotto, Normal/Flying, Lv. 31)