"Well, this looks pretty good."
Robert stepped into the bustling Game Corner, his eyes scanning the bright lights, the rows of machines, and the excited chatter of Trainers and civilians alike.
"It's basically the same as the arcades back in my previous life," he thought, his gaze sharp and calculating. "But the ones I remember didn't have this much gear... and the prizes definitely weren't Pokémon or rare items."
The atmosphere buzzed with excitement. Dozens of slot machines, roulette tables, and other games lined the floor. Prizes were displayed in shining cases—rare evolution stones, battle items, even Poké Balls housing elusive Pokémon.
After a casual walkthrough and gathering some basic intel on the place, Robert began his real plan.
Step one: walk up to the counter and casually exchange 100,000 PokéCoins for game tokens.
Step two: make a scene.
With a smirk, Robert strolled over to a row of slot machines. He picked one that looked especially flashy, then turned to the growing crowd and loudly announced, "This machine seems ridiculously simple. Just match three icons and you win? Seriously? This is child's play."
His voice carried clearly, dripping with arrogance.
Naturally, his words drew attention. Players paused mid-spin; some glanced over with interest, others with irritation. The noise level dipped as people started gathering around.
"Did he just say this machine is easy?"
"Is he for real? These things are totally rigged."
"Oh, I gotta see this. He's about to waste a ton of money."
The murmuring crowd circled Robert, their expressions ranging from curious to amused. Many of them had suffered losses in this very room—some walked in hopeful and left crushed. A few had even been carried out after fainting from despair or frustration.
Robert, ignoring their stares, divided his 100,000 PokéCoins across five different slot machines, inserting 20,000 into each one. Then, with the same cocky demeanor, he turned to the nearest one.
"Alright then," he said loudly, "time to show you how it's done."
The crowd watched in stunned silence.
"H-Hey, did you see that? He just dumped 20k into each machine!"
"Is he rich or just plain crazy?"
"No, he's trying to show off. Bet he loses everything in one go."
"Something's off. No way he'd just gamble that kind of money unless he's got a trick."
They weren't wrong.
Robert wasn't planning to play fair—not at all.
Before entering the Game Corner, Robert had released his Haunter and ordered it to hide within his shadow. Now, with everyone's attention focused on the machines, he whispered, "Now, Haunter."
A barely audible giggle answered him.
"Gastly~"
The shadow near Robert flickered as Haunter moved unseen through the dim light of the arcade. Its glowing red eyes scanned the slot machine mechanisms, manipulating them just enough to guarantee a win without triggering alarms.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The wheels on all five machines began to spin simultaneously.
Bright colors flashed across the screens as everyone leaned in closer, the sound of spinning reels ringing through the hall. Even nearby gamblers abandoned their games to see what would happen.
"Tch. This guy's just burning money."
"Yeah, he's throwing 100k away in one spin."
"Actually… I think he's trying to make a point. Or cause trouble."
The crowd's tone shifted. Whispers turned into speculation. Some began to suspect Robert's intent.
A waiter at the side of the room, dressed in a sharp uniform and fitted earpiece, narrowed his eyes. He pressed a hand to the comm in his ear and began whispering into it, reporting Robert's activity.
Robert heard the murmurs and saw the shifting expressions, but he remained composed. He kept his eyes locked on the machines, his face calm, as if this was all part of his everyday routine.
And then—ding, ding, ding.
All five machines landed on perfect matching symbols.
Jackpot.
The lights flashed. Alarms rang. Coins clattered into trays like waterfalls. The crowd gasped in unison.
Everyone now knew—this wasn't luck.
This was deliberate.
Haunter hovered invisibly beside Robert, making a tiny fist-pump in the air and flashing a mischievous grin that only Robert could see.
There was no more doubt. Robert had cheated—blatantly and shamelessly. The crowd's mood changed instantly.
"Run! This guy's causing trouble!"
"Is he crazy? He's messing with the Game Corner!"
"We're out of here!"
Within seconds, the onlookers scattered. No one wanted to be caught up in whatever trouble Robert had just stirred. The regulars knew better than to linger when someone tried something like this.
But the waiter from earlier didn't panic. Instead, he calmly walked up to Robert with a polite smile and leaned in.
"Congratulations, sir," he said in a low voice. "You're incredibly lucky. You've earned a massive prize. Please, allow me to escort you to our VIP room so you can claim your rewards."
The waiter's tone was smooth and respectful, but Robert wasn't fooled.
The Game Corner staff had no idea who he was. They wanted to lure him into the back, either to assess his threat level—or silence him.
Little did they know that Robert wasn't just some spoiled rich kid throwing money around.
He knew the truth: this Game Corner wasn't just for show. It was a front. One of many secret bases run by Team Rocket.
And Robert had come here precisely because of that.
So when the waiter smiled and tried to play nice, Robert smiled back.
"Sure," he said with a slight stretch. "I've been sitting a while. Good time to stretch my legs."
The waiter continued talking, as if reading from a script. "Our VIP room has luxurious lounges, top-tier service, and—"
Robert cut him off.
"Yeah, yeah, spare me the speech. Just take me there. I'm a busy guy with thousands of things to do per minute. I don't have time for filler dialogue."
The waiter's eye twitched slightly but maintained his professional demeanor. "Right this way, sir."
Robert followed with a casual stride, eyes half-lidded, already bracing for what might come next.
He wasn't sure whether they'd try to threaten him, bribe him, or trap him—but one thing was certain:
He wasn't leaving until he stirred up some chaos.
Because if Team Rocket thought they could keep operating in the shadows unnoticed, they were in for a rude awakening.
Robert had found their base.
And now?
Now it was time to blow the whole operation wide open.
---