Conflict Theory
While waiting in a break room, Blue wrestles with the urge to call his friends for backup. He ultimately decides against it, realizing that despite their combat experience, none of them are truly trained to fight renegades, and he refuses to burden them with the danger. He reflects on the immense implications of the Master Ball—if Silph has truly created a flawless capture device, the Stormbringers could be neutralized before Blue even becomes Champion. While wrestling with a mix of relief and bitter disappointment, Blue resolves that he must protect Kanto's best weapon against the legendary birds. He texts Professor Oak about the situation, who advises him to keep a low profile and questions why Interpol wasn't included in the security sweep. Their conversation is cut short by an intercom announcement stating that all personnel must remain in the building for a SecuriPass update, effectively trapping everyone inside.
On the fourth floor, Red assists with the psychic screening of Silph's Dark-type employees alongside Police Commissioner Burrell, the company psychic Lin, and a pair of Kanto hunters. The process is tense but orderly, and President Silph eventually leaves to return to his penthouse office. Shortly after, a massive explosion violently shakes the building. A voice over the intercom declares that renegades have taken control. The invaders order everyone below the fourth floor to evacuate, while those above must surrender; any resistance, or attempt by the trapped security team to break out, will result in the execution of hostages, including President Silph. With cell signals and radios jammed by the renegades, the security team is completely isolated behind reinforced iron doors.
As the trapped officers debate their options, the hunters coldly propose fighting their way out or even bringing the entire building down to ensure the renegades' extermination, accepting the hostage deaths as a necessary cost. Red realizes the renegades hold all the leverage, and he is the only one with a chance to tip the scales. Dropping his partition, he reviews his hidden assets and reveals to the stunned room that he can teleport indoors and possesses a secret psychic ability to shut down enemy pokemon. Earning Burrell's desperate trust, Red secures the building schematics and prepares to partition his mind, artificially inducing the sense of safety required to execute an indoor teleport.
Meanwhile, on a lower floor, Blue notices an employee calmly reaching for a pokebelt amidst the post-explosion panic. Recognizing the practiced, lethal movements of a renegade, Blue immediately engages, summoning his breloom and arcanine to counter the renegade's blastoise and vileplume. In the chaotic, cramped office battle, Blue relies on his specialized indoor training to maneuver around desks and keep the renegade off-balance. The fight nearly turns disastrous when the renegade attempts to capture Maturin with a greatball. Forced into a split-second decision, Blue throws his luxio's ball to deflect the capture device mid-air, saving his starter. Supported by a few brave Silph employees who hurl office supplies, Blue pegs the renegade in the head with a paperweight, forcing the injured man to withdraw his pokemon and flee into the evacuating crowd. After learning from the employees that the hostages are trapped on the upper floors, Blue refuses to evacuate with the civilians. He gathers his pokemon and heads up toward the danger to help Red.