Chapter 226: Giovanni's New Plan
After putting down his phone, Asahi fell into deep thought.
Contrary to his initial assumption, nothing had happened to the International Police branch in Hoenn.
They were simply short on manpower and struggling to deal with the increasingly active Team Magma and Team Aqua.
The reason for sending Asahi to Hoenn was primarily because of his extensive experience dealing with Legendary Pokémon. They needed his expertise to analyze whether Team Magma and Team Aqua were truly capable of awakening Groudon and Kyogre.
And in case they actually succeeded, he would serve as an extra safeguard.
Very well. That made sense.
Asahi did not refuse the mission.
It wasn't just because headquarters had recently approved a massive budget for him, nor was it merely because Devon Corporation was tied to his income.
The main reason was simple—he was a good person!
The people of Hoenn had suffered at the hands of Team Magma and Team Aqua for too long. He was going there to rescue them from disaster once again!
I, Asahi, stand for justice!
"Right, Gardevoir?"
Asahi turned his head and asked the Gardevoir who was reading a book.
Although Gardevoir didn't understand what Asahi was saying, just seeing his expression was enough for it to roll its eyes instinctively.
The Eevee in Asahi's arms followed Gardevoir's lead and rolled its eyes at him as well—only to be immediately subjected to Asahi's merciless teasing.
This left Eevee questioning its entire existence. Why was it not allowed to do what Gardevoir could?
---
While Asahi was considering his course of action for Hoenn…
Rocket Town – Rocket Team Underground Base
Inside the underground base, a large number of Rocket Grunts were busy at work.
Ever since the battle at the Forest, this base had replaced Goldenrod City's as Team Rocket's main headquarters in Johto. Giovanni had personally ordered the transfer of a large amount of equipment from Goldenrod to this location.
Professor Elm would never have guessed that after his departure, Rocket Town would become one of Team Rocket's strongholds in Johto.
It was almost as if they were dancing on his grave.
"Boss, we've bailed out everyone who could be bailed out. What are our next steps?" Ariana reported to Giovanni.
The battle at Oak's Forest had completely wiped out the Masked Corps, with the entire group being taken down by the League in one fell swoop.
But Team Rocket didn't get away unscathed either…
Losing two executives and a significant portion of their core members was a severe blow to the organization.
Fortunately, the League had a bail system—so as long as they paid a hefty sum, they could bail out their captured lower-ranking members, preventing a manpower crisis within Team Rocket.
Sitting in his chair with his back to Ariana, Giovanni remained silent.
His gaze swept across the world map.
Giovanni murmured, "Have there been any major developments in other regions?"
Both Kanto and Johto were Team Rocket's traditional strongholds, but with Asahi in the picture, Giovanni felt that a direct confrontation with him would only deplete Team Rocket's resources.
Instead, he planned to use this opportunity to expand Team Rocket's overseas operations.
Hearing Giovanni's question, Ariana quickly recalled relevant information:
"The Galactic Team in Sinnoh has been clashing intensely with the Sinnoh League."
"The Flare Team in Kalos, who had previous dealings with us, has also been getting more active lately."
"As for Team Magma and Team Aqua, whom you instructed us to monitor… they've started making their moves. It looks like they're preparing to enact their plan."
Hearing "Hoenn," Giovanni's eyes gleamed.
He recalled an old project that had once been considered as an alternative to the Mewtwo Project.
Giovanni asked, "Are those two extraterrestrial lifeforms still at Mossdeep Space Center?"
"They are. There's been no news of them being relocated," Ariana confirmed, knowing exactly what Giovanni was referring to.
Team Rocket had been eyeing those creatures for a long time.
According to data obtained from Mossdeep Space Center, those two extraterrestrial lifeforms were actually a unique species of Pokémon.
However, at the time, all of Team Rocket's resources had been invested in the creation of Mewtwo, leaving no room to research these two space Pokémon. As a result, the project was put on hold, and they remained at Mossdeep Space Center.
Now, things were different.
Mewtwo had been snatched away by Asahi, even Professor Elm had lost to him. Giovanni felt an insurmountable wall of power standing between himself and Asahi.
To counter Asahi, Giovanni decided to reactivate the project.
The first step was to secure those Pokémon.
"Prepare everything—I'll personally go to Hoenn!" Giovanni declared.
"Boss, you're going yourself?"
Ariana was taken aback.
She hadn't expected such a straightforward task to warrant Giovanni's direct involvement.
Giovanni simply waved his hand dismissively.
"To be cautious. Besides, I might as well check in on those fools in Team Magma and Team Aqua—see how many of them manage to survive after awakening Groudon and Kyogre." Giovanni sneered.
He had detailed profiles on Maxie and Archie.
To him, these two lacked the real strength to back up their grand ambitions. He was curious to see just how badly they would be crushed once they stirred up the wrath of Groudon and Kyogre.
---
There was no immediate need to depart for Hoenn.
According to headquarters, while Team Magma and Team Aqua were causing trouble, the situation was still under control as long as it didn't escalate further.
So Asahi could wait until the Indigo League Tournament was over before heading to Hoenn.
Although he was skeptical of headquarters' assessment, he had already promised Lance to oversee security for the tournament. In the end, he decided to finish his security duties first before setting off.
Indigo Plateau – Pokémon League Headquarters
Asahi sat in Lance's office while Lance, looking surprised, asked, "You're going to Hoenn soon?"
"Yeah, it's an assignment from headquarters. Things aren't looking too good over there," Asahi replied.
Given Lance's position, he would find out sooner or later, so Asahi saw no reason to keep it from him. He shared all the relevant information.
After hearing the details, Lance sighed. "Groudon and Kyogre… Steven did mention them before, but I didn't expect things to be this bad."
He had been keeping in touch with Steven and had heard about Hoenn's situation.
Compared to Team Rocket, which merely sought power, the eco-extremists of Team Magma and Team Aqua, who wanted to expand land and flood the seas, seemed even more insane.
"Enough about that… The Indigo League Tournament is starting soon. You agreed to help with security, but I haven't told you which part you'll be in charge of yet."
"...So where am I assigned?" Asahi asked.
"No specific location—just make sure to keep a close eye on the finals," Lance replied.