"Kyurem really is terrifying. Even from such a distance, its influence still reaches here."
After leaving the battle site, the group looked around at the tall buildings around them, each covered in a thin layer of frost. Green couldn't help but click her tongue.
"Kyurem is the strongest Ice-type Legendary Pokémon in the world—it's not surprising at all."
Lucas shrugged. Although Kyurem bore the title of "the strongest dragon," when it came to being the strongest Dragon-type overall… that was basically out of the question. But if one spoke of it as the strongest Ice-type Legendary, then there was absolutely no room for doubt.
After all, Kyurem's most powerful exclusive moves were all Ice-type. Aside from the Arceus wielding the Ice Plate, no other Legendary or Mythical could possibly compete with Kyurem within the realm of Ice.
"Alright, let's find a hotel and rest first. Tomorrow we'll head back to Kanto."
Lucas looked around—the streets were nearly empty. After all, few people had the guts to ignore the effects of such a disastrous snow-and-ice phenomenon.
That evening, after eating dinner, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. It's worth mentioning that at this point, Lucas, Marnie, and Green were still sharing a single room.
Mainly because Green was far too mischievous and unpredictable, Lucas simply couldn't feel at ease leaving her unsupervised.
"Aaaah! Lucas! My reputation!"
Marnie was in the shower at the moment, while Green clutched her hair in frustration, nearly breaking down. Just thinking about the strange look in Colress's eyes back at the hotel counter, when he saw the three of them check into a single room together, made her burn with shame.
It was one thing when no one else was around, and she could ignore the clerk's looks. But Colress's glance had pierced her like a blade.
She instantly understood what he was thinking:
"Oh, you three really know how to play, huh~"
Green had practically read the man's thoughts in a split second!
"Shut up already. It's not like you had a good reputation to begin with."
Lucas rolled his eyes while he calmly wiped down his Poké Balls.
"Hmph! Lucas, when are you going to let me leave? I still need to find my parents."
Green huffed, her delicate brows furrowed as she stared at Lucas.
Not handing her over to the Masked Man, yet refusing to set her free—Green simply couldn't understand what Lucas was really thinking.
"Green, with your IQ, you really haven't guessed my goal yet? As long as you hand over those two items to me, I'll let you go."
Lucas didn't even look at her as he spoke in a calm voice.
Green's frown deepened instantly. She had known all along he wasn't up to anything good.
Because when she and Silver had fled from the Masked Organization, she had stolen the Rainbow Wing and the Silver Wing!
There was no question about it—those were what Lucas wanted.
The Rainbow Wing: a feather imbued with Ho-Oh's power.
The Silver Wing: a feather imbued with Lugia's power.
And these two relics were exactly what the Masked Man most desperately sought.
Because only with the Rainbow Wing and Silver Wing as materials could the GS Ball be created—an artifact capable of imprisoning Celebi, the mythical Pokémon with time-traveling powers.
Back then, the Masked Man had captured both Ho-Oh and Lugia, and through that obtained their feathers. But a year ago, when Green and Silver betrayed the organization, Green had stolen them away.
That theft was the true reason the Masked Man had flown into such a rage, and had ordered Lucas to track down Green and Silver.
To the Masked Man, the members of the organization were nothing more than tools to ensure his grand plan could succeed. Their lives, deaths, or loyalty barely mattered.
Because he was no longer the kind and gentle Pryce of the past.
Green's betrayal alone wouldn't have mattered much. But stealing the Rainbow and Silver Wings—that was unforgivable.
"So, it really is those feathers you've been scheming after all this time."
Green's eyes were filled with suspicion as she glared at Lucas. For some reason her heart felt uncomfortable—almost like the sting of betrayal.
Over these past few days, she had actually started to see Lucas in a different light. But in the end, that was nothing more than her own wishful thinking.
"Why do you insist on helping that old man?! You're so strong—you don't need to!"
Her voice cracked, sharp with resentment and confusion, so loud that even Marnie in the shower heard. The girl pushed open the bathroom door slightly, poking out her head with a puzzled look.
"It's nothing, keep showering."
Lucas waved her off with a smile.
Marnie blinked, then shut the door again. With Lucas there, she wasn't worried—Green couldn't cause much of a fuss.
"I thought I'd answered you before, Green. No matter what the teacher has done, he gave us both life and upbringing."
Lucas turned and looked at her calmly.
"And unlike you and Silver, he didn't just raise me—he taught me. Without him, I would never be who I am today."
Though Pryce had kidnapped him, Lucas had never resented it. To him, upbringing and education were debts that could never be denied.
"Besides, you've misunderstood something. Even now, I'm not strong enough to defeat the teacher."
He shook his finger, smiling faintly.
Yes, even after having Eternatus, Reshiram, and the shiny Genesect, if he were to face Pryce, he would almost certainly be defeated.
The man who could control a Delibird from afar and use it to overpower Ho-Oh despite type disadvantage was beyond terrifying.
And Eternatus, without the ability to Dynamax and doubly weak to Ice, would fare even worse against him.
Green's eyes widened. She knew the Masked Man was dangerous—but to think that even the current Lucas, with all his monstrous strength, still couldn't match him? That was shocking.
"Finally, I do want the Rainbow and Silver Wings. But I have no intention of handing them to teacher. I have my own plans for them."
Lucas continued casually. He respected Pryce, yes—but unlike N with Ghetsis, he was not blindly devoted.
He remembered all too well what had happened to the Masked Man in the original timeline. Lucas intended to give him a better ending.
And for that, Dialga could help him.
If he simply handed over the feathers, he would only be fueling Pryce's destructive ambitions. Lucas had no intention of letting that happen.
"What are you really planning?"
Green frowned again, her frustration mounting. She simply couldn't figure him out.
Was he ambitious? Clearly, he had the strength, but instead of building his own empire, he had joined Team Rocket.
Was he just and kind? That was even harder to believe—Lucas hardly matched those words.
Was he loyal to the Masked Man? Yet here he openly admitted he wasn't fully faithful.
Even though they had grown up together, childhood friends, Green realized she had never truly understood him.
"It's not something you need to worry about. Just give me the feathers and I'll let you go."
Lucas's tone was indifferent. Once he had them, he really wouldn't care what happened to her afterward.
Even if she got caught by Karen and Will, it didn't matter to him.
"No! I won't! How do I know you're not lying to me?"
Green pouted stubbornly, refusing outright.
"Then you'll just keep staying by my side. Just don't blame me if one day I'm in a bad mood and decide to vent my frustrations on you."
Lucas glanced at her. Dressed in her cute blue pajamas, her figure was actually quite… eye-catching.
"??"
Green's eyes went wide. What did he just say?
"Y-you hentai! Big pervert!"
Her face flushed scarlet in an instant. She yanked the blanket around herself, glaring at him with righteous fury.
Of course, she knew what he meant—what girl her age wouldn't?
To think he could say such shameless things to her face… and after they had grown up together no less! What kind of dirty thoughts was he harboring?!
This man was beyond saving!
"It's your choice, Green. You're a grown-up now. Don't tell me you still don't understand something this simple."
Lucas raised a brow at her, feigning surprise.
"No matter what you say, I'm not giving you the feathers!"
Green pulled the blanket tighter. He could claim all he liked that he wouldn't hand them to the Masked Man—but why should she believe him?
As far as she was concerned, Lucas had never been a "good person." Trusting him blindly would be foolish.
Lucas only shrugged, unconcerned. The real reason he kept Green close was to prevent her from being captured by Karen and Will, who were both active in Kanto now.
If fate played its hand wrong, she might run right into them. Better to keep her at his side.
He went back to polishing his Poké Balls, speaking calmly over his shoulder:
"Don't hog the bed. You're sleeping on the floor."
"Ugh, you tyrant! I know, I know!"
Green buried her face in the blanket. A pretty, lively girl like her—forced to sleep on the floor every night! How could he be so cruel?!
-----------------
The next morning, the group boarded a plane back to Kanto without incident, arriving in Saffron City around noon.
Without hesitation, Lucas led them straight toward Lavender Town.
At the foot of a small mountain range nearby, Lucas pressed on a hidden stone. A section of the cliff face rumbled open.
"You actually have a secret base in Kanto?"
Green blinked in surprise. This hideout was far too well concealed to have been built recently.
"It used to be a Team Rocket base. It was abandoned, so I remodeled it."
Lucas explained simply. He could've had his Tyranitar dig one out for him, but if there was already a ready-made facility, why not use it?
And Team Rocket had countless hidden bases scattered across Kanto. Many were abandoned—this was just one of them, conveniently close to Lavender Town for supplies.
Inside, the base was spacious, with all manner of scientific equipment and biological tanks.
Colress's eyes flickered as he scanned the machinery—every piece was cutting-edge, the latest models available on the market.
"Quite satisfactory. But… we still haven't acquired Mew's genetic material, have we?"
Old Dr. Fuji, clad in his lab coat, was adjusting settings on one of the machines.
"Don't worry. Oh, and let me introduce someone. This is Dr. Colress, a geneticist and biologist I found. From now on, he'll be working with you on this project."
Lucas smiled, gesturing toward the man behind him.
"Colress, this is Dr. Fuji—the principal scientist behind the first Mewtwo."
He deliberately referred to Team Rocket's Mewtwo as "the first generation."
With Fuji and Colress together, Lucas believed there was a sixty-percent chance of creating his own Mewtwo 2.0.
The exact timing was uncertain, of course—but at least now, he had hope.
Fuji studied Colress carefully. Though young, he radiated the unmistakable curiosity and aura of a true researcher. Fuji nodded in approval.
If Lucas had chosen him, then he must indeed be talented.
"As for manpower, I'll recruit assistants from the black market. Scientists looking for work aren't hard to find if you pay well."
Lucas added. With the lead researchers secured, support staff would be needed—but that was no problem.
"The facilities and manpower are settled. Now the real key is the Pokémon genes."
(End of Chapter)