Matori's decision to order a retreat was a carefully calculated one.
Normally, the communication line to Giovanni would never be cut off. Now that it was, she had no way of knowing what was happening on his end.
Still, judging by the situation, it was highly likely that something unexpected had occurred to the Boss.
She didn't know what exactly had gone wrong, but if they couldn't reach Giovanni, expecting him to send reinforcements was unrealistic.
At this point, the League was moments away from breaking through their defenses. Every second they delayed, Team Rocket's risk of annihilation grew exponentially.
"Yes, Madam Matori!"
With Giovanni absent and both Athena and Apollo locked in battle, Matori's orders carried the same weight as Giovanni's own.
Within moments, the retreat command was passed down.
Team Rocket's trainers immediately began contracting their defensive lines.
Some escorted the scientists inside the building, mounting Flying-type Pokémon to break through the skies in an aerial escape. Others quickly destroyed research data and equipment inside the facility, ensuring the League wouldn't be able to uncover any of Team Rocket's secrets.
From the outside, one could see Rocket operatives crashing through windows—some carrying people, others hauling critical equipment—as they ascended skyward, slipping past the League investigators' aerial formation.
With Lance absent, the airborne League trainers were no match for these elite Rocket members.
Those who lacked any means of escape, having received promises of reward from their superiors, steeled their resolve and commanded their Pokémon to fight to the death—suicidal battles meant only to delay the League's advance.
Though Apollo and Athena were no match for Lorelei individually, together they could at least hold their own for a time.
And so, under that chaotic pressure, Team Rocket withdrew swiftly and methodically.
Lorelei, short-handed and furious, could only watch as Rocket operatives fled in all directions. All she could do was unleash her Pokémon's full might to shatter the enemy's retreating line.
Everywhere her Ice Beam passed, Pokémon after Pokémon were frozen solid.
Athena and Apollo, having no will to continue, retreated step by step, their resistance fading as the balance of victory tilted toward the League.
By the time Nozomi, Lance, and Sabrina arrived, the battle was already over.
Most of the Rocket members had been captured under Lorelei's command. However, the key executives and scientists had already fled long before the reinforcements arrived.
"If only we'd gotten here sooner…" Lance muttered regretfully.
What could have been a textbook example of a perfect anti-Rocket operation had been marred by his own misstep—and by Lorelei's limited manpower. In the end, it could only be considered a partial success.
Team Rocket had suffered a heavy blow, yes—but they hadn't been eradicated.
That was a shame that would weigh on them all.
"It's fine," Nozomi said with a light smile. "We still have time. And besides—this outcome's already pretty great, isn't it?"
He shared a brief grin with Lorelei.
Sabrina, standing nearby, immediately caught the subtle exchange between the two. Her eyes flicked from Nozomi to Lorelei, her expression faintly strange as an unfamiliar emotion began to stir within her.
Lorelei, unaware of Sabrina's mood, straightened and said seriously, "Based on the emergency interrogation of captured Rockets, we've confirmed their target—Silph Co."
"Silph Co.?"
Lance's eyes widened in shock. That corporation was a Kanto titan, world-renowned in the field of technology. He never imagined Team Rocket would dare target them.
"I was just as surprised when I heard," Lorelei admitted. "Luckily, we learned of their plan in advance and launched the raid. Otherwise, who knows what kind of disaster they would've caused."
Lance nodded grimly and turned toward Nozomi and Sabrina. "Still, we owe it to you two. Without your help, the League's reputation would've been in ruins."
He could scarcely imagine it—the scene of Giovanni, wielding Mewtwo, attacking Silph Co.
The incident at Indigo Plateau had already humiliated the League. If Silph Co., Kanto's technological crown jewel, were assaulted next… what would the world think of the Kanto League then?
As the region's leading Elite Four member, Lance himself would be disgraced.
Thankfully, Nozomi had uncovered the Rocket plot ahead of time—and defeated Giovanni.
"As a citizen of Kanto, I couldn't just sit back and let Team Rocket run wild," Nozomi replied with practiced modesty.
Of course, his real motivation was twofold—stopping Team Rocket not only earned him a valuable draw from the system but also a hefty reward from the League itself.
Lorelei, who knew him fairly well by now, didn't take his politeness too seriously. After a moment, she seemed to recall something.
"Oh, right—there's one more thing."
"What is it?" Nozomi asked.
"Silph's president wants to meet you," Lorelei said.
"Me? Why me? Shouldn't he be meeting Lance?"
Lance coughed awkwardly. "Ahem… The president and I, uh, don't exactly get along."
Nozomi blinked. Lance, at odds with Silph's president?
"I'm good friends with Steven—Steven Stone, you know, of Devon Corporation. Their company and Silph Co. are rivals. I helped Steven out a few times in the past."
Since they had fought side by side before, Lance didn't mind explaining briefly.
At once, Nozomi understood.
As the strongest of Kanto's Elite Four, Lance wielded considerable influence. It made sense that he'd lent Steven a few favors—unfortunately, those same favors had apparently offended Silph Co.'s leadership.
"All right then. When and where? I'll meet him."
Nozomi had no objection to the idea.
It was, after all, a chance to expand his network.
Knowing Silph's president could only be beneficial—especially if he ever wanted to acquire some of their products later on.
Just like Sabrina had managed to get her hands on a Master Ball; Nozomi refused to believe that wasn't because Silph Co. and Saffron Gym were conveniently located in the same city.
"Tomorrow afternoon," Lorelei said.
"Perfect. After a battle like that, I could use a little rest." Nozomi stretched with a satisfied sigh.
The fight against Mewtwo had kept his nerves wound tight from start to finish. After that climactic capture, both his mind and body were utterly exhausted.
"Which hotel are you staying at?" Lorelei asked. "I'll come find you once I finish up here."
At that, Lance's eyes darted between the two, suddenly realizing something peculiar about their rapport.
"Uh…"
Nozomi instinctively started to say he was staying at Saffron Gym—but the sudden flicker of danger in his mind made him swallow the words back.
Telling one woman you're staying at another woman's place?That was one kind of death wish he had no intention of testing.