Alivia was a petite and adorable young woman with short, silver-white hair—a rare specialist in Normal-type Pokémon.
Beside her stood Lewis, a man in his early twenties wearing a crisp, formal jacket. He was upright, stiff, and strictly business. A Steel-type specialist, he was so rigid that Feng Che frequently teased him for being a "Steel Straight Man."
The freighter cut through the ocean waves, leaving rhythmic ripples in its wake. Under a large sunshade, Feng Che was sprawled out, holding his Eevee as he napped. He was taking this travel time to bond with Eevee and raise its affection.
Eevee, meanwhile, was happily sipping on a custom juice blend made from over a hundred types of berries. It was icy, sweet, and incredibly refreshing.
Eevee: This is the life. No training, just warm sunshine and afternoon naps. Compared to my old life, this is a total upgrade.
Nearby, the newly hatched Beldum floated in the air, its red eye darting around as it observed the vast ocean with mechanical curiosity.
"Beldum, remember: no releasing Black Holes on the ship," Feng Che warned sleepily. "Otherwise, you'll refine this entire vessel into a single block of high-purity iron before we even arrive."
Beldum pulsed its magnets and nodded, continuing to use its psychic power to hover.
I've been feeding this Beldum nothing but the most expensive rare metals since it hatched, Feng Che thought. I even gave it that last chunk of Ground Iron. Combined with the psychic essence from Mewtwo's dimension, its future potential is going to be terrifying.
Shaymin lay lazily on the deck nearby, mimicking Eevee's relaxed posture and sipping its own juice with a look of pure bliss. A pleasant, herbal aroma wafted from its fur.
Just as Feng Che was drifting into a deeper sleep, Lewis marched over and shook him awake.
"Master Feng Che! Wake up! We are about to enter the territorial waters of the deserted island!"
Feng Che groaned, rubbing his bleary eyes and yawning. "Lewis... didn't I tell you to wait until we actually arrived to wake me?"
"Sir, you have been resting for far too long. You haven't conducted a single training session since we boarded," Lewis said sternly. He reached down and gave Eevee's belly a light pinch, revealing a very noticeable layer of pudge. "Look at this Eevee. It's so fat that if you told someone it was a Purugly, they'd believe you."
Eevee: How rude! Pinching a lady's stomach?! I'm a sophisticated Pokémon, thank you very much! Eevee put on a look of profound grievance.
"Lewis, Eevee needs its rest. I'm intentionally letting it put on some weight," Feng Che said dotingly. Eevee nodded vigorously in agreement. "I need to build up its physical foundation before I subject it to high-intensity training."
Eevee: Wait... high-intensity training? I'm just a baby! The smile instantly vanished from Eevee's face, replaced by a look of deep melancholy.
"Am I right, Alivia? You're the Normal-type expert," Feng Che said, turning to the silver-haired girl reading a book nearby. She had her own Pidgeot nearby, which was currently performing grueling endurance drills.
"Master Feng Che's Eevee is... a bit over-nourished," Alivia said without looking up from her book. "It definitely needs to start moving."
Both Alivia and Lewis were renowned archaeology experts within Team Rocket, though they had different specialties. Alivia was a master of identifying ancient artifacts, while Lewis excelled at locating ruins and cracking complex mechanical locks.
Giovanni suspected that Sakaki Tsuna had escaped the island because of an ancient ruin hidden there. The island sat in a remote patch of sea near the border of Kanto and Hoenn. It was roughly twice the size of the first Death Island, plagued by erratic and violent weather.
"The island is home to many Elite-level wild Pokémon that are extremely hostile toward humans," Lewis continued his lecture. "The perimeter is guarded by massive whirlpools and jagged reefs. The freighter will drop us off five nautical miles out. We'll take speedboats to the shore as the vanguard to sweep the area of any high-level threats."
"Once we've secured the perimeter, the main Rocket recruits will land. If all goes well, we'll establish the new Rocket Training Base here. Every future recruit will undergo their trials on this island."
"I got it, Lewis," Feng Che yawned, feeling the sleepiness returning. "Call me when we're actually at the island. I'm going back under."
"Master Feng Che! Don't go back to sleep! You need to hear the rest of the tactical briefing!" Lewis shouted, but it was no use.
Eevee: Hehe! That's what you get for pinching my tummy and calling me fat! Eevee felt like a victorious general as it snuggled back into the chair and took another sip of its juice.
A Call from the Boss
Night fell, and a giant silver moon rose over the horizon, casting a cool, shimmering light over the waves. Eevee and Shaymin were out cold, with Eevee even snoring slightly and drooling.
"Come back, Eevee," Feng Che sighed, recalling the Pokémon.
Just then, Lewis approached with a satellite phone. "Master Feng Che, Leader Giovanni is on the line."
"Feng Che, you should be nearing the island by now. I trust the journey was comfortable?" Giovanni's voice sounded unusually upbeat.
"I just received news from the Hoenn region," Giovanni continued. "Mt. Chimney has been spewing black smoke for a month; a major eruption is imminent. Team Magma is making a move, and I want to know exactly what they're up to."
"Sabrina is currently tied up with another assignment. Since the island you're on isn't far from Hoenn, I want you to head there once you've finished the clearing operation. Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova are the strongest regions. If we can seize their underground influence, the world is practically ours."