"I understand. Once the deserted island is cleared, I'll head straight for the Hoenn region."
Feng Che had been pondering what excuse he could use to visit Hoenn after this mission. Now, thanks to Giovanni, he had a legitimate, high-priority objective to enter the region.
"Good. I expect great things from you. The flag of Team Rocket shall eventually fly over the entire Pokémon world," Giovanni declared before cutting the transmission.
"Lewis, how far are we from the island?" Feng Che asked, stifling a yawn.
"Master Feng Che, we are fifteen minutes away from the designated drop-off point. Please prepare yourself," Lewis replied respectfully.
"Got it."
For this expedition, Feng Che had brought along a selection of his "Second Team" Pokémon. He noticed that the Darkrai Egg seemed to have grown slightly after the resonance at Ilex Forest, while the Lugia Egg remained the same, pulsing with a steady, pale blue light.
His primary focus for this trip was training the "Four Youngsters": Deino, Beldum, Eevee, and Weedle.
This Weedle was a direct descendant of the ancient Beedrill. Feng Che had specifically chosen the hatchling with the most boundless stamina.
Ancient WeedleLevel: 22 Aptitude: Epic (Cyan) Characteristics: Three times the size of a standard Weedle. Its head sports three razor-sharp horns, and its body is covered in dense, venomous barbs. Its tail ends in a scythe-like stinger. Evaluation: Its toxins are ten times more potent than a standard Beedrill's; regular Antidotes are useless against it.
"I hope this island provides enough stimulation for these four to evolve," Feng Che murmured as he packed his gear.
The Poseidon's Trap
The freighter groaned to a halt. "Master Feng Che, we will wait here for your successful return. If you encounter any issues, contact us via the satellite phone immediately," the crew said with deep bows.
They lowered a sleek speedboat into the water. It was a Poseidon-class vessel, manufactured by the largest shipyard in Hoenn. Known for extreme speed, it sacrificed heavy armor for raw velocity.
"Because we have to navigate through the jagged reefs and the Great Maelstrom zones, we must use this speedster," Lewis explained. "Team Rocket has modified it for better stability and equipped it with advanced missiles, shock-guns, and capture nets."
"Question: why aren't we just taking a helicopter?" Feng Che asked.
"I can answer that," the old Captain spoke up. "A permanent layer of thunderclouds surrounds that island. Lightning strikes are constant. We lost several choppers during the initial survey. The sea route is the only way in."
"It's so dangerous that no one ever looks for it. It was the perfect place for Boss Giovanni to exile prisoners—until Sakaki Tsuna escaped, of course." The Captain sighed.
Feng Che didn't comment. He simply used his Psychic power to levitate Alivia and Lewis onto the speedboat. "Let's go."
As the speedboat roared away, the old Captain's respectful expression twisted into a cold, sinister grin.
"Hook, line, and sinker. We went through a lot of trouble to lure you here to repay Lord Tsuna's kindness."
"That boat is heading straight for the core of the Great Maelstrom. There is a unique energy field there that suppresses psychics. Heh... 'Master' Psychics, enjoy your watery grave."
"I've already disabled the satellite tracking," the Captain shouted to his crew. "Once he's in that whirlpool, he's a ghost. Set course for Johto! We're joining Lord Tsuna!"
The Vortex of Suppression
As the speedboat neared the center of the horizon, the sea began to churn violently.
Feng Che, I feel a repulsive aura here, Mewtwo warned. The space is unstable. If we try to Teleport now, we risk falling into a spatial fracture.
Suddenly, there was a loud splash. The sailor driving the boat had dived into the ocean and vanished.
"Master Feng Che! The controls are sabotaged! The steering is locked toward the eye of the maelstrom!" Lewis shouted, his face pale as he looked at the massive waterspouts connecting the sea to the sky. The boat was being tossed like a toy.
"Want to escape? Not that easy," Feng Che snorted.
A second later, Mewtwo's psychic grip hauled the traitorous sailor back onto the deck. Mewtwo immediately initiated a Mind Read.
"Feng Che, the Captain is a die-hard loyalist of Sakaki Tsuna," Mewtwo reported. "He's the one who helped Tsuna escape the island originally. The sailor destroyed the propulsion system; even with powerful Pokémon, the suction of the Great Maelstrom is too strong to fight at this distance."
"And the satellite phone is dead. They want us isolated and drowned."
"I see Tsuna's influence still rots within the organization," Feng Che sneered. "Giovanni thought he'd purged the disloyal elements, but he missed a few rats. Fine. Tsuna, you have my attention."
"Master Feng Che, what do we do?!" Lewis panicked. "Neither Alivia nor I have powerful enough Water or Flying types to pull us out of this!"