After bringing Sabrina under his command, the atmosphere around Aiden changed subtly.
The once cold and distant Elite Four member was now standing beside him, her expression gentle, even carrying a faint smile as she attended to him. It was a complete contrast to her former self.
With Sabrina on his side, Aiden now held a decisive advantage.
Before Lance's operation even began, Sabrina could turn against Team Rocket from within and wipe out the Goldenrod sector's hidden bases. Losing a core insider while gaining a powerful ally—this shift alone was enough to tilt the balance.
…
At the same time, Lance's investigation had already begun in secret.
Elite agents were dispatched, quietly tracking the movements of Karen and Koga.
Koga, however, was no ordinary opponent.
As a ninja, his awareness of his surroundings far exceeded that of normal trainers. Every movement, every shift in the air—nothing escaped him easily. Because of this, he did not act rashly.
Even after sensing something unusual, he chose to remain silent.
After all, he wasn't truly loyal to Team Rocket.
He only cooperated with them.
There was a difference.
To him, the Pokémon League might be flawed, even corrupted—but it was still order. And order, no matter how imperfect, was better than chaos.
If Team Rocket truly took control of the world…
Koga knew exactly what would happen.
Bloodshed.
Disorder.
A world far worse than the present.
So he stayed his hand.
What Koga didn't know was that Lance had already begun to suspect him. From the very beginning, he had unknowingly stepped into a carefully laid trap.
…
Karen, however, made a completely different choice.
The moment she learned of the League's plan, she did not hesitate.
The information was sent directly to Giovanni.
Every detail.
Every movement.
Nothing was left out.
Aiden sensed it all through his psychic perception. For now, he chose not to interfere—but if Lance failed to notice, he would step in when necessary.
Because at this point…
Aiden had already decided to cooperate.
If there was truly a chance to wipe out Team Rocket completely, he wouldn't hesitate to bring in the full strength of the Hoenn League—Steven, Wallace, even the Elite Four.
This wasn't just a conflict anymore.
It was an opportunity.
…
Deep within Viridian City—
The true headquarters of Team Rocket remained hidden in plain sight.
Even after Giovanni's identity as Gym Leader had been exposed, the organization had never truly left. While the League believed control had shifted, the roots of Team Rocket still lay buried beneath the surface.
This was Giovanni's style.
Stay where no one expects.
Hide in the light.
When Karen's message arrived, it was immediately delivered to the highest level.
Soon, the four generals of Team Rocket—Apollo, Ariana, Lance, and Petrel—gathered in Giovanni's chamber.
The room was silent as Giovanni sat at the head, gently stroking Persian's fur. Without a word, he tossed the report onto the table.
"The League is making its move again," he said calmly. "And this time… they've pinpointed our bases."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Apollo was the first to react, his voice filled with aggression.
"Boss, why should we fear them? We have Mewtwo. And your strength alone surpasses Lance. Their Elite Four won't stand a chance against us."
He stepped forward, his confidence unwavering.
"Not to mention—we have insiders everywhere. Karen, Will, Koga, Sabrina… even Lt. Surge. If we count everything, we outnumber them completely."
Giovanni's expression darkened slightly.
He didn't respond.
Apollo slowly stepped back, realizing he had spoken too bluntly.
Ariana, standing nearby, crossed her arms, her tone more measured.
"He's not entirely wrong," she said. "On the surface, it's evenly matched. But in reality, we have the advantage. And with Mewtwo… we can tip the scales instantly."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"If we play this right, we could eliminate Lance and the others in one move. Once that happens… the League is ours."
Lance chuckled from the side, clearly enjoying the thought.
"Why stop there? Once we take Kanto, we expand. Sinnoh, Hoenn… one region after another."
"Eventually—this entire world will belong to Team Rocket."
For a moment, even Giovanni fell silent.
Their words weren't wrong.
The opportunity was real.
But—
"There's one variable," Giovanni finally said.
His voice was calm, but his gaze sharpened.
"That new Hoenn Champion… Aiden Flint."
The room quieted.
"I've been watching him for a while," Giovanni continued. "His strength… is not normal."
He paused briefly.
"Even I cannot guarantee victory against him."
That single sentence changed everything.
"And more importantly…" Giovanni added, "he commands Legendary Pokémon."
The room fell completely silent.
For the first time, hesitation appeared.
But then—
Petrel stepped forward.
"Boss… we have Mewtwo."
His tone was steady.
"And don't forget—you also possess another Pokémon of the same level."
He leaned in slightly.
"And now… our cloning program is back online. We can mass-produce powerful Pokémon. Every squad can be equipped with elite combat strength."
His eyes gleamed.
"With this kind of power… why should we hesitate?"
Something shifted.
Giovanni's gaze slowly hardened.
The doubt… disappeared.
A faint, dangerous smile spread across his face.
"Very well."
He stood up.
"If that's the case…"
"Then let the world witness what Team Rocket has built over the past sixty years."
His voice echoed through the chamber.
"Full mobilization."
"Apollo. Ariana. Lance. Petrel."
"You will each lead your forces. Coordinate with our insiders—Karen, Will, Koga, Sabrina, and Lt. Surge."
His eyes gleamed with cold ambition.
"Capture Lance. Lorelei. Bruno."
"And when they fall…"
"The Kanto League will belong to us."
The four generals smiled.
Because they all understood—
This wasn't just a battle.
It was the beginning of conquest.
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> [email protected]/SorenSwiftTL (replace @ with a)