Ariel pondered for a long time, having already identified several suitable locations in his mind.
At this moment, within the cavern, fifty pairs of burning eyes converged on Ariel's back.
The echoes of the mountain-shaking, tsunami-like cheers from just moments ago had not yet faded, and the humid air still vibrated with intense excitement.
The team members had already received their orders and dispersed, each diving into rigorous training; the new members who had just joined Team Evil required a harsh training session from the veterans!
The vast cavern instantly returned to its usual depth and silence.
Ariel did not move.
With his back to the direction where everyone had departed, he faced the bottomless darkness alone.
Building an absolutely loyal and powerful team was only the first step of his plan.
Team Evil was his sword, but the one wielding the sword had to be sharper than the blade itself.
He had only just been promoted to Gym Leader Level, and his foundation was still shallow.
Whether it was his understanding of his own power or his control over the rhythm of Gym Leader Level battles, there were still many areas that could be strengthened.
Relying solely on three Pokémon reaching the Gym Leader Level breakthrough was far from enough.
"Strength..."
Ariel muttered to himself, his voice creating a faint, almost imperceptible ripple in the empty cavern.
He needed stronger Pokémon, and he also needed to make his current Pokémon even stronger.
With that thought, Ariel no longer hesitated and turned to walk toward a corner of the cavern where a terminal device was cleverly camouflaged by rocks.
This was a communication and resource requisition channel exclusive to him as an Intermediate Cadre, built using Team Rockets' internal technology.
His fingertips flew across the cold-lit screen, pulling up Team Rockets' internal exchange system.
The interface was simple and unadorned, featuring only rows of cold text and numbers listing everything from basic Potions to rare evolution items.
Each item was marked with the required amount of contribution points.
Ariel's clearance gave him a substantial allowance to utilize.
He skipped over the flashy, high-priced items and locked his gaze precisely onto the most practical supplies.
Poké Balls, five hundred in total.
Standard Potions, one thousand bottles.
The unit prices for these items weren't high, but when accumulated in such quantities, it was a significant expense.
For a cash-strapped League Trainer, it would be an unimaginable fortune.
But for the wealthy Team Rockets, it was just a drop in the bucket.
Ariel's fingers didn't pause for a second.
These basic supplies were for the new members.
To do a good job, one must first sharpen their tools.
He couldn't let his subordinates miss targets due to a lack of Poké Balls, nor could he let them suffer from poor Pokémon condition because they lacked Potions.
Next, he switched the page to the more precious "TM" section.
A dazzling list of skills popped up, enough to make one's head spin just by looking at it.
Ariel's gaze didn't linger on those powerful but highly restricted "Ultimate Moves"; instead, he accurately found three specific skills.
Trick Room.
Throat Chop.
Protect.
Each of these three skills was a high-demand commodity on the black market, often unavailable even if one had the money.
Especially Trick Room; as a core strategic skill capable of overturning an entire battle, its value was immeasurable.
Ariel clicked to exchange without hesitation.
A large chunk of his contribution points was instantly deducted, yet he didn't even blink.
Money is only truly money when it's spent and converted into solid combat power.
In less than ten minutes, a transport device deep in the cavern emitted a slight hum.
This was a transport device recently developed by Team Rockets, with functions similar to the League's Poké Ball transport system.
The difference was that this device could transport large quantities of supplies at once.
Yuki, the first member to follow Ariel, stepped forward quickly with a few others, skillfully moving tightly sealed boxes off the transport platform.
"Boss, the items have arrived."
Yuki's voice carried an irrepressible excitement.
He opened one of the boxes and saw the neatly arranged red-and-white Poké Balls and spray-type Potions; his breathing grew heavy.
So many supplies!
Now, the brothers could really let loose and get to work!
"Distribute the Poké Balls and Potions as needed, especially to those forty newcomers. Let them get familiar with them as soon as possible to build combat effectiveness."
Ariel's voice was flat, as if this were just a trivial matter.
"Yes!"
"Go on, the training must not stop."
"Understood!"
Yuki asked no more questions and immediately signaled his subordinates to begin distributing the supplies.
The entire process was orderly, without a hint of chaos.
Ariel watched their busy backs before refocusing his attention on the three TMs in his hand.
Trick Room for Malamar.
Its speed was a shortcoming; once it had Trick Room, the entire team's tactical system would undergo a qualitative leap.
In that treacherous and ever-changing space, the slow Malamar would become the most terrifying master of crowd control.
Throat Chop for Weavile.
As a top-tier Dark-type physical attacker, Weavile's speed and attack were impeccable, but it lacked a means to lock down an opponent's sound-based moves.
When facing opponents like Gardevoir or Wigglytuff, it often fell into a passive position.
With Throat Chop, its assassination capabilities would reach another level, making it a true nightmare for the backline.
Protect for Gyarados.
This was the most common yet most practical skill.
For an attacker like Gyarados, whose durability wasn't particularly robust, a timely Protect meant a chance to evade fatal damage and a breather to buy enough time for Dragon Dance.
In Ariel's mind, he began to simulate battle scenarios after his three Pokémon learned their new moves, a faint smile unconsciously creeping onto his face.
Just then, a specific electronic tone interrupted his thoughts.
Buzz— Buzz—
Ariel raised his wrist; it was his custom pokédex vibrating.
A familiar name flashed on the screen.
—Steven.
The genius Trainer of the Hoenn region, the future League Champion, and the successor of Devon Corporation.
Ariel raised an eyebrow and answered the call.
An encrypted holographic projection appeared before him, showing Steven's impeccably handsome face.
He seemed to be in an open outdoor area, with blue sky and white clouds in the background, and the sound of wind and distant Pokémon cries could be heard.
"Ariel, long time no see. What have you been up to lately?"
Steven's voice was gentle and magnetic, carrying the familiarity of a friend.
"Nothing much, just wandering around."
Ariel leaned against a cold rock, his tone casual.
Steven chuckled softly.
"How about it, interested in going somewhere with me?"
"Oh? What kind of place could pique the interest of the great Young Master Steven?"
Ariel perked up a bit.
A place that caught the eye of this stone enthusiast was likely not simple.
"Mt. Pyre."
When Steven spoke the name, his expression held a mix of yearning and solemnity.
"I've been studying some ancient documents recently and found that the summit area of Mt. Pyre might contain a unique type of ore. Moreover, the Ghost-type energy there is exceptionally active, which would be a good place for my Metagross to train its mental power."
Mt. Pyre?
Ariel's eyes instantly lit up.
He knew that place, of course!
The largest Pokémon cemetery in the Hoenn region, shrouded in mist year-round—it was a paradise for Ghost-type Pokémon!
It was home to large numbers of Gastly, Haunter, Shuppet, and Duskull... among them were powerful individuals that had lived for centuries, and there were definitely many whose strength reached Gym Leader Level!
Furthermore, on the outskirts of Mt. Pyre, there were various other powerful Pokémon entrenched!
He had been worrying about where to capture ten Gym Leader Level Pokémon to arm his core team, and wasn't this just like someone handing him a pillow right when he was getting sleepy?
Moreover, at the summit of Mt. Pyre, in the area hailed as a "Holy Land," it was said that extremely rare Pokémon resided.
That place was not just a paradise for Pokémon; it was Ariel's "treasure vault"!
The calculations in Ariel's mind were clicking away, but his expression remained calm and unruffled.
"Sounds good."
He spoke slowly,
"I happen to be feeling a bit bored as well."
Hearing Ariel agree, a genuine smile appeared on Steven's face:
"Great! Then it's a deal. I'll wait for you at Route 122, and we'll take a boat over together."
"Sure."
The call disconnected, and the holographic projection vanished.
Silence returned to the cavern once more.
Ariel rubbed his chin, his eyes flashing with excitement and calculating light.
Steven's invitation was a godsend.
Not only could it resolve the gap of ten Gym Leader Level Pokémon for Team Evil, but there might even be unexpected gains.
A place like Mt. Pyre was the most likely to produce powerful ghosts carrying special items.
Furthermore, traveling with the future Champion was itself an excellent cover.
After all, Steven would certainly have powerful Pokémon with him for protection.
"Mt. Pyre..."
He turned around and called out to Yuki, who was directing the team's training.
"Yuki!"
"Here, Boss!"
Yuki immediately ran over.
"I'm heading out for a while, as short as three to five days, or as long as a week. While I'm away, double the training schedule; the Pokémon capture missions for the new members must be completed. If there are any problems you can't solve, wait for my return."
Ariel's tone left no room for doubt.
"Yes! Don't worry, Boss!"
Yuki straightened his chest.
Ariel nodded and said no more.
He tucked away the three TMs, and his figure quickly disappeared at the cavern's exit.
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