Night had fallen. The once pitch-black and silent depths of the forest, illuminated only by the faint glow of starlight, were now flickering with scattered firelight.
Fire—humanity's most primitive source of illumination—was also the most reliable means of providing a sense of security in the dark.
Team Rocket and the Syndicate had access to power generators, but in the quiet stillness of the jungle, activating high-powered machinery would create noise that could easily attract swarms of wild Pokémon.
This was particularly dangerous at night when disturbing the wildlife could lead to unforeseen consequences.
In her campsite tent, Sham sat in silence, while Archer's Crobat patrolled the perimeter on her orders.
She had been deployed as an advance scout for this joint operation between Team Rocket and the Syndicate, arriving at the designated location ahead of the main force.
Missions like these—deep infiltration into uncharted jungle terrain—were always perilous. It was precisely because of this danger that Ariana had assigned the task to Sham, Archer's trusted assistant.
Fortunately, their numbers were small, and with Archer's Crobat acting as an early-warning system, they had been able to detect and avoid the territories of powerful wild Pokémon, encountering little trouble so far.
According to the signal readings from their communicators, the main force would arrive within three days.
From the internal reports circulating within Team Rocket over the past two days, Sham had already learned of Archer's death. Currently, only the organization's higher-ups were privy to this information, while most low-ranking members remained unaware.
Though the Pokémon League had yet to make an official announcement about the takedown of a high-ranking criminal, it was only a matter of time.
In the past, such an event would have had devastating consequences for her.
As someone personally mentored and promoted by Archer, Sham's fate had once been closely tied to his. But things were different now. While she remained a Team Rocket operative, she had also assumed a new identity.
She was now a member of Hive.
And she could sense it—many of the operatives arriving with the main force were also Hive members.
Two days later, Ariana and Dolores led their respective units forward, advancing toward their designated destination.
Their luck had held over the past two nights. Though they had encountered several groups of powerful wild Pokémon along the way, none had launched an attack. Of course, this was largely thanks to the presence of several leader-tier Pokémon among their ranks.
Even in an untamed jungle, leader-tier Pokémon reigned supreme, and weaker Pokémon would instinctively flee at the mere scent of such powerful creatures.
The main force pressed on, but their pace was slow due to the large amount of heavy equipment they carried. As they ventured deeper into the dense forest, the presence of high-level wild Pokémon became more apparent.
"Ariana, something doesn't feel right." A short, gnome-like Team Rocket grunt furrowed his brows as he addressed her. "In theory, the deeper we go into an untouched jungle like this, the more dangerous it should become. Yet, aside from that initial encounter with a herd of Rhyhorn at the outer perimeter, we haven't faced any real resistance?"
Ariana pondered for a moment. As a high-ranking executive of Team Rocket, she was no fool. She had noticed this anomaly long ago.
At first, she had attributed their lack of trouble to the intimidating presence of their leader-tier Pokémon. But this jungle was vast, and as they ventured further in, they had sensed Pokémon with auras that even outmatched their own. Yet, none of them had made a move. That was suspicious.
Wild Pokémon were highly territorial, especially when it came to humans. Many Pokémon viewed the act of capturing Pokémon as enslavement of their kin.
"Keep monitoring the situation. Watch their movements closely and make sure we always have a clear escape route," Ariana instructed.
High-level wild Pokémon possessed significant intelligence. History was rife with incidents where humans had fallen victim to well-planned ambushes orchestrated by Pokémon.
As the dwarf-like grunt nodded and left, Ariana made a decision—she ordered the team to increase their pace.
"What is that old man up to?" Her gaze shifted toward Professor Onando.
For the past two days, Professor Onando—who had come under the pretense of researching rare plant life—had locked himself inside his truck's cargo bay, fiddling with something. He had barely emerged.
However, given that many scientists tended to be eccentric, Ariana hadn't paid it much mind.
...
"Volkner, the exhibition match is about to begin."
As Dietmar helped Volkner adjust his outfit, he reminded him of the event.
"Mhm." Lucius nodded, changing into the attire provided by his sponsors.
As a celebrity trainer, endorsing brands and promoting merchandise was a mandatory part of the job.
His entire ensemble—fashionable clothing, sunglasses, and accessories—had been meticulously curated by renowned stylists. If all went as expected, these designs would become the next seasonal trend following the exhibition match.
"Let's go."
As the announcer ran through the opening script, Lucius made his way to his designated seat with an air of effortless charm.
"Volkner!"
"Go, Volkner!"
"Volkner is the best! Volkner is the strongest!"
A wave of fanatical cheers erupted from the audience. Fans waved banners and flags, some even moved to tears.
This was absolutely ridiculous.
While maintaining a polite smile on the surface, Lucius internally felt nothing but exasperation.
Unlike someone like Diantha, who was a full-fledged celebrity with professional PR management, Lucius understood that a good portion of this frenzy was orchestrated by sponsor-backed hype teams. The rest were likely fans who had been completely swept up in the culture of idol-worship.
At the same time, his gaze shifted toward his opponent—Rosa, the younger sister of Erika, Gym Leader of Celadon City.
She was a petite girl with long black hair, exuding an air of quiet elegance.
She, too, had her own dedicated fanbase. However, her supporters were predominantly male and significantly more reserved.
Unlike typical battle trainers, Rosa was a Coordinator. Most of her fans came from the Contest community, a group that leaned toward technical expertise and artistic appreciation—rarely the type to engage in mindless fanaticism.
"I heard that even though Rosa is a Coordinator, her battle skills rival those of professional trainers."
"Of course! Anyone who can become a Grand Festival Champion wouldn't be weak."
"Then do you think she can beat Volkner? I heard he's as strong as an Elite Four member."
"Don't fall for the media hype. There aren't that many Elite-level Trainers out there..."
"And now, we move on to the highlight of the event—a battle between Sinnoh's strongest Gym Leader, Volkner, and Kanto's Grand Festival Champion, Rosa! Get ready for the dazzling clash of Nature and Thunder!"
As the announcer's voice echoed through the arena, the atmosphere reached its peak, with the audience erupting in excitement.
"You're up first, Roserade!" Rosa struck a stylish pose as she tossed out a Poké Ball.
A graceful, humanoid Pokémon with a bouquet of red and blue roses in each hand emerged onto the battlefield. Its movements synchronized perfectly with its Trainer's, exuding an elegant charm fitting of a Coordinator.
Heh, typical of a Grand Festival Champion—even the way she throws a Poké Ball is stylish.
Lucius, on the other hand, kept things simple. Without any unnecessary theatrics, he calmly tossed out his own Poké Ball.
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