---Unknown Location ----
The room was a study in darkness, illuminated only by the faint glow of strategically placed ambient lights that cast long shadows.
At the head of the polished obsidian table sat the leader of Team Rocket—Giovanni, his features deliberately obscured, yet his presence commanding absolute attention.
Executive Proton stood up from his seat to give his report.
Proton cleared his throat, sliding forward a digital report. "Sir, we have multiple developments to discuss."
Giovanni's fingers, adorned with a single obsidian ring, tapped a rhythmic pattern on the armrest. "Proceed."
"The Hoenn border treaty presents unique opportunities, sir. With their relaxed trade regulations—" Proton was interrupted by his boss.
"Opportunities?" Giovanni's voice cut through the room like a blade.
"Opportunities for what? For foreigners to dilute the purity of Kanto? To exploit our resources? We would be the one exploiting them. Try to get in contact with that Team Aqua group and see if they can get us through Hoeen borders." Giovanni said in a calm voice as Proton nodded.
Ariana stood up next "Silph Corporation's experimental Pokémon enhancement project. They're developing technology to artificially boost Pokémon abilities—something that could revolutionize training methodologies."
"And potentially destabilize the natural order of Pokémon evolution," Giovanni muttered, his eyes narrowing. "Kanto's strength has always been its respect for natural progression. These corporate vultures seek to manufacture power."
Proton nodded, sensing Giovanni's rising passion. "There's more. Our agents in Saffron have discovered that Silph is collaborating with Johto researchers. Another attempt to undermine Kanto's technological sovereignty."
The room temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Giovanni's hatred for Johto was no secret within Team Rocket's inner circle.
"Johto," Giovanni began, the word dripping with contempt, "is a region of opportunists and compromisers. Where Kanto builds, they borrow. Where Kanto innovates, they imitate. Our current champion, Pryce, is the embodiment of this weakness. He supports Johto and let's the people of Kanto suffer."
His hand swept across the map, highlighting Kanto's historical boundaries.
"This land," Giovanni continued, his voice a low, passionate growl, "was built on the backs of true Pokemon trainers. My grandfather fought in conflicts that shaped these lands. He didn't negotiate—he conquered."
Ariana knew better than to interrupt. Giovanni's speeches about Kanto were legendary within the organization.
"The second report," she interjected carefully, "involves mineral rights in the Sevii Islands. Johto-backed corporations are attempting to secure mining permits for rare evolutionary stones."
Giovanni's laugh was cold, calculated. "Evolutionary stones. Do they want to rob Kanto of the ways to increase the strength of their Pokemon?"
Proton pulled up additional data. "Our estimates show they could generate millions if successful. The stones could potentially flood the market, reducing their value and impact in the Johto region."
"Reducing our control," Giovanni corrected.
The room fell silent. Everyone understood the subtext. This wasn't just about money or resources. This was about preserving Kanto's spirit, its inherent superiority.
Giovanni's hand clenched, crushing a glass of water. The room went silent as he began to speak, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that carried the weight of generations.
"Most of you were children when the last echoes of the Infinity War faded," he said, his eyes distant. "But I remember. My father fought. My grandfather fought. And Johto? Johto betrayed us."
His hand on the map shifted, pointing to a area from a conflict decades past.
"In the third month of the war," Giovanni continued, "when Kanto's forces were stretched thin along the western front against Hoeen and Sinnoh, Johto didn't send reinforcements. They negotiated. They traded. While our trainers bled, they calculated profit margins."
Proton knew better than to interrupt. This was more than a story—this was Giovanni's personal trauma.
"Do you know what happened at Mount Silver?" Giovanni's voice dropped to a near whisper. "When our Pokémon battalions were surrounded, Johto's leaders at the time—they could have sent support. Instead, they sent diplomats to negotiate territorial concessions."
The room felt suddenly cold. Ariana could see the pain etched in Giovanni's features—a rare moment of vulnerability.
"We lost 3,742 soldiers in that single engagement," he said, each word precise, weighted. "Pokémon who had trained their entire lives, families who gave everything. And Johto? They gained mineral rights. Trade routes. A few kilometers of land."
"My own uncle," Giovanni's voice cracked momentarily, "led the 12th Pokémon Ranger Battalion. They were decimated. Surrounded. Betrayed by 'allies' who saw them as acceptable losses."
He stood, casting a massive shadow across the room.
"They've forgotten," Giovanni said, his rage now a controlled, surgical thing. "The current generation doesn't remember the cost of freedom. They see trade agreements. I see betrayal. They see economic opportunities. I see the graves of heroes."
Giovanni hads pointed now to the activated modern Johto on the map placed on the table—prosperous, peaceful, seemingly innocent.
"Look at them now," Giovanni spat. "Prospering on the foundations built by Kanto's sacrifice. Our blood." Read full story at ɴovelfire.net
The room was absolutely silent. This was more than a briefing. This was a declaration of a personal war.
"One of the three legendary birds" he said finally, returning to their original mission, "will be our first statement. Not just a legendary Pokémon. A symbol. A reminder that Kanto's power cannot be negotiated. Cannot be traded. Can only be demonstrated."
His final words hung in the air like a promise. Like a threat.
"We will make them remember."
The executives exchanged glances. They understood now. This wasn't just about benefits and profits. This was revenge. This was justice.This was Giovanni's war. This was Team Rocket's war.
He leaned forward, the shadows momentarily revealing a sharp, hawkish profile. "Which brings us to our true objective."
He pointed to a location near Vermillion City.
"Zapdos," he whispered. "Not just a legendary Pokémon. A symbol of Kanto's untamed power."
"Prepare," Giovanni commanded. "We will show the world—particularly Johto—what true power looks like. Zapdos will be our messenger. Our declaration."
"Johto," Giovanni spat the word like a curse. "A region of weakness. Of compromise. Our current champion, Pryce, has become nothing more than a bureaucratic puppet, selling Kanto's future for political favor in Johto."
Giovanni commanded. "Our mission is singular. Capture. Control. The legendary bird will become more than a creature. It will become a statement." All the executives nodded at that.
A statement about Team Rocket's true reach. About Giovanni's vision for Kanto's future.
-------Author Notes------
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