"I'll investigate the full context later. For now, our top priority is siphoning Legendary Pokémon from Johto; everything else is secondary," President Goodshow muttered.
"The Dragon Clan is a behemoth... Blackthorn City's Dragon's Den, Hoenn's Meteor Falls, Sinnoh's Celestic Town, Unova's Village of Dragons—these are all branches of the Wataru family tree. If we openly attack them, the resistance will be overwhelming."
The office finally settled into a cold silence as the President sank into his thoughts.
Team Rocket Headquarters
"I expected nothing less from Sabrina and Feng Che. To capture Moltres in such a short window... impressive," Giovanni said, lighting a cigar. "Have the bird sent to the lab immediately. Dr. Fuji has been pestering me for months to study the legendary trio's physiology."
"Sabrina, you are dismissed. Leave the Master Ball. Feng Che, stay behind. I have a new assignment for you."
Once Sabrina had teleported away, Giovanni turned his sharp gaze toward Feng Che. "You're familiar with the Unova region, I assume?"
"Yes. A distant region across the ocean," Feng Che replied, his mind already racing. I'm like a brick in Giovanni's hand—wherever he needs a hole filled, he throws me. First, a mole in the League, now off to the other side of the world?
"My goal is for you to infiltrate Unova's underground organization, Team Plasma," Giovanni said gravely. "They specialize in genetic cloning technology. I need you to copy their experimental data for Dr. Fuji's reference. If we can master their techniques, Mewtwo's stability issues will be resolved."
"The cruise ship to Unova is already booked. You leave in three days. You have three months to secure the complete data. Do whatever it takes."
"Understood, Lord Giovanni. I'll see it done," Feng Che replied with a respectful bow.
As Feng Che left, Sabrina suddenly flickered back into the room via Teleport.
"Sabrina, sit. What did you think of Feng Che during the mission?" Giovanni asked casually.
"He's sharp. Without him, I would have been forced into a prolonged battle with the hidden Elite. He handled the logistics perfectly," Sabrina said, her eyes gleaming with rare approval.
"Good. The Triple-Bird Project is vital. Spend your time bonding with Moltres. The League is on high alert now; Seafoam Island is a fortress, and Zapdos remains a ghost. To win the coming war, you three executives must reach the Champion level."
Celadon Breeding Center
Feng Che arrived at his center to find it sparkling clean. Kris had messaged him saying she had caught so many Pokémon her bags were overflowing.
At the entrance, Golduck was busy handing out flowers to passing young women with a lecherous grin. Suddenly, a whip of fire from Salazzle lashed out, dragging the duck back inside by the neck.
Some things never change, Feng Che sighed.
Inside, the Linoone brothers were diligently polishing the display cases. The Pokémon cheered as Feng Che entered.
"Golduck, did anything happen while I was away?" Feng Che asked telepathically.
"Nothing major, but the number of people 'scouting' the shop has tripled. They're watching us," Golduck reported seriously.
"Hmph. They're after the eggs," Feng Che cold-snorted.
"There's a rumor in Celadon City," Golduck continued. "Word is out that one of the eggs in the Celadon Breeding Center is a Pseudo-Legendary."
I need to move that egg to my personal vault immediately. If someone steals it, I'll be the one crying, Feng Che thought.
"Listen up! I've brought back a herd of Miltank. From today on, Moomoo Milk is on unlimited supply for everyone here. But be careful—the leader is a fighter. Don't provoke her."
He went to the back mountain, where the grass had grown two meters high. He released the herd. The scarred Miltank matriarch looked at the lush environment, then at Feng Che's "kind" face, and sat down to chew grass contentedly.
[Miltank Leader: Not bad. No more running. A peaceful place to rest at last.]
In the nearby pond, a two-meter Magikarp broke the surface. Its red scales had mostly fallen away, replaced by dense, shimmering Dragon Scales. Its bloodline was reaching its peak; it was ready to ascend.
Returning to the main hall, Feng Che found a spiky-haired boy waiting. Blue (Green).
"I'm Feng Che, the owner. We aren't open yet, perhaps you should—"
"I have a Pokémon with a problem. Miss Chiyoda from the Sky Breeding Center told me you were the only one who could fix it," Blue interrupted with his typical arrogance.
Just then, Red burst through the door. "Blue! I finally found you! Let's battle!" He stopped short, seeing Feng Che. "Mr. Feng Che? You own this place?"
"I bought it at auction," Feng Che smiled. "Now, Blue, show me the Pokémon."
Blue released his Machamp. Its four muscular arms hung limp and lifeless at its sides.
"I don't get it. My Machamp has no strength; it can't even lift its arms. The Pokémon Center found nothing wrong, and the Sky Breeding Center was stumped," Blue said, his voice losing a bit of its edge. "If you can fix him, I'll owe you a favor. Anything within reason, I'll grant it."