"My apologies, Lord Ghetsis. We have yet to uncover the culprit's true identity," Yamamoto explained hurriedly, desperate to stave off Ghetsis's impending outburst. "The perpetrator possesses advanced knowledge of genetics and is intimately familiar with laboratory equipment. This suggests someone with years of professional experience in Pokémon research."
"However, we've cross-referenced every eligible candidate in Driftveil City. All were accounted for at their respective institutes at the time of the incident."
Yamamoto wiped sweat from his brow. "But we have a lead. The perpetrator is likely an acquaintance of Caitlin; otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths to rescue her."
"I don't care about your leads," Ghetsis spat, his fists clenched white. "I am giving you one month. One month to recover the stolen legendary resources and Zeraora. If you fail, you will be sent to the Alola region to capture an Ultra Beast yourself. You know the cost we paid to secure that Zeraora."
"Understood, Lord Ghetsis," Yamamoto replied, his voice trembling.
"Furthermore, plant an operative within Team Rocket. I want their technical data on the creation of Gods," Ghetsis commanded, before abruptly severing the connection. He couldn't stand to look at the "idiot" commander a second longer.
Ghetsis sank into his chair, rubbing his temples. That old man Alder... even in his disappearance, he managed to trip us up. Now the world believes we ambushed and kidnapped him, but by the time we arrived at the scene, he was already gone.
Team Rocket Headquarters
Koga entered Giovanni's office, a single Poké Ball in hand. "Leader Giovanni, Articuno has been secured."
He placed the ball on the desk. Giovanni's eyes gleamed. "Well done, Koga. Finally, the trio is complete. The Triple-Bird Project can proceed. Leave Articuno with me; once Dr. Fuji has completed his research, I will entrust it to you for training."
The Uninhabited Island
Night had fallen. A brilliant full moon hung in the sky, casting a silvery glow through the canopy onto the forest floor. Nocturnal Pokémon stirred in the shadows, and the distant cries of Murkrow and Honchkrow echoed through the air.
Feng Che had built a small campfire. A plump wild duck was currently roasting over the flames, golden fat dripping onto the embers with a savory sizzle.
Beside the fire, the Galarian Farfetch'd sat huddled, shivering in terror. It had watched this human snap a wild duck's neck with terrifying, nonchalant efficiency.
This Farfetch'd... when it isn't drunk, it's just a regular, timid bird, Feng Che mused. I'll need to focus its training on combat while sober. The 'Drunken Master' state should be a last resort for overwhelming foes.
[Farfetch'd: That human just looked at me... he's thinking about how to cook me, isn't he? Ducks are so cute! Why eat the duck?! Sob...]
The bird wiped a bead of sweat from its brow. It had no memory of its drunken rampage; it had woken up sore, exhausted, and terrified. Now, even a friendly smile from Frogadier made its knees knock.
Stupid bird. It thinks I'm going to eat it, Feng Che thought. Then again, Farfetch'd are famously one of the ten great delicacies of the Pokémon world. One taste and you never forget. No wonder they're nearly extinct.
He continued to baste the roasting duck. Tomorrow, I'll scout for the Starf Berries and see if I can treat Zeraora's condition. If she can provide power for the sub, we can leave. Failing that, I'll need Caitlin's help—though even a top-tier psychic would struggle with inter-regional Teleportation without precise coordinates.
Suddenly, Caitlin's fingers twitched. Her eyelids fluttered—she was waking up.
Caitlin felt as though she had emerged from a long, dark dream. In her nightmare, she had been captured, bringing shame to the Caitlin family name.
"Where... where am I?" she whispered, opening her eyes. She saw a handsome young man and his Pokémon gathered around a fire.
"You're awake, Caitlin. This is an uninhabited island," Feng Che said directly.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Her eyes went wide. Her psychic energy flared uncontrollably, uprooting several nearby saplings. She winced, clutching her head as a sharp pain lanced through her temples.
"Drink this. You're suffering from a psychic backlash; you shouldn't be using your powers yet," Feng Che said calmly, levitating a mental restorative to her hand. "I'm a friend of your brother, Tianshen. We were teammates on Death Island."
"So it's you... Kongjian," Caitlin blurted out.
"My name is Feng Che. 'Kongjian' was just a code name. But how do you know me? Did Tianshen mention me?"
"We're twins. We share a mental link," Caitlin explained. "When he was on the island, some of his memories crossed over into my mind. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you immediately. Thank you for saving me... I still can't fully control my power. If I could, Team Plasma would never have caught me."
She looked at him with a mix of frustration and curiosity. "How is my idiot brother? I haven't heard from him in ages."
"Tianshen is as sharp as a tack. You don't need to worry about him," Feng Che joked. "You two have a great relationship."
"I don't care about him!" Caitlin huffed, her cheeks flushing. "I only care if he brings shame to the family name."
She clearly cares a lot, Feng Che thought. He shifted the conversation. "I heard a rumor on the ship—is it true that Alder has disappeared?"
"It's not a rumor," Caitlin said, her expression darkening. "He was allegedly ambushed by Team Plasma. I infiltrated the ship because I heard he was being held there, but it turned out to be a trap. If it weren't for you, the family name would have been dragged through the mud."
"Don't mention it. Tianshen and I are friends."
Caitlin nodded, a flicker of light in her eyes. She turned away, a slight blush on her face. "With Alder gone, the Unova League is in chaos. The Elites are fighting amongst themselves. To fix this, someone needs to step up to the Champion level, or we have to find Alder."
"Can you use Teleport for long distances right now?" Feng Che asked.
"No. The backlash is too severe. Even with your medicine, I'm only at a High-tier level for now. I need the family's secret techniques to calm the storm in my mind."
"Then we'll be here a while. My sub is out of power, and I need an Electric-type to charge it," Feng Che said, turning the duck.
"Duosion? When did you evolve?" Caitlin suddenly noticed the green-membrane Pokémon floating nearby. "Congratulations!"
[Duosion: Sigh. I've been floating right next to you this whole time. Am I not your favorite anymore? Is he that good-looking? My heart is broken!]
Duosion rolled its eyes dramatically.
"Here," Feng Che said, using his psychic power to tear the duck into pieces and offering a leg to Caitlin. "It's simple fare, but it'll do."
Caitlin intended to refuse, but her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. Blushing, she accepted the food.
"Hey, Farfetch'd. Want a bite?" Feng Che teased the bird.
[Farfetch'd: He definitely wants to eat me! ABSOLUTELY!]
The bird shook its head like a bobblehead. But a few seconds later, the aroma won. It snatched a piece and began devouring it.
Feng Che watched the bird wolf down the meat, an amused smile on his face.
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