"Caitlin, aren't you going to take this chance to notify the League and arrest the poachers?" Feng Che suggested. "If you capture this many high-profile criminals, you'll be a hero in the eyes of the League."
"You're right," Caitlin replied thoughtfully. "But I know the other three Elites—they're cowards. They won't send reinforcements. My only option is to coordinate with Drayden of Opelucid City."
Using her psychic powers, she scanned the area and located Drayden. He was leading a local defense force, guarding a vital bottleneck of the Dragon's Den.
"I need to deal with these poachers now," Caitlin said, turning to Feng Che with a look of lingering reluctance. "Feng Che, I suppose this is where we part ways. Thank you for taking care of me. I've learned so much, and I was... truly happy."
"If you need any resources, just contact my brother, Tianshen. He'll prepare whatever you need. Here, take this." She handed him a ornate golden key. "The Caitlin family's hotels span the globe, and I have villas in almost every major town. With this, you'll receive VIP treatment and free access to our properties."
Feng Che hesitated for a moment before accepting the token. "Thank you."
"Next time we meet, I'll be much stronger," Caitlin said, her eyes burning with a new ambition. "I've decided: my goal is to become the Champion of Unova."
"I believe in you, Caitlin. Good luck." They exchanged communicator IDs, and Feng Che released his Aerodactyl. "See you around."
He patted the ancient Pokémon, which beat its wings and soared into the sky. Caitlin watched him disappear into the clouds before Teleporting directly in front of Drayden. "Gym Leader Drayden, there's an opportunity to crush the Poacher Syndicate here. The question is: are you ready to act?"
Three Days Later: Team Rocket Laboratory
Feng Che appeared back at headquarters, looking slightly travel-worn. The infiltration of Team Plasma had been grueling, leaving him little time for his usual "slacking."
In the lab, he saw the Legendary Birds—Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos—suspended in deep-sleep incubators. Vials of fiery red, icy blue, and electric yellow blood sat on the technicians' desks. Fuji's team was working feverishly on the "Triple-Bird Fusion" project.
Feng Che approached Dr. Fuji, who was hunched over a microscope. "Dr. Fuji, how is Subject 13?"
"Terrible," Fuji sighed, not looking up. "Shortly after you left, Mewtwo began requiring constant emergency stabilization. Giovanni is considering pausing the project; the investment is massive, but the returns are non-existent. My focus has shifted to the Birds. I'm trying to clone them for the fusion experiment, but the embryos keep suffering genetic collapse."
"Did you find anything useful with Team Plasma?" Fuji asked, finally looking up.
"Everything I could find on Colress's drive is here," Feng Che said, handing over a hard drive. "They've successfully cloned Mythicals like Zeraora, though their lifespans are short. Colress is currently researching stability protocols."
Fuji's eyes widened as he began importing the data. "This is immense... it'll take me half a month just to organize it. Giovanni has recalled all Elites for the upcoming operation. I suggest you stay on standby."
Inside the Mind Link
[Mewtwo: Feng Che! You're finally back!] Mewtwo's voice rang in his mind. [Mewtwo: You haven't visited in so long. That 'Big Sister' Sabrina has been coming almost every day to give me psychic energy. I don't even need the lab's resources anymore, though I still stash everything they give me in my sub-dimension.]
[Mewtwo: Giovanni hasn't visited in ages. The researchers are starting to ignore me.]
"Isn't that better?" Feng Che replied telepathically. "If no one is watching you, you can disappear without a trace when the time comes. You'll be free."
"Slip away quietly, then amaze everyone," Feng Che whispered to the tank.
Suddenly, his communicator buzzed. It was a message from Sabrina.
Sabrina: Giovanni is summoning us to his office for mission briefings. The Triple-Bird Fusion project is moving to the deployment phase. Feng Che: Understood. On my way.
Giovanni's Office
The three Executives were already present when Feng Che walked in.
"Feng Che, well done," Giovanni said, his voice resonant with satisfaction. "The technology you brought back from Plasma has essentially secured the success of the Fusion project. Now, I have a dilemma: where to test its true power?"
"Leader, why not Saffron City?" Sabrina suggested. "We have the deepest control there."
"No," Giovanni countered. "Saffron and Vermilion are our most vital hubs; I won't risk damaging our own infrastructure. Viridian is our home, and the residents would suffer too much. Fuchsia is too remote. No... the best target is the League Headquarters itself."
Giovanni's face was a mask of cold determination. "Mewtwo is unstable, and I can't wait for it to grow. Goodshow is already aggressively hunting our cells in various cities. He has forced my hand."
"The Four Kings have effectively abandoned the League; they are at their weakest. I'm giving you one month to synchronize with the Birds. After that, we march on the League."
He looked at Feng Che. "Your performance was exemplary. I'm promoting you to Senior Elite and giving you this month off to train. Get your team's levels up; some of the other high-ranking officers might grumble if a Senior Elite has a weak roster."
"Fuji tells me your data will accelerate the cloning process significantly. Excellent work."
As they left the office, Feng Che felt a prickle of unease. This isn't how the story went in the games. Giovanni was supposed to attack Saffron, only to be stopped by Red and Blue. If he targets the League directly... the entire timeline is shifting.
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