Ariel's gaze was drawn to the silver briefcase in the corner of the room.
This case was something Greninja had grabbed while rescuing him.
Based on the fragmented words of the Team Aqua squad leader, this item appeared to be a classified case belonging to the League.
It lay there quietly, its surface reflecting a cold, metallic sheen, with a few faint scratches indicating it had been through some rough handling.
The rivets along the edges of the case were neat and sturdy, exuding an air of inviolability.
Ariel stepped forward, his fingertips touching the cold casing, and an inexplicable premonition began to grow in his heart.
He crouched down and carefully inspected the case's lock.
It was a sophisticated and complex mechanical lock, with no keypad, no keyhole, only a few grooves.
Ariel knew that something like this wouldn't be easy to open.
So, he summoned Krookodile and used its sharp claws to directly cut through the joints of the splints on the classified case.
Violent dismantling.
After all, when faced with something where the lock was more complex and sturdier than the case itself, the best method was to simply dismantle it.
He held his breath and flipped open the lid.
A faint scent, a mixture of metal and some strange ore, rushed towards him.
Inside the case, five stones of various shapes were prominently displayed.
They had not undergone any polishing, retaining their original rough texture, and their colors varied—there was ink-like black, blood-like red, green with a cyan glow, and two that were a calm, grayish-white.
However, among these five stones, one stood out as particularly different.
Its entire body emitted a soft, silver-white luster, and the texture on its surface resembled the surface of a lake under moonlight, shimmering with tiny glimmers.
Ariel's heart skipped a beat; he recognized this stone—key stone!
key stone!
The word exploded in his mind like a thunderclap.
How could this thing appear in the League's classified case?
Ariel's fingertips trembled as he picked up the key stone, its cold touch bringing him a bit more clarity.
He knew about Mega Evolution, having personally witnessed Latias and Latios demonstrate power that surpassed limits during the battle on the Southern Isolated Island.
Furthermore, he had completed the Mega Evolution of Gyarados through the combination of key stone and a mega stone.
It could be said that Ariel was currently the person who understood Mega Evolution the best.
But now, with key stone appearing here, what did that mean?
"Could it be that the League is already on the verge of uncovering the secret of Mega Evolution?"
He muttered to himself, his voice low and tinged with a hint of undetectable anxiety.
This was not good news.
If the League mastered the power of Mega Evolution ahead of time, his original plans, and even the landscape of the entire world, would undergo unpredictable and drastic changes.
Just as Ariel was deep in thought, the television screen in the corner of the room suddenly lit up, breaking the silence of the room.
On the screen, a female anchor with exquisite makeup sat upright, and the background board behind her clearly displayed the words "Breaking News".
Her voice initially carried the calm characteristic of news reporting, but when mentioning the specific event, her tone rose significantly, carrying an undisguised sense of urgency.
"Dear viewers, we are interrupting with a breaking news report.
According to reports from our front-line reporters, a fierce conflict between a mysterious Pokémon and the local guardian deity recently occurred in the waters off the Southern Isolated Island.
The scale of the battle was massive, with abnormal energy fluctuations that have caused serious damage to the surrounding ecosystem."
"Currently, the League has placed great importance on this incident and has dispatched a large number of personnel to investigate.
The Southern Isolated Island area has been placed under full martial law, and all unauthorized vessels are strictly prohibited from approaching.
The League urges all Trainers not to take risks and to stay away from the area to avoid unnecessary danger."
The sound of the news report echoed in the room, each word striking Ariel's heart like a heavy hammer.
He abruptly lifted his head, his eyes fixed intently on the television screen.
The keywords in the anchor's report—"Southern Isolated Island," "guardian deity," "mysterious Pokémon," "fierce battle"—instantly connected in his mind to that earth-shattering battle.
The guardian deity—wasn't that Latias and Latios?
And as for the so-called mysterious Pokémon, who else could it be but Mewtwo?
Ariel's breathing became somewhat rapid.
The League naturally wouldn't know Mewtwo's identity, but it was hard to say regarding Latias and Latios.
Ariel guessed that there was a high probability the League knew of the existence of these two Pokémon.
And they would definitely discover some anomalies through the traces left behind by the battle.
Perhaps they might really be able to find clues about Mega Evolution.
Now, the League had intervened in the investigation and even gone so far as to fully blockade the entire island; this undoubtedly meant they had caught a scent of something.
Combined with the key stone in the briefcase...
Ariel's mind raced, interlocking like precise gears.
key stone is a type of mega stone; although it does not directly trigger Mega Evolution itself, it has a subtle resonance with the energy fluctuations of mega stones.
The fact that key stone was hidden in the League's classified case meant that their research on Mega Evolution was no longer at the theoretical stage; they already had physical evidence and might have even found part of the activation mechanism.
He felt a strong sense of crisis.
In the three days he had been unconscious, the world seemed not to have stopped turning, but rather surged forward at a speed he could not imagine.
How many other things had happened in these three days that he didn't know about?
Ariel no longer hesitated; he quickly unhooked his pokédex from his waist, his fingers tapping rapidly on the screen to pull up the encrypted program inside Team Rockets.
The screen flickered, and a notification box for an unread message popped up prominently.
It was from Ariana, sent three days ago.
"Ariel, intelligence indicates that your last operation at the Southern Isolated Island was suspected to be related to the legendary Mega Evolution.
The League is showing a high degree of concern regarding this.
I need you to collect all intelligence related to Mega Evolution as quickly as possible; the more detailed, the better.
This is your chance to prove your worth."
Ariana's message, between the lines, carried an unquestionable, imperative tone, but as it landed in Ariel's eyes, it now carried a certain fated coincidence.
Three days ago!
When he was unconscious!
Ariana had already started paying attention to Mega Evolution and sent him to gather intelligence.
And now, he had not only discovered the League's classified case containing key stone, but also learned from the television news that the League had already intervened in the investigation of the Southern Isolated Island.
"I can't delay any longer."
Ariel's gaze sharpened.
He knew that if the League were to break the mystery of Mega Evolution first, Team Rockets would completely lose the initiative.
And he, as one of the first people to come into contact with this secret, would find everything he possessed to be worthless if he could not submit this key intelligence in time.
He needed this intelligence, and even more so, he needed to use it to elevate his prestige within Team Rockets, especially in front of Ariana, and consolidate his position.
This was his ladder to climb higher.
He took a deep breath, his fingertips typing rapidly on the pokédex screen.
He was going to transmit this intelligence quickly!
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