Chapter 78: You Don't Know the Kanto Elite Four
Inside the Celadon underground base.
"So the base is compromised."
Around the conference table, Mammon and the others were in the middle of a meeting. Giovanni's face filled the projection screen at the front of the room, connected remotely.
"I take full responsibility, Boss. This is my failure."
Ariana's expression was one of deep shame. She'd been quietly contemptuous of Archer after the St. Anne disaster. And now, barely any time later, she'd handed the organization a problem of her own.
The Celadon base was one of Team Rocket's major Kanto operations. Its importance didn't need explaining. And it was clearly unsalvageable now.
As the base's manager, Ariana couldn't deflect any of the blame. Especially not when the second intruder had slipped through her hands personally.
"This isn't the time for that. Focus on evacuating cleanly — we can discuss accountability once everyone's safely out of Celadon." Giovanni's voice was level.
"Yes, sir." Ariana sat back, subdued.
"Mammon. What's your read?"
Giovanni looked through the screen at his son.
"First thing is figuring out who the League is sending."
Mammon's fingers tapped a steady rhythm on the table. He looked completely unbothered.
"Intelligence has Lorelei already departed from the Plateau."
"So we're looking at at least one Elite Four member."
"Correct. Which makes a clean retreat the sensible play — and Bruno may be with her."
Giovanni nodded. He had a few people inside the League, enough to catch things like this.
"Boss — if it's only one Elite Four member, do we really need to be this careful?"
Gladion's brow furrowed slightly. He was genuinely puzzled.
"And this is the southern district of Celadon City. Heavy foot traffic, day and night. The League wouldn't risk a major operation here."
That was the part he kept coming back to. The southern district was the city's hospitality zone — restaurants, hotels, tourist facilities. People everywhere at all hours. A serious offensive here would be reckless.
He noticed, after saying it, that Ariana was looking at him with a very particular expression.
He reviewed his own words. Had he said something wrong?
"Gladion. You don't know Kanto." Giovanni's quiet laugh had an edge to it — wry, not unkind. "And you certainly don't know the Kanto Elite Four."
"Tell me — why do you think the Kanto Elite Four have the reputation they do? What does 'world's strongest' actually mean?"
Gladion had no answer. The Kanto League was the global League's headquarters, so the title wasn't surprising on its face. But clearly that wasn't the whole story.
Caitlin, seated beside Mammon, was leaning forward with the same curiosity.
"It's simple. Because even the weakest member of the Kanto Elite Four — Lorelei — is Champion-tier. And not weakly Champion-tier either."
The room went very still.
Gladion's pupils contracted. Caitlin's expression sharpened.
All four of them. Champion-tier.
"And Lorelei is a fanatic about it." Ariana's voice was flat and cold as she filled in the rest. "When it comes to destroying Team Rocket, there is nothing she won't do. Collateral damage, civilian casualties — if it means taking us down, she considers it a perfectly acceptable cost."
She had excellent reasons to hate Lorelei. Years of being chased across Kanto by that woman had a way of leaving an impression.
And yet she'd never been able to beat her.
Gladion's jaw tightened. That's the conduct of someone who's supposed to protect the region?
"By now the southern district is probably already under police perimeter," Mammon said, thinking it through. "Civilian evacuation will start soon. The League doesn't waste time."
"Ariana — go personally and back up everything in the data archive. Then wipe the originals completely."
"Yes, sir!"
She was on her feet and out the door in seconds.
"You want to engage them, don't you." Giovanni had read it already.
"Of course. It's a rare opportunity." Mammon's mouth curved. "Might as well enjoy it."
"Don't overextend. If Lance shows up, the situation gets complicated fast."
Giovanni's tone carried a real warning. Lance was the most dangerous variable — Giovanni didn't like him, but he wasn't going to pretend the man wasn't formidable.
"Think of it as an early calibration. We'll have a real fight with the Elite Four eventually — I'd rather get a read on their actual level before that day comes."
Mammon's smile sharpened into something with teeth. Honestly, if Lance did appear, all the better. He'd wanted to test the Kanto Elite Four's strength for a long time.
And now he had Dark Mewtwo.
Even against all four Elite Four members simultaneously, getting himself out safely wasn't a concern. Dark Mewtwo — a Legendary with Psychic typing — was precisely the kind of asset that made escape trivially easy, on top of everything else.
"As long as you know what you're doing."
Giovanni let it go. He trusted Mammon's judgment.
Though Giovanni was also quietly considering whether to enter this as himself — Giovanni, publicly — rather than staying remote. This was a visible opportunity to demonstrate something in front of the League. It could smooth the path toward his Elite Four bid considerably.
The video call ended.
Mammon looked at Caitlin and Gladion.
"This battle — both of you fight freely, as long as you keep yourselves safe."
He met their eyes in turn.
"Treat it as a real trial. Feel what actual high-stakes combat is like. It's nothing like practice."
He was right about that. The difference between a sparring match and a genuine clash between factions wasn't just intensity — it was the quality of pressure, the texture of real consequence. That kind of environment produced growth that couldn't be replicated in a training room.
"Yes, sir!" Gladion's answer came sharp and immediate. The fire in his eyes was real.
He was going to get stronger. Whatever it took.
"I'm actually looking forward to this."
Caitlin raised one hand to smooth a strand of hair behind her ear, the gesture easy and graceful. A quiet, beautiful smile settled on her face.
A trial by battle. Against opponents the whole world acknowledged as the strongest Elite Four in existence.
This was exactly what she'd been missing.
"Facing the Kanto Elite Four directly — the old me couldn't have even imagined it." Her voice was soft, almost private. Once, she'd had only her small, careful world. Leaving Sinnoh hadn't changed that, not really.
But now she was going to stand on the opposing side and face them head-on.
This is wonderful.
She could feel her heart beating faster. This was the life she was supposed to be living. This was the trial she was supposed to be rising to meet.
Even if she lost — fighting at full strength against opponents this powerful was worth everything.
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