The teal-haired man's smirk widened.
"Deaf and dumb. A lovely combination for a lowly grunt."
The red-haired woman's eyes, sharp as flint, scanned the perimeter, the trucks, the tree line.
"Minimal defensive spread. Over-reliance on the natural choke point of the tower entrance. Amateur."
"This is a restricted area. You will not proceed." Elias found his voice, though it felt thin in his throat.
"It's alright, Elias. We're finished here." A new voice came from inside the Bell Tower.
Martin emerged from the shadowed arch of the doorway, stepping into the night. Sarah was a half-step behind and to his left, her expression as composed as ever, though her eyes took in the scene with a single, calculating sweep. The six senior grunts who had accompanied them upstairs remained by their side, merging along with the four.
Martin's gaze passed over Elias without pause, settling on the man in the long, dark coat.
"Giovanni. Leader of Team Rocket." Martin said, the name dropping into the clearing like a stone into still water. "What brings you to our region?"
"It is not your business. My purpose here is my own." Giovanni replied, his expression unchanged.
He took a deliberate step forward. Martin did the same, meeting him halfway. Now, they stood eye to eye in the center of the clearing, two leaders in a silent contest of wills.
Behind Giovanni, the red-haired woman watched Sarah. Her lips curved into a thin, challenging smile. Sarah returned the gaze, her own posture deceptively relaxed, one hand resting casually on her hip.
The teal-haired man let out a low chuckle.
"Looks like we're having a little standoff. How quaint."
"Your presence is a violation." Martin stated, his voice low but carrying. "This is Xycle's region. You have no jurisdiction here."
"Jurisdiction?" Giovanni's smile was icy. "There is no jurisdiction in the pursuit of power. Only those who seize it, and those who are swept aside. I suggest you and your... fledgling organization... do not attempt to stand in my way."
His dark eyes flicked towards the Bell Tower.
"I have come for what rests within. The residual energy of Cresselia is a resource too valuable to be left in the hands of sentimental locals or idealistic upstarts."
Martin held Giovanni's gaze for a long, tense moment. Then, to everyone's surprise, he simply turned away. He gestured subtly with a flick of his hand.
"Sarah, we're leaving."
He began to walk, directly past Giovanni. Sarah fell into step immediately, her eyes never leaving the red-haired woman. The senior grunts followed, a wall of black and white moving in unison. Elias hesitated for a fraction of a second, his mask turning from Giovanni to Martin's retreating back, before falling in line.
"You'll find that energy… troublesome to extract, Giovanni." Martin didn't stop walking. He didn't look back. "Consider that a professional courtesy. From one… businessman to another."
Martin, Sarah, Elias, and the grunts moved towards the trucks.
They had secured the meeting. Their objective was complete. Whatever happened next was a complication they were choosing not to engage with—or, perhaps, a problem they were handing off.
Giovanni did not turn to watch them go. His focus remained on the ancient Bell Tower, his expression unreadable. But his silence was more threatening than any retort.
"They're just… leaving? Cowards." The teal-haired man, let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
The red-haired woman's eyes narrowed, watching Sarah's retreating form.
"They've accomplished their goal. It's a logical move to avoid further complications."
***
The three trucks roared down the narrow coastal road, leaving the Bell Tower and its new, unwelcome occupants behind. The tension inside the vehicle was a sparkling wire. Elias sat stiffly, and Martin stared ahead.
They hadn't gone a mile before the first signs of the earlier conflict became visible. Scorch marks blackened the rocky ground. A shattered barricade lay in splinters.
The convoy rounded a final bend, and the scene unfolded.
The Gym Leader of Maribell Town stood at the center of the path, a tall man with wind-tousled hair and a blue cape that whipped around his legs. A Gyarados churned the air before him, its roar shaking the cliffs. Below it, a Kingler scuttled with surprising speed, its pincers snapping with enough force to cleave stone.
Arrayed against them were the scattered remnants of the Xycle perimeter defense. Several grunts were down, their pokemon fainted beside them. Others fought a desperate, retreating action.
And there, at the front, were Anne and Rein.
Rein's Magmortar was trading torrents of fire with the Gyarados's hydro pumps, each collision erupting into scalding steam. Rein himself was a whirlwind, shouting command, but his movements were strained, a fresh cut on his cheek bleeding freely.
Anne's Decidueye was raining down arrows on the Kingler, but none managed to hit it.
Martin observed the struggle for a long, silent moment. His eyes tracked the Gym Leader's effortless control, the clear skill gap between him and his own senior grunts.
"Sarah." He said, still not looking away from the battle. "Take Elias. Extract our personnel and do not, under any circumstances, engage the Gym Leader further. Our business in this place is concluded."
Sarah and Elias moved quickly. The Gym Leader spotted them instantly.
"More backup?" His voice was firm. His Gyarados gave a low, rumbling growl, its attention shifting.
Sarah stopped, holding up a hand in a clear signal of non-aggression. Elias halted beside her, his posture tense but controlled.
"No backup, Gym Leader Leon Crav." Sarah replied, her voice level and cutting through the noise. "We're withdrawing."
"You invaded my town. You think you can just announce a withdrawal and walk away? I'm not letting you."
"There's a bigger problem at the Bell Tower than us. One you're ignoring by focusing here."
Leon's brow furrowed slightly, but his stance didn't relax.
"What are you talking about?"
"Team Rocket." Sarah stated flatly. "Giovanni himself. They've just landed at the tower. Their interest is in the Cresselia energy."
A flicker of doubt crossed Leon's face. His eyes darted instinctively towards the distant silhouette of the Bell Tower, barely visible above the cliff line.
He looked back at Sarah, then at Elias, his masked face giving nothing away. The sounds of the skirmish around them seemed to fade for a moment. He made a sharp, slashing gesture with his hand. His Gyarados ceased its attack, coiling back defensively. The Kingler stopped its advance, its pincers held high but still.
"Pull your people back. Now." Leon commanded, his voice still hard, but the target of his ire had shifted. "If this is a trick—"
"It's not." Sarah interrupted, turning her head without taking her eyes off him. "All units, disengage! Fall back to the trucks!"
Anne was the first to react. She called, her pokemon leaping to her side in a blur of feathers.
Rein hesitated, frustration etched on his face.
"We almost had him—"
"I said back!" Sarah snapped, the authority in her tone finally breaking through.
With a grunt of pure irritation, Rein recalled his Magmortar.
"Fall back! You heard her!"
The remaining Xycle grunts needed no further encouragement. They began a hurried, stumbling retreat, collecting their fainted comrades as they went.
Leon watched them go, his jaw tight. He didn't lower his guard, his pokemon still poised, but he allowed the retreat. His gaze was fixed on Sarah.
"If Rocket is there, and you knew… why leave?"
"Team Rocket is not our problem. But they could be, if they decided to interfere with our plans." Sarah met his eyes. "Go now, Gym Leader. Defend your town... and your people."
With that, she turned her back on him, and began walking back towards the trucks. Elias fell in beside her, casting one last look through his lenses at Leon.
***
The heavy doors of the elevator slid open.
The immediate aftermath of the Maribell extraction hung in the air around them—a mix of relief, exhaustion, and simmering frustration. Rein stalked ahead, his jaw clenched, brushing past a junior analyst who scurried out of his way. Anne followed more slowly, her expression thoughtful, fingers idly twisting the end of her pink braid. Elias walked beside her, the mask on his side, his face pale under the lights, the events of the night a heavy weight behind his eyes.
Martin and Sarah moved towards the central command platform. The mission was technically a success—the meeting had occurred, and they had withdrawn without catastrophic losses—but Giovanni's appearance was a shadow that wouldn't be dispelled.
Before Martin could reach his console, a figure broke from the chaos of the command floor and intercepted him.
She wore a crisp, tailored white uniform. Her hair was bright orange, tied in a bun. Her face etched urgency. On her lapel was a single, platinum "X". An Elite Grunt—one rank below the Four Commanders.
"Boss! We have a priority situation in Felspar Town." She said in urgency.
Martin stopped, Sarah at his shoulder. The entire group halted as well.
"What is it?" Martin asked, his voice flat.
"The excavation team at the Felspar was making excellent progress on the seismic readings you requested. However, two hours ago, all communication ceased. We dispatched a scout. He found the site… was compromised. Our equipment was destroyed. Our personnel were routed, scattered into the surrounding badlands."
"League Rangers?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowing.
"No." The elite grunt's lips pressed into a thin line. She produced a slim tablet from under her arm and tapped the screen. A zoomed-in image flickered to life, captured from what looked like a hidden security camera or a scout's long-lens.
It showed a familiar figure standing amidst the wreckage of Xycle machinery. A boy in a dark blue jacket, a determined set to his jaw, a blue cap pulled low. At his side, a Feraligatr stood protectively, its jaws parted in a silent snarl.
Elias's breath caught in his throat. It was Shan. The boy from Deviel Cave. The one who had defeated him. The one whose passionate conviction had been a catalyst, a question made flesh.
"He single-handedly drove our team out." The elite grunt continued, her tone in disbelief. "According to our grunts, he defeated every single one of them without backup."
She swiped the screen, bringing up another image. This one was a clearer profile shot of Shan's face, his expression fierce and unyielding. The group stood frozen, staring at the face of a boy who was becoming a recurring, and increasingly problematic for Team Xycle.
Martin studied the image, his face impassive. But Elias saw the slight tightening around his eyes, the almost imperceptible narrowing. This wasn't just an operational setback. This was a personal challenge from a symbol of everything Xycle sought to dismantle—the idealistic, meddling trainer, fueled by naive dreams of justice.
"One kid? Took out a whole excavation team? Pathetic." Rein let out a sharp, humorless laugh.
"His Totodile has evolved since Deviel Cave. His strength as a trainer is improving." Anne said, studying the image with interest.
"He's interfering with Xycle operations." Martin said softly, but the words carried through the command center's hum. He finally turned his gaze from the tablet, his eyes sweeping over Elias, Anne, and Rein. "You three... You've faced him before. You understand his... tenacity."
Elias felt the weight of the statement, and the unspoken command within it. He remembered the sting of defeat in the cave, the burning conviction in Shan's eyes, the bond with his Totodile—now a Feraligatr. He remembered his own dawning understanding in the tournament, the chaotic warmth of a bond that was now a weapon being turned against Xycle's plans.
"I hate to say this, but... this kid is no longer a minor nuisance." Sarah stated, folding her arms. "He's actively targeting our operations. He must be dealt with."
Sarah's gaze shifted to Martin, awaiting the order. It was the logical next step. She was already mentally calculating the assets they could spare from other sectors.
Martin, however, remained silent, his eyes fixed on the image of Shan. After a long moment, a slow, calculated smile touched his lips—a smile that held no warmth.
"No. It's time for our path to cross again."