High above, Luo Yuan and Mewtwo hovered in mid-air, gazing down below.
Mewtwo tilted its head, a puzzled look crossing its face. "Why are we going to fight again?"
"Because we're in a financial crisis."
"A... financial crisis?"
As a Pokémon only recently brought to life, Mewtwo was highly intelligent, learned quickly thanks to its immense psychic power, but its youthful mind was limited by its lack of experience.
From its design to its birth, Mewtwo had been created and trained for battle.
But terms like "cash flow" and "financial crisis" were entirely foreign to it. Mewtwo simply couldn't fathom why they'd be fighting over something so trivial.
Hearing the question, Luo Yuan felt a faint twitch at the corner of his mouth.
He'd gotten used to Mewtwo being an easy-going partner, but now he was beginning to understand Mewtwo's more challenging side.
Perhaps it was a quirk of Mewtwo's design—the human traits and complex emotions they'd programmed into it.
Though it appeared mature, in truth, Mewtwo was more like a curious child, full of "whys" about everything it encountered.
It was a far cry from Deoxys, who silently obeyed orders, ever-reliable and loyal.
No wonder Mewtwo would one day struggle with deep philosophical questions about its own existence.
But given that Giovanni had entrusted Mewtwo to him, and since Luo Yuan had found their partnership quite compatible, he felt an obligation to answer its questions.
"We took a heavy hit from the League's attack," he began. "Now Team Rocket's finances are tight. If we don't have money, we won't have food to eat. What we're reclaiming here is our 'meal money.'" Luo Yuan explained with a smirk.
And it wasn't exactly a lie.
If Rocket's funds ran dry, Giovanni would certainly cut team benefits to weather the storm. While they weren't quite at the "no food" stage, the principle held true.
Mewtwo nodded thoughtfully, though it still looked a little unsure.
But Luo Yuan was content to leave it at that. Mewtwo's expression grew determined, doubt giving way to resolve.
"Alright, then. Let's go get that meal money back."
"For our food!" Mewtwo echoed through telepathy, before they both descended toward the League-sealed Rocket base below.
---
Lance felt cursed.
Otherwise, why was it that, while the other regions' Elites merely dealt with ordinary criminals, he repeatedly faced opponents wielding Legendary Pokémon?
The thought made his frustration grow.
But as the leader of the Kanto Elite Four, Lance knew he had to set an example for all League trainers in Kanto. Regardless of his inner turmoil, he couldn't afford to show negative emotions.
With a deep breath, Lance steadied himself.
Turning to Bruno and Agatha, he addressed them with newfound composure.
"Regarding this Rocket executive, 'K'—you've both encountered him in battle. What are the chances that he's the same person as the Tech Hunter we've heard about in Hoenn?"
This was the key issue in their debriefing.
As the Elite leader, Lance needed to know their enemy's identity.
"Since 'K' only used two Legendaries in this battle, we don't have much to go on," Agatha began, her voice low and measured as she leaned on her cane. "Based on the information I've gathered on the Tech Hunter, the only link between them is that both wielded a Deoxys."
"I'd say it's highly likely that the Tech Hunter is just another alias of this Rocket executive 'K,'" Bruno added. "According to past records, the Tech Hunter and Team Rocket have cooperated several times. But for a person of his type, no matter how close the partnership, he wouldn't lend out a Legendary to anyone."
Both Agatha and Lance nodded at Bruno's point.
But even this brought no relief to Lance's expression. "If that's the case, then the situation is even more serious."
"Deoxys plus this newly introduced Mewtwo... Team Rocket now holds control over two Legendary Pokémon. Can we even hope to keep them in check?"
"..."
Bruno fell silent.
After a moment of thought, Agatha broke in. "I suggest we expedite the separation of the Indigo and Silver Leagues, increasing the Elite ranks from four to eight members, with two Champion positions as well."
This would be the most effective way to counter Team Rocket—by bolstering the Kanto League's power.
Right now, four Elites simply weren't enough to stand up to Team Rocket.
But with eight Elites and two Champions, the scenario would change drastically.
While Legendaries certainly had an advantage over Elite-level Pokémon, it wasn't an insurmountable one. With enough numbers, Elite Pokémon could subdue Legendaries.
Lance and Bruno both nodded at Agatha's suggestion.
In fact, the proposal had come up multiple times before, though due to conflicts over internal interests, it had yet to gain traction. Originally, they had planned to revisit the topic after the next Indigo League Conference.
But now, with the recent turn of events, this might be the ideal opportunity to push it through.
Selecting new Elites and Champions from Kanto or even other regions to combat Rocket's Legendaries could potentially curb Team Rocket's activities.
However, selecting an Elite was no simple task; it wasn't just about power, but also about background and character.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket's threat loomed ever closer.
"To fend off any further attacks from Rocket, alert Professor Oak, Blaine, Koga, and Pryce… we'll likely need their assistance soon," Lance said, listing several of Kanto's strongest trainers.
Agatha's face flickered slightly at the mention of Professor Oak, though she quickly concealed it.
After a pause, Lance raised another idea. "Additionally, we might consider capturing our own Legendary Pokémon."
"Ho-Oh and Lugia may be out of reach, but Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno, and the Legendary Beasts—Entei, Suicune, Raikou—seem attainable."
"If we're dealing with Legendaries, it only makes sense to fight fire with fire."
Capturing the Legendary Birds and Beasts would go against the League's long-held philosophy of coexisting peacefully with Legendary Pokémon.
But the current situation was dire. Rules were rigid, but people were flexible. Some adjustments were inevitable.
After a few moments of contemplation, Bruno and Agatha both nodded slowly.
It was a sound strategy.
Just as Lance prepared to continue the discussion, a League trainer sprinted over, breathless.
"Lance, Bruno, Agatha—there's trouble..."
"What happened?"
"The Rocket assets we had sealed away… they've been stolen by that Rocket executive, K!"
---
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