He's definitely a foodie, huh.
As Lucius continued his mental link with it, he subtly spread the Venomous Plague throughout the facility.
By now, the Mindworm Form had evolved past its earlier, more overt symptoms. People no longer collapsed or convulsed the moment they were infected. Instead, the parasite altered their will quietly and efficiently—without the host even realizing it had happened.
If you looked closely, you'd notice something strange. At a specific moment, nearly all the researchers froze for exactly two seconds—then resumed their tasks as if nothing had occurred.
This X-Lab really is hiding more than a few secrets.
Lucius delved into the minds of the researchers, picking through their memories. The lab's core research focus was cloning. Besides their attempts to replicate Mewtwo, they had failed experiments involving other Legendary Pokémon, such as Celebi and Jirachi.
Maybe it's time to try cloning something... else.
Leaving the lab with his cloned Pokémon in tow, Lucius provided it with a list of famous regional delicacies—Castelia Cones, Slowpoke Tail Sandwiches, Magnemite Buns, and Mauville Mixed Noodles—and told it to roam freely, indulge its growing foodie instincts, and come when he called for backup.
Then, he departed from the Orange Archipelago.
Following Lucius's orders, Lance, Agatha, and others began to organize their teams and launch a campaign in Johto to eradicate Team Rocket's influence.
According to Archer's memories, he had memorized every single Team Rocket Hive Base in the region.
After betrayals from former high-ranking Rocket operatives like Pierce and Proton, Giovanni was forced to abandon most of their facilities across Johto for safety reasons.
However, one base remained: the S-Class Headquarters in Goldenrod City—a stronghold that had taken years to establish. Giovanni would never abandon it so easily.
This time, Agatha acted directly under the name of the Shadow Ops branch known as Hive, mobilizing personnel with minimal secrecy. In fact, they purposely left traces and leaked information to alert the media.
These breadcrumbs were deliberate. The goal wasn't to surprise Team Rocket, but to make a statement to the world.
To let everyone know: Hive is a formal division of the Pokémon League, established to eliminate criminal organizations like Team Rocket.
And Rocket was only the beginning. Next would be Team Galactic, Team Plasma, and Team Flare. Hive needed to establish its public image fast, and gain the trust of the people.
There was another reason they didn't care about Rocket knowing.
Team Rocket was no longer worthy of being Hive's opponent.
Without Silph Co.'s financial backing, and with their Kanto operations crippled, Rocket's strength had waned.
Only Giovanni, still a Champion-tier leader, and Vulture, a retired Elite Four powerhouse, remained as top threats. None of the other current executives even reached Elite Four level. How could they possibly stand against Hive—an organization led by multiple Champion-class trainers?
In just two days, Hive agents swept through Johto, apprehending dozens of Rocket operatives mid-mission or during black-market trades. Even Dray, one of Giovanni's newly promoted officers, was captured while in Cianwood City, attempting to deploy a new emotional-disruption frequency on Pokémon.
Goldenrod City, located in western Johto, was the region's largest metropolis and its central hub for commerce and technology. The city sparkled with lights even at midnight.
"All squads, begin the encirclement as planned." A man dressed like a ninja stood in a high-rise building, watching as agents moved into position.
"Reporting to Elite Four Member Koga, Squad A in position!"
"Reporting to Koga, Squad B ready!"
"Reporting to Koga, Squad C deployed!"
As all teams checked in, Koga gave the order to commence the raid.
A thunderous explosion shook the streets as the entrance to Team Rocket's underground Goldenrod base was blasted open. The boom jolted both people and Pokémon awake.
From the ruptured openings, Hive agents poured into the base with their Pokémon at the ready.
"Reporting to Koga—Squad A found no hostiles."
"Squad B, no enemy presence detected."
"Squad C also reports zero contact."
The communications channel buzzed with reports.
"Seems like they got wind of the raid and fled in advance," commented Karen, her long gray hair catching the glow of nearby searchlights.
Koga remained expressionless.
After Brandon and Noland had failed to capture Giovanni in a prior operation, the League recognized just how formidable the Rocket boss truly was. This time, three of the Elite Four were involved, with Lance personally commanding the mission.
They hadn't stormed Goldenrod immediately, deliberately giving Giovanni the chance to escape—knowing that a Champion-level battle in the heart of the city would cause massive collateral damage.
And sure enough, Rocket had cut their losses and fled. The outcome had been predicted from the start.
Giovanni had proven himself a true tactician—resolute, calculating. Abandoning Goldenrod was tantamount to sacrificing most of Team Rocket's foundation in Johto.
A black helicopter tore through the night skies over Johto, en route to the Sevii Islands.
Inside sat Giovanni, silent, clad in a jet-black suit. His face was grim.
Beside him sat his son Silver, and across from them, his secretary Matori.
Of the three S-Class Rocket bases, only one remained—the Sevii Island headquarters, which hadn't seen maintenance in years and was Rocket's HQ in name only.
Giovanni clenched both fists. Ever since inheriting Team Rocket from his mother, he had expanded the organization over three decades, making it the undisputed criminal empire of Kanto and Johto.
At its peak, Rocket boasted tens of thousands of members, cutting-edge weaponry, and even a cloned Mewtwo, whose power rivaled the myths themselves.
And yet... in less than a month...
In just under a month, the Team Rocket of Kanto had crumbled. High-ranking operatives like Vicious, Pierce, and others turned traitor. The Johto region saw a major crackdown as the League launched coordinated raids, arresting a significant number of personnel.
And today, even the Elite Four had mobilized—forcing him to abandon Goldenrod City, a stronghold he had built over years.
Behind all of this, there was one name—a name that had shaken the world overnight.
Hive.
Exhaling deeply, Giovanni loosened the fist he hadn't even realized he was clenching.
Truthfully, he could have chosen to stand his ground today. He could've held his base in Goldenrod, fought tooth and nail using the automated weapons and his King-tier Pokémon. The League, wary of collateral damage to the city, wouldn't have dared to go all out.
But that would've meant sacrificing countless Rocket members stationed in the base.
And if he were to evacuate everyone, leaving only himself behind to guard an empty stronghold—what purpose would that serve?
"Silver, you and Matori head for Seven Island first. I have something to take care of," Giovanni said suddenly.
"Huh?" Silver stared at him, clearly surprised.
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