--- The night scene far from the earlier destruction----
Far away from the burning ruins of the mountain base, several Crobats flew through the night sky. The moon was hidden behind dark clouds.
The cold wind blew across the mountains as the flying Pokemon moved quickly through the darkness. Their riders wore black uniforms and remained completely silent. They flew with purpose, staying low to avoid being seen.
Finally, they reached another hidden location. This place was much smaller than the previous base. It was an abandoned warehouse built deep within a forest. Tall trees surrounded the building from every direction, making it difficult to notice from above.
Several people were already waiting there. Among them stood an old man. General Hector Alvarez. He was tall and broad shouldered despite his age. His hair had turned completely white over the years, and several scars covered his face.
One of the Crobat riders landed before him. "General." Alvarez nodded slowly. "What happened?"
The rider hesitated for a moment. Then he spoke. "The explosion failed." Several radicals lowered their heads.
The old general remained perfectly still. "Failed?" he repeated in a low voice. The man swallowed hard. "Gym Leader Gladion survived."
A few moments passed. Then Alvarez slowly looked up toward the dark sky visible through one of the broken windows. His expression did not change. He simply stood there. Then he let out a long breath. "So." He looked at the messenger. "He survived."
"Yes, General." One of the younger soldiers looked nervous. He had followed General Alvarez for years. He expected the old man to become angry. To shout. To throw something. Instead, the old general merely closed his eyes. After several moments, he opened them again. "I should have expected this."
The younger man blinked. "What?" Alvarez looked toward him. "You are speaking about the boy who marched into criminal bases and fought and organization capable of threatening entire regions." He spoke calmly. "You are speaking about a trainer who commands legendary Pokemon and has managed to beat other legendary Pokemon not once but twice," He folded his hands behind his back.
"And I expected explosives to kill him." The old man shook his head slightly. "I underestimated him." The soldiers looked at each other. Very few people had ever heard their leader admit such a thing.
General Alvarez looked toward the north. His eyes slowly narrowed. 'I have spent too many years studying wars. I should have known. Men like him do not die easily.'
The old man remembered hearing reports about Gladion. The young Gym Leader had somehow become famous in every region. He was wealthy. Influential. Powerful. Worst of all, he inspired people. That was dangerous. Very dangerous. Because wars were not won only with armies. Sometimes they were won with symbols. And that boy was becoming a symbol. A symbol of peace. A symbol of cooperation. A symbol of a future that Alvarez hated.
The old general's expression became colder. He suddenly heard footsteps behind him. He turned around. A woman slowly entered the warehouse. She wore a long black coat. Her face remained beautiful despite her age.
She carried herself with confidence. As if she belonged at the top of the world. Madame Boss. The former leader of Team Rocket. Several soldiers looked at her with caution. Even after losing everything, the woman still had an overwhelming presence.
She stopped beside Alvarez. "You look disappointed." The general looked at her.
The old man ignored the comment. For several moments, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Alvarez looked at her. "The boy survived."
"I heard." Her expression did not change. "Then your trap failed."
"It did."
Madame Boss crossed her arms. "That is unfortunate." Her voice remained calm. As if she were discussing the weather.
The general looked at her. "You are taking this rather well." She smiled. "I have learned not to expect easy victories."
Then her smile disappeared. "But I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed." Her eyes became cold as she remembered that day. The day everything collapsed. The day Gladion attacked. The day her organization was destroyed. Years of planning. Years of building power. Years of loyal followers. Gone. All gone.
Because of one young Gym Leader. Her fingers slowly tightened. She had lost everything. Her power. Her influence. Her base. Her people. She had been forced to flee Kanto like a criminal. A former queen forced into exile. The humiliation still burned inside her.
'Gladion.' She remembered his face. Hatred slowly rose inside her. She wanted revenge. No. She needed revenge. And while she was at it, she would also take revenge against Gladion for killing all her men, destroying her base, and forcing her to flee Kanto. Her eyes narrowed. No one had ever humiliated her to this extent. No one.
She slowly looked at Alvarez. The old general was still thinking. Finally, he spoke. "Before we can restart the war with Indigo, we would have to eliminate this boy, Gym Leader Gladion."
Madame Boss looked at him. The old man's eyes had become serious. "Sinnoh would not dare to attack a region with a trainer commanding two legendary Pokemon."
General Alvarez continued speaking. "The boy has become too influential." He folded his arms. "He is respected in Indigo." He looked at her. "He is respected in Hoenn."
Then his expression became ugly. "And now he is beginning to gain influence within Sinnoh itself. He cannot be allowed to exist."
Madame Boss listened quietly. Then she smiled. "You make him sound like some great conqueror."
The old man looked toward the distant mountains. "If he lives long enough, this peace agreement will succeed." He slowly clenched his fists. "And if the peace agreement succeeds, then the old world will truly disappear."
She understood General Alvarez as a man trapped in the past. A man who had never recovered from the Infinite Pokemon War. A man who could not let go. She found that amusing. Because unlike him, she did not care about old grudges against other nations. No. She had a different reason. Ambition. Pure ambition.
Her eyes gleamed slightly. Her goal was to restart the Infinite Pokemon War. Because war created opportunities. War created chaos. And chaos allowed people like her to rise. Countries would become desperate. Resources would disappear. Black markets would flourish. Weapons would become valuable. Information would become priceless. Entire governments would fall. And from the ashes... she would rebuild.
She slowly smiled. And there was another reason for her to restart the war. She wanted to see Giovanni's face. She still remembered everything. His betrayal. His conspiracy.
His carefully planned takeover of Team Rocket. Her own son had stolen everything from her. Everything. The pain had never disappeared. Nor had the anger. 'Let us see how Giovanni runs Team Rocket if there is a war engulfing the entire world.' Her smile widened slightly.
-----Author Notes------
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