"I believe they were arranged by Damalanchi. Other than that, I don't know much," Sasaki Sho droned under the psychic haze.
Feng Che then had Swoobat turn its hypnotic gaze onto the two "League Inspectors." To his surprise, he discovered a double-layered deception: they were indeed official League personnel, but they were also Team Rocket moles embedded deep within the Bureau.
"We followed the orders of Lord Sakaki Tsu to sabotage Leader Feng Che's opening ceremony," the female inspector confessed, her voice flat. "If we dragged him away in front of such a massive crowd, his reputation would be ruined regardless of the truth. 'Three men make a tiger'—once the rumor of corruption starts, it never truly dies."
She added with a hint of lingering spite, "He dared to offend Lord Sakaki Tsu and caused him so much suffering. This is his price."
So, Sakaki Tsu's influence is like embers reigniting, Feng Che thought grimly. Even exiled to a remote island, he can still reach back and pull strings through his old subordinates. I need to be more vigilant.
Feng Che turned to his fellow Gym Leaders. "I forgot to formally introduce you. This is Mr. Lt. Surge from Vermilion City, and this is Miss Sabrina from Saffron City. They are close friends of mine who came to support the opening."
Taro shook hands warmly with the boisterous Surge, while Sabrina offered only a cold, elegant nod.
"It's a relief you used that massive psychic wipe on the crowd," Taro said, glancing at the empty seats. "Otherwise, this would have been a PR nightmare. Feng Che, the Sasaki Clan will give you a proper explanation for this betrayal."
Taro and Tenshi departed quickly, dragging the broken Sasaki Sho with them to face clan justice.
The Alliance of Four
Once the outsiders were gone, the atmosphere shifted to business.
"Feng Che, I'll report this 'Sakaki Tsu' interference to the Boss," Lt. Surge said, his expression unusually grim. "I'm sure Giovanni will handle these 'embers' permanently."
"Good. I'll be waiting for the result," Feng Che replied. He then turned to Sabrina, softening his gaze. "Sabrina, I'm truly happy you made the trip for my opening."
"I was just passing by," Sabrina replied, her eyes flickering as she looked away—the classic "mouth saying no, heart saying yes" behavior. She tilted her chin up slightly. "Don't forget, even if you're a High Executive and a Gym Leader now, I'm still the one who brought you up through the ranks."
"I could never forget that, Lady Sabrina," Feng Che teased, his dark eyes locking onto hers with a playful, deep intensity.
Sabrina's heart skipped a beat. Meeting that deep, ink-like gaze, her cheeks flushed a faint pink, and she broke into a rare, blooming smile.
"There's definitely something going on here," Surge muttered to himself, feeling like he'd just been force-fed a bowl of "dog food" (romantic displays). "Cough! Look, time is short. Let's talk business."
Surge scratched his blonde spikes. "Koga has moved to the Johto region, and Janine is still taking over his ninja corps. The 'Four Generals' are constantly targeting us, so we 'Four Executives' need to form an unbreakable offensive and defensive alliance."
"Viridian, Saffron, and Vermilion are the economic lifeblood of Team Rocket," Surge explained. "Saffron is the metropolis, Vermilion is the port, and Viridian sits at the 'Lungs of Kanto'—the Viridian Forest. It's a city of mercenaries. Over two-thirds of the organization's revenue comes from these three hubs."
"A circle cannot be formed without a compass," Feng Che stated firmly. "In Viridian, I will establish the rules. I will unify the order, stabilize prices, and crush the organizations involved in tax evasion and smuggling that don't play by the book."
"Be careful," Sabrina cautioned. "Viridian is the ancestral base. Many residents have ties to the older generation of Team Rocket. If you bully a 'small one,' you might attract an 'old one.' Watch your step."
"And if you can," Surge added enthusiastically, "set up a Black Market like we have in Vermilion. Giovanni was always worried a market in Viridian would attract too much League attention, so it's a void right now. There's massive profit to be made there."
Suddenly, Sabrina's communicator chirped. Her expression soured. "I have to return to the Sevii Islands to monitor the League's movements. Duty calls." She vanished instantly using Teleport.
Surge also received a mission alert. He released four Poké Balls, and his Magneton formed a glowing triangular prison around the two disgraced inspectors. "I'm heading to Headquarters; I'll take these two pieces of trash with me. The Boss will give you an answer." He hopped onto his Magnezone and streaked into the sky.
Setting the Guard
Feng Che signaled to his subordinates, Parker and Hu Ji.
"You are both Gym-level trainers now," Feng Che said, opening a silver briefcase. Inside, resting on soft Mareep-wool cushions, were ten exquisitely crafted Viridian Gym Badges. "I'm entrusting the Gym to you for a while."
"According to League rules, we issue no more than three badges a month. The Pokémon I've left behind should handle most challengers with ease. I need to make a trip to the Sinnoh region, to the Gardenia family."
With a final nod of instructions, Feng Che Teleported away.
The Day-to-Day of the Ranch
At the Pokémon Nursery, business was booming. Galarian Slowking sat at a computer with surprising speed, registering Pokémon and handing out electronic receipts to trainers. In the back, Ambipom worked like a spinning top, churning out high-grade Energy Roots and berries.
In the mountains behind the nursery, Zeraora looked down at the two cubs, Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai, who had already grown to half its height. Born with the genes of Mythical Pokémon, their potential far exceeded their mother's.
Suddenly, the air rippled, and Feng Che materialized directly in front of Zeraora.
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