As Gladion looked at the captured General Alvarez, he couldn't help but smile a little.
General Alvarez knelt on the ground with heavy restraints binding both his hands and feet. His once spotless military uniform was torn and stained with dirt.
A thin trail of blood ran down the side of his forehead where debris had struck him during the battle. Even so, he tried to maintain the dignity expected of a military commander.
Gladion slowly walked toward him with a calm expression.
His companions remained a short distance behind him, silently observing the prisoner. No one interrupted. The only sound came from the gentle mountain wind passing through the valley.
Gladion stopped only a few feet away from the kneeling general.
"I have quite a few questions for you, General," he said calmly.
General Alvarez gave a tired laugh. "I assumed you would."
Gladion folded his arms before speaking again. "Then let us begin with the simplest question."
He looked directly into the general's eyes. "Why? Why attack a diplomatic mission that came to build peace? Why murder your own officials? Why throw your region into chaos after your people spent decades rebuilding from the last great war? What exactly were you hoping to achieve?"
General Alvarez remained silent for several long moments. His eyes slowly drifted toward the distant mountains.
"When you are young, peace feels normal," he finally said. "You were fortunate enough to grow up in that kind of world. I was not."
His voice became quieter. "I grew up surrounded by war. I watched cities burn. I watched soldiers march away knowing they would never return. I buried friends before they even reached adulthood."
He let out a long breath. "Hatred becomes comfortable after enough years. Eventually, you stop believing peace can last. Every smile looks temporary. Every treaty feels like a lie waiting to break."
Gladion listened without interrupting.
General Alvarez continued. "When our leaders started speaking about opening borders, I did not see hope. I saw history repeating itself. I convinced myself that another war would eventually happen."
A bitter smile appeared on his face. "So I decided that if war was inevitable... then I would be the one to start it."
Gladion slowly shook his head. "So thousands of innocent people were supposed to die because you could not let go of the past."
General Alvarez lowered his head. "When you put it that way..."
He closed his eyes "...it sounds pathetic."
"It probably was."
After giving the general a few moments, Gladion asked his next question.
"I know you didn't act alone."
General Alvarez immediately nodded. "No. There was someone supplying money. Someone who had connections that reached far beyond my own. Someone who helped recruit radicals, arranged the assassinations, and ensured every operation had the resources it needed."
Gladion narrowed his eyes. "Who was it?"
General Alvarez remained quiet for only a brief moment. Then he laughed bitterly.
"There is no reason to protect her anymore."
His expression darkened."She betrayed me first. If she was willing to sacrifice me to save herself, then I owe her absolutely nothing."
Gladion remained silent, waiting.General Alvarez finally spoke. "She goes by the name Madame boss. The former leader of Team rocket"
"After losing control of her organization , she disappeared from public view, but she never truly vanished. She approached me herself. She offered money, intelligence, and contacts throughout the criminal underworld."
He looked up at Gladion. "At first, I believed we shared the same objective."
A bitter laugh escaped him."I was wrong."
Gladion spoke calmly. "What was her real objective?"
General Alvarez answered without hesitation.
"Chaos."
"She wanted another continental war. She believed that while nations destroyed one another, she could rebuild her own criminal empire from the shadows."
He continued in a tired voice.
"Everything she did was calculated. Every alliance she formed had another purpose hidden beneath it."
Gladion quietly thought through everything he had learned.
"So..." he muttered thoughtfully.
"She has unfinished business with both the current leader of the Team Rocket..."
He smiled faintly.
"...and with me."
The pieces finally came together inside his mind. Destroying him had never been her only objective.
She wanted revenge against everyone she believed had taken something from her.
General Alvarez slowly nodded. "She also knew that eventually I might fall."
Gladion looked at him. "What do you mean?"
General Alvarez gave a dry laugh.
"My officers respected me, but once I disappeared, they would need another leader."
His expression became one of reluctant admiration. "She planned to become that leader. She would use my capture to unite my remaining followers beneath her command. In truth, I was only another piece on her board."
Gladion nodded slowly. "I have to admit, she certainly knows how to think several moves ahead."
"Do you know who the current leader of team rocket is?" Gladion thoughts
'if he tells it is Giovanni then I would finally have a reason to investigate him.' Gladion thought
The general though shook his hand, "I only know it's Madame boss's son. I don't know who he is or even his name."
Gladion sighed
Just then, Sabrina walked over and stopped beside him. She had remained silent throughout the interrogation, allowing Gladion to handle the questioning himself.
"So," she asked, "what do we do now? If Madame boss takes control of General Alvarez's remaining network, she will become even more dangerous than before."
Gladion looked toward the distant mountain range stretching across the horizon. He remained silent for several moments.
Then, to Sabrina's surprise, a grin slowly appeared on his face.
"We forget about her for now."
Sabrina blinked."We're not going after her?"
Gladion chuckled softly. "No."
"If someone wants to hide in the shadows, chasing them immediately only allows them to choose the battlefield."
He stretched his arms before smiling even wider. "We didn't travel all the way here just to chase criminals or to sign a treaty. There are still ancient ruins I want to explore. There are rare creatures living in Sinnoh that I have wanted to see for years."
"And there are several powerful partners I have been hoping to find."
He looked at Sabrina with a grin. "I refuse to let one criminal ruin what should be an enjoyable journey."
Sabrina sighed before shaking her head with a small smile."Sometimes I genuinely cannot understand how your mind works."
Gladion laughed.
General Alvarez lowered his head in silence.
For the first time since his capture, he realized why so many people feared the young man standing before him.
It was not simply because of Gladion and his Pokemon's strength.
It was because he possessed the patience to wait for the right moment before striking.
Sometimes, that was even more dangerous than overwhelming power.
-----Author Notes------
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