Pierce sat in his chair, feeling as if countless blades were scraping against every inch of his muscles. It was as though he were being torn apart from within, only to be stitched back together again. Though only a few minutes had passed, it felt like an eternity.
Just as Butch had said, the base's power was soon restored, and communications returned to normal.
Pierce was drenched in cold sweat, gasping for breath.
Yet, the physical pain was nothing compared to the sheer disbelief he felt over the unfamiliar yet deeply ingrained information that had just surfaced in his mind.
So this was the true reason for the base's communication blackout…
Regaining his strength quickly, Pierce looked at Butch. He felt a peculiar connection to his former subordinate.
"Commander Pierce, let's proceed with the organizational optimization," Butch said with a slight smile. His words carried an almost hypnotic force that made it impossible for Pierce to refuse.
Or rather, to disobey.
He followed Butch out of the office. Across the base, Rocket members had either retained their human forms or mutated into grotesque monstrosities. Even the Pokémon that had not been recalled into their Poké Balls were not spared, with some exhibiting signs of mutation.
The mutated ones lay sprawled on the ground, held down by those who had successfully merged at a high assimilation rate.
At that moment, a man in a black uniform with golden hair—Attila—walked in.
"Good work," Butch nodded.
"For the Hive," Attila responded.
Pierce looked at the unfolding scene with bitter understanding. He now realized the true meaning behind Vicious's actions.
Following Attila and Butch's orders, the successfully merged members began using Toxic Flame to eradicate the failed mutations.
As he watched his mutated subordinates wail in agony, their bodies unable to even struggle against the consuming flames, Pierce's heart ached.
If there were ever a vote within Team Rocket to determine which executive treated their subordinates best, Pierce would undoubtedly take first place.
In times of emergency, he was even willing to sacrifice himself to buy time for his men to escape.
Perhaps that was why, despite having a higher assimilation rate, Butch still referred to him as "Commander."
"Commander Pierce, the Hive has issued an order that requires your execution," Butch stated.
"I know." Pierce nodded. He had already received the directive in his consciousness moments ago.
"To think that after all these years, this is how it ends…" Pierce sighed, his face filled with emotion.
...
As the sun set, the golden hues draped over the white-themed Slateport City, painting it in a warm glow.
Shelly gazed impassively at the dark-skinned, muscular man who had just risen before her.
In the two days since Lucius's departure, she had secretly contacted most of the Team Aqua members lurking in Slateport's harbor, bringing those who had survived the virus trials into the Hive.
Now, even the Team Aqua executive at her level—Matt—had completed his infection.
"The Hive…" Matt murmured as he stood up, his towering two-meter frame carrying a hint of confusion.
Matt was a high-ranking member of Team Aqua, possessing the powerful physique and mental fortitude of a professional wrestler.
Because Archie had once saved his life, he had devoted himself to his leader's ideals, willing to sacrifice everything to realize Archie's vision.
But now, he had to give up something even more important than his life—to serve the Hive.
"I know it's a lot to process, but this is our fate now…" Shelly laid out the details regarding Volkner and Kyogre to Matt.
Matt fell into deep silence. He didn't want to betray Archie, yet he couldn't resist the calling in his very blood.
"Actually, as long as we find Kyogre, Lord Archie still has a chance, doesn't he?" Over the past two days, Shelly had reconsidered many things.
At first, her resistance to the Hive stemmed from the belief that it meant betraying Team Aqua. She had been tormented by guilt.
But upon deeper reflection, she realized that the Hive had not acted against Team Aqua. Instead, it had provided Kyogre's location, solving Team Aqua's greatest dilemma. This realization eased her conscience somewhat.
Sharing these thoughts with Matt, a fellow loyalist, she helped him come to terms with their new reality.
Together, they gathered climate data from around Sootopolis City, handing it over to Team Aqua's scholars for analysis. Their plan was to use this research as a pretext to mobilize their forces for an investigation.
After all, they couldn't simply approach Archie and say, "Hey, Kyogre's sleeping over there, let's go."
At sunrise, Lucius sat aboard a long-distance ship, watching the sun slowly rise from the ocean's horizon.
It had been a long time since he had witnessed such a sunrise. It was truly beautiful…
As mesmerizing as the view was, the commotion inside the ship's main hall was even more captivating. Even from the deck, Lucius could hear the uproar within.
The Saffron City news station was broadcasting a report that had sent shockwaves around the world.
Rocket Executives Proton and Pierce had jointly announced:
"Due to the disappearance of Team Rocket's Supreme Leader, Giovanni, as of today, the Kanto division of Team Rocket is officially disbanded."
The news sent ripples across the world.
Not only was the Pokémon League in an uproar, but so were global factions and even ordinary civilians.
Kanto's Team Rocket… had disbanded?
It was like waking up one morning in the Middle East and finding out the Taliban had ceased to exist.
And Giovanni? The mere mention of his name sent waves of shock through those unaware of the truth.
The revelation struck hardest in Viridian City and among trainers who had once challenged its Gym.
The man who safeguarded the city, the one they honored as "Viridian's Giovanni," the Gym Leader who used Ground-type Pokémon to guide rookie trainers, the businessman who controlled Silph Co. and amassed a fortune beyond imagination—was actually the supreme leader of Kanto's most notorious crime syndicate? The underground emperor feared across the world?
Was this a joke?
Within hours, Viridian City's municipal offices, Saffron's Silph Co. headquarters, and even the Indigo Plateau were swarmed by masses of people, almost overwhelming them.
Reporters were the least of the problem. Protesters, opportunists, law enforcement, and even victims of Team Rocket's crimes had gathered, demanding answers.
Some even called on the League to provide an explanation.
If the head of Team Rocket was a League official, surely the League owed them a response.
Overwhelmed, League staff found themselves besieged by the masses. They were at their wits' end, wishing they could dig a hole and disappear.
Forget an explanation—at this rate, they didn't even have the time to grab some duct tape to silence the chaos.
Inside the Indigo Plateau's highest council chamber, Goodshow's face was dark with anger, his lips sealed in grim silence.
Originally, after Giovanni's escape, the League had meticulously planned a series of information campaigns and diversion tactics to manage public perception.
But now, with two high-ranking Rocket executives abruptly making this announcement, both Giovanni and the League had been thrust into the storm's eye far sooner than anticipated.
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