"The unofficial powers around Dark City must come under Team Rocket's control. The next objective is to bring them in under us — not under the Team Rocket name, of course, so as not to draw the League's eye."
Vance was in the conference room, in session with his Division Commanders.
The matter under discussion was Team Rocket's expansion in Dark City.
Vance had laid out the plan: his Division Commanders were to take the small powers roundabout in hand, with somebody else's name over the door.
The building-up was more or less finished. What came next was expansion, and the powers still standing in Dark City were the target.
"Well, gentlemen. Has anybody a better suggestion than this?"
Vance looked round the table. Nobody put anything forward.
"Nobody has anything to say? Then we go on to settling who is to go and carry it out."
Since nobody spoke, Vance passed straight over it and moved to the next item.
"You have only to give the orders, Branch Chief."
"That's right, that's right, just give us the orders. I, Talbot, strike wherever you point."
"Just so, just so."
The men below him all assented together. Over their time together they had been won over by Vance.
The old truculence was gone. Nobody dared strike a contrary note with a man who could cross hands with an Elite-Four-class.
Especially when this particular superior was open-handed and loyal to his own.
Several of them had been on the receiving end of his favours; the supplies of a few days back had left their pockets comfortably full.
"Right. Talbot, you'll be responsible for the north side of Dark City and the... The usual rule: do it well, and it doesn't only count for contribution, there's a reward on top!"
Vance did not drag it out. He assigned the districts there and then, kept two divisions at the branch and sent the rest out.
Giovanni had handed him every power the branch had. How it was done was his to say.
"Sir."
The men named answered in loud voices.
A reward. On top of the usual pay, a reward.
And going by how this Branch Chief did things, it would be a generous one. That much had been proved already.
That put more drive in them still.
"Then, Branch Chief — are we to move on those two Gyms?"
Sorrel, one of the Division Commanders, spoke up and raised the point.
Neither of Dark City's two Gyms was recognised by the League, and they fought each other constantly over that recognition.
It had its effect on the people living round about.
"No. There is a great deal caught up behind those two Gyms. Leave them alone for the present."
Vance turned the suggestion down.
"Do the work you've been given. The rest can wait. Take the powers around us first."
"Sir."
They talked it over a while longer, and then he let them go.
Barring accidents the thing would come off, and the underside of Dark City would fall under Team Rocket's control.
"It's not often you come in to work. I'd begun to think you'd forgotten you were Branch Chief."
Ambrose brought over a cup of tea, still steaming, set it down in front of him, took a seat beside him and said it with a grin.
"Why? Are you planning to usurp the throne?"
"Pfft— what are you talking about? I've the ambition, but have I got the strength for it?"
Ambrose choked on his tea and said it crossly.
"So you have got the ambition. Well, well."
"A Team Rocket man who doesn't want to be Branch Chief isn't a good Team Rocket man."
"Ha ha ha."
While they were talking there came a knock at the door, and at Vance's word a man came in.
"Branch Chief, sir. The League building in Dark City has just come under attack. The Godbeast Gang are suspected."
"Attacked? And by the Godbeast Gang. Any leads?"
"Nothing clear as yet. Emery and several of us below him think it may have to do with the base Delaney cleared out, since Delaney was their target this time as well."
"Look further into it. Have our people on the inside keep a closer eye on this Delaney."
"Sir."
His report made, the man withdrew and closed the door respectfully behind him.
"The Godbeast Gang attacking the League building? Now this becomes interesting. What has this Delaney been doing, to make that lot risk an attack on them?"
Vance tapped the desk lightly with one finger, turning it over.
Think as he might, it came to nothing but the obvious few things.
Either Delaney was being paid back — he had cleared out a good many Godbeast Gang bases before this, and been officially commended by the League for it, which the television had carried — or else Delaney had learned something, or come away with something, in the course of the clearing out.
Nor could he rule out that they were simply mad, in a foul temper, storming the League building for the sport of it and defying the League into the bargain.
...............
"Team Rocket! It was Team Rocket, beyond any doubt."
On the wrecked floor, in front of the leading men of Dark City, that was Delaney's answer.
Turn over a few of the bodies and you could still see Team Rocket uniforms on them.
"Team Rocket, is it!"
The rest exchanged glances and shook their heads slightly, then looked at Delaney with something not far from relish.
If it were true, this man of the hour was in a very bad way.
In the crowd, Wycliffe could barely hold his smile down. This was excellent. If Delaney were finished, his own turn would come.
"Chief Investigator Ellery, what do you make of it?"
The old Mayor turned to Ellery, the Chief Investigator, who stood to one side with a thoughtful look on his face, and put the question to him.
"There's something odd about it. It doesn't feel likely to me."
His instinct told him something here was not right, but with so little information in hand he could carry the reasoning no further.
Going by past experience, Team Rocket did not carry out raids of this kind, and several of the attackers had killed themselves on the spot, as though they were hiding something.
"Delaney, have you had any operations running lately? Or anything else of that sort?"
"No. Only that I cleared out an experimental base. Don't tell me that base belonged to Team Rocket as well?"
Delaney cast his mind back and offered the guess.
"It's possible."
Even that seasoned Chief Investigator could not be certain of it.
That evening the Dark City news channel carried the day's raid, and the attackers were of course Team Rocket.
"The Team Rocket force has been put down to the last man, a solid blow against their arrogance. Chief Investigator Ellery states that a response will be organised, and that the evil power that is Team Rocket will be struck at until the evil is rooted out entirely."
Vance watched the television quietly while the presenter delivered it in the proper official manner.
Out of nowhere, Team Rocket had become the criminals of the affair.
What he minded was not being on television. That had happened often enough.
What he really minded was the purpose behind the attack. What was being schemed here?
Could it really be no more than turning the League's eyes towards Team Rocket?
But Team Rocket had attention enough already; a little more made no difference.
"What is the point of it, in the end?"
Vance thought it over quietly. As the officer commanding this base in Dark City, if there were a plot aimed at them, he would not get clear of it either.
After a while he left off thinking and went to train his Pokémon.
Fear comes of not being strong enough.