Giovanni spoke calmly, stroking his chin. "No, the eggs are just a means. I think this is a distraction for something bigger."
Gladion shot him an annoyed glare. 'What are you playing at now, Giovanni?'
"What do you mean, Giovanni?" Koga asked, his voice sharp. His eyes never left Giovanni's face.
Giovanni stayed calm, hands folded behind his back. "Team Rocket already has plenty of Pokémon to sell. Stealing eggs doesn't add up. Hatching them costs money for incubators, food, care. Baby Pokémon are hard to sell fast. They need care at this stage, training and even some investment with TMs. And from reports, they didn't take many rare Pokemon eggs, ones like Dratini or Larvitar. It means that they would not get no big profit. It's not about the eggs."
Everyone nodded slowly. It made sense. Lt. Surge scratched his chin. Brock's anger cooled a little as he thought it over. Even Sabrina tilted her head, agreeing.
It felt right for them that Giovanni was the one who figured it out since he was a businessman himself and could see where the profit is. But Gladion knew that it was all a farce. Of course, the instigator of all this would know what the team rocket was doing and why.
"So you're saying the eggs weren't the real target," Lance said, stepping forward. "The Pokémon tide, the chaos, it is all a distraction? But for what? Why cause so much death and destruction?"
"Exactly," Giovanni replied. "Why anger the entire League unless you want our eyes somewhere else? They could've stolen eggs quietly any other day. This is loud. This is a message. But for what? That's what we need to find out."
He paused, then added, "I think.....It's also a message to the champion."
Lance frowned. "What do you mean?"
"They hit entire Kanto on your coronation day," Giovanni said, voice low. "They're saying they don't accept you as the champion. Step down or we keep coming and destroy whatever you swore to protect. This is what I can interpret from the recent events. I might be wrong."
A heavy silence fell. Then Lance's Dragonite growled, and Lance's own dragon aura rolled out, not as strong as Gladion's psychic burst earlier, but strong, proud, and angry. The Gym Leaders felt it in their chests. Pokémon shifted uneasily. Jasmine took a step back. Even Blaine's eyes narrowed.
"So they want me to resign?" Lance asked, his voice tight.
"Doesn't matter," Gladion cut in, stepping forward. His voice was cold steel. "You won't resign. We don't bow to criminals. Team Rocket crossed every line today. It's time to end them, for good."
The others nodded at that. Gladion was not going to let Giovanni get his wish and someone he likes as a champion.
Lance looked at him, then nodded firmly. "Very well. I agree."
He turned to the room. "Gym Leaders, go to your cities. Protect your people. Reinforce the rangers and police. Johto leaders, cover towns without Gyms. Elite Four would head to the worst-hit areas. We move now."
Everyone nodded. Poké Balls clicked open. Surge's Raichu sparked. Erika released Vileplume. Boots hit the floor as leaders moved toward the exit.
But then in a poof of smoke. A ninja in black appeared beside Koga, sweating hard. He didn't speak just flashed quick hand signs, fast and urgent.
Koga's eyes widened. His calm mask cracked. "We have trouble. Serious trouble. I think I know why Team Rocket is causing such a distraction."
The room froze. Even Lance's Dragonite turned its head.
Koga took a deep breath. "A Pokémon tide is coming down Mt. Silver. And it's being led by… a Moltres."
Gasps echoed. Moltres. A legendary bird. Flames that could melt steel. Wings that scorched the sky. During the Infinite Pokémon War, legendaries like it had torn continents apart, mountains crumbled, oceans boiled, cities erased in a single fiery breath.
Whole armies vanished under wings of fire. Entire regions were reshaped by their rage. And now one was awake and angry. Heading straight for Indigo.
"I'll go," Lance said instantly, already moving toward Dragonite. "I will fly now and hold it until backup arrives."
"No," Giovanni said, voice firm. "You should stay here. The League capital must be protected. The people need to see their champion here, strong and ready. Panic spreads faster than fire. You leave, and fear wins."
Lance spun, annoyed. "My Dragonite and I are the only ones who can stall a legendary until help arrives!"
"You're forgetting your duty as champion," Giovanni said, stepping closer. "You're not just a trainer anymore. You're the symbol. The shield. The hope. If you fall to Moltres, Indigo falls with you. If you're gone and the capital burns, the region breaks. Stay. Lead. Protect the heart. That is your job now."
Lance clenched his jaw, wings of Dragonite twitching.
Giovanni turned. "And you're forgetting Gym Leader Gladion and his alpha Tyranitar, Collosus."
Gladion's eyes narrowed. 'So that's your game, huh? Push me into the fire.' He didn't trust Giovanni, not one bit. But the beast was coming.
'Fine. I'll play.....for now. But after this? Team Rocket burns.'
-----Author Notes------
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