Gladion finally had solid leads on a large Team Rocket base and the place where they might be keeping the stolen Pokémon eggs.
His teams had worked day and night. They found many small clues about Team Rocket movements. Social media proved to be a weak spot for even careful criminals.
Some low-level suspected team rocket members posted stories location tags turned on by mistake. Others shared photos of rare items that only Team Rocket would have.
When Gladion's people cross-checked these posts, patterns appeared. Many suspected members gathered in one remote area at the same time. That could only mean one thing. They were all guilty.
The strongest proof came from a different direction. A huge order of professional egg incubators had been placed through hidden companies. The delivery addresses were spread out to avoid attention.
But Aura Guardians used their special network to track the final destination of these packages. They followed the trail step by step until it led to the same remote location.
The base was large, both above ground and underground. Officially it was listed as an old military fort that survived the Infinite Pokémon War.
There were supposed to be military personnel in them but it was concluded that they had all joined Team Rocket.
Few people visited the area anymore. It sat in wild mountains far from cities.
Gladion studied the maps and reports. Something felt wrong. Finding the eggs this quickly was too easy.
Team Rocket had planned the theft perfectly. No one saw it coming. Not Koga with his ninjas. Not the Aura Guardians. Not Gladion himself. The attack happened on the perfect day when everyone was distracted without any sort of leak.
Now clues appeared everywhere. It felt like someone left them on purpose.
'Team Rocket is not this careless,' Gladion thought. 'Giovanni would never allow mistakes in a plan this big. And I doubt that he had become sloppy and overconfident. We are talking about the greatest mastermind in this world after all. Is he setting a trap?'
He paced his office. He mumbled, "Yes, it is clearly a trap. All these trails point straight to the eggs. Someone wants us to find them."
A cold smile formed on his face. "But it does not matter. Trap or not, Giovanni will not expect me or others to move this fast after such a large mission. He will not expect two legendaries flying at his door."
Gladion felt power rise in his chest. He was not afraid of traps. Overwhelming strength breaks every plan. When Latios and Latias flew beside him, no wall would stand. No army would stop them. No clever scheme would matter against raw legendary force.
Team Rocket would learn that some fires cannot be put out. Some storms cannot be survived. They had hurt his family. Now they would face the full wrath of a trainer who held the sky in his hands.
Before he could leave, reporters crowded the gym gates. They had camped there since he returned from Mt. Silver. Security guards held them back, but everyone was tired.
Gladion decided to end it quickly. He opened the gates and let them into the main hall. Cameras flashed. Microphones waved.
Questions exploded all at once. Gladion raised a hand. "I will answer. One at a time. Make them quick."
The first question came right away. "How did you evolve your Tyranitar further?"
Gladion kept his voice calm. "I used what is called a Mega Evolution. It is temporary. You need a deep bond with your Pokémon, a specific stone, and a Pokémon in its final form. My father will release a full report soon about it."
More questions about Mega Evolution followed, but Gladion moved on.
A reporter shouted. "Who is responsible for this disaster? Can the Gym Leaders and top Indigo officials not keep the region safe? How did they miss such a large attack?"
Others joined in. "The Elite Four were at the ceremony too. Why was security so weak? The League brass failed us!"
Gladion's eyes turned sharp. "The blame belongs to one group. Team Rocket. They planned this for months. They stole eggs to cause pain and chaos. Gym Leaders and officials work every day to protect you. We stopped cities from burning. We saved lives. Point fingers at the criminals, not the people who fought them."
The reporter tried to hide himself at Gladion's glare.
Another reporter asked. "What will you do next?"
Gladion smiled coldly. "You will see soon."
A kinder reporter spoke up. "Gym Leader Gladion, we are all worried. How are your Pokémon after that terrible battle?"
Gladion's face softened. "Thank you for asking. They are recovering well. Some have burns and wounds, but our healers are the best. They will be strong again soon."
The same reporter continued. "Why did Zapdos come to help you?"
Gladion answered honestly. "She owed me a favour from long ago. I helped her once. She returned the kindness today."
Questions kept coming. "Will Mega Evolution change all battles?" Gladion said research would show the way.
Finally Gladion raised his hand. "That is all for today. I have work to do. Thank you."
He left the hall. The reporters shouted more questions, but security guided them out.
Gladion went to check his remaining Pokémon. He had not taken them to Mt. Silver.
Arsenal, his Magmortar, Hisoka, his gliscor were two of them. Craggy, Tengen's brother was angry and wanted revenge for his brother
Elder Green and Ultron were relatively unharmed so he decided to take them too.
Gladion called them all close. "We have a mission tonight. You may not fight, but I want you with me."
The main strength would come from the Eon duo anyways. He just needed them if the situation called for it.
Gladion looked at his team and felt calm purpose. The hunt has begun.
-----Author Notes------
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