Goldenrod City: League Laboratory
Sasaki Taro and President Goodshow stood before the massive, struggling form of Rayquaza, their eyes wide with awe.
"Rayquaza truly lives up to its name as the God of the Sky," Sasaki praised. "But how did you manage to capture such a formidable being?"
"It has a weakness," Goodshow replied with a cold smirk. "Its partner, High Priestess Shiori. We focused every single attack on her. Rayquaza, in its desperation to save her, was forced to act as a meat shield. Even a Tier-1 God has its limits. Once it was weakened enough by the onslaught, capturing it was simple."
"Goodshow, you truly are as despicable as they say. I like that," Sasaki laughed.
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Sasaki. Now, about the funding..." Goodshow lowered his voice.
"No problem. I'll provide the capital, but I want to see a truly tamed God. Are you sure it won't escape that cage?" Sasaki pointed to the silver-white enclosure.
"It's forged from ultra-pure alloy—indestructible. Plus, it's coursing with millions of volts of electricity. Creating this cage alone cost a billion League coins. The entire operation, including the lost helicopters, put us back nearly five billion."
It was an astronomical sum, one that made Goodshow's heart ache, but he knew the payoff was worth it. Once I control Rayquaza, it doesn't matter if the Four Kings rebel or if Rocket creates their own 'Gods.' I will hold the ultimate power.
As they spoke, Rayquaza suddenly stopped struggling. It seemed to have resigned itself to the pain of the million-volt shocks. However, neither human noticed the subtle, mocking glint in the dragon's eyes.
The Underground Grotto
Feng Che wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked over the sleeping Dragon-type Pokémon. "The treatment is finally stable. Now, I need to alert Giovanni. If the League successfully controls Rayquaza, it's game over for everyone else."
He encrypted the intel regarding Rayquaza's capture and sent it directly to the Team Rocket Intelligence Division. The report moved up the chain of command with lightning speed.
Team Rocket Headquarters: Giovanni's Office
Matori, the secretary, rushed in and handed a classified file to Giovanni, whispering the summary in his ear.
"WHAT!" Giovanni slammed the file onto his desk, his face darkening instantly. "The League pulled a fast one. They went into Johto to snatch a Hoenn God? And they actually succeeded!"
"Apollo, if you hadn't caused such a loud distraction with that kidnapping, our scouts would have seen this coming sooner! If Goodshow masters Rayquaza, marching on the League with the Triple-Birds is just walking into a trap."
"Summon all Executives and Generals immediately," Giovanni roared, his voice filled with unprecedented urgency.
The Grotto: Night
The cavern grew cold as darkness fell. Torracat lay by the flickering campfire, lazily batting at the translucent red scale Feng Che had recovered. As the cat absorbed the earthy heat radiating from the Groudon-touched scale, its fur grew even more radiant.
Shiori slowly opened her eyes. "Where am I? Am I... dead?" She saw herself lying in a field of flowers. "Is this heaven?"
"This is a grotto near the Embedded Tower. I found you and saved you," Feng Che said, sitting by the fire. "My name is Feng Che. You've lost a lot of blood; don't let my hard work go to waste by moving too much."
Shiori looked at the handsome young man. "Thank you for saving me. I am Shiori, High Priestess of the Draconids. I can feel the Lord of the Sky... he is in immense pain. I must save him."
She struggled to stand, beads of sweat forming on her pale forehead.
"Slow down," Feng Che said calmly. "You don't know where he is, and you don't know the strength of the guards. Going now is just suicide. You won't save him; you'll just get caught again. Heal first, then we plan."
"The League is hunting for you. We need to leave this area before they find us."
Shiori looked at her own weakened state and then at Feng Che's steady gaze. She nodded. "I feel a bit better. Let's move."
Goldenrod City: A Safehouse
Feng Che and Shiori reached a modest residence on the outskirts of Goldenrod City under the cover of night. Shiori knocked on the wooden door in a rhythmic pattern—five taps. A young girl in casual clothes opened the door cautiously, her eyes widening as she saw them.
"High Priestess Shiori! You're safe!" the girl, Lola, gasped.
"Lola, this is my savior. The Lord of the Sky was ambushed and taken to Goldenrod. I need you to find his exact location."
"I've already started gathering intel," Lola reported, bringing up a map on her holographic display. "There are three heavily guarded sites in the city. Our scouts can't get close without being spotted."
"He is at the Sky Tower," Shiori said with certainty. "As the Priestess, I can sense his presence. We must save him."
"Mr. Feng Che, this is a matter for the Draconids. I don't want to drag you into this war," Shiori said, though she immediately wobbled from dizziness. Lola rushed to support her.
"You need at least two weeks of rest," Feng Che countered. "Besides, the organization I'm with doesn't want the League controlling a God either. I have my own reasons for being here. We don't act until we have more information."
Lola nodded in agreement. "He's right, Shiori. You can't help Rayquaza if you collapse again."
Sky Tower
Goodshow stood before the electrified cage, a look of fanaticism in his eyes as he watched the millions of volts hammer into Rayquaza. The dragon clenched its teeth, silently enduring the torture, waiting for the right moment.