As one of the largest criminal organizations spanning both Kanto and Johto, Team Rocket had a significant presence, yet it suffered from an obvious issue—its internal power hierarchy was highly uneven.
Aside from their leader, Giovanni, who possessed Elite Four-level strength at its peak, the organization shockingly lacked a second trainer of similar caliber. Even Archer, the most powerful among the so-called "Four Executives" of Team Rocket, was only at the pseudo-Elite level. Though he was stronger than most high-ranking officers, the gap was far from overwhelming.
As a result, internal power struggles were constant among Team Rocket's upper ranks. Whoever was the first to break through to Elite Four-level would earn the undisputed position of Giovanni's second-in-command.
Among the key contenders were Archer and Ariana from the Four Executives, Pierce, the head of the Special Operations Unit, and Vicious, a high-ranking independent operative.
"Heh, their sacrifices weren't in vain—they've secured for Team Rocket the world's only Crystal Onix." Lucius smirked before glancing at Vicious. "But what about you, Vicious? I heard you recently took a little 'vacation' in the custody of the Officer Jennys. How was the scenery?"
At the mention of Archer's words, Vicious' previously boisterous laughter suddenly stopped, and his expression darkened.
Previously, he had used Team Rocket's most advanced technological marvel—the Dark Ball—to attempt the capture of an injured Celebi. Yet, he was shockingly defeated by a group of mere children and ended up imprisoned.
Luckily, Team Rocket acted swiftly, mobilizing its resources to extract him before the Pokémon League's Ultra Beast Countermeasures Division could transfer him. However, this failure had cost him dearly, tarnishing his reputation and nearly making him a laughingstock within the organization.
But Vicious was no fool. He quickly regained his composure and sneered, "The operation may not have gone as planned, but it wasn't without results. Archer, would you care to see for yourself?"
"Not interested." Lucius rejected him offhandedly. Why would I care about a minor character who barely had any screen time in the original material?
"Hahaha, no need to be so reserved." Vicious laughed before tossing out an unusually heavy and textured Poké Ball.
A flash of dark energy erupted from the ball, and a small Pokémon hovered silently before them.
It was a Celebi.
A Celebi with a dull, dark-green hue and lifeless eyes.
"Celebi…"
"It's really a Celebi!"
"As expected of Vicious, he actually caught one!"
The appearance of a Legendary Pokémon within the Team Rocket base immediately sent waves of astonishment throughout the ranks. Even within the Pokémon League, the number of trainers who could control a Legendary Pokémon was scarce.
"Didn't Vicious fail?" Nearby, Ariana and Pierce observed from the shadows.
They had arrived at the base earlier than Archer and Vicious and had witnessed their verbal exchange from a distance, choosing to stay hidden and enjoy the spectacle.
Regardless of who suffered a setback, Archer or Vicious, it would only serve their own interests.
"This Celebi isn't normal, but it doesn't seem to be the result of the Dark Ball's effects," Pierce analyzed carefully.
The Celebi Vicious had released exhibited no vitality—it was expressionless, more like a soulless puppet on invisible strings, lacking the enigmatic aura typically associated with Legendary Pokémon.
"Interesting," Lucius murmured as he stepped closer, quickly realizing something was off.
"Hahaha! There's still an hour before the meeting. How about a one-on-one battle, Archer? Let's see if our 'strongest executive' can handle a Legendary Pokémon." Vicious grinned, his eyes filled with challenge.
"Heh, then let me test this so-called Legendary Pokémon's strength." Lucius smirked.
He knew exactly what Vicious was trying to do. The man had always been ambitious—back when he had momentarily controlled Celebi, he had even entertained the thought of betraying Team Rocket.
By releasing Celebi in front of everyone and challenging him to a battle, Vicious was clearly attempting to defeat him, the supposed strongest of the Four Executives, in front of the entire organization. If he succeeded, he would crush the prestige of the Executives and establish himself as the true number one within Team Rocket.
Seeing Archer suddenly change his mind and accept the challenge, Vicious was momentarily stunned. He had anticipated that Archer might back down in fear of facing a Legendary Pokémon, which would have allowed him to humiliate him in front of the entire base.
But since Archer had accepted, all the better. Nothing would be more convincing than utterly crushing him in a battle. In fact, if he could outright kill one of Archer's Pokémon during the fight, his threat would be significantly reduced.
Like hell I wouldn't accept, Lucius thought to himself. This Celebi looks weird—probably weaker than my Gardevoir enhanced by the Crystal augmentation—but it's still a Legendary Pokémon. And if I don't beat it down first, how am I supposed to infect it with the virus?
"Archer actually accepted the challenge?"
"Yeah, I didn't expect that."
"Wait, do you guys think Archer will lose? Isn't he Team Rocket's strongest officer?" a newly recruited grunt asked in confusion.
"Kid, what kind of training did you get at the rookie camp? Don't you know that even the weakest Legendary Pokémon is at least King-class?" An older grunt shook his head. "This means Vicious is already at the Elite Four level, while Archer is still just a pseudo-Elite."
"But if Archer agreed to fight, doesn't that mean he's confident he can win?" The new recruit wasn't convinced. The training materials at the rookie camp had featured Archer the most prominently, and every newcomer was subtly conditioned to idolize him.
"Ugh, in a situation like this, even if you aren't confident, you still have to go through with it…"
All around the base, Team Rocket members murmured among themselves. With Celebi on his side, Vicious could now be considered Team Rocket's first true Elite Four-level trainer.
"Heh, both of you are esteemed commanders of the organization. Since you're going to battle, allow me to act as the referee." A raspy, aged voice rang out.
An elderly man with steel-gray hair and an upright posture stepped forward.
"Hahaha! With Mr. Vulture overseeing the match, nothing could be more ideal," Vicious laughed at the sight of the old man.
This old man, known simply as "Vulture," had long since abandoned his real name. Now in his sixties, he was said to have been a trusted enforcer of the previous Team Rocket boss. Though he had retired from the front lines, he still served as Team Rocket's head instructor.
Over the years, Team Rocket's high-ranking officers, including Archer, Proton, and Sham, had all trained under his guidance. Despite his advanced age, he remained remarkably vigorous, his physique belying his years.
For years, rumors had circulated that Vulture was an Elite Four-level trainer, but since he had never fought at full strength, no one could confirm the truth.
"Alright, then we'll leave the officiating to Instructor Vulture." Lucius nodded.
Since Vicious had not joined Team Rocket through conventional means and had never trained under him, he addressed the elder as "Mister," whereas those who had received his formal training, such as Archer, referred to him as "Instructor."
"A Legendary Pokémon's power is difficult to contain. This area won't be suitable for battle. I'll take you both to the lowest level of the base—our newly constructed battle arena." Vulture led the way downstairs.
Lucius noticed Vicious' gaze darkening slightly.
It seemed he wasn't entirely confident either.
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