Black Dragon City.
The mountains here were dangerous things — jagged ridges stabbing upward through the dark, cliff faces cracked and uneven as old scars. Deep within one such cliff, tucked into a narrow cave barely wide enough for three people to sit comfortably, a small fire burned. Dry wood caught well, and the flames crackled steadily, throwing orange light across the stone walls.
Jacob, Edwin, and Whitney sat around the bonfire in silence. Jacob held the case in his lap, studying the object inside through the transparent lid. The Rainbow Wing lay cushioned within, its surface catching the firelight and scattering it in soft, shifting colors — reds and golds that seemed almost alive.
He had read the description more than once. He read it again now.
[Rainbow Wing]Formed from Ho-Oh's most prized crown feather, this wing contains Ho-Oh's most fundamental energy. Ho-Oh is said to condense only three Rainbow Wings every hundred years. Its effects are extraordinary.
When used on a Fire-type Pokémon: greatly enhances its aptitude and strength, and guarantees it will learn Sacred Fire. (No aptitude enhancement if the Pokémon's aptitude is already at Master-level or above.)When used on a human or Pokémon that has been dead for no more than thirty minutes: instantly revives them and heals all injuries. Fire-type Pokémon will also learn Sacred Fire upon revival.When used on a Pokémon that has been dead for more than thirty minutes but no longer than one day, whose strength reached Champion-level or above during its lifetime: transforms it into one of the Legendary Beasts based on its type.Fire-type → EnteiWater-type → SuicuneElectric-type → Raikou
Legend holds that the Legendary Beasts were once three unknown Pokémon who perished in the fire at the Burned Tower. Ho-Oh revived them, and they became its messengers — observers of the human world.
Jacob closed the case slowly.
No matter how many times he thought it through, the Rainbow Wing defied easy classification. If the standard ranking went up to S, then this item was something beyond that entirely — SSS at the very least. The ability to create a Legendary Beast was staggering on its own, but that wasn't even what he valued most.
It was the revival effect.
The power to bring back the dead — truly bring them back, within a narrow window — was the kind of ability that broke rules most people didn't even think to question. That alone made the Rainbow Wing one of the rarest things in the world. Everything else was a bonus.
Two lives in reserve. The advantage is mine.
He set the case aside and turned to face the four unconscious figures slumped nearby, then looked at Edwin and Whitney.
"I'll keep the Rainbow Wing," he said simply. "The four of them are yours. Ransom, information, whatever you want — that's your business."
He paused, then continued, his tone shifting — still calm, but more deliberate.
"There's something else I wanted to bring up, since we're here. Today's cooperation went well. I'd like to propose we continue it."
Edwin's eyes sharpened. A trace of wariness crept into his expression. "Continue how?"
Whitney said nothing, but her attention was fully on Jacob. Even behind the visor, he could sense it.
"I'll be straightforward," Jacob said. He looked between them steadily. "You're both strong. By underground standards, you're among the most capable people operating today. Edwin, you lead the Heaven Poaching Group in the Northeast. Whitney, the Dragon Sand Society covers Southeast Asia. Both of your organizations are real forces — not the sort of thing most people would want to tangle with."
He let that sit for a moment before continuing.
"But there's a ceiling above you. And I think you both know it."
The firelight shifted. No one spoke.
"Take Champion-level Trainers from major regions — even setting aside someone like Westin, who's in a category of his own. A standard Champion from a major country would be more than either of you could handle. That's not an insult, it's just the arithmetic."
"Then there's the God's Coffin Organization. Every confirmed member is an elite of the highest order. Your strength might edge out some of their reserve members, but against a full member — even the weakest among them — you'd be at a disadvantage. That's assuming you'd even get confirmation of which rank you were dealing with before it was too late."
"And Huxley, who leads the Dawn Society. His strength is in a different tier altogether."
Jacob leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees.
"So here's the reality. The Heaven Poaching Group and the Longsha Society are doing well — growing, active, well-organized. But growth has limits. You've both hit one. You're in a difficult position: strong enough to be noticed, not strong enough to be untouchable. And after what happened today, the Pokémon Association will be paying closer attention to both of you."
He let the silence stretch for a moment.
"The Association tolerates underground organizations. It has for a long time. But there has only ever been one Dawn Society operating near the major regions, and that's not an accident. Every organization that grew to a comparable level in the past few decades was dismantled. Every one of them. The only reason the Dawn Society still exists is that an outside force intervened when the Association moved against them — and after that, the Association changed its policy. Any future operation against a large underground organization would involve at least two Champions. No exceptions."
Whitney and Edwin were quiet. The fire crackled.
Jacob wasn't exaggerating, and they knew it. The history he was describing was accurate. Several organizations had risen to the Dawn Society's tier over the decades. None of them were still around.
"So you have two real options," Jacob said. "Either you find a way to break through your current ceiling — reach a level of strength that even the Association has to respect, the way it respects Huxley — and your organizations become something genuinely new. Or you stay where you are, wait for the Association to decide you've become inconvenient, and end up like the others."
He sat back.
"Those are the paths."
Neither Edwin nor Whitney answered immediately. Jacob's words had landed with more weight than either of them wanted to admit. Not because he was wrong — but precisely because he wasn't.
"What kind of cooperation are you actually proposing?" Edwin asked at last, his voice careful.
"A straightforward one." Jacob's expression was easy, unhurried. "I can help you go further. Not to the level of fighting a Champion directly — but enough to change your situation meaningfully. Enough that you'd have real options instead of just hoping nothing goes wrong."
He paused.
"In exchange, I need your organizations to merge into the structure I'm building. Team Rocket."
Team Rocket.
Edwin's jaw tightened. The name alone wasn't the problem. The problem was what the ask meant: everything his father had spent years constructing, handed over because of a conversation in a cave. If anyone else had made this proposal, Edwin would have already been calculating what it would cost to make them disappear.
He wanted to say no. The refusal was right there at the front of his mind.
But he hesitated.
When you're under someone else's roof, you don't slam the door on your way out.
"This is—" Edwin started carefully. "I'd need time to think about this properly. Allow me to return to my region first and—"
"There's no need to rush to a decision," Jacob said, cutting him off without any edge to his voice. "I'm not asking for an answer tonight. As it happens, Team Rocket has an operation tomorrow. Come along as temporary members. See for yourselves. After that, you can decide."
Edwin frowned. "What kind of operation?"
Jacob met his gaze evenly.
"You'll see tomorrow."