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Under Jacob's steady gaze, Edwin felt the weight of it pressing down on him.
Deep down, he had no desire to join Team Rocket. Not even a little. But the thought of refusing Jacob outright — of angering him here, in this room, with no way out — made his stomach turn. He couldn't afford to make an enemy of someone like Jacob.
Jacob watched the hesitation playing out on Edwin's face and let a faint smile settle on his lips.
"I know you didn't build Paradise Group from nothing just to hand it over to someone else," Jacob said, his voice calm and unhurried. "So I'm not asking you to give it up for nothing."
"Join now, and you'll be one of Team Rocket's core members."
"Every core member — in the order they joined — will have the opportunity to receive a permanent Gigantamax Pokémon."
He paused, giving that a moment to land.
"You might not be familiar with what that means. Think of it this way: it's a Pokémon capable of Gigantamaxing at will — like the Lapras I have. These Pokémon are extraordinarily rare. Each one is unique. Looking across the entire world, there are no more than twenty of them in existence." Jacob's tone was even, matter-of-fact. "If you turn this down now and decide to join later, that opportunity will likely be gone."
"Take your time and think it over, Edwin. This is your choice to make."
"Every path in life starts with a decision."
The room was quiet. Edwin sat with his hands clasped together, a troubled look on his face. Small beads of sweat had gathered at his temple.
The seconds stretched out. Then, after a long breath, Edwin said quietly, "I'll join."
The moment the words left his mouth, the tension in his shoulders eased. He exhaled slowly, like he'd been holding that breath for far too long.
Faced with both the risk of refusal and the weight of what was being offered, Edwin had made his choice.
It was, for now, only a spoken agreement. Both Dragon Sand Society and Paradise Group would take considerable time to fully fold into Team Rocket's structure. But Jacob had no concern about that. The first step had been taken. The seed was planted, and he was patient enough to let it grow.
Half an hour later, in a quieter room deeper in the building, Davis and Zion stood facing Jacob.
"Zion," Jacob began, looking at him directly, "I'll need you to take Davis along and handle this matter. You brought your Gigantamax Grimmsnarl, didn't you?"
"Yes," Zion said with a nod.
"Good. The Qi Family may have lost much of their former standing, but they're not a group to take lightly." Jacob's voice shifted slightly, growing cooler. "I'm leaving their situation in your hands. The Grimmsnarl is yours to use for as long as this takes. Use whatever methods are necessary." He held Zion's gaze for a moment. "And take Davis under your wing while you're at it."
He turned then to Davis.
"Davis. Stay close to Zion and pay attention. Learn from him."
Jacob let a brief pause settle before continuing. "Your sister is about to start university, isn't she? And she still doesn't have a starter Pokémon." It wasn't really a question. "If you handle this mission well, I'll give her a King-level Qualification starter Pokémon as a reward — in addition to whatever I give you."
Even Davis, who had seen plenty and kept his composure in difficult situations, felt his breath catch slightly at that.
A King-level Qualification Pokémon was the kind of thing that most Trainers could only dream about. To Jacob, it seemed like little more than a passing gesture.
"Thank you... Boss."
There were times when no speech could match what a concrete reward could say. It didn't matter how grand the vision — nothing motivated like something real and within reach.
"That said," Jacob added, his tone steady, "I'll be just as clear about the other side of this. If the mission goes poorly, there won't be any reward. There will be consequences." He met Davis's eyes. "So don't give me a reason to be disappointed. Cade is already making his way at the Imperial Capital Detective Agency. You have your own path to carve out."
"Handle this well, and your reward won't fall short of your sister's."
Jacob gave a slight wave of his hand. "If anything is unclear, ask Zion. Now go. Both of you."
Jacob watched the two of them leave, their footsteps fading down the corridor.
He hoped Davis understood what was really being asked of him.
Down the hall, Davis and Zion walked side by side. The only sound between them was the quiet rhythm of their shoes on the wooden floor. Then Zion's low, rough voice broke the silence.
"Davis."
"Yes — sir." Davis turned to look at him, his expression respectful.
"Do you understand why the Boss paired the two of us for this?" Zion asked, watching him.
"I think so." Davis gave a small nod. Beneath the straightforward face he showed the world, he was someone who noticed things carefully. "Out of everyone in that room, only Edwin and I suggested handling the Qi Family completely — cutting them out at the root. Edwin is an outsider, so the Boss wouldn't send him. Sending us together is his way of making sure it's done properly." He met Zion's eyes. "He just can't be the one to do it himself."
Zion nodded slowly. "Then you know what needs to be done."
"Yes," Davis said quietly. There was a cold clarity in his eyes that didn't match his usual expression. "I won't waste this chance."
"Hey, June. How's the investigation coming along?" Jacob spoke into his phone, keeping his voice relaxed. "I heard Giovanni showed up again at last night's auction?"
"That's right." June's voice came through clearly. "Word is he appeared after the auction ended and took the Rainbow Wing — but I didn't see it happen myself."
"Are you alright?"
"I'm not exactly someone Giovanni would bother with," she said, with a light laugh. "I'm fine."
"Good. I've finished up what I needed to do here and I can head back to Jadestone City today," Jacob said. "When are we going back to the Imperial Capital?"
"Tomorrow, probably. Get some rest when you arrive — there's no rush."
"Right — before I forget, how did the investigation actually go? Did you find anything useful?"
"Significant progress." Her tone was easy, almost casual, in a way that suggested things had gone quite well.
"Oh?" That caught Jacob's attention. "What kind of progress? Tell me."
"Why the rush? You'll see for yourself in a few days." He could hear the smile in her voice.
"Fair enough." Jacob rubbed his chin thoughtfully, letting the call end while quietly turning over what June's idea of "significant progress" might look like.
The following morning.
Jacob boarded his flight back to Magic City.
This trip to Jadestone City had been worthwhile. Beyond the unexpected windfall of capturing an entire Metagross family, he had come away with something far more valuable — confirmed information about the Dragon Spiral Tower, and the Rainbow Wing itself.
He leaned back in his seat, watching the clouds drift past the window at altitude, and let his thoughts wander forward.
It was time to head to the South Sea region and follow through on the arrangement with Champion Meyer. His strength had reached a point where he could move ahead with confidence.
But first — Magic City. He needed to see Raya.