Inside the Celadon City underground base.
"So this means the base is exposed?" Damian asked.
He and the others were gathered around a round table in the meeting room. A projector at the front showed a live feed of Giovanni.
Ariana lowered her head, shame written all over her face. "Boss… I'm sorry. This was on me."
Not long ago, she'd been privately scoffing at Archer for the St. Anne failure. She hadn't expected to eat a problem this big so soon herself. The Celadon base was one of Team Rocket's largest and most important facilities—everyone knew that. And now it was clear the place couldn't be kept.
As the one responsible for running it, Ariana couldn't dodge blame for it being discovered—especially when one of the intruders had slipped away right under her nose.
Giovanni's expression didn't change. "Now isn't the time for speeches. Focus on evacuation. Get out as fast as possible. We'll talk about consequences after you're safely out of Celadon City."
"Yes, sir," Ariana said quietly, then sat back down, looking drained.
Giovanni's eyes shifted to Damian through the video feed. "Damian. What's your plan?"
"First," Damian said, tapping his fingers against the table in a steady rhythm, "we find out exactly who the League is sending."
His face didn't show even a trace of worry.
One of the grunts on the intel side spoke up. "According to what we've got, Lorelei already left Indigo Plateau."
Giovanni nodded once. "At minimum, an Elite Four member is coming."
"Correct," the intel handler confirmed.
Giovanni continued, "So the best move is to retreat immediately. And we can't rule out Bruno being with her."
He had people inside the Kanto League on his payroll. That was how he had the timing.
Gladion frowned, clearly confused. "Boss—if it's just one Elite Four member, do we really need to be this careful? And this is the southern district of Celadon City. The streets are packed. The League won't want a huge public fight here."
That was what didn't add up to him. The southern district catered to travelers and tourists. There were crowds day and night. If a serious battle broke out there, it would turn into a disaster.
When Gladion finished, he noticed Ariana staring at him with a strange look. It made him replay his own words in his head.
Did he miss something obvious?
Giovanni let out a low chuckle. "Gladion. You don't understand Kanto. And you definitely don't understand the Kanto Elite Four."
His tone carried a hint of irony, though it wasn't aimed at Gladion personally.
"The Kanto Elite Four have been called the strongest Elite Four in the world for a long time," Giovanni said. "Why do you think that is?"
Gladion didn't answer. He genuinely didn't know. Kanto was the League's headquarters—being called the strongest didn't sound strange. But Giovanni was implying there was more to it.
Caitlin, sitting beside Damian, looked interested too.
Giovanni answered himself. "Simple. Even Lorelei—the lowest-ranked member of the Kanto Elite Four—is Champion level."
Gladion's pupils tightened.
Caitlin's eyes widened.
Giovanni kept going, matter-of-fact. "And even among Champion-level trainers, she's not weak."
Meaning the Kanto Elite Four… were all Champion level?
Ariana's voice came in, heavy and grim. "And Lorelei isn't just strong. She's obsessed. She hates 'evil' with everything she has. If it helps her wipe out Team Rocket, she'll do whatever it takes. She won't mind paying a price if it means crushing this base."
Ariana hated Lorelei. Lorelei had hunted her for years. But hatred didn't change reality.
Gladion's brow stayed drawn tight. So even if civilians get hurt… she won't care? That didn't sound like someone who was supposed to protect the region.
Damian spoke up, calm. "The southern district is probably already under police watch. People will likely get evacuated soon."
He didn't doubt the Kanto League's speed or follow-through.
He glanced at Ariana. "Ariana. Go yourself. Back up every piece of base data, then wipe the original database. Destroy it. No leftovers."
"Yes!" Ariana stood at once, answered sharply, and hurried out of the room.
Giovanni watched Damian through the screen. "You're planning to clash with the League."
"Yeah," Damian said, like it was obvious. "Rare chance. Might as well enjoy it."
Giovanni's voice turned warning-sharp. "Don't play with fire. If Lance shows up, things get messy."
Compared to Lorelei, Lance was the real problem. Giovanni disliked the man, but he wasn't blind to how overwhelming Lance could be.
Damian grinned. "Call it a test run. I want to feel the Kanto Elite Four up close. We're going to fight them eventually anyway, so I may as well measure the distance now."
There was a clear edge to the grin.
"If Lance really comes," Damian added, "I won't complain."
He'd wanted to test the Kanto Elite Four for a long time—especially now that he had Shadow Mewtwo.
Even if all four of them showed up together, Damian believed one thing: he might be outnumbered, but getting out alive wouldn't be a problem.
A Psychic-type Legendary like Shadow Mewtwo was perfect for travel—and perfect for a clean escape.
Giovanni studied him for a moment. "As long as you know what you're doing."
He didn't press it further. He trusted Damian's judgment.
At the same time, Giovanni's mind drifted to a separate calculation: should he appear in this Celadon incident using his public identity? It was a good chance to "perform" in front of the Kanto League, and that kind of performance could make climbing their ranks later much easier.
The call ended.
Damian turned from the projector toward Caitlin and Gladion.
"For this fight," Damian said, "Caitlin, Gladion—keep yourselves safe, and go all out. Treat it like your own trial. Get a feel for what a real clash is like."
This wasn't like daily training or controlled sparring. A fight between organizations had a different air to it. Different pressure. Different chaos.
And it forced growth—both for a trainer's decision-making and for their Pokémon.
"Yes!" Gladion answered immediately. His eyes lit up. He wanted strength, and he wanted it fast.
Caitlin's lips curved into a faint smile. She lifted a hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the motion smooth and practiced.
"I'm starting to look forward to it," she said.
A trial of pressure and fire—against the Elite Four everyone called the strongest in the world. That was exactly what she wanted.
"A conflict with the Kanto League…" Caitlin murmured, almost to herself. "The old me wouldn't have even dared to imagine it. The Kanto Elite Four…"
Once, her world had been small. Even leaving Sinnoh hadn't truly changed that.
Now she was going to face the Kanto Elite Four from the opposite side.
It felt right.
Caitlin could feel her heart beating faster. This was the life she should be living. This was the kind of trial she should be stepping into.
As long as she could fight with everything she had, even losing would still be worth it.