Chapter 269: This Is a League Meeting, Right?
> [Giovanni]: Heh.
[Gardevoir Is the Best]: Heh.
Seeing the same response from each other, Giovanni could practically feel Asahi's frustration, while Asahi could sense Giovanni's forced bravado.
Neither of them sent another message, ending their brief exchange.
After hanging up…
"Athena, leak all the intel we have on Team Magma and Team Aqua to them. Let's make sure Asahi has fun in Hoenn." Giovanni smirked.
Meanwhile, Asahi turned to Green. "Call Silver. Tell him to cooperate with Lance and launch a new crackdown on Team Rocket in Kanto. Let's make sure Giovanni enjoys himself too."
On both ends of the conversation, Giovanni and Asahi simultaneously let out cold smiles.
Athena and Green both opened their mouths as if they wanted to say something… but in the end, they just silently went to carry out their orders.
Giovanni's move was an unexpected hiccup, but Asahi wasn't concerned.
The main priority was still dealing with Team Magma and Team Aqua.
As for how to deal with them… he'd wait to see what Steven planned in tomorrow's meeting before deciding.
Just as he turned to ask Green for tea, Gardevoir suddenly walked over with a cup in hand.
Asahi's eyes lit up. "Thanks!"
Taking a sip—perfect temperature, not too hot or cold, with a faint, refreshing fragrance.
As expected of Gardevoir. She even anticipated when he'd be thirsty.
Asahi felt deeply touched.
Gardevoir: "?"
---
The Next Day – League Strategy Meeting
After breakfast and making sure Slowbro completed its morning training, Asahi headed to his office.
Due to the urgency of the situation, the meeting had been scheduled for the morning.
By the time Asahi logged in, most of the participants were already present.
Among the divided video screens, he recognized familiar faces—Roxanne, who helped him against Team Aqua; Wattson, who had received the captured prisoners; and Tate and Liza, whom he had met in Mossdeep City.
Two other figures stood out:
Norman, the Petalburg Gym Leader.
And Wallace, the Sootopolis Gym Leader—who would one day succeed Steven as the Hoenn Champion.
Sitting down, Asahi adjusted his posture, pushed Eevee aside (Eevee: ?), and turned on his camera.
The moment his video feed appeared, all eyes were drawn to him.
A confident-looking young man with a commanding presence filled their screens.
But that wasn't what caught their attention.
What really stood out was the massive red "R" logo on the wall behind him.
Wait… Wasn't that the emblem of Team Rocket?
This is a League meeting, right?
How did some random Rocket executive get in here?!
Asahi immediately noticed their reactions and glanced at his background.
"…Oops. Forgot to change the screen."
He quickly grabbed a remote and switched the display behind him to a map of Hoenn.
What could he do? When he took over the base, everything had been in a rush—he hadn't had time to change the default screensaver.
"…"
Was that really just an accident?
Doubt filled the participants' eyes.
At that moment, Steven's screen appeared.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting."
After greeting the group, he noticed the strange looks on everyone's faces and frowned.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
---
After Wallace explained the situation, Steven didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
To prevent any misunderstandings, he quickly clarified that Asahi had successfully taken over a Team Rocket base as part of his operations.
Wattson also stepped in to confirm the story.
Once everyone understood that Asahi wasn't actually part of Team Rocket—and was, in fact, the Trainer who had caught Rayquaza—all eyes turned to him in shock.
Especially Norman.
Having spent years tracking Rayquaza, he knew exactly how difficult it was to capture and control.
Asahi gave the group a casual smile. "I appreciate the attention, but shouldn't we focus on the meeting? Where are the Elite Four?"
Not a single one had shown up. He had assumed he was late, but since even Steven was here, it was odd that the Elite Four were absent.
Steven's expression turned serious.
"Mt. Chimney, Mt. Pyre, and the Weather Institute were all attacked by Team Magma and Team Aqua at the same time. The Elite Four are currently handling the situation and couldn't attend."
Gasps filled the meeting room.
Team Magma and Team Aqua had always been aggressive, but they usually kept a low profile to avoid the League's crackdown.
But now…
"Are they insane?!" Brawly exclaimed.
Wattson scoffed. "They've always been insane."
Wallace frowned. "If they're acting this boldly, it means one of two things: either they're making a desperate last stand, or they're on the verge of completing their preparations…"
Everyone nodded at Wallace's assessment.
Steven turned to Asahi. "What do you think?"
Asahi, who had been holding Eevee back from climbing onto the camera, folded his hands and spoke gravely.
"Rocket. I suspect Team Rocket is behind this."
"To stop Team Magma and Team Aqua, we have to account for Team Rocket."
At that moment, Asahi's screen idled due to inactivity…
And the red "R" logo popped back up.
....
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