Behind Enemy Lines

Alfred very much wanted to make the Articuno his own, especially now that the Articuno was weakened, but its stubborn nature posed a significant obstacle. "Fine, in that case, how about this: we form a cooperation? You can relocate yourself and help act as a deterrent for the shoreline that we guard," Alfred proposed. At first, he planned to become familiar with the Pokémon, making it more agreeable, and then, in the future, he might have a chance to subdue it.

"Human, do you take me for a fool? What do I gain from this? You want me to be your guardian, Growlithe?" The Articuno transferred its thoughts over, its expression becoming stern.

"Well, we can help you procure rare resources that will help you break through your current bloodline limit." Alfred's words immediately caught Articuno's interest. Even in the wild, obtaining such resources was super rare, even for natural legendary Pokémon.

"Tell me more about this deal, human. As long as I don't have to become your subordinate, I can think about cooperation in exchange for rare resources," the Articuno quickly added. It was already aware that the human in front of it had access to such resources, as evident from the medicines that the human had just used on his two Pokémon, which helped the legendary Pokémon heal incredibly fast.

*************************

Lake Rage, Northern Johto Border.

The aftermath of the battle between Zapdos and the Dragonite Guardian of the Blackthorn family had reached an unprecedented scale. For miles around, there were only two Pokémon facing each other. Despite going at each other for more than half a day, neither of the Pokémon backed down. Despite the countless injuries they sported on their bodies, the light in their eyes never faltered an inch.

Both Pokémon were on the brink of exhaustion. They could no longer use their powerful attacks, as they were a massive drain on their dwindling energy reserves. So, they had to resort to a more primal clash.

The Zapdos screeched defiantly; heavy thunderbolts rang across the sky, accompanied by a heavy downpour. Its thunder domain was still going strong. The dragonite's dragon domain clashed with equal ferocity. Both Pokémon faced each other in the sky as rainwater lapped against their massive forms. But neither Pokémon cared, as their entire concentration was on their adversary.

"Roar!" The dragonite roared, shaking the skies above as if telling the Zapdos that no matter what, it would not let it encroach on its territory.

Even at the third defense line, fifty miles away, where their vision was obscured by the heavy downpour, despite the rain, the roar echoed loud enough to reach them.

"Damn! It has been more than half a day since they started fighting, but they are still going at it. How strong are these Pokémon?" A Blackthorn trainer couldn't help but wonder in awe. They had never even dreamed that a Pokémon battle of such scale was possible.

Zapdos flapped its powerful wings, but it knew that no matter how much it tried, it would not be able to triumph over the dragonite that defended the territory. There were even humans who backed up the Dragonite. Although a nuisance in its weakened state, even those ants might be able to pose a danger to it. So, after thinking it over, with a deafening screech, Zapdos finally gave a deathly glare to its opponent and retreated back towards its own territory.

With a resounding roar, the Dragonite declared the successful defense of its own territory. Just as Zapdos retreated, the Dragonite also didn't wait. The tide had already broken, and the wild Pokémon had already retreated to the wilderness. So, with one final mighty roar declaring its victory, it flapped its powerful wings and started flying in the direction of the Dragon Den.

********************

League Headquarters, Viridian City

The atmosphere inside the HQ was dreadful. Just a minute ago, the last of the communication from the team sent to attack the Blackthorn family was cut off, leaving thousands of League trainers' fates completely unknown.

In a meeting room, the major figures who had initiated the attack against the Blackthorn family sat with gloomy expressions. Giovanni's face seemed borderline ugly, as his most elite team sent to capture the Moltres seemed to have vanished. Even Blaine had not contacted him back yet.

It was a plan that had taken years of effort to put together, and from what Blaine had informed him before the mission began, there were four seat holders involved.

Another concern was the team sent to Hoenn to stealthily abduct children with pedigrees for their future elite recruits. Though the mission was a success, there hadn't been any additional communication from the two seat holders overseeing the mission in Hoenn. Even one of his best undercover agents, Archer, had not contacted them after informing them of the mission's success. With each passing second, Giovanni's fears amplified.

"Mr. Chairman, it seems that I forgot an important matter that I need to attend to right away, so I will meet you later," Mr. Stone stood up. He knew the plan against the Blackthorn family was an utter failure, and soon enough, their wrath would follow. Being here would make them targets of the Blackthorn family as well, so he intended to slip out when they had the chance.

Mr. Stone had yet to know that Steven had been abducted, as the League had forgotten to resume communication between the two regions.

"You... you are going to let me face the aftermath alone? You damn coward!" The League chairman bellowed, completely disheveled, his eyes red with madness, having already lost his sanity.

"Damn bastards! You were all in on this. Now that things are not in our favor, you want to leave?" The chairman was ready to release his Pokémon to confront the head of the Stone family, but his actions were inconsequential. The Stone family was an Epic rank trainer, whereas the League Chairman was a mere Champion rank trainer. The difference was too vast.

"Mr. Chairman, it seems you have been mistaken. We were not involved in this matter. We only thought you needed the resources to help the league, but we had no idea that you had such nefarious plans. At least, that's the scenario that I am going to stick to," the man chuckled, using his aura pressure to push back the chairman.

Originally, the head of the Stone family had some confidence in the success of the mission when he learned that it was not one but two legendary-class trainers who were taking action simultaneously. Even the current Stone family would be razed to the ground with such force.

However, after the attack started, they lost all communication, even with the legendary trainers. At first, they waited, thinking it was a glitch. But as seconds turned to minutes and minutes to hours and the communications continued to fail, they finally understood that everything they had estimated was wrong. The Blackthorns were still strong enough to take out two legendary trainers simultaneously. So, he needed to run and ensure their involvement was not found out in the matter.

"Well, Mr. Chairman, I'm afraid I will have to attend to some important matters too. I hope you survive what is to come," Mr. Clover snickered as he stood up. It was a good thing they only routed resources. If they had helped the league with manpower, then Silph Co. would have been razed to the ground in the chaos that's to come.

"You bastards! I swear, if I go down, I will make sure to take you all down with me. I will sell you all out to the Blackthorns!" The chairman fumed in anger, but his words only sealed his own fate.

Before he could compose himself, a slender arm covered in aura burst through his chest from behind. Everyone in the room was shocked, except for Giovanni. The person who attacked the chairman was none other than his own secretary, Sierra.

Sierra's demeanor had shifted from that of an intellectual figure to that of a bloodthirsty assassin. "You never knew when to keep your mouth shut, did you? You had to go ahead and threaten the very people that kept you alive," Sierra said as she pulled out her arm. The chairman started choking on his own blood, still wearing a dumbfounded look on his face. He never thought that Sierra would betray him.

"Sierra, get rid of him. We need to vacate this place; we might not be able to stay in the city any longer," Giovanni said as he casually walked out of the office. That's when reality sank in.

Sierra, the League Chairman's own secretary, was a Team Rocket operative. No one bothered about the dead chairman. Everyone scrambled to secure themselves because they knew that whoever the Blackthorn family laid their eyes on after this incident would be as good as dead.

As Giovanni strode out of the office, the minds of the rest of the people within the office raced with the sudden turn of events. Sierra's betrayal was unexpected, yet in retrospect, it made perfect sense. Team Rocket had always thrived on deception and manipulation, and Sierra was a prime example of their cunning.

Outside, chaos erupted at the League headquarters. Word of the chairman's demise spread like wildfire, sending shockwaves through the organization. Some scrambled to distance themselves from the fallen leader, while others sought to capitalize on the power vacuum left in his wake.

Meanwhile, Giovanni knew that time was of the essence. The Blackthorn family's wrath was not something to be taken lightly. They were ruthless and efficient, and now they had a score to settle. As Giovanni rallied his closest subordinates, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Despite his position of power, he knew that even Team Rocket might not be able to withstand the full force of the Blackthorns' vengeance.

***********************

On a secluded island cloaked in primal wilderness, a convoy of more than a dozen trucks rumbled along the dirt road. The rugged terrain posed little challenge to the custom-refitted vehicles designed for such harsh conditions.

I found myself confined in the back of one of these trucks, surrounded by more than three dozen unconscious children. It was evident that Team Rocket had achieved significant success in their mission. However, this success also meant they would attract significant attention.

The Blackthorns had already planned to expose Team Rocket as the main culprit behind the chaos in Hoenn. Every faction affected by the event would seek vengeance against Team Rocket.

As I pondered my next move, the vehicle slowed to a stop, signaling our arrival at our destination. Anticipating this moment, I feigned unconsciousness, mimicking the other children in the truck.

"Quick, we need to transfer all the children before noon. The executives will be present for the initial screening. These kids are all from influential families," a voice instructed, prompting Team Rocket goons to begin the transfer process.

"So what if they're from influential families? Soon enough, they won't even remember their own names, let alone their families," another voice chuckled callously.

"Shut your mouth! Most of these kids will be trained as Team Rocket elites, so watch what you say," another voice reprimanded.

Suddenly, a goon lifted me onto his shoulder and carried me toward the entrance of the hidden base. After being deposited in a large hall, the first child beside me stirred awake after another two hours.

During this time, I meticulously memorized every detail. I observed that the entire hall was under surveillance, and the Team Rocket goons had stripped each child bare, confiscating every belonging, including the Poké Balls many affluent children possessed. These Pokémon would soon join Team Rocket's roster.

Fortunately, I had prepared ahead, hiding my Pokémon and essentials within a special PSP concealed inside my arm. Now, the vast hall teemed with more than a thousand children, most of whom had awakened. As children from affluent families, many began to throw tantrums, clad in attire reminiscent of an asylum uniform.

"Where am I? Do you guys know who I am? I am from..." A kid started screaming at the top of his lungs, but before he could finish his sentence, a Team Rocket goon, his face obscured by a mask, grabbed the kid by the hair and dragged him toward the center of the hall.

"Let me go! Let me go, you bastard! I will have your entire family slaughtered!" The kid, raised in privilege, threw out threats without realizing the dire situation he was in.

Suddenly, the speakers around the hall sprang to life. In the meantime, a few other children were being dragged like the first, despite their protests and threats.

"Welcome, children, to Site Zero. This place will be your home for the foreseeable future, and there is only one thing you need to keep in mind to survive here..." There was a brief pause in the feminine voice that echoed through the speakers. "Absolute obedience."

"For those who think you can defy us, this upcoming demonstration is a reminder, so I hope all of you pay attention." With that, the voice cut off, and now the speakers projected the screams of the children from the center of the hall.

As for the rest of the children, they instinctively moved toward the walls and clustered into groups for safety.

"Hehe, I hope you can survive this, kid. Just because you threatened me earlier, I'm going to take special care of you now." A goon chuckled as he threw the child into the center and picked up a metal pipe from the side. The kid gasped in horror as he realized what was about to happen. Despite being young, these children were from privileged backgrounds and had been taught the harsh norms of this world. Originally, they used these norms to torment others for enjoyment, but now this kid finds himself on the receiving end.

"Please! Please, spare me! I will not raise my voice; I will do anything you tell me to. I apologize for everything that I have done!" The child wailed, tears and snot staining his face, as he watched the adult swing the metal pipe, adjusting his grip on it.

Suddenly, the goon swung the metal pipe, and with a sickening crunch, the metal broke the kid's limb. The child, who was wailing, had yet to register the pain coursing through his broken limb. Just then, his body buckled as his remaining leg could not hold the weight.

"Aaaaargh!" A deafening scream broke through the hall, and the speakers projecting it made it much more ominous. Soon, more screams followed. On one side, a little girl's face was being carved with a hot knife. I realized that it was the work of a sick lady. I made sure to register her aura so that I could take care of her personally later. I also started memorizing the aura signatures of all these people who were hidden behind masks.

The kid, who had just lost his leg, screamed and begged in pain while trying to crawl away from the goon. But the man did not let him go. He followed with a sickening laugh, and after savoring the agony of the child for a few more seconds, he bashed the metal pipe right onto the kid's back. The impact shattered the child's spine, and he blacked out.

However, I could clearly detect with my psychic probe that the child was dead. The rocket bastard had infused his attack with aura, so the child had no chance of survival. In such a place, a crippling injury is as good as a death sentence because no one would bother to take care of a crippled child, and they would simply kill such children to avoid burden.

As the horrifying display of brutality continued in Site Zero, more and more children fell victim to the sadistic whims of the Team Rocket operatives. Each act of violence served as a chilling reminder of the consequences of disobedience.

In one corner of the hall, a young boy was stripped naked completely and forced to kneel on the cold, hard floor as he was mercilessly beaten with metal rods for daring to raise his voice in protest earlier. His cries for mercy echoed off the walls, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as the goons continued their assault, their laughter mingling with the agonized screams of the children.

Nearby, a terrified girl was held down by two operatives while a third approached with a branding iron, its tip glowing red-hot. With a look of sadistic glee, the operative pressed the searing metal against the girl's flesh, leaving behind a sizzling mark that would forever serve as a reminder of her defiance.

In another corner, a small boy was dragged, kicking and screaming, to a dark corner of the hall, where he was subjected to unspeakable horrors that left him broken and trembling. The sight of his torment served as a chilling warning to the other children, a stark reminder of the consequences of disobedience in this cruel and unforgiving place.

Throughout the hall, the air was thick with fear and despair as the children huddled together, their spirits crushed under the weight of their tormentors' cruelty. And as each new act of violence unfolded before their eyes, they knew that their only hope for survival lay in absolute obedience to their captors' every command.

As I watched the innocent children endure unimaginable horrors, a seething rage bubbled up within me. These were just kids; their lives had barely begun, yet here they were, suffering at the hands of Team Rocket's cruelty. It took all my self-control to hold back the urge to lash out and unleash my Pokémon on these despicable goons.

But I knew I had a mission to fulfill. I was here to rescue the abducted Blackthorn children and exact my revenge, and I couldn't afford to jeopardize that by drawing attention to myself. So, I suppressed my anger and focused on biding my time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

As I observed the chaos unfolding around me, I formulated a plan for the future. I would wait for an opportunity to take out the Team Rocket operatives one at a time without raising any suspicion. It would have to be subtle, almost imperceptible, but I was confident I could pull it off.