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Boom!
These words exploded in Ariel's mind like a silent thunderclap.
His heart contracted sharply, but his face remained as calm and undisturbed as ever.
Wallace didn't notice anything unusual about the person beside him and continued to share the insider information he had heard from his master:
"Team Rockets has been active in the Hoenn region too frequently lately, causing quite a stir. The high-level officials of the League have reached the end of their patience. I heard from my master that the League plans to use this Ever Grande Conference to gather all the Superior Trainers in the Hoenn region in Ever Grande City."
"And then?"
Ariel guided the conversation calmly.
"Then, once the conference is over and the Superiors are still there, the League will launch a general offensive against all Team Rockets strongholds in Hoenn!"
When Wallace said this, his tone carried a hint of excitement and a longing for justice to be served.
"Wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"
Ariel's pupils contracted to the extreme when he heard the words 'wipe them all out'.
He was a member of Team Rockets.
And he wasn't some low-level grunt; he was an Executive successor.
The League was going to take action against Team Rockets?
In one month?
This meant the League already possessed information on most of Team Rockets' strongholds in Hoenn.
It meant an unprecedented purge was imminent.
And he, standing in the middle of the vortex, had known nothing about it.
If he hadn't challenged the Sootopolis Gym on a whim today, if Wallace hadn't happened to be the disciple of Elite Juan, and if he hadn't won this battle...
He would likely have been caught off guard by the League's lightning operation, just like countless other Team Rockets members.
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Ariel's mind.
No, it couldn't be that simple.
Since the League dared to act, they must have made thorough preparations.
He needed to make some preparations too.
For himself.
"I see,"
Ariel's face showed no emotional fluctuation as he gave a faint nod. "Thanks for the info, Wallace. Well then, I'll see you at the Ever Grande Conference."
"Right! I won't lose again next time!"
Wallace extended his hand, a smile on his face as if he had met a worthy rival.
Ariel shook his hand and turned to leave, his departing figure sharp and decisive.
After parting with Wallace, Ariel did not linger in Sootopolis City.
He walked along the white streets surrounded by waterways, amidst the laughter and chatter of visiting tourists, and the unique tranquility and harmony of Sootopolis City.
But in Ariel's eyes, everything was tinged with a different color.
One month.
The League.
General offensive.
He looked up at the azure sky; the sunlight was somewhat piercing.
A massive storm was about to break over the peaceful Hoenn region.
And he needed to find a safe harbor for himself and everything behind him before the storm arrived.
Or... become the one who whips up another storm.
Ariel's pace did not falter as he walked straight toward the exit of Sootopolis City.
He needed to start preparing.
Ariel did not stop; he walked straight toward the only land exit of Sootopolis City, while a true storm of thoughts raged in his mind.
Should he tell Team Rockets this news?
The moment the thought surfaced, he snuffed it out without hesitation.
Team Rockets' penetration of the League was deep, but conversely, wasn't the League's penetration of Team Rockets just as deep?
An offensive plan of this level must be a top secret within the League. Wallace knew because he was the top disciple of Juan, a former member of the Elite Four, and a core talent being groomed by the League.
Could Team Rockets really have received word in advance?
Ariel was skeptical about this.
Even if Team Rockets' intelligence network was truly divine and they already knew, then what?
In the first scenario, Team Rockets' top brass knew, but they chose to stay quiet to test the League's strength.
In that case, Ariel reporting the intelligence now would be the hand that pokes through the paper window.
Credit? Maybe. But the highest level he could contact was Ariana, and that woman...
Ariel's thoughts couldn't help but return to the Mega Evolution incident.
He still remembered clearly that entitled look on Ariana's face when she stole his credit.
He didn't want the life-saving intelligence he had worked so hard for to result in nothing more than a lukewarm commendation, while Ariana's name was recorded in the merit books.
Moreover, he had no direct contact with the legendary Boss Giovanni.
Hoping to bypass Ariana and report directly to Giovanni? That was a pipe dream.
In the second scenario, after assessing the risks, Team Rockets might decide to cut their losses and withdraw from Hoenn immediately.
To Ariel, this would be nothing short of a devastating blow.
All his connections, all his resources, the 'Team Evil' he had built with his own hands, and the countless effort and money he had invested in this land were all Ingrained in Hoenn.
Once Team Rockets withdrew, he would either have to follow them and start over from scratch in a completely strange place, reduced to an ordinary Executive;
Or disband on the spot and become a stray dog abandoned by both the League and Team Rockets.
Whichever it was, it meant he would lose everything he currently possessed.
He had climbed to his current position with great difficulty; he absolutely could not accept such an outcome.
In the third scenario, Team Rockets might be stubborn and decide to go head-to-head with the League.
A cold sneer curled on Ariel's lips.
Chances of winning? There were none.
This was Hoenn, not Kanto.
The Hoenn League's Elite Four and countless powerful Trainers—would they allow an outside organization to run wild on their turf?
Team Rockets might be local tyrants in Kanto, but in Hoenn, they were like a dragon crossing a river; even a dragon has to coil up.
Unless... unless Mewtwo was still around.
With that great god present, never mind a Hoenn League—even if all the Leagues in the world combined, Team Rockets would dare to clash with them.
But now, Mewtwo was gone.
Without that invincible trump card, what would Team Rockets use to win?
Use the lives of those Elite members to fill the gap? Ariel didn't want to be the one thrown in.
In the fourth scenario... Mewtwo's all-seeing purple eyes flashed in Ariel's mind.
Swallow his pride and go beg Mewtwo to help Team Rockets?
The thought existed for less than a second before he completely rejected it.
What a joke.
The relationship between him and Mewtwo was a deal, an equal partnership—in some sense, he was even the one benefiting more.
Mewtwo was willing to protect him and occasionally help him solve some 'personal' troubles because he didn't treat Mewtwo as a tool.
If he ran to ask Mewtwo to risk its life for Team Rockets now, it would undoubtedly touch Mewtwo's Outrage.
The fragile trust between them would collapse instantly, and their relationship would deteriorate completely.
When that happened, let alone a trump card for future survival, Mewtwo would probably be the first to purge him as a 'treacherous' human.
For the sake of Giovanni's ambition, risk his own life and his strongest trump card?
He wasn't that noble.
At this point, all paths were blocked, leaving only the last one.
Self-preservation!