Moonlight spilled across the sea, casting silver ripples over the dark water. The island lay quiet beneath the night sky.
Meyer and the others had not taken their eyes off Mega Swampert since it landed on Gigantamax Corviknight's back. Meyer's expression stayed calm, but a faint edge of impatience gnawed at him beneath the surface. Waiting was always the hardest part.
Then, in that tense silence, a figure plunged rapidly from Gigantamax Corviknight's back, cutting a graceful arc through the air before splashing into the sea below. The enormous Corviknight paid it no mind, continuing its ascent until it vanished entirely into the dark sky above.
Meyer frowned, watching it disappear. A bad feeling settled in his chest.
"Move closer," he said quietly.
They moved fast toward the spot where the figure had fallen. Before they could reach it, the surface of the sea broke open, and Mega Swampert surged upward, dragging Garchomp's limp body by the tail with one powerful arm. It surfaced right in front of the three of them.
Meyer's eyes flickered. He said nothing, but he understood immediately. Giovanni had gotten away.
He had prepared carefully for this. He had brought all of his strongest cards and had even called in Priest-6 for support. And still, Giovanni had slipped through his fingers.
Letting a dangerous man return to the wild always creates problems down the road. Giovanni now knew the secret of Gigantamax. There was no telling how many Super Gigantamax Pokémon he might have the next time they met.
Today, Meyer had won because he had a peak Champion Level Swampert. But if Giovanni someday fielded a peak Champion Level Gigantamax Pokémon of his own, that outcome would not repeat itself.
Meyer's expression darkened. Since he had already made an enemy of Giovanni, he had no choice now but to work quickly, uncover Giovanni's true identity, and deal with him before it was too late.
His gaze drifted down to the Garchomp lying still on the water's surface.
That was his only gain from tonight. A Champion-level Garchomp's corpse, and its Mega Stone.
"You worked hard tonight, Swampert," Meyer said. The anger inside him ran deep, but his face stayed even, composed. He reached out and gave Swampert a brief, quiet pat, then turned toward Ocean. "Ocean, I'm sorry to put you to all this trouble. I'll settle payment with you the moment we're back."
He glanced at the Garchomp again. "A Champion-level Garchomp. It's a corpse, yes, but if we move quickly while it's still fresh, a clean dissection should yield S-rank materials. S-rank Dragon Scale, S-rank Dragon Fang — both are worth having."
"How about letting me purchase a share, Meyer?"
"No objection." Meyer offered a calm smile, then looked directly at Ocean. "Ocean, I want to open a full cooperative arrangement with God's Coffin. I need you to investigate everything there is to know about Giovanni."
"He appeared out of nowhere. No clear background, no known history. Whoever he is, he's either a Champion in this country operating under a false identity, or he has very close ties to one. I want God's Coffin to look into every Champion in China over the past several decades. Every last one."
"We need to find out who Giovanni really is."
On Gigantamax Corviknight's broad back, Whitney sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her back to the rest of the group. Her helmet hid her face, but the stillness of her posture said enough. She was staring at the full moon.
No one spoke. The air was heavy and still.
There was no question about it. Garchomp had been Whitney's ace, her strongest partner. Losing it was a wound that no one knew how to speak to. Everyone wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come.
Jacob's gaze rested on her. He drew a slow breath, eyes quiet, and felt something tighten in his chest.
He had known Meyer was strong. He had tried hard not to underestimate him, had pushed his estimates of Meyer's strength as high as he reasonably could, and had made what he believed were thorough preparations. Even so, tonight had shown him something he hadn't been fully ready for.
For this operation, Jacob had arranged three Gigantamax Pokémon. Gigantamax Corviknight alone was King level. The other two Gigantamax Pokémon were both fully Champion-level. He had also secured Crystal Metagross and Giant Metagross, two Champion level Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, and brought in Whitney and Edwins — two leaders of major underground organizations.
King Pokémon, Champion-level Pokémon, Gigantamax Pokémon — all of it together, and still not enough to put Meyer down.
Jacob had considered the possibility that Meyer might carry a Peak Champion Level Pokémon. But even with that in mind, he had believed that with so much combined firepower, escape should have been guaranteed even in the worst case. That much, at least, had seemed safe to assume.
He had not imagined that Meyer's ace would be a Peak Champion Level Swampert capable of Mega Evolution, and carrying a Meadow Plate on top of that. From the moment Meyer revealed his hand, there had been no path to victory. None.
With the power Meyer had shown tonight, he would rank near the top even among China's seven Champions. It was a reminder that Champions were not all equal. Some of the newer, more recently promoted Champions might not yet have a Peak Champion Level Pokémon. But the veterans — the ones who had been around for years, who had worked quietly and built their strength over time — those Champions almost certainly had at least one.
In recent years the competition had grown fierce. Trainers across the board had gotten stronger, and the Champions produced in that environment tended to be more powerful than those from decades past. A Champion like Westin, someone who had earned a reputation for being nearly unbeatable, almost certainly had more than one Peak Champion Level Pokémon.
Jacob pushed the thoughts aside. Right now, none of that mattered most. What mattered was the weight sitting in his chest — the guilt that came with knowing Garchomp's death was, in part, his responsibility. He had made the call that put everyone in this situation. A man does not look away from what he has caused.
He took a steady breath and turned his attention fully to Whitney.
"Whitney," he said, his voice calm but carrying clearly in the quiet, "starting today, you are the Vice Captain of Team Rocket."
He let that settle for a moment before continuing.
"I will also arrange for a Champion-level qualified Pokémon as compensation. In addition, you have first priority when choosing from all the gains of this operation." He paused. "And I give you my word — Meyer will answer for what happened tonight. The next Champion-level permanent Gigantamax Pokémon we secure will go to you."
The words drew every eye on the platform.
It had to be said: the price Whitney had paid was enormous. But so was what Jacob was offering in return. A Champion-level qualified Pokémon on its own would have been remarkable. The promise of a permanent Gigantamax Pokémon on top of that was the kind of thing that left even experienced Trainers speechless.
After tonight, with everyone having seen firsthand just how much a permanent Gigantamax Pokémon could change the outcome of a battle, there was not a single person present who didn't feel a stab of envy.
Jacob let his gaze move across the group.
"When we get back, everyone rest. You all put in real work tonight, and the mission rewards will be distributed as soon as possible — every one of you will receive something." His voice stayed level, unhurried. "Use the time well. Rebuild, and keep pushing your strength forward."
The reason he had compensated Whitney so generously was not just sentiment. It was a message. Those who gave everything in service to him, Giovanni, would not be left with nothing. He would not allow his people to bleed and fight and come away feeling like it meant nothing. That kind of trust, once built, was worth more than any single Pokémon.
"Take the time to recover after we return," Jacob continued. "But do not let your training slip. A few months from now at the earliest — a year at the latest — we move again as a group."
He looked out toward the horizon.
"We're going to raid the British Empire's secret realm."
"Meyer will pay for what he's done."