The air deep underground carried the dry scent of metallic rust, and the fans inside the ventilation ducts hummed at a low frequency, continuously blowing out cold air.
This was the core area of Rocket Hideout, where the walls were constructed from high-strength titanium alloy plates joined seamlessly, without any superfluous decoration.
Ariel stood below the high platform, his gaze maintained at just the right angle—neither appearing offensive nor revealing subservience.
Ariana stood on the high platform, looking down at him.
He simply remained silent, listening to Ariana's arrangements for this mission.
Ariana's gaze lingered on Ariel's face for a moment, as if confirming whether he truly had no complaints.
She did not dwell on this topic, instead raising her right hand to display a special metal wristband on her wrist.
"Team Rockets' technical department has completed the analysis of the key stone's energy fluctuations."
Ariana's voice echoed in the corridor, carrying a coldness that suggested she controlled everything.
"This power is called a Bond, but from a scientific perspective, it is nothing more than energy resonance at a specific frequency. We don't need that ethereal emotional connection between a Trainer and a Pokémon; we only need to forcibly simulate that resonance frequency through the wristband. This is a product of industrialization, a mass-produced power."
Listening to these words, Ariel felt no moral ripples in his heart.
He was very clear that the so-called Bond was indeed the key to Mega Evolution, but Team Rockets had chosen a more brutal and direct path.
Forcibly opening the door to a Pokémon's evolution through external forces would inevitably come with a cost.
How great would the physical burden on the Pokémon be from that kind of energy riot?
Perhaps Ariana did not care, or perhaps she already had a means to resolve it.
Ariana walked down from the high platform and handed the briefcase in her hand to Ariel.
The case was heavy.
The metal shell felt cold to the touch, and the interior was lined with shock-absorbing foam.
Ariel took the case, his fingertips feeling that heavy weight.
These were not just ten key stones and wristbands; these were ten combat units capable of transcending class.
"Do not disappoint me."
Ariana left these words behind and turned to walk into the depths of the corridor.
The sound of high heels clicking against the metal floor gradually faded away.
Ariel stood where he was, not opening the case immediately.
He could feel that even after Ariana left, her gaze was still maintaining a Lock-On on this place through the surveillance cameras.
She was observing, observing how he would deploy this power.
He tucked the case under his arm and turned to walk toward the assembly area on the other side of the base.
Team Evil's assembly point was in training room 3.
It was dimly lit there, with only a few overhead lights casting long shadows.
Yuki was already waiting there.
She was wearing a capable-looking dark uniform, her long hair tied in a ponytail, and she was looking down at the tablet in her hand.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up, her gaze sweeping over Ariel before quickly landing on the black briefcase.
"The data has all been integrated."
Yuki's voice was steady and devoid of inflection, a calmness characteristic of administrative personnel.
Real-time monitoring of the battlefield area, intelligence analysis of hostile forces, and the action routes for our ten-person team are all here.
Ariel nodded, wasting no words, and placed the briefcase directly onto the metal table in the center.
Click.
The latch popped open.
The lights inside the case automatically turned on.
Ten wristbands were arranged neatly, the key stones glowing with an eerie blue luster in the dim light.
That was not a natural shine, but an eerie glow emitted after artificial cutting and energy infusion.
Nine combatants emerged from the shadows.
They were desperadoes selected by Team Rockets from the bottom ranks, each of their eyes looking like a pool of stagnant water.
After being subjected to the mental imprint applied by Ariel's Malamar, day by day, they had gradually lost their fear of death, leaving only absolute obedience to orders.
Ariel reached out, picked up a wristband, and tossed it casually to the number one closest to him.
"For this mission, no tactical coordination is needed; just steamroll them."
Ariel's gaze swept over everyone present, his eyes devoid of warmth.
"These Pokémon's foundations are all at the peak of Superior level. After Mega Evolution, their data will directly jump to Gym Leader Level. This kind of combat power is overwhelming in city-level conflicts."
He watched as Number One fastened the wristband onto his wrist and took down the corresponding Poké Ball.
"Install."
Ariel ordered.
Without any hesitation, the nine combatants began to move.
They skillfully embedded the key stones into the slots of the wristbands, then took out their respective Poké Balls.
Loaded inside those Poké Balls were individuals carefully selected by Team Rockets that could withstand the energy of Mega Evolution.
As the Poké Balls were activated, the atmosphere in the training room began to change.
A manic energy fluctuation filled the air.
The Pokémon were released, and under the resonance of the mega stone, their bodies began to undergo drastic changes.
Light exploded in the dim training room; it was the radiance of evolution, and also the harbinger of destruction.
Yuki stood to the side, her fingers sliding rapidly across the tablet, with strings of real-time monitoring data jumping on the screen.
"Energy output is stable; there have been no situations of overload collapse."
Yuki looked up at Ariel; the data was even better than expected.
This set of wristbands had extremely high stability.
Ariel watched the scene before him.
Those Pokémon gradually revealing their ferocious forms in the light of evolution were the blades in his hands.
And now, he was going to make the most of these blades!
Ariel first had the members of Team Evil adapt to the mental energy consumed by maintaining Mega Evolution.
His own experience of fainting directly after his first high-intensity battle was not a pleasant one.
However, the scene he anticipated where the team members would show pained expressions due to mental energy overdraw did not occur.
Ariel spread out his perception network, capturing the mental state of every person.
They were very stable, stable to the point of being abnormal.
"How do you feel?"
Ariel's voice transmitted to Number One's ear through the built-in communicator.
"Reporting, sir, better than ever before!"
Number One's voice suppressed excitement,
"I feel like I have endless strength in my body!"
Ariel didn't speak; he remembered that he had felt this way too, and then he collapsed.
He looked at Yuki beside him.
Yuki understood immediately, tapped on the tablet a few times, and a set of data comparison charts popped up.
"The mental energy load is absorbed by the module on the wristband and then transferred."
Yuki pointed at a downward-sloping curve on the screen,
"Over eighty percent of the burden is borne by the Pokémon themselves."
Ariel looked at that curve; this was Team Rockets' technology.
At the cost of the Pokémon's limits, it exchanged for the Trainer's control over Mega Evolution.
Cold, but efficient.
"Very good."
He withdrew his mental energy and stopped concerning himself with the team members' excited emotions.
Since the tools had no issues, it was time to let the tools exert their maximum value.
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