Inside the Mahogany Town Pokémon Center, a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Rosa was seen.
At the same time, this incident caught the attention of Hoenn's news media—after all, Groudon had appeared in Kanto, making it a headline-worthy event.
As for Klein? He had been reduced to a mere background character.
Since he was already known for despising evil and relentlessly fighting Team Rocket, his involvement wasn't anything out of the ordinary, not even worth a full report.
Meanwhile, the Tree of Beginning had shifted its entrance again while Klein was busy dismantling Team Rocket's operations.
Although it was now impossible to locate, Klein's DNA Splicers still allowed him to sense Mew's presence, ensuring that their connection remained intact.
Just before Mew had left, it had fired a rainbow-like beam into Klein's DNA Splicers.
Clearly, Mew had used the Tree of Beginning's power to enhance the DNA Splicers, forging a special bond with Klein—similar to the connection he had with Kyurem.
---
Inside Team Rocket's headquarters, an ominous silence filled the air.
Giovanni was furious.
With a sudden swipe of his hand, he sent a stack of documents flying across the room, shattering the tense stillness.
No one dared to speak.
Many of his subordinates sat with ashen faces, avoiding eye contact, knowing that saying the wrong thing would only fuel their boss's anger.
The meeting had just ended when Giovanni turned on the television—
Only to see Blade, one of his top officers, arrested on live news.
The glass in his hand nearly shattered.
"This useless fool!"
Giovanni had mobilized nearly all of Team Rocket's northern forces to capture Mew—yet somehow, they had ended up running into both Klein and Groudon.
The result?
Total annihilation.
Years of Team Rocket's northern operations had been wiped out overnight.
Giovanni was beyond furious.
Blade was an absolute imbecile.
Who told him to pull such a reckless stunt?
After the meeting, a young executive hesitated before speaking.
"…Honestly, Boss, shouldn't you be more concerned about Silph Co.?"
Giovanni narrowed his eyes.
The entire grand strategy that Team Rocket had been building for years had been completely ruined overnight—
And now, even their long-standing plans with the Kamiyama family had crumbled thanks to Blade's idiocy.
It was an absolute disaster.
But even worse—
Something about this felt off.
"…If it weren't for certain people working behind the scenes, do you think Blade would have gotten so overconfident?"
Giovanni's tone was cold.
Some of Silph Co.'s higher-ups had always been at odds with him.
Now, Blade's reckless arrogance was making a lot more sense.
Giovanni rubbed his temples before picking up a thick folder, frowning deeply.
"We need to rebuild the Northern Branch immediately.
This mission is yours, Flyn."
The young man's eyes widened in shock.
"…What?"
Flyn had never expected such a massive promotion.
The position of Northern Branch Leader was on par with Team Rocket's Three Generals, even rivaling the Johto Division Head, Biceus.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
---
At the Rota Gym, just as Koko and Shirley were finalizing their handover procedures, an unexpected visitor arrived.
"You want to challenge the gym?"
Koko frowned, about to refuse, when another figure appeared behind her.
Queen Ilene.
Seeing the young challenger, the Queen's expression softened slightly.
"Ah, we meet again, the charming Gary Oak…"
Gary smiled politely, his usual confident demeanor on full display.
"It's always an honor to see you, Queen Ilene."
Ilene's cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly cleared her throat.
Gary had a way with words.
Earlier that day, during the Festival Battle Tournament, he had briefly met the Queen—
And within an hour, she had already become his biggest fan, even recommending that he challenge Rota Gym before it closed down.
Koko and Shirley exchanged incredulous looks.
Ilene coughed lightly.
"Consider this the Rota Gym's final battle before its closure.
I set the transition date for tomorrow—so for today, this gym, its battlefield, and its badges…
Still belong to Shirley and the old Rota Gym."
With Ilene's official endorsement, Koko and Shirley had no choice but to accept.
Thus, the old Rota Gym was about to hold one final battle—
With Gary Oak as its last challenger.