The three figures stood in the dimly lit control room of Team Rocket's aerial fortress, tension thick in the air. Rocks, the self-appointed leader of this operation, cleared his throat as he addressed the others. "Let's discuss the mission specifics," he declared, his tone leaving no room for disagreement as he positioned himself at the head of the room.
Dark and Shadow exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting mutual understanding and quiet amusement at Rocks' presumptuous behavior. Without a word, they moved in unison to take seats along the wall, deliberately distancing themselves from Rocks' self-important stance. Their relaxed postures and attentive gazes silently challenged Rocks to begin his presentation.
Aoki remained lounging on a plush sofa in the corner, his fingers idly toying with a set of mind-blocking beads. His apparent disinterest in the proceedings only heightened the tension in the room.
Rocks' jaw tightened almost imperceptibly at their dismissive attitudes, but he maintained his composure. He had humiliated Shadow earlier, and now they returned the favor - the scales were balanced. Steeling himself, he continued, "Team Rocket intelligence confirms the three legendary birds - Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos - reside on separate peaks of the same island. Our assessments indicate Moltres possesses the greatest strength, followed by Articuno, with Zapdos being the least powerful. The question is - should we engage them individually or concentrate our forces against each one sequentially?"
The first option promised faster completion but carried greater risk, while the second approach offered safety at the cost of speed. Both strategies had merit, but Rocks clearly favored individual engagements - a choice that would allow him to showcase his prowess and cement his standing within Team Rocket.
Shadow's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "What does the illustrious Lord Rocks propose?" he inquired, his tone dripping with false deference.
Either oblivious or willfully ignoring the sarcasm, Rocks paused thoughtfully before responding, "Efficiency should be our priority. The research team shouldn't be kept waiting." His gaze then shifted to Aoki, who continued fiddling with his beads. "This officer seems unfamiliar. Which operational module are you assigned to for this mission?"
Rocks had been perplexed by Aoki's presence from the outset. In his estimation, himself, Dark and Shadow were more than capable of handling the mission without this mysterious fourth party.
At the question, the beads between Aoki's fingers stilled abruptly. He rose smoothly from the sofa, his sudden movement causing Rocks to tense instinctively, anticipating confrontation. Instead, Aoki simply surveyed the three men with an inscrutable expression before stating, "You attend to your duties. I have my own objectives. I'll retire for now."
With that enigmatic declaration, Aoki turned on his heel, his cloak swirling dramatically as he exited the control room. Though his features remained obscured by psychic energy, those sensitive enough might have detected the smirk playing across his lips.
The room plunged into awkward silence following Aoki's departure. Only Rocks appeared genuinely confused by the exchange, while Dark and Shadow exchanged knowing smiles behind his back. Though Aoki had removed himself from the immediate planning, Shadow would undoubtedly brief him later.
The island sanctuary of the legendary birds lay somewhere across the vast ocean. Given the aerial fortress's cruising speed, they would reach their destination within a day. The primary objective was genetic collection from the three avian legendaries - hence the deployment of the massive flying base. Successful capture would allow immediate genetic sampling aboard the fortress before any potential complications could arise. Moreover, the vessel carried scores of Team Rocket operatives ready to conduct thorough searches of the island if necessary.
Unnoticed by all aboard the fortress, a lone figure trailed the massive aircraft at a discreet distance. Mounted upon a mighty Charizard, this mysterious pursuer seemed to know exactly where the fortress was headed. Their identity and intentions remained unclear as they maintained perfect stealth, completely undetected by Team Rocket's security systems.
Back in his private quarters, Aoki assumed a meditative posture on the bed, centering himself for the challenges ahead. When operations commenced, he would be operating independently, potentially facing unpredictable scenarios. After careful consideration, he retrieved a Pokéball from his belt.
With a flash of light and an eerie chuckle, Gengar materialized before him. "Scout the fortress," Aoki instructed. "Remain undetected." The Ghost-type nodded solemnly before phasing through the floor.
"A shame there's no opportunity to access the fortress's main computer systems," Aoki mused, his eyes glinting with unspoken plans. Given sufficient access time, his specialized system could potentially compromise the entire vessel's controls. While immediate use wasn't feasible, it represented a valuable contingency plan.
Next, Aoki summoned Slowking and Ralts, directing them to establish spatial coordinates in his room as an emergency escape measure. Now only patience remained as they awaited the coming confrontation.
Night had fully descended by the time the fortress approached the legendary birds' island. Team Rocket's marine exploration teams had spent years compiling this intelligence - multiple sightings of the three legendaries across various islands, though never all together. The organization had never before committed significant resources to capturing them, making this simultaneous appearance particularly fortuitous.
Seated in meditation, Aoki's communicator chimed softly. The message displayed brought a smirk to his lips. "Such confidence," he murmured. "Does he truly believe himself capable of facing Moltres alone?"
The message from Shadow detailed their finalized battle assignments: Rocks would confront the mighty Moltres, Dark would engage Articuno, and Shadow would battle Zapdos. On surface level, the distribution seemed equitable based on their respective strengths. Notably, Rocks' plan completely disregarded Aoki's role in the operation.
Aoki recalled Slowking once more. The regal Pokémon appeared with its characteristic dopey grin. "Our trump card is in your hands now," Aoki said cryptically. Slowking nodded sagely before teleporting away, its destination known only to itself and its trainer.
Shortly thereafter, Gengar rematerialized, emerging from the shadows beside Aoki's bed. Through their psychic link, the Ghost-type relayed its findings from scouting the fortress. Since achieving Champion-level power, Gengar had gained perfect control over its telepathic abilities, allowing for seamless silent communication.