Chapter 271: Conclusion
Xiu's mind raced. This is consistent with my earlier point: Team Rocket doesn't truly care about Viridian City.
The city had just suffered a major disaster; its defenses and morale would be at their peak, hyper-sensitive to any new threat. Launching another direct assault would be foolish.
Subjectively, everyone would assume this new beast tide was Team Rocket's revenge, and the bulk of the League's forces would undoubtedly be deployed to defend Viridian.
Which means, Xiu realized with a jolt, the attack on Viridian City is a feint— a massive distraction. With the League's attention focused there, Team Rocket's true objective must lie elsewhere.
The thought calmed his earlier, restless agitation— a clear line of reasoning emerging.
If their target isn't Viridian, then where? Team Rocket's goal was always to strengthen themselves, to expand their influence.
This current chaos, the impending leadership change within the League – it was the perfect opportunity to muddy the waters, to weaken the League's control over Kanto.
He couldn't know Giovanni's exact thoughts, but he could infer their strategic purpose based on the available information and his own understanding of their methods.
And he knew of one very important location for Team Rocket from the game canon: their sprawling underground base beneath the Game Corner, in Celadon City…
Geographically, it made perfect sense. Celadon was on the opposite side of Viridian Forest from Viridian City. A classic feint to the east, attack in the west.
If this tug-of-war succeeded, the League would be caught completely off guard, its forces misdirected.
Team Rocket's plan for Celadon City would face challenges, of course. The local defense forces, the subsequent crackdown from the League once they saw through their plan.
But Giovanni was clearly playing a long game. If I were him, Xiu strategized, I wouldn't let the beast tide destroy Celadon. I'd use it to weaken the local defenses, sow chaos, and then 'liberate' the city, presenting Team Rocket as saviors.
With the entire region around Viridian Forest in panic, and Celadon City itself in turmoil, desperate young people, looking for security and purpose, would flock to Team Rocket's banner.
Their reputation as Team Rocket wouldn't matter; survival would. Offer them a Pokémon and a sense of belonging… That's what Mewtwo was doing – gathering Pokémon not for an immediate assault, but to arm these new recruits.
With a large contingent of "local support," Team Rocket could quickly establish a foothold, gradually eroding legitimate authority, and then use Celadon as a springboard to Saffron City, the region's economic heart.
Control Celadon's entertainment monopoly, then seize Silph Co. in Saffron… the two scenarios from the games. It was a plausible, terrifyingly ambitious plan.
Having unraveled the likely strategy, Xiu felt a sense of urgency, but also a strange calm. He opened his computer, found Xiaoyuan's contact, and initiated a video call.
The connection established. Xiaoyuan appeared on screen, casually dressed in pajamas, her hair still damp from a shower.
Xiu ignored the pleasantries. "The Viridian City assets I asked you to liquidate," he began without preamble, "have they been dealt with?"
"Mostly," Xiaoyuan replied, a hint of reluctance in her voice. "Except for the essential storefronts and the warehouse, everything's been sold. Are you really that short on funds, Xiu? We worked hard for those properties…"
"You'll understand in a few days," Xiu cut her off, his tone firm, leaving no room for argument. "Now, listen carefully." He kept his expression calm, composed.
"Okay," Xiaoyuan said, sensing his seriousness. She quickly reported on the company's current financial status. "The last batch of materials processed yielded excellent profits. More than we made in the entire previous month.
However, a significant portion was reinvested into company restructuring and expansion. After liquidating the Viridian assets and consolidating revenue from other sources, our current liquid capital is approximately 300 million PokéDollars."
"And the necklace?" Xiu asked, his voice dropping slightly.
Xiaoyuan's expression turned serious. "One hundred and seventy million," she confirmed. "That was the bulk of it." She still remembered her shock when Xiu had given her the Heart of the Galaxy— her initial assumption it was a gift, then the dawning realization of its true, illicit value.
She'd quickly, and anonymously, sold it through discreet auction houses with no questions asked. Xiu had never explained its origin, and she had never inquired.
Still too little, Xiu thought, though he kept his expression neutral. "Xiaoyuan, I need you to liquidate all remaining company assets in Celadon City. Immediately.
I want it done within two days. If you can't find buyers at a reasonable price, don't haggle. Just dump them. And pull all our personnel out of the city. Every last one."
He continued, his voice precise, "Then, I want you to start stockpiling food. Non-perishables. Focus on the western edge of Viridian City, and also establish caches in Saffron City.
Buy as much as the market will bear. This is an opportunity to make a significant profit." He paused. "As for you, personally, I want you to return to Fuchsia City. Go via Vermillion. I'll arrange the rest from there."
"The food, I can arrange," Xiaoyuan said, her mind racing, trying to process his rapid-fire instructions. "But the company… Xiu, we're at a critical juncture with the expansion. I can't just abandon Saffron City now."
Xiu frowned but understood her position. Her presence in Saffron was indeed crucial for their legitimate business operations.
They quickly discussed alternatives, contingencies, and revised plans. Xiu didn't explicitly state his reasoning, but Xiaoyuan began to vaguely guess the scale of the impending trouble.
After the call ended, Xiu leaned back in his chair, a sense of grim satisfaction settling over him. The preparations were made. If his predictions were correct, if events unfolded as he anticipated, he could leverage this crisis to multiply the company's assets several times over.
Team Rocket, for all their villainy, certainly create… opportunities.
He sat for a long while, contemplating his next move. He had initially intended to send his analysis of Team Rocket's strategy to Professor Oak. But now… he hesitated.
Professor Oak was already walking into a firestorm. Burdening him with this, potentially influencing his actions in a way that might put him at even greater risk…
His mouse hovered over Oak's name in his contacts list, then stopped. He slid it to another name. Director Bao Ba. He clicked.
The call requested a video link. It rang, unanswered, for a long time, only the repetitive busy tone echoing in the quiet room. Xiu waited patiently, his expression unreadable, lost in thought.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a clear chime broke the silence, startling him from his reverie. The screen flickered to life.
"Xiu! What can I do for you at this hour?" Director Bao Ba's familiar, gruff voice filled the room.
Xiu hesitated for a fraction of a second, then spoke. "Director. I assume you're aware of the situation in Viridian Forest?" It had been some time since their last direct contact. Hearing Bao Ba's voice, surprisingly, evoked a faint, unexpected sense of nostalgia.
Bao Ba's image on the screen sharpened, his expression instantly serious. "What do you know, boy?"
Xiu, seeing Bao Ba's reaction, knew the old man was already informed. He didn't waste words. "I have reason to believe Team Rocket's true target isn't Viridian City," he stated bluntly. "It's Celadon."