There was only one Magneton and one Jolteon remaining.
They couldn't even handle Pupitar, let alone Blaziken and Aggron, which were still in their Mega Evolved states.
Blaziken unleashed a single burst of flame, instantly defeating Magneton.
Pupitar followed up with a devastating Precipice Blades, finishing off the already weakened Jolteon.
At this point, all of Regis's Pokémon had been rendered unable to battle.
He stood there, dazed, staring blankly at the Mega Evolved Blaziken and Aggron. It wasn't just their appearances that had changed—their strength had skyrocketed beyond recognition.
This kind of power boost wasn't just comparable to a true evolution—it might have even surpassed it.
The battle was over, and the Mega Evolution energy surrounding Blaziken and Aggron dissipated, flowing back into their respective Mega Stones.
Their forms reverted to normal.
Aoki frowned.
Though they hadn't reached the three-minute limit, sustaining two simultaneous Mega Evolutions for even two minutes was already putting a strain on him.
The moment Blaziken and Aggron reverted, a sharp pain shot through Aoki's head.
As for Blaziken and Aggron themselves, they weren't seriously injured—just momentarily disoriented by the sudden drop in power.
Aggron hadn't even been scratched during the battle. The Crobat's attacks had been little more than mosquito bites to it.
"What… was that?" Regis asked, his throat dry, his mind still reeling. He stared at Blaziken and Aggron, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Aoki smirked but didn't answer right away.
Instead, he used his psychic power to snatch the communicator Regis had been trying to hide behind his back.
The device was still recording.
Regis hadn't managed to call for help, but he'd done the next best thing—documenting the battle.
Too bad he'd forgotten Aoki was a psychic.
Holding the communicator, Aoki noted the auto-send function. The moment the recording finished, it would transmit directly to its recipient.
With a flick of his wrist, he created a small spatial rift in the tree beside him and tossed the device inside.
The rift sealed shut instantly, cutting off all connection to the outside world.
Regis's face paled.
This time, he had truly failed.
Aoki's Pokémon hadn't seemed overwhelmingly strong at first. Regis had only engaged because he thought he stood a chance.
The real reason for his loss was the bizarre transformations of Blaziken and Aggron.
"That was Mega Evolution," Aoki said casually, a faint smile on his lips.
Of Team Rocket's three main threats, he'd already dealt with Furukai. Now, Regis—the Jinchuan family's most promising heir—was finished.
Only one high-ranking officer remained.
And Aoki was willing to bet that officer had already forgotten about him.
"Mega Evolution…" Regis muttered, his voice hollow.
His vision blurred, his pupils unfocused.
Before he could react, Aoki was already in front of him. A Psycho Cut slashed across his throat.
Just like that, Regis—the man who had once commanded on Neverland—lay dead on Three Gods Island.
No fanfare. No last words.
Aoki looted everything of value from his body and tossed it into the spatial rift.
The Alternate Dimension ability was perfect for this—no evidence, no traces. Far more efficient than disposing of a corpse.
He collected all the fainted Pokémon, making sure to stabilize the barely alive Crobat.
These Pokémon still had value. Their potential and stats were solid, and they'd fetch a good price on the black market.
With Regis gone, Aoki was now closer to where Rocks and his men were stationed.
Which meant he had to be even more careful.
SCREECH—
Another piercing cry tore through the sky.
Flames erupted across the clouds, dyeing the heavens crimson as a massive, fiery bird descended.
Moltres.
It had arrived.
Aoki didn't move.
According to Shadow's intel, Moltres was Rocks's target.
But judging by the sheer pressure radiating from it, this Moltres wasn't going down easily.
Aoki had no idea how strong Rocks had become.
His mind raced—then he laughed.
I'm overthinking this. A veteran like Rocks won't slip up unless he's already at a disadvantage. He's not a target I should engage head-on right now.
The thought eased some of the tension in his chest.
Besides, Slowking had already laid the groundwork. Aoki wasn't defenseless.
Eliminating Regis—the Jinchuan family's top successor—was already a major victory.
Giovanni couldn't have expected Aoki to take on Rocks directly. The gap in their strength was too vast.
The real mission was capturing the Legendary Birds and extracting their DNA. If Aoki interfered too much and caused Rocks to fail in securing Moltres's genes, it would backfire.
Now that Moltres had appeared, Rocks would be fully occupied. That gave Aoki more freedom to move.
And after two simultaneous Mega Evolutions, he needed time to recover.
He led his Pokémon back into the forest, searching for his next target.
Every enemy he eliminated meant greater rewards.
Meanwhile, Shadow had already begun his battle against Zapdos atop Thunder Mountain.
And Dark, standing on the snowy peaks, watched the horizon.
Moltres had returned, meaning Rocks's fight was about to begin.
There was no telling how strong this Moltres was.
An had ordered his subordinates to abandon the search for Articuno and instead fortify their defenses around the mountain.
Given the appearances of Zapdos and Moltres, Articuno likely wasn't here either.
Better to prepare for an ambush than waste time searching.
The defensive line would hold off wild Pokémon—and, if necessary, Rocks's forces.
I wonder how far Aoki's gotten, An mused.
SCREECH—
Another cry echoed through the skies.
Not long after Moltres's arrival, Articuno appeared.
Its wings scattered blizzards in its wake, freezing the air wherever it passed.
An no longer had time to worry about others.
His own battle was about to begin.
Gripping a Poké Ball, he watched Articuno approach.
Luckily, the three Legendary Birds didn't cooperate. If they joined forces, the first casualty would've been Shadow, who had already started fighting Zapdos.