Three Days Later.
Last Day on Neverland.
Aoki stood on the edge of Neverland, successfully greeting the ship sent by Team Rocket.
They had lived on the island for fifteen days, and they had seen nearly everything they needed to. As for the harvested resources, Team Rocket generously gave them all to the winners.
However, an awkward situation arose—the Team Rocket ship that arrived to pick up survivors only took Aoki aboard.
That's right. Only Aoki.
This left the mission's supervisor deeply embarrassed.
They had assumed that, despite the dangers, at least a third of the participants would return. Now, with only Aoki left, what had happened?
The departure time and location had been clearly communicated to everyone before they set foot on the island.
In truth, as far as Aoki knew, there were still four survivors. Regis and Drake had chosen not to reveal themselves, fearing retaliation, while Qingfeng had no intention of appearing now.
At worst, they could wait until Team Rocket's higher-ranking members arrived on the island and leave with them, avoiding Aoki entirely.
Meeting him would not only be awkward—who knew what Aoki might do?
Qingfeng had no idea that neither Regis, with his formidable strength and connections, nor Aoki, who also held hidden advantages but had been abandoned by her, wanted to face her.
The person sent to retrieve them wasn't a high-ranking officer and didn't dare to press Aoki for answers. After confirming that Aoki was the only survivor, they guided the small boat toward Team Rocket's main ship outside the barrier.
Aoki remained calm, as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
Once aboard the main vessel, Team Rocket's stationed executives questioned Aoki privately.
He explained everything he knew about the island in detail—except for the secrets in the Mew Ruins.
When asked about the others, Aoki simply replied that he had no idea.
Though the executives were skeptical—after all, Aoki was the only one left alive—they couldn't prove he had eliminated the remaining survivors.
They immediately contacted Sakaki.
Once again, Aoki saw Sakaki's figure on the screen as he repeated his account of the island's events.
Sakaki didn't press further or challenge Aoki's story.
Instead, he ordered the second wave of operatives to swiftly enter the island. If any surviving Team Rocket members were found, they were to be retrieved immediately.
Aoki's testimony was recorded and distributed to every member of the second expedition.
This new group wasn't just composed of handpicked elites—it included Team Rocket captains, squad leaders, and numerous rank-and-file members.
This was Team Rocket's true method of stripping Neverland bare—only a thorough, systematic plundering would maximize their gains.
As for the remaining survivors, since some of the first wave had been promising young members with potential, rescuing a few more would be ideal.
But even if all were lost, Sakaki wouldn't mourn them. Team Rocket's training methods ensured a steady influx of new talent.
To Aoki's surprise, Sakaki didn't ask about Regis or the others.
This led Aoki to abandon his worst-case assumption—that Regis was someone close to Sakaki.
He would need to investigate Regis' identity upon returning, though his current mental state left him somewhat disoriented.
Before ending the call, Sakaki commended Aoki's recent accomplishments in the Hoenn region and expressed hope that he would grow quickly, eventually becoming a Team Rocket executive.
Of course, the prerequisite was reaching the required strength threshold.
After the call ended, Aoki exhaled in relief. Sakaki's charisma was undeniable, and his decisiveness commanded respect. This was the mark of a true leader.
Team Rocket's rapid expansion over the years was no accident.
The executive aboard the ship, noting Sakaki's praise, recalled the rumors circulating among Team Rocket's upper echelons—that Aoki was a rising star favored by the boss.
Though he maintained his authoritative demeanor, his attitude toward Aoki softened slightly.
Once Aoki's debriefing was fully documented, he was promptly escorted off the ship.
The entire process consumed an entire day, but Aoki had no choice but to comply.
At last, the Neverland ordeal was over. Whatever happened next was Team Rocket's concern, not his.
With their resources, obtaining Mew Genes wouldn't be particularly difficult.
The real challenge would be dealing with Groudon and Kyogre's assaults—a far greater obstacle.
"In a few years, Mewtwo will likely emerge. But will I be strong enough by then to play a role in that conflict?" Aoki lay in the cabin of the departing vessel, hands behind his head, deep in thought.
Given Regis' and Drake's abilities, it was unlikely they had perished on Neverland. Still, it would take time for them to pose a threat—enough time for Aoki to widen the gap.
As for Qingfeng, Aoki bore no grudge. Unless she provoked him, he had no intention of pursuing her. She was one of Athena's subordinates—not the most crucial, but not someone Aoki could casually eliminate either.
If he acted discreetly, no one might ever know. But if discovered, the consequences would be severe.
There were likely other survivors hiding elsewhere on the island. Aoki doubted that among thirty people, none had been clever enough to evade detection. But they were of little concern to him.
Without realizing it, Aoki had made several enemies within Team Rocket—Regis, Drake, even the executive Renda.
Some problems he could handle now. Others required patience. A few necessitated powerful allies for protection.
The pressure was mounting.
But at least his gains from Neverland had been substantial.
He had encountered an Altaria with near-Champion-level strength and, in the process, acquired two younger Pokémon. Though the Altaria might not obey him outside Neverland, the bond they had formed there meant it might still lend him some aid.
Then there was the entire colony of Carbink, including one undergoing mutation. What it would become remained unknown.
At the very least, he had secured food for his two gluttons—Larvitar and Aron.
Finally, within the Mew Ruins, he had obtained Mew's fur, stained with Mew's blood. This had nearly pushed his psychic powers to the intermediate threshold while elevating his Slowking's potential to near-Blue rank, with a chance to reach Light Blue.
He had almost forgotten—there was also Florette. Before leaving, he had "consulted" her opinion and ultimately brought her along.
In addition, Neverland had yielded vast resources, too numerous to list individually. Aoki estimated their total value at several million Pokécoins.
Combined with his Pokémon's growth and his own strengthened abilities, Aoki's overall power had surged.
All in all, this expedition had been immensely profitable.