In the VIP room of the specialty gourmet store in the black market.
There were four people sitting at the big round table.
Regis, Han Song, and Qing Feng, whom Aoki met on Trial Island, were all sitting here, and opposite them sat Aoki, hidden under the black robe.
Originally, he thought he was just meeting Regis, but he didn't expect the other two to be waiting for him here.
"Long time no see, Aoki. You don't have to hide anything when you meet old friends," Regis said with a smile.
Aoki pulled down the black hood on his head, revealing his true face, which he had not openly shown for a long time.
Not to mention, he was a little handsome.
"I didn't expect all three of you to be here," Aoki said lightly.
Han Song sat on Regis's left, holding a book in his hand, reading with his head down, as if what they said had nothing to do with him.
On Regis's right, Qing Feng rested her head on one hand and looked at Aoki playfully, curiosity flashing in her eyes.
They had all heard about Aoki's recent exploits from Regis.
If Aoki had been invited into their small circle on Trial Island due to his decent potential, now he had earned his place through sheer strength.
How had someone without any visible backing risen so far?
This puzzled Qing Feng greatly.
"Haha, of course, we must all be here. This is the first gathering of all members of our Cosmic Invincible Super Pokémon Circle," Regis said with a grin.
Cosmic Invincible Super Pokémon Circle?
What kind of ridiculous name was that?
Hearing it, both Aoki and Qing Feng felt secondhand embarrassment, though Han Song remained unbothered.
"This time, we're all participating in the mission. If we run into each other inside, we should support one another. There will be a lot of people going in, and there will be conflict between different factions," Regis continued.
Aoki's expression grew serious at this.
"Han Song, pass it to Aoki," Regis instructed.
Han Song, still engrossed in his book, took out a booklet from beneath it and pushed it toward Aoki.
For the first time, his light-blue, emotionless eyes met Aoki's gaze.
Aoki picked up the booklet and flipped through it. Each page contained a person's information—most were elite-level Trainers. Whether they had hidden strengths, the booklet didn't specify.
The first page featured Regis's photo and a brief introduction. The booklet was an internal resource shared among their group, but Regis had deliberately withheld certain details—perhaps as a safeguard.
After all, their so-called "circle" had never collaborated in any meaningful way. If the four of them could make it through this mission without betraying one another, then perhaps their alliance would truly solidify.
The booklet contained over thirty pages, meaning that more than thirty elite-level Team Rocket Trainers were participating in this mission. Some were at the peak of the elite level, while others had been elites for years. A newcomer like Aoki was at best middle or lower in rank.
After a quick skim, Aoki closed the booklet and stored it away.
Looking at Regis, his expression remained unchanged. "Tell me, what else? I don't believe you asked me here just for this. My strength may be mediocre, but I have confidence in my ability to survive this mission."
Hearing Aoki's bluntness, Regis was momentarily surprised before bursting into laughter.
"Hahahaha! You really are the type of person even the executives appreciate—so confident!"
He didn't know about Aoki's hidden cards. Otherwise, he might not have doubted Aoki's ability to protect himself.
"To put it simply, our mission is to explore this ancient island. But in detail, we are specifically looking for an ancient ruin in the island's center," Regis explained.
"According to Team Rocket scientists, high-altitude scans and data simulations suggest there's an ancient ruin in the middle of the island. The contents of this ruin are what Team Rocket desires most.
"That's why we should work together—to find the most valuable items within the ruins and bring them out in exchange for the resources we need most.
"I know none of us lack resources now, but that's only for the moment. When we aim to become Champions, will we still be able to say the same?
"This is a huge opportunity. If we succeed, we could gain enough resources to reach Champion-level strength."
This was the first time Qing Feng and Han Song had heard the full details of the mission.
The three of them fell into deep thought, but Aoki's mind raced beyond just the mission details.
How did Regis have access to such classified information?
Logically, Han Song and Qing Feng were also direct subordinates of high-ranking Team Rocket members. Even if they weren't as favored as Regis, the gap in information shouldn't be this large.
Both of them were also top-tier talents—so why were they so obviously willing to let Regis take the lead?
Only two possibilities made sense:
One—Regis's strength far surpassed theirs, making them either admire him or unable to oppose him.
Two—Regis's true identity was much more significant than Aoki knew.
Whichever it was, Regis was clearly not as flamboyant and carefree as he appeared. This could all be a carefully crafted disguise.
Aoki remained cautious.
However, Regis's information allowed him to formulate a plan before entering the island. With participant profiles and details about the ancient ruins, it was clear how seriously Regis was taking this mission.
Perhaps Regis had treated their previous trial as a game, but this time, he was fully committed.
After exchanging information and updating contact details, Aoki left the private room.
---
"Han Song, what do you think?" Regis asked once Aoki and Qing Feng had left, leaving only the two of them in the VIP room.
Han Song no longer had his book open. Instead, he held a pen, frantically scribbling on paper.
Without looking up, he responded calmly, "Not bad."
Upon closer inspection, one could see that he was writing down Aoki's characteristics, behaviors, and speculated abilities—meticulously analyzing every detail.
Regis's lips curled into a sinister smile upon hearing Han Song's words.