A Fools Folly

The atmosphere in the auction venue became charged with tension as dissent spread among the crowd, fueled by the voices of Team Rocket members who had infiltrated the gathering. Their outspoken opinions began to rile up the attendees, particularly those from the Kanto region, who were still seething over the Blackthorns' alleged responsibility for the disastrous tide and their monopolization of the auction items.

"Damn those Blackthorn bastards! Look at their audacity! They've condemned millions of people to the tide, and here they are, casually enjoying the evening," a man exclaimed loudly, his dissatisfaction echoing through the room.

The sentiment was shared by many, and murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. People exchanged knowing glances, their frustration with the Blackthorns evident in their expressions. Team Rocket members took advantage of the growing unrest, weaving through the crowd and whispering inflammatory remarks to stoke the flames of discontent.

"Those Blackthorn scum think they can buy their way out of anything! They're the reason our region is in this mess in the first place!" One man roared; he had a few of his family die in the tide.

"Yeah, they're probably sitting on their fat wallets, laughing at all of us. Well, I'm sick of it! We need to hold them accountable for what they've done!" A disguised member fanned the flames; their plan was to rile up the entire venue against the Blackthorns and then, using the commotion, target the children of the affluent families.

This was a bold move on their part because this would essentially turn multiple families against them, but Team Rocket was confident that their identity would not be disclosed as they had invested quite a lot in this plan. This was their way out in case the League failed and this event would become the distraction they would need to recede into the shadows, and with the children under their control, they were confident that the affluent families would not take too much of a risk.

"Exactly! They're not above the law just because they have money. We need justice, and we need it now!" A man belonging to the League remarked, adding more to the chaos.

"I say we storm their mansion and make them pay for their crimes! They can't hide behind their fancy walls forever!" a voice added.

"Let's show them what happens when they mess with people! We won't rest until they've paid for the suffering they've caused!" A man's voice cut through the murmurs of agreement; his anger was palpable.

"They think they can control everything with their wealth and power. Well, it's time to show them that the people won't stand for it anymore!"

Others echoed his sentiment, their voices rising in a cacophony of rage and frustration. Team Rocket agents, disguised amidst the crowd, seized the opportunity to further stoke the flames, weaving through the throng and whispering incendiary remarks to incite even more unrest.

"Down with the Blackthorns! We won't let them get away with their corruption and greed!"

"We demand answers! How dare they hoard resources while the rest of us suffer? It's time for them to face the consequences!"

As tension mounted, more attendees began to voice their grievances more openly, shouting accusations and demanding justice. The once elegant atmosphere of the auction hall transformed into a scene of uproar and chaos, with angry voices filling the air and emotions running high.

Amidst the commotion, security personnel attempted to restore order, but their efforts were met with resistance from the agitated crowd. It was clear that the anger and frustration directed at the Blackthorns had reached a boiling point, and it wouldn't take much to push the situation over the edge.

Amidst the chaos, the once opulent atmosphere of the auction hall gave way to a scene of raw emotion and righteous indignation. The Blackthorns, ensconced in their wealth and privilege, found themselves the target of a swelling tide of discontent that threatened to engulf them completely. Even people from the VIP boxes secretly sent their guards to add to the growing force.

In the midst of the turmoil, the true intentions of Team Rocket lurked in the shadows, their sinister plans poised to exploit the chaos for their own nefarious purposes. As the tension mounted and the situation teetered on the brink of chaos, it was clear that the storm brewing in the auction hall was far from over.

The chaos erupted with startling swiftness as hundreds of Poké jammers materialized around the VIP box occupied by the Blackthorn and other affluent families. Simultaneously, a horde of Pokémon was unleashed into the fray, catching everyone off guard. Panic rippled through the crowd as attendees reached for their poké balls, only to find them unresponsive under the influence of the jammers.

Inside the VIP box occupied by the Stone family, the elder's expression soured as he observed the unfolding chaos. Though he was pleased to see the Blackthorns targeted, a sense of unease gnawed at him. Something felt off about the situation, and he wasted no time in issuing orders to evacuate the venue, prioritizing the safety of his family.

Meanwhile, down below, Pokémon ran rampant, breaching the VIP boxes and adding to the pandemonium. Even the Aura Guardians found themselves caught off guard by the sudden interference of the jammers, leaving them unable to summon their own Pokémon for assistance. The absence of their strongest trainers, who had been dispatched to secure the auction items, further exacerbated the situation.

Strategic deployment of the jammers by Team Rocket members allowed those opposed to the Blackthorn family to release their Pokémon freely. In mere moments, the once elegant venue descended into a chaotic battleground, with Pokémon clashes echoing amidst the screams of panicked attendees.

"So it begins," Isabel remarked with a bloodthirsty smile, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. It had been too long since she had participated in a battle of this magnitude, and the unfolding chaos promised to be more intense than she had anticipated. As the situation escalated, there would be no doubt that casualties would be inevitable, furthering their cause.

Meanwhile, Archer slipped away unnoticed, preferring not to be caught in the crossfire. His mission to gather intel from Oak remained paramount, and he intended to continue his undercover work even amidst the chaos as long as his cover remained intact.

Unbeknownst to the unsuspecting Archer, he had already been marked by Agatha and her associates. Once their objectives were accomplished, he would be conveniently apprehended by the family and treated with special attention. This was a part of Isabel's meticulous plan to ensure that no loose ends remained, and Archer's unwitting involvement in their schemes made him a valuable asset to be controlled.

**************************

Shrouded by the darkness of the night, hundreds of figures stealthily made their way towards the highest peak of Mt. Silver, which housed one of the natural legendary Pokemon, Moltres.

"Proton, something feels off. Even if the Blackthorns are handling the tide right now, we should have encountered at least a few patrol teams. But we haven't seen a single one," Ariana, an executive of Team Rocket and one of the vice leaders of the mission, remarked as they moved through the pine forest.

"You worry too much, Ariana. The tide this time is not as simple as it sounds. The Blackthorn family must have mobilized every last one of their trainers to handle it. And don't make such comments in the presence of the Captain," Proton cautioned, casting a wary glance at the man leading the way.

Both Proton and Ariana were Master class trainers and executives of Team Rocket, but today they answered to one of the seat holders, Mr. Blaine, the fire seat holder within Team Rocket. As an Epic class trainer, he held high authority, second only to the leader of the organization. There were twelve seat holders who answered only to the leader, and below them came the executives.

Meanwhile, a few miles away, on a different peak, a figure observed the movements of the approaching group using a device. The figure had a cute Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't want to intercept them now? They're heading towards the Moltres nest. Soon enough, they'll provoke Moltres," Red remarked, turning his attention towards the figure standing next to him. She wore an intricate mask that concealed her features, but she was fully geared up in battle attire. Red could sense that she hailed from the Blackthorn family, and her prowess exceeded his own.

"No, let them provoke Moltres. I want to test my mettle against a natural legendary. Though Moltres is only a juvenile, it should provide a good challenge after all these years," Cecilia responded casually. Red had initially considered intercepting the Team Rocket group, but Cecilia's bold plan intrigued him. She was determined to face the natural legendary head-on.

"This will also serve as a lesson to those fools. I want to see what kind of plans they have to capture a legendary Pokémon. Though I doubt they possess anything truly remarkable, They're stepping into this without understanding the true might of a legendary Pokémon," Cecilia remarked confidently.

Cecilia's words rang true. Team Rocket was venturing in blindly, unaware of the true terror of a natural legendary. Only a select few in the world had faced such a formidable foe and lived to tell the tale. Even Giovanni himself underestimated the extent of a legendary Pokémon's power, driven solely by his insatiable greed to add one to his ranks. Now, he targeted the juvenile Moltres, unaware of the dangers that lay ahead.

"So are we just going to watch and wait for them to fail and run away, then swoop in to deal with the aftermath?" Red questioned her, sensing the gravity of the situation. He knew this wasn't the usual approach for the Blackthorns.

"Who said anything about letting them leave? I've already instructed our family trainers to block all exits leading out of Mt. Silver. Once Team Rocket realizes they're outmatched by Moltres, they'll retreat. That's when we'll clean them up," Cecilia replied confidently. She looked forward to this opportunity, having been confined within the family grounds since her failure to ascend to legendary rank four centuries ago. Now, she could unleash her power once again.

Meanwhile, the Team Rocket squad had arrived just a mile outside the Moltres nest. Originally an icy peak, the presence of Moltres transformed the area into a mixture of ice and fire. The nest lay within an active volcano, where Moltres slumbered.

"Deploy the Cold Device! The rest of you, prepare your Pokémon. The leader has entrusted this mission to me, so I don't want any mistakes," Blaine commanded, his tone firm and authoritative. He knew the importance of this mission and had called in a few favors to ensure its success.

What many didn't know was that there were three other seat holders within their ranks: the water seat holder, the ground seat holder, and the rock seat holder. Each of them was an Epic rank trainer with three Epic stage Pokémon to their name, while Blaine himself possessed four Epic stage Pokémon.

Despite their affiliation with Team Rocket, Blaine chose not to disclose the presence of these elite trainers to the rest of the squad. He had paid a hefty price to enlist their assistance, determined to carry out the mission successfully. His goal was to make history as the first man to capture a natural legendary Pokémon, and he was willing to do whatever it took to achieve it. However, he also entertained a hidden agenda: if he were to successfully capture the Moltres, he would no longer have to be subservient to Giovanni; he could finally show his true ambitions.

Multiple devices were dropped right into the crater of the active volcano. The cold device was a special creation by their esteemed doctor, designed specifically to combat Moltres. Any fire-type Pokémon hit by the device would sustain multiple times the damage compared to other types. Previous testing had shown that a single device was powerful enough to gravely injure an Epic Stage Fire Pokémon. Now, close to a dozen of these cold devices were dropped into the Moltres nest, and the team retreated immediately as the blast would engulf miles of radius.

As the clock ticked by and the Team Rocket members cleared the blast zone, Blaine took the detonator. Ensuring that the other Epic trainers were ready, he pressed the button. "Boom... Boom... Boom!!!" The explosions ripped through the air, but the scene inside the molten lava crater was contrary to the sound. The lava began freezing at a rapid rate as the blast spread, solidifying the entire crater within moments, resembling solidified metal.

"So, did we get it?" the Water Seat Holder questioned, his tone tinged with uncertainty. None of them knew the true might of the legendary Pokemon. Today was their first attempt to face such a Pokémon, and their agreement to assist Blaine was largely due to the tempting offer he had made.

"Seriously, are these so-called natural legendaries so easy to take down? I don't understand all the fuss about them. Maybe we should start hunting the legendary Pokémon ourselves; all we'd need is a dozen of these devices," remarked the burly man, also known as the Rock Seat Holder. His voice dripped with disdain; his disappointment was evident. Originally, he had anticipated an epic clash, but now, more than a minute had passed, and there was still no reaction from the Pokémon. It felt like overkill.

"You guys don't think that Moltres is dead, right?" The ground seat holder chuckled. The other Team Rocket members were puzzled by the casual interaction between these members and the leader of the mission, but they chose not to question it. Mr. Blaine showed no sign of dissatisfaction with their behavior, and it was not their place to pry into such matters. Their sole purpose in life was to follow the commands of their superiors without question.

Unlike the others, Blaine had an ominous feeling gnawing at him. As a fire-type trainer, he was more attuned to the fire aura, and he could subtly sense an enormous amount of fire energy being absorbed into the frozen volcano. Without delay, he released all four of his epic-stage Pokémon: Magmortar, Typhlosion, Arcanine, and finally, an Infernape. His sudden actions caught the attention of the others, and they followed suit, releasing their own Pokémon.

However, the shock was palpable among the Team Rocket members when three more trainers standing next to Mr. Blaine also released three majestic Pokémon each. From the aura emitted by these Pokémon, it was evident that they were on the same stage as Mr. Blaine.

"Who the heck are they?" Proton whispered to Ariana, his disbelief evident. He had believed that only Mr. Blaine was the Epic level trainer accompanying them on the mission. The identities of most of the seat holders were shrouded in mystery, with a few exceptions, like Mr. Blaine.

"Shh, do you have a death wish? They must be seat holders that Mr. Blaine called in for support. No wonder Mr. Blaine was confident in taking down the Moltres. With more than a dozen Epic Stage Pokémon, I'm sure the Moltres will be ours," Ariana responded, a mix of fear and awe evident in her voice. Despite their centuries-long existence, they had yet to ascend to the ranks of Epic class trainers. To them, such a feat was only a dream.

Team Rocket was originally an organization created under the name of the Empress herself, so many unsavory characters seeking protection joined the organization. Compared to other dark organizations, Team Rocket stood in a league of its own. Even the current Pokémon League couldn't hold a candle to the might of Team Rocket. Hidden in darkness, Team Rocket boasted close to a dozen Epic rank trainers. In comparison, the League seemed feeble, lacking even a single Epic trainer among its ranks.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the entire ground shook violently, and massive cracks began spreading in all directions. Many Team Rocket members lost their footing and tumbled, while the reactions of the hundreds of Pokémon present were even more pronounced. They could already sense the coercion and anger of the Pokémon within the lava.

With an earth-shattering boom, the frozen volcano erupted, sending lava and chunks of flaming projectiles flying for miles. With a majestic and primal cry, the young Moltres flapped its wings and ascended, rising from the volcano. A single release of pressure was all it took for everyone on Team Rocket to understand that they stood absolutely no chance.

The gap between the epic level and the legendary level was far greater than they had ever imagined, and the instinct to run away surged through them. However, they found themselves trapped by the flaming bird, whose majestic blazing wings seemed to cover the entire night sky.

Blaine knew they were completely outmatched, but his greed overwhelmed him. Even if they were helpless, he could throw the other Team Rocket members as bait and survive. His mind raced with plans, searching for any opportunity to escape.

Meanwhile, the three other Epic trainers wore ugly expressions on their faces. This was simply asking for death. Though they appeared unfazed on the outside, fear gnawed at them within.

"Still want to say that Moltres is a joke?" The water seat holder taunted the others who had earlier mocked the legendary Pokémon.

"Shut up! This is not the time to bicker. We still have a chance to capture this Pokémon. Its aura seems too chaotic; our earlier devices must have dealt quite the damage," Blaine commented, hoping to rally the others and commit their Pokémon to the fight.

"Blaine, is that supposed to be a joke? Fight against that? Are you crazy?" the rock-type Epic trainer questioned.

"I will quadruple the resources that I had promised you guys, in addition to offering a single peak Epic level treasure from my private collection of your choice. What do you say?" Blaine threw out the bait, knowing how people acted in the face of wealth. He didn't actually have so much to spare, but who knew if any of them would walk out of there alive after taking the offer? If they did survive, he could always suppress them later.

Greed glittered in the eyes of the three trainers, but they were also wary. They didn't want to outright believe Blaine, who had brought them into this mess in the first place.

"Why don't you lead from the front while we support you?" the water seat holder proposed. Though they knew there was risk involved, the allure of a peak Epic level treasure was too tempting to ignore. Blaine had promised four times the resources for their help, and with him taking the lead, they wanted to give it a try. Even if things went downhill, they could simply abandon Blaine and run away. They didn't believe that even a legendary Pokémon could dispatch an Epic level trainer so easily, but soon they would realize how wrong they were and regret their choices.