This meeting with Terrance could be considered the settling of a lingering concern in the hearts of Team Rocket’s trio.

Although the process had been full of setbacks, they had at least managed to complete the task Boss Giovanni had assigned to them.

So after bidding farewell to Terrance, they immediately went to report back to Boss Giovanni, endlessly muttering about promotion along the way.

"Is this Headquarters?"

Somewhere in Ever Grande City, after connecting the call to Team Rocket Headquarters, the trio burst into wild laughter.

...

Kanto Region.

Team Rocket Headquarters.

Inside a conference room.

Team Rocket’s Boss Giovanni was in discussion with an elderly man dressed in a white research coat.

From Giovanni’s expression, it was clear that he held this old researcher in extremely high regard.

"The system has already taken shape, but it still lacks a crucial energy core. If we can obtain a suitable core, then with our current progress, I believe this system can be brought to completion within three years. But without an appropriate energy core, that timeline may be pushed back indefinitely."

"If existing energy sources cannot serve as the core of this system, then what about something from nature... or the power of Legendary Pokémon?"

Giovanni’s gaze turned solemn. The project represented by this system was a plan of strategic value even greater than Mewtwo’s existence.

After the failure of the Mewtwo project, this project had become Team Rocket’s primary focus.

However, it seemed that the day they would see results was still far off.

"The research team I lead has used simulation devices to test other forms of energy. All natural materials that could potentially serve as an energy core proved unsuitable. As for the power of Legendary Pokémon, without samples, I cannot make a definitive judgment. But I suspect that if we were forced to use the power of a Legendary Pokémon as the core, then the value of this system would no longer be so significant."

"Because the theoretical framework of this system is built upon Alola’s Ultra Wormholes. So far, Sparkling Stones and Z-Crystals come closest to meeting the requirements of an energy core. However, experiments have shown they are still somewhat incompatible. After repeated exploration by the team, we concluded that the energy core suitable for this system must meet extremely strict conditions regarding fluctuations in energy waves. You see, whether natural or artificially manufactured, all conventional energy cores possess stable energy fluctuations. If those fluctuations change, it indicates instability, meaning such energy cannot stably exist in reality. It’s contradictory... and that contradiction is precisely the most difficult obstacle our research currently faces. Sigh."

The elderly researcher explained helplessly. In the end, their discussion concluded that only a fortunate coincidence might allow the system to finally come into existence.

"Boss Giovanni..." Just as Giovanni sat in his chair, deep in thought, his secretary Matori suddenly knocked on the door.

However, when she saw Giovanni in discussion with someone else, Matori immediately prepared to withdraw.

"It’s fine. Professor Rainbow is not an outsider. If there’s something, just say it," Giovanni said.

"Yes!" Matori nodded and stepped inside, taking out a document as she reported, "The task you previously assigned to the James, Jessie, and Meowth squad, they appear to have completed it..."

"Completed it?" Giovanni rubbed his temples, suddenly recalling that he had indeed left the trio with a test.

"Yes... however..." As she continued, Matori’s expression turned hesitant. "According to the summaries reported by the various branches, the total funds they mobilized for this mission amount to..."

Matori slowly spoke, and as her lips formed the number, even the elderly researcher standing nearby was startled by the staggering sum.

"I see." Giovanni maintained a composed facade. Because Professor Rainbow was present, he suppressed his rising anger and did not lash out, instead taking the report Matori handed him.

The document detailed where the funds had gone, listing one bizarre robot after another, along with all sorts of strange and unusual stones...

However, after each robot, three large words were written: Destroyed!

Seeing those words, the veins on Giovanni’s forehead nearly bulged, but he forced himself to calm down and continued reading.

With such an enormous sum of money spent, he wanted to see exactly how those three "geniuses" had squandered it.

"A stone that can autonomously absorb sunlight?"

"A stone that stores sunlight?"

"A stone that purifies light energy and promotes energy fusion?"

The further he read, the darker Giovanni’s expression became. What on earth were these ridiculous things?

The earlier stones were at least somewhat normal, but the ones listed later were even more problematic.

A stone that could absorb water like a magnet... a stone that could keep Pokémon perpetually excited and deprive them of sleep...

These were all failed products created by Team Rocket’s trio during their research into Magtonium.

"A stone coin that can replace Meowth’s gold coin... a stone that changes color with temperature... a stone whose energy fluctuations continuously change on their own. What kind of nonsense is this?" Even with Giovanni’s usually steady temperament, he couldn’t help but grow angry at the sight of these absurd things.

But then—

"Uh..."

"Eh..."

Suddenly, under Matori’s bewildered gaze, the entire conference room fell silent.

The elderly researcher abruptly raised his arm, trembling as he rubbed his ear. "Boss Giovanni, what did you just say...? A stone whose energy fluctuations continuously change on their own?!!"

"A stone whose energy fluctuations continuously change..." Giovanni looked back at the row of strange stones, his eyes locking onto a round white stone as he reconfirmed its described effect.

"Boss Giovanni, this is it! Perhaps with this, our research team can use its principles to create a suitable energy core!!" The old researcher suddenly stood up, shouting excitedly.

"I understand." Giovanni pondered for a moment, his eyes flickering. Turning to Matori, he said, "Immediately summon the James, Jessie, and Meowth squad back to headquarters, and make sure they bring this stone with them."

"Yes! Understood!" Matori replied.

After the Mewtwo Project, Team Rocket’s second project, codenamed "Rainbow," was tied to Alola’s strange phenomena.

This plan was being advanced by a special research team. If the "Rainbow" Project succeeded, Team Rocket’s foundation would rival that of the Pokémon League itself. Giovanni’s ambitions had never been small. He understood deeply what this opportunity represented.

The chief researcher in charge of the project had even adopted the project’s name as his own codename, symbolizing Team Rocket’s determination regarding this project.

Meanwhile, far away in Hoenn, Team Rocket’s trio received the recall order in utter confusion.

"They didn’t mention anything about Terrance, instead they want us to bring a failed experimental product back to headquarters??"

"I think that stone got lost, meow..."

"No choice then. I still kind of remember the process, let’s hurry and make another one."

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