Art of War: Game of Chess

Chapter- 49: Battle of Indigo Plateau

The moment the bombs had fallen, the Champions and Elite Four members, as well as the other VIPs, were ushered back to cover. Ash and Silver, being well- connected, were also getting the type of cover necessary. But common people had faced huge losses as the entire city was bombarded.
Team Rocket was a morally perverted organization, thriving on atrocities. They took special delight in, as they said, killing men and old people, stealing Pokémon, taking women as sex toys, destroying properties and roasting babies on large furnaces in front of their parents. Indigo City, being a very important city, and the capital of Kanto, had a population of some eleven million, out of which a million were dead.
Everywhere and everything was burning. Team Rocket was laying waste to everything. The city seemed to have been swarmed with Team Rocket members like swarms of spiders converging on an elephant. Individually, they should never be a match, but combined, they had showcased their power.
Grand Executive Pierce grinned: this was his ticket to become the Deputy Supreme Executive, and if he played his cards correctly, Supreme Executive in a couple of years. Team Rocket would take over and he... he could rule the world as the Supreme Leader.
At least one Champion had fallen, and several Ace Trainers. The police and military force of the city had been reduced to a few pockets of resistance, and all Trainers in the Top 64 barring Ash Ketchum and a few others- were dead. Civilian morale was gone, and so was the Pokémon Center and the force of G- Men.
No one would even think, let alone anticipate, that Team Rocket was capable of attacking the capital of a Region when several Regional Champions, important Researchers and other powerful Trainers, not to mention the police, military and G- Men, were present. Even if Team Rocket had to retreat, the consequences would include pressure on the Regions, either to take Team Rocket seriously or give up the struggle.
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"One of us is dead. Our people have to fight a literal army for the capital. Team Rocket has shown themselves to be more capable than we originally believed. How many of you Trainers wish to stay and fight?"
Ash, Paul, Silver, Astrid, Katie and a few other Trainers wished to stay and fight. The rest were to be granted safe passage under League protection. Not many stayed, even when Cynthia asked them to.
As for the Kanto League itself, it had basically become inconclusive. Ash would need to win another League to challenge the Elite Four. But Team Rocket was the main challenge, having crippled a League and killed a Champion was something only few people could claim.
"Everyone with Flying- Type or Dragon- Type Pokémon that can fly, must send their Pokémon on my signal. Our Pokémon will protect each other and take out all the assets in the air. Then we send out our other Pokémon and close them into a corner on the streets. Once they get cornered, we bombard them, finish them off from above. "
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The plan had gone off without a hitch. After capturing the city, they had withdrawn almost immediately, killing everyone on the way. Around three or four million were dead. More would succumb to their injuries. Grand Executive Pierce would be promoted without a hitch.
"Come in, Grand Executive. I trust the Operation has been concluded?"
"Successfully, Supreme Leader. "
"Perfect. You deserve a reward for this, both of you. Tell Tyson that he has been promoted to the rank of Executive. And you, Pierce... you deserve a reward. You now carry the rank of Deputy Supreme Executive, effective immediately. Now, I must warn you that further promotion will be possible only after the death of myself or the Supreme Executive. On the other hand... I can always raise your perks. Take this Pokéball. Generally, this is hard to find, harder to catch and impossible to tame. But this one... is controlled."
When Pierce saw the Pokémon inside the Pokéball, he grinned.
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Ash, Lance and the others stood silent, looking over the horizon as Team Rocket fled. While everyone cheered, Ash realized that this had been a strategic retreat rather than escape. He knew that they could return, stronger this time. With the threat of Mewtwo hanging over his head, as well as Team Rocket and Giratina, he had to be prepared to protect himself.
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(A/N: 1. Why would you think that Team Rocket would go for a head- on confrontation with so many Champions? Team Rocket is being practical here and beating a retreat. In fact, they planned it and left before the League could box them in.
2. Yes, my dear friends, the League is no more. Ash is hardly going to challenge the Elite Four in his first year. He's going to be low Elite Four level but that's it.
3. One more chapter and then this story ends. Yes I know, but all good things must come to an end. There's going to be a sequel, though.
4. Pierce will be an important villain throughout the series. So his promotion to Deputy Supreme Executive is just the first step.)