The fireworks of the World Trainer Masters Tournament bloomed brilliantly above Ever Grande City, then finally faded into silence.
With his undisputed strength, Lance successfully defended his championship title, once again proving the Pokémon League's might to the world.
Yet an urgent, classified report from the Kanto Region soon swept away every trace of that victor's joy.
Team Rocket had risen from the ashes.
And in a manner more rampant and unpredictable than before.
With Lance's tacit approval and covert support, the "Resistance Army" Lorelei had assembled began to take shape.
Like a master of guerrilla warfare, she began launching small-scale, hit-and-run raids against newly established outlying Team Rocket bases throughout the Johto Region.
She and her women blew up Team Rocket's supply routes, persuaded conscripted laborers to defect, and occasionally even raided lightly defended supply stations.
Though these attacks could not inflict substantial damage on Team Rocket's foundations, the persistent harassment made governing its newly occupied territories exceptionally difficult and greatly slowed its expansion.
Giovanni showed utter disdain for these "minor nuisances."
He dumped the entire mess of dealing with these "flies" onto Ye Li.
He himself devoted all his energy to developing the "Mewtwo Armor."
He seemed to have lost interest in everything outside, shutting himself in the laboratory all day with Engineer Wang and the leading scientists, frantically advancing a project capable of changing the world's balance of power.
Ye Li, meanwhile, keenly seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Taking advantage of this opening, when Giovanni had willingly delegated authority, he began openly and legitimately expanding his own Direct Forces on a massive scale.
Under the banner of "eliminating the Rebel Army and maintaining regional stability," he continually recruited troops.
Trainers displaced and left homeless by the war between the Pokémon League and Team Rocket, as well as independent