Chapter 473 - Shadow Group and Dark Group

"It's really disrespectful for you to call Mr. Shadow by his name directly," the middle-aged man said with a half-smile.

The smile stretched across the scar on his face, making him look a bit menacing.

Hearing this, Aoki frowned, scanned him from head to toe, and finally stopped at the medal of the Shadow Team on his chest.

At a cursory glance before, it had seemed like the standard medal of the Shadow Team, but upon closer inspection, Aoki noticed a difference.

Although his own medal marked him as the leader of the Shadow Team, while the other man was an ordinary member, the real distinction lay in the coloration.

Aoki's medal, awarded directly by Shadow, had a slightly lighter hue—a dark gray. The other man's was completely jet black.

If not for a careful observation, the texture would have been indistinguishable.

Aoki's eyes sparkled. "Could this person be from the Dark Division? But I've never had any direct dealings with them. He has no reason to target me, does he? As one of Sakagi's closest subordinates, he wouldn't openly defy orders. That would be reckless."

This suggested that the man was indeed from the Dark Division, though whether he had been sent on orders or was acting independently remained uncertain.

"Were you sent here in secret?" Aoki asked calmly.

At the same time, he focused his psychic powers on the middle-aged man.

When he heard the name 'Dark,' the man's expression stiffened slightly. Though he quickly masked it, Aoki had already noticed.

His suspicions were now 80% confirmed.

"You're calling Mr. Dark by his name again. It seems I need to teach you the proper status of the Shadow Team." The middle-aged man's expression turned serious.

The man in the black robe was named Youhun, a capable squad leader of the Shadow Team. He was on the verge of earning the rank of squadron leader and was well-known within the organization.

Though the Shadow Team was a single entity, it was managed by two individuals—Shadow and Dark. This division led to noticeable differences among its members.

Dark's faction, the Dark Division, primarily handled security within Team Rocket and safeguarded Sakagi. They were also responsible for monitoring internal personnel and managing basic security operations.

Shadow's faction, the Shadow Division, focused on executing high-risk, complex missions for Team Rocket in various regions.

Because of these differing responsibilities, the two groups developed their own distinct cultures over time.

The Shadow Division had fewer members since their missions were extremely dangerous, often requiring deep infiltration into enemy territory. Survival was rare, but those who did make it out became formidable assets—the elite of Team Rocket.

The Dark Division, on the other hand, dealt mainly with internal security and surveillance. Their work was less perilous, and their numbers grew over time.

Currently, the Dark Division had far more members than the Shadow Division. However, because both Shadow and Dark were powerful figures, neither side openly challenged the other.

At least, that had been the case.

Things had changed recently. During a mission, Shadow suffered severe injuries, causing a noticeable drop in strength. Though he later used a stimulant to recover, he never returned to his former peak.

Worse, the side effects of the stimulant reduced his future potential.

Only a few of Shadow's closest confidants knew the truth, but rumors spread within the Dark Division that Shadow had grown weak, and that Dark was now the real power behind the Shadow Team.

Technically, both Shadow and Dark were only deputy leaders. The actual leader's position had long been vacant, with no confirmation on whether the previous leader was dead or alive. Sakagi had provided no clarification, leaving room for speculation.

Could Dark take full control of the Shadow Team?

After all, Dark and Shadow had once been equals, with one working externally while the other operated internally. Dark was certainly closer to Sakagi than Shadow was.

As a result, members of the Dark Division grew bolder, their actions escalating from subtle maneuvers to outright interference with the Shadow Division's missions.

Youhun, the squad leader before Aoki now, belonged to the Dark Division. Why he had been sent to interfere in a Shadow Division matter remained unclear.

Regardless, Aoki didn't care.

This was Hoenn! His territory!

Appointed by Sakagi himself, Aoki was the primary Team Rocket officer in the Hoenn region. His only superior here was Shadow.

Yet the man before him was merely a squad leader within the Shadow Team.

Even within Team Rocket's hierarchy, he was just a strong squad leader—nothing more.

And what was Aoki?

A captain personally appointed by Sakagi!

Though his strength might not have matched his rank before, after this period of training, Aoki was finally capable of fulfilling his role.

He had every right to act.

Take him down first.

Then, he would ask Shadow for the full story.

With his decision made, Aoki's gaze turned sharp.

Youhun noticed and paused before laughing loudly. "Hahahaha! A weak captain who doesn't even deserve his title dares to challenge me?! Do you think I'm as weak as those Trial Island rejects?"

"Enough talking!" Aoki snapped coldly.

"Honchkrow, use Tailwind!"

Honchkrow, already prepared, summoned a gust of wind energy, increasing its speed.

"You're looking for trouble!" Youhun growled.

"Yanmega, use Quick Attack! Follow up with Steel Wing!"

Yanmega's red compound eyes flashed as it zipped forward, moving at an extreme speed. Then, its wings glowed silver as steel energy condensed.

"Honchkrow, use Sucker Punch!"

Honchkrow didn't retreat. Following Aoki's command, it flapped its wings and charged head-on, dark energy coiling around its feathers.

Boom!

The two Pokémon collided in mid-air.

Yanmega had a larger body, but Honchkrow didn't falter in strength.

After the clash, both Pokémon were forced back.

However, judging from the distance each one flew, Honchkrow had the upper hand.