The next day, Odin woke up and found himself sleeping on a hospital bed. The lights in the medical room were bright, cutting through the gaps of the drawn privacy sheets. It was the same bed Odin and Celine ended up moving to have sex the night before. Odin must have fallen asleep sometime after he busted his nut inside of Celine, for the sake of masculinity supremacy.
He pulled the heavy blanket back, realizing He was naked... he fell asleep naked. He could feel the cool conditioned air brushing against him.
Odin stretched his long arms, a lazy, cocky smirk instantly splitting his lips as he looked down at his lower waist. "What a pleasant view... hey there, little Odin," he said with an amused smile, completely unbothered by his lack of clothes. "Who shall we conquer next in this place, huh?"
Suddenly, a sharp, dry female response echoed back from the other side of the room. He couldn't actually see her because the thick fabric curtains were fully covering his bed area, blocking his line of sight.
"Say that directly to Arlo's face when he returns; I'm sure he would absolutely love to hear about your grand conquering conquest," Celine said sarcastically from her desk.
Odin let out a low chuckle. He stood up completely naked, walking over to the edge of the fabric track and ripping the curtains open with bold, unyielding confidence, shamelessly showing off his entire bare front and his little Odin for her to see.
Leaning his shoulder against the metal frame, he threw out a forward pickup line based on the anatomical structures they had discussed. "Hey, Celine, since you're a master of bone alignment and osteology, how about you come back over here and study a real specimen? I've got a pristine skeletal structure that's perfectly ready to lock directly into your framework, and I promise the friction will keep your heart monitor buzzing all morning."
Celine didn't panic or look away. She kept her chin resting on her palm, her amber eyes tracking his naked posture with a perfectly calm, indifferent gaze before she masterfully turned him down like always.
"An osteology joke? How incredibly sophisticated, Officer," Celine said, her velvet voice dropping into a tone of polite execution. "I can see you put a massive amount of mental volume into that little anatomy pun. I was almost amused... but then I remembered my basic clinical standards. I only perform detailed examinations on subjects that possess actual structural value. Looking at the current dimensions of your 'specimen' standing in that draft, I'd say you're suffering from a severe case of overconfidence. You're simply lacking the baseline volume to catch my interest, hotshot. Cover yourself up before you catch hypothermia; I don't waste my shifts treating a low-level Caterpie twice."
Odin barked out a loud laugh, thoroughly entertained by her razor-sharp wit. "Savage," Odin replied with a grin, not a single shred of his pride broken by the rejection. "But uhh, why so cold all of a sudden, babe?"
"I told you last night, that was a mistake," Celine said bluntly, her face a perfect, unbothered mask as she adjusted her charts, though her voice remained smooth and gentle. "It didn't happen. We are absolutely nothing to each other. We share a strictly professional relationship between a patient and a nurse, and that is where the boundary stays."
"Right... didn't seem very 'strictly professional' a few hours ago," Odin teased, a lecherous glint in his black eyes as he leaned against the metal track. "Especially when you were wrapping your legs around my waist and begging me to bust my nut insi—"
Odin couldn't even finish the explicit sentence before Celine sharply cut him off.
"Ya! Ya! Forget it! Ugh!" she yelled out loudly, her porcelain cheeks instantly flushing into a deep, embarrassed crimson as she slammed her pen down onto the steel desk, completely losing her composure for a brief second.
She took a deep breath to smooth down her tailored uniform apron, forcing her face back into a neutral expression. "Anyways... put some clothes on already. And don't wear those heavy cargo pants Ariana left for you on the bench. I brought you a pair of premium Black Team Rocket Office Pants instead. They will suit your build much better than those bulky field clothes."
Odin grabbed the folded black fabric from the counter, inspecting the smooth, tailored weave. "So you're a high-end fashionista now, sweetheart? I thought you were a dedicated nurse joy."
"What? Is there an official rule stating I can't be both?" Celine said questionably, tilting her head as she shot him a sharp, questionable look.
"Uhh... yeah?... I guess so?" Odin drawled, thoroughly amused.
Odin then began pulling on his whole Team Rocket uniform. He slid his legs into the slim, tailored office pants, noticing they fit his long stature perfectly, giving him a much sharper, high-ranking presence than the standard grunt gear. He zipped up his reinforced black combat shoes, slid his arms into the thick black high-neck sweater with the massive red 'R' on the chest, and pulled his matte-black leather utility gloves tight over his knuckles.
Once he was fully dressed, he walked over to the center bed to check on Angel.
He looked down at her quiet, bloodless face, his expression turning cold and serious. He reached down, holding her limp hand firmly in his leather glove before leaning over to print a soft, lingering kiss right onto her forehead. "I'll capture a wild Zubat down in the caves... and I'll force it to brutally massacre its own entire kind, just for your amusement, my angel," he whispered darkly, his mind curdling into an rage against these pesky fuckers, he suffered twice already from them.
Beep... Beep... Beep... Beep...
The life-support monitor continued its steady, mechanical rhythm, confirming her vitals were still perfectly fine under the cannula.
"She is stable," Celine explained, stepping up to audit the fluid lines from the opposite side of the bed. "Tomorrow morning she should be completely ready for clinical release... so do take her straight home and look after her. I can easily take care of her physical recovery down here... but the severe mental trauma... and her voice... those responsibilities will be left entirely to you."
"I see... will do, Nurse Celine," Odin said, his tone dropping the lazy edge as he looked at the nurse.
"Yeah, no... that still sounds incredibly weird," Celine gently complained, wrinkling her nose at the fact that he refused to use the generic Nurse Joy title.
Celine then stopped her hands, her amber eyes locking onto his new appearance as she kept staring at Odin's silhouette.
"Whut?" Odin said, blinking his dead black eyes at her.
"You look remarkably good," Celine complimented him gently, her velvet voice carrying a sweet warmth. "Those office pants suit your build very well. I'm highly happy with my choices."
"Thanks... I guess," Odin said, a cocky smirk returning to his lips.
"Let me take a picture of you," Celine said suddenly, her tone turning cheerful.
"Whut? Why? Where the fuck did that request come from?" Odin asked, entirely caught off guard.
"I just want to. You look great in that uniform," Celine said, her ruby lips curving into a sweet smile.
"Suspicious," Odin teased, narrowing his eyes at her. "You planning to sell my face to the League for that three-million-dollar bounty, babe?"
"We'll take the picture using your own PokéGear," Celine countered smoothly, rolling her eyes at his paranoia. "Besides... it's not like I have a device of my own anyway."
"Why?" Odin asked, his interest hooked.
"I'm a kidnapped nurse, remember? Captive?" Celine gently explained, her voice carrying a fleeting tinge of sorrow as she looked at her desk. "I can't have a PokéGear or anything similar, in case I alert the League of the base's location, or call for help... or anything outside the base."
Odin's face went entirely deadpan, his grip tightening inside his pockets as his arrogant nature flared up. "Right... a captive. Just give me some time, sweetheart. I'll eventually beat that Arlo bastard to a bloody pulp and fuck you right in front of his face... creampie you right in his face while he watches."
"Pfft. You will do no such thing, and let's absolutely not bring this up," Celine said gently, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as she dismissed his unhinged bravado. "I don't even know why I brought the subject up. So just forget about it."
"Cuz I'm fucking Pokémon Jesus—" Odin started to brag obnoxiously.
"Aye, just hand over your PokéGear already," Celine bluntly cut him off, extending her slender hand to cover his mouth.
Odin let out a short laugh, reaching into his pocket to hand her the black PokéGear. He swaggered over to the flat concrete wall, leaning his back against the surface and shoving both of his hands deep into his Pockets.
Celine raised the screen, framing his long hair and sharp uniform in the lens. "Smile," she said gently.
Odin forced a wide, mocking grin.
"Pff, what kind of ridiculous smile is that?" Celine laughed out loudly at his expression, her shoulders shaking. "You look like a total psycho nutcracker. Stop it."
"Just take the damn pic, woman," Odin grumbled, his tongue clicking against his teeth.
"Put your right leg in front... just a few centimeters..." Celine ordered, acting like a strict art director.
Odin let out an irritated sigh, but he complied with the adjustment.
"Left leg a little bit further to the back," Celine continued, her eyes fixed on the display.
Odin, even more annoyed now by the tedious modeling instructions, adjusted his boots again but still complied with her setup.
"Fix your posture, stand perfectly straight," Celine said.
Odin rolled his eyes, thoroughly irritated by the process, but he pulled his shoulders back and stood tall against the concrete anyway.
"Good! Perfect! Stay just like that," Celine called out.
Three.
Two.
One.
Click.
The PokéGear camera captured the high-definition exposure cleanly.
"The shot looks incredibly good, except for those heavy eyebags... and that weird, unhinged smile of yours... but you look genuinely handsome," Celine said cheerfully, her gentle voice warm as she reviewed the the picture once more. "Save this picture, use it as your permanent background or your profile photo... it looks really great. Oh, and make sure to credit me as your photographer, okay?"
"Let me see the damn thing," Odin drawled, stepping away from the wall.
She handed him back his black PokéGear. Odin unlocked the glass screen, examining the photo of his long black hair framing the thick crimson 'R' sweater. "Oh shit, I look absolutely sick! Awesome. Maybe you should drop the nursery and become a professional photographer, babe."
Image here:
"Thanks for the hype, but maybe you should get out of his clinic already," Celine said, her tone suddenly shifting into a serious, guarded register as she glanced toward the heavy steel door. "You're spending way too much time here with me, and I don't need some of Arlo's loyal lapdogs among the local grunts getting suspicious of your presence."
Before Odin could fire back another crude joke, she sharply raised her hand to stop him.
"Also, hand me your Weezing's Pokéball... I want to see what I can do for his condition. Also, do you possess any other injured Pokémon in your bag?" Celine asked.
"Uhh... yeah, my dude Graveler," Odin muttered, reaching into his Pokébelt. "Buddy totally KO'd himself, what a fucking idiot."
"Good, hand him over too," Celine stated bluntly.
Odin unclipped both of the Pokéballs, handing them over to her. Celine quickly tossed them forward, calling both out onto the tiled floor in a flash of white energy. She spent a minute meticulously examining their skin and testing their reflexes.
"You haven't fed this Graveler for some time... you are absolutely horrible," Celine said bluntly, glaring up at him with a disapproving frown. "You should take much better care of your Pokémon's dietary needs."
"Aye... tactical circumstances, nurse," Odin said smoothly, waving his hand dismissively.
She let out an annoyed huff, opening a metal supply cabinet and grabbing two different specialized storage containers. She unlatched the lids, pulling out high-grade Ground-type and Rock-type PokéBlocks, manually feeding them to the rocky beast.
But when she turned her attention to the giant, two-headed toxic balloon, her expression completely faltered. Weezing looked completely dazed, out of this world, and entirely unfocused. His yellow eyes were bloodshot, staring blankly at the ceiling tiles as he continuously mumbled incoherent, garbled words to himself. He looked completely drugged, mentally ill, and fractured.
"This... Odin... I'll see what I can do," Celine said timidly, her usual confident voice dropping into a small, uncertain register as she looked at the monster's state. "But I'm totally not confident about Weezing's mental situation. The psychological fracture is incredibly deep."
"Any medical help is appreciated, Celine," Odin said, his voice dropping into a rare tone of genuine respect.
"I'll do my absolute best," Celine whispered.
What completely surprised Odin next was the choice of the two Pokémon's Celine called from her Pokéballs, straight from her own custom-tailored uniform apron pockets. She tossed them onto the floorboards with a soft click.
"Kirlia, Hatenna, come out right now!" Celine gently and softly called out into the room.
In a flash of light, two rare psychic and fairy-type Pokémon emerged onto the floor. The least surprising thing to Odin was that he had never seen these two specific Pokémon before in the Pewter City base.
But the most surprising, mind-blowing thing was their actual potential.
System scan, Odin commanded inside his head, activating his internal interface.
[Ding!]
[Hatenna - Level 22] [Platinum-Potential][Kirlia - Level 21] [Platinum-Potential]
What the actual fuck? Odin thought to himself, his inner monologue completely freezing as the blue system screens hovered over their data. Who the fuck is this girl truly?... You sneaky little nurse, it seems like there was a massive amount of information you left out of your story... a lot you aren't telling me. Platinum-Potential is extremely rare in this world; even a high-ranking Executive like Ariana still uses a standard Gold-Potential Hypno as her partner... so what the fuck are you doing with two of those two Platinum-Potential fucks?
Celine immediately noticed his sudden, rigid stare, but she chose to completely ignore his suspicion, turning her back to him.
"Hatenna, Kirlia, use Heal Pulse on both of them right now," Celine commanded her team.
The two psychic Pokémon let out a soft, glowing wave of pink energy, channeling the soothing waves directly into Graveler and the dazed Weezing.
"If you don't mind, could you leave the room now, Officer?" Celine said, using her fingers to shoo Odin away toward the threshold. "I need to focus entirely on the treatment."
"Tch. Sheesh, what an impatient bitch," Odin complained loudly, turning on his heel and beginning to walk out into the hallway.
"That's definitely not what your mouth was saying last night; you called me a pri—"
BAM!
Odin violently shut the heavy steel door before Celine could even finish her sentence, cutting her voice off completely.
"Good. Leave... become someone... become anything in this syndicate, and take me away from this place," Celine pondered quietly to herself the second the door clicked shut. She stood completely still in the center of the silent ward, resting her slender finger gently against her ruby lips as her mind began running through the variables. "Or at least, I'm sure that is exactly what Executive Ariana is planning... purposely leaving you and me completely alone in this wing... she definitely wanted us to bond. But why?... Why chose a rogue officer like him? Why is she so willing to burn a bridge between Executive Arlo and Odin? Why is she so confident in his survival potential?... But then again, didn't I play right into her hand last night? I guess I must be a total sucker for dangerous guys like him..."
"But then why not arlo?" She pondered.
She paused, shaking her head as a wave of internal conflict hit her chest. "Bad Celine... guys like him won't ever give you a real future. They just want to fuck your body and then discard you when the deed is done. You should find a decent, normal man instead, marry, and live a happy civilian life... I mean... the guy literally just cheated on his own girlfriend; he fucked me right next to his unconscious, injured girl's bed... I really shouldn't have any romantic ideas about him.. but... he is just so handsome, and incredibly confident... tall... dominant..."
Celine bit her lip, her heart rate finally spiking as she looked down at the floorboards. "Ugh! Bad Celine!" she yelled out, violently rubbing her hands through her long chestnut-brown hair to break the loop. "Get a grip! This man is absolute bad news!... What will I even be to him? Girl number three? Number four? Or am I just number two?... Whatever."
"Kirlia?" her partner Pokémon chipped in, tilting its head as it sensed her erratic psychic aura.
"Stop it... I am absolutely not having guy problems right now. Don't look at me like that," Celine muttered quickly, avoiding all eye contact with her Kirlia as she hurried back to her desk to hide her face behind her medical reports.
her long chestnut-brown hair spilling over her shoulders as she tried to force her mind back into a strict professional lane. But the quiet rhythm of the heart monitor and the empty space across the room made it impossible to focus.
After a few minutes of staring blankly at the text, she let her pen hover. She shifted her posture, resting her smooth chin casually on the back of her hand. Her gaze drifted to the margins of a blank report page.
Slowly, deliberately, her hand began to move.
She pressed the fine tip of a black marker against the paper, her fingers guiding the ink with fluid, natural grace. She began to doodle Odin's face. She drew the sharp, wild lines of his long black locks framing his face, his flat, mocking grin, and the distinctive high-neck sweater with the crimson 'R' she had just adjusted for him. As the sketch took shape, a soft, genuine smile completely lit up her ruby lips. Her amber eyes carried a newfound, vibrant glint—as if, for the very first time in months, she finally had something genuinely fun to experience down here, or someone to actually look forward to seeing again.
Watching the ink dry on the page, she gently muttered to herself in a quiet, velvet-toned whisper. "I will never be a memory, huh?"
She stared at his drawn smirk, her smile widening once more. "Prove it."
Suddenly, her own words echoed in the silence of the empty ward, and her expression instantly froze.
"Wait... what am I even saying?" she whispered, her face rapidly losing its warmth as her posture turned rigid. "Bad Celine... you should be significantly stricter with him next time. You need to turn his advances down much more harshly... don't you dare get any stupid hopes or romantic feelings for a guy like that. Arlo will literally kill him the second he finds out... he needs to stay completely away from me and my clinic."
The cold, heavy reality of her circumstances violently slammed back into her chest, turning her stomach upside down.
Thoroughly annoyed with her own internal conflict, she aggressively grabbed the edge of the report page and ripped the paper completely out of the binder. She rolled the custom drawing into a tight, messy ball and tossed it straight into the metal trash can beside her desk. Though as she watched it drop into the bin, she didn't look happy doing it at all, her lips pressing into a heavy, sorrowful line as she forced her eyes back onto her computer screen.
□■□■□■□■□■□
Odin turned on his heel and began navigating his way out of the secured medical block. The deeper corridor network was a total maze. Every single turn looked identical, with endless concrete walls branching out into nothing but closed maintenance doors and security panels.
"Left? No, wait, I already saw that dented pipe," Odin muttered, his boots squeaking against the polished floor as he hit another dead end. He turned around, his irritation spiking as he looked down yet another empty, gray hallway. "Are you fucking kidding me? Who designed this piece of shit layout? A mole?.. wait is there a Pokémon mole?"
He walked faster, his frustration mounting with every single wrong turn. He hit a three-way junction, running a hand through his loose hair. "Fucking brilliant. Left goes to a storage closet, right goes to a ventilation shaft, and straight ahead is just more gray concrete. I swear to god, if I end up back at the bathroom door, I'm burning this whole block down."
After five straight minutes of making multiple wrong turns and completely losing his way, his sharp eyes locked onto a suspicious-looking grunt lurking near a junction. Odin had actually already noticed this specific guy secretly following him from the periphery the moment he left the medical room, trying far too hard to blend into the shadows.
Odin decided right then and there that he was going to thoroughly bully him.
Fixing a terrifying, menacing expression onto his face, Odin confidently swaggered straight toward the tracking operative. The guy tried to step back, his eyes widening in panic as Odin's imposing frame completely trapped him against the wall.
Before the stalker could even utter an excuse, Odin raised his hand, aggressively wet his fingers with his own saliva, and violently shoved them straight into the guy's ears.
"Shut the fuck up, Ratatta," Odin growled, landing a sharp, stinging slap right across the guy's cheek that echoed loudly down the empty hall. "You've been stalking my ass for the last three corridors or so. Who the fuck do you think you are? You want me to break your collarbone right here, or are you going to use that useless mouth to give me some fucking directions to the main lounge?"
"I—I was just—" the grunt stammered, his face pale as he held his throbbing, reddened cheek.
"I don't give a shit what you were doing," Odin snapped, hitting him with another light slap to keep him off balance. "Directions. Now. Open that mouth before I start pulling your teeth out one by one."
"The elevator! It's just down the second left header!" the guy yelled out dejectedly, completely terrified of receiving any more beatings from a three-million-dollar public menace. "I'll show you! Just stop hitting me!"
"Good boy," Odin sneered.
He gestured for the grunt to move, following closely behind as the guy stumbled forward to lead the way through the maze. The guy didn't dare resist, completely subdued by Odin's presence.
As the grunt was nervously leading the way down a long, narrow concrete path, Odin suddenly accelerated his stride. He deliberately extended his heavy boot right in front of the guy's moving ankles, cleanly catching his stride and sending the operative face-planting directly onto the hard ground.
THUD.
The grunt groaned, clutching his scraped nose as he scrambled back up in a complete daze. Odin paused right above him, looking down with a completely unapologetic, mocking grin.
"Oops, my bad," Odin drawled smoothly, a dark chuckle bubbling in his chest. He looked right at the trembling guy, his expression twisting into a wild leer. "You should really watch where you are going, you Fucking Rattata."
Odin began to laugh menacingly, his voice echoing off the concrete walls in a loud burst of amusement that made the grunt shake with fear. "Get up. Keep walking."
Eventually, they reached a heavy steel elevator shaft. The grunt reached out with a trembling hand and quickly pressed the call button for the proper upper level.
Ding.
The heavy metal doors slid open, and they both stepped inside the iron cabin. The descent was quiet until the bell rang out once more, signaling they had finally reached the crowded lounge area.
The exact second the doors parted, Odin violently kicked the grunt straight backward into the rear wall of the elevator. The guy hit the metal panel with a loud grunt, collapsing to his knees. Odin didn't even give him a second to recover; he reached out with his hand and began slamming his fingers against every single floor button randomly, lighting up the entire vertical interface in a chaotic frenzy.
Odin quickly jumped backward out of the cabin, standing firmly on the lounge floor boards as he watched the steel doors slide shut on the trapped operative, a smug, dark smile splitting his face.
The core reason he had been so unhinged and exceptionally harsh against that specific guy wasn't just for cheap amusement; he heavily suspected this grunt might be an Arlo spy checking his movements. Or, at the very least, his mind was turning highly paranoid because of the explicit warnings Celine had dropped right before he left her room.
After all, Celine had told him to get his ass out of the wing quickly because Arlo had fiercely loyal grunts doing his bidding across the facility. So, naturally, the highest concentration of those loyal lapdogs would be stationed directly near Celine's private clinic to monitor her perimeter. That was undoubtedly why that suspicious rat had been stalking Odin from the shadows.
Odin adjusted the high collar of his sweater, his smile fading into a cold expression as he turned around to face the crowded lounge.
~x~
Odin stepped deeper into the bustling lounge, his black boots stepping evenly over the scuffed floorboards as he scanned the wide, crowded space. The room was structurally the exact same chaotic den as before—packed to the brim with rows of grunts, officers, and high-ranking Elite officers. But the immediate atmosphere had drastically warped. The moment his tall silhouette crossed the threshold, the ambient noise shifted. Instead of being completely ignored or treated like disposable fodder, multiple eyes snapped directly onto his loose, dark hair and his sharp uniform. People across the floor were actively turning around, greeting him, and acknowledging his presence.
"Sup dude?" a low-level grunt called out, lifting his glass from a corner table.
"Sup," Odin answered flatly, his black eyes tracking the room.
"Omg, hi Odin," a female officer called out as he walked past, leaning against the lockers to get a better look at his face.
"Yes, hi" Odin said flatly.
"Yo, it's the hotshot! Wassup, my man?" an Elite Officer shouted from a leather couch, raising a hand in greeting.
"Sup, nothing much, just hungry," Odin replied, his voice calm and seemingly indifferent to the sudden attention.
"Cafeteria is right through that double archway, man! Go get some food!" the Elite Officer pointed toward the far side of the hall.
"Thanks," Odin said.
He continued through the dense crowd, hands tucked into his pockets.
"Hi Odin, do you want to do some field missions with us later?" a group of three female grunts asked, stepping into his path with eager, flushed faces.
"Nah, I'm good, thanks for the offer; maybe next time," Odin said, moving past them without slowing down.
"Awwww..." the group of three female grunts sighed in unison, watching his broad shoulders walk away.
He walked a little further through the lounge, the constant chatter following his footsteps. "Exhausting," Odin muttered under his breath, his tongue clicking against his teeth.
He stopped to look around some more. The room was thick with smoke, and the atmosphere was loud with people drinking, doing drugs, playing cards, and arguing over high-stakes games.
Then, through the heavy haze, he noticed a familiar head of bright red hair. It was Lucy.
She was currently deep in a game of cards and dice with some friends... or just some random coworkers from her branch. Sitting around the dirty table were two guys—one standard officer and one high-ranking Elite officer. And across from them sat three girls—one low-level grunt, one officer, and one Elite officer.
Odin decided he was going to come crashing straight into her game.
He confidently approached the table, tracking Lucy, who was far too busy being exceptionally fierce, spicy, and aggressive. She was arguing loudly and yelling at the top of her lungs as she shook the cup, threw her dice onto the wooden table, and lost once more. With a completely sad, defeated face, she regretfully and reluctantly handed over some cash from her pocket.
"Dammit! Fuck! One more round!" Lucy yelled, her face flushed with anger.
The others around the table instantly broke into loud laughter, teasingly making fun of her terrible losing streak. Some tried to tell her to stop gambling before she went completely broke, while others tried to encourage her to keep playing just to take more of her money.
Just as she aggressively grabbed the dice and was fully ready to throw them onto the wood again, Odin stepped into her personal space and sharply slapped the dice straight away from her hand.
Lucy spun around with absolute fury, her eyes flashing wide as she screamed. "WHO THE FUCK DARES?! I WILL HAVE MY ARBOK DIGEST YOU ALIVE, YOU PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT!" Lucy yelled violently, but she instantly swallowed her words the exact second her eyes locked onto the cold face of the man who had just knocked the dice out of her hand.
"O—Odin? Wh—what are you doing here?.." she stammered, her fierce attitude completely evaporating as her cheeks turned a deep crimson. She hid her hands behind her back, nervously playing with her index fingers and twirling them around together like a little child who had just been caught doing something bad. "I wa—wasn't gambling or anything... honestly..."
Odin stood over her with a completely blank face, his dead black eyes looking straight down at her with an expression of pure disappointment. "Cafeteria... Food... Eat... Now," Odin spoke, his voice completely flat.
"Odin! I missed you!" Lucy suddenly yelled out, completely ignoring her friends.
With a sudden, explosive movement, she violently jumped straight onto Odin's front. She wrapped her long, slender legs tightly around his waist, locking her ankles firmly behind his lower back to secure herself against his body. Her pelvic area pressed aggressively right up against his front, her inner thighs squeezing his waist with full force as she hung off his frame, entirely exposed in front of the entire lounge.
She immediately kicked her exaggerated Aegyo act straight into maximum gear. She dropped her voice into an incredibly high-pitched, whiny, and hyper-sexualized baby tone, purposely making a massive, dramatic scene to show off Odin in front of all her coworkers.
"Look at my big, strong boy! Oppa came back to get me!" Lucy cooed loudly in her high-pitched Aegyo voice, her chest pressing tightly against his sweater as she wrapped her arms around his neck, bouncing her lower body against his groin for everyone to see. She turned her head toward the stunned card table, her face full of an incredibly smug, bratty pride as she hyped him up and bragged shamelessly. "This is my hotshot, you losers! The legendary three-million-dollar bounty target! Look how big and dominant he is in his new uniform! He's a real alpha criminal, not like you low-tier rats! He's completely mine, his hard cock belongs entirely to me, and I'm the only girl who gets to ride him after a mission!"
She claimed him aggressively in front of every single grunt and officer in the lounge, her eyes flashing with pure territorial dominance while maintaining that sweet, whiny baby face. She leaned in close, wrapping her lips tightly around his jaw and cheek, giving him several incredibly wet, noisy, and sloppy kisses that left her glossy saliva smeared entirely over his face. "Mm~ chu! You're so handsome, Odin-tan! Look how hard you are right now! Are you hungry for me or hungry for food, daddy? Tell everyone how much you love your spicy little Lucy!"
Odin didn't shift his posture, his expression remaining completely blank, deadpan, and entirely unimpressed as her wet lips smeared against his skin. He only replied bluntly in a monotone voice, his hands staying tucked in his pockets. "Cafeteria... Food... Drinks... Now."
Lucy let out a loud, exaggerated pout, rubbing her cheek against his nose while continuing her explicit Aegyo act, her thighs squeezing his hips even tighter to show off her control over his tall frame. She looked back at her card friends, winking as she bid everyone goodbye in that hyper-sexualized tone. "Bye-bye, losers! I have to go take care of my big, hungry master now! I'm going to let him eat some real food, and then I'm going to let him stretch my walls inside his private quarters! Don't miss me too much!"
"Let's go, Odin," she finished, finally sliding her legs down from his waist, her boots hitting the floorboards with a soft click as she kept her fingers tightly locked with his hands.
And so, swaying her hips with absolute confidence, she began guiding him straight toward the double doors of the cafeteria, which was located right next to the main lounge area.
□■□■□■□■□■
The heavy double doors of the cafeteria swung shut behind them, instantly cutting off the rowdy roars, clinking beer glasses, and dense smoke of the central lounge. Lucy didn't let go for a single centimeter; she stayed glued to his flank, aggressively hugging his large hand right between her bare breasts, letting the soft tissue smash firmly against his arm as she pulled him along the tiled path toward the serving queue. They stepped into the line, waiting behind a few low-tier grunts to reach the stainless-steel food counters.
Odin ran his black eyes over the glowing digital menu boards mounted above the glass shields. There really weren't many high-end options or anything remotely close to a five-star culinary experience on display—but then again, this was a ruthless crime syndicate base, not a luxury restaurant. The mere fact that the logistics division provided hot, seasoned meals at all hours of the night was a massive luxury for an underground base full of hiding outlaws.
After checking the menu options for a short while, Odin pointed a finger through the glass to settle his tray. He ordered a Diglett Sausage Roll—thick breakfast sausages wrapped tightly inside a crispy, golden puff pastry designed to look like a mound of freshly dug dirt—paired with a Chansey's Lucky Omelet, which was a massive, fluffy egg pocket stuffed with melted cheese and featuring a perfectly round, bright yellow yolk pattern right in the center.
Lucy stepped up next, her red eyes lit up as she went for Togepi's Scrambled Shells—lightly whipped scrambled eggs served elegantly inside a clean, decorative ceramic shell—alongside a side order of Pikachu's Thunder-Bolts, which were crispy, golden-fried hash brown sticks drizzled with sharp ketchup zig-zags.
Next, they slid their trays down to the beverage dispensers to choose their drinks. Lucy instantly pressed the valve for a Pecha Pink Punch, watching the sweet, soft, and heavily fragrant magenta juice fill her glass to the brim with the scent of Celadon greenhouses. Odin simply reached into the cooler slot and pulled out another cold can of Spinda-Cola. He had always loved cola back on Earth, and he was firmly the type of person to never get out of his comfort zone, preferring to stick rigidly with what he liked. And now, thanks to Celine introducing him to the label during their late-night desk rendezvous, he was entirely loyal to the Spinda-Cola brand.
Before reaching the checkout register, Odin also stepped over to the item shelf and grabbed a few premium boxes of Poison-type Pokéblocks, calculating the dietary needs for his own male Nidoran and Lucy's female Nidoran back in their balls.
All in all, absolutely nothing inside this criminal network was free. The automated system totaled up the items, requiring a deduction of Team Rocket points for the meals, the cold drinks, and the specialized breeding blocks. Odin pulled his black TR officer card out of his uniform pocket and aggressively swiped it against the reader terminal, watching his balance drop. He clicked his tongue loudly, completely annoyed by the corporate pricing.
"Tch. Broke-ass, cheapskate motherfuckers," Odin grumbled under his breath, lifting his heavy tray with one hand. "Charging this much for processed eggs and microwave pastry, for what?.. So fucking expensive."
Lucy let out a sharp giggle, her red hair swaying as she lifted her own tray and nudged her hip firmly against his thigh. "Please, you're absolutely filthy rich now, Odin. That swipe didn't even affect 0.01% of your total wealth from your black-market Pokémon sales. Stop acting like a broke grunt."
"Points are points, sweetheart. I don't like giving them back to the corporation," Odin drawled flatly.
They both walked past the main row of long benches, searching the perimeter until they found an empty table that was quiet, completely private, and safely tucked away in a far corner of the cafeteria, well away from the prying eyes of the other Rocket Members. They sat down opposite each other, the surface cool beneath their arms as they began eating, immediately enjoying the hot fuel after days of proper meal.
Odin unclipped his Pokéballs, releasing both Nidorans onto the floorboards beside their chairs. The small, horned purple male and the blue female instantly scrambled over to the plastic dishes, completely focused on eating their fill of the pungent, bitter Poison blocks he had just paid for.
Odin picked up his fork, slicing a heavy chunk off the Chansey Omelet and shoving the rich, cheesy eggs straight into his mouth. He chewed lazily, his black eyes tracking Lucy as she picked up a golden hash brown stick with her fingers. Lucy took a slow, deliberate sip from her Pecha Pink Punch, the sweet magenta liquid coating her lips before her expression instantly shifted from the playful public act into a sharp, intense gaze. She leaned across the table, immediately grilling Odin with a barrage of serious questions.
"Alright, cut the crap," Lucy whispered sharply, her voice dropping the high-pitched tone entirely as she poked her fork toward his face. "How is Angel actually doing? Is her throat okay after what happened inside Mount Moon? Will she be able to use her voice to talk to you again, or did that wild Golbat completely ruin her throat? What did the Nurse Joy explicitly say about her survival?"
Odin swallowed his food, completely unfazed by her intensity. He picked up his Diglett Sausage Roll, tearing off a massive piece of the savory puff pastry with his teeth before replying in a flat, monotone voice. "She's stable. She's hooked up to an IV and a cannula in her nose to help her breathe better. The cut across her neck was a little deep—a high-speed wing slice from a wild Golbat that caused a complete tracheal collapse or whatever she said. But the nurse inside did a clean surgical job sewing her back together."
Lucy paused, her fork hovering over her scrambled eggs as she absorbed the graphic details. "And her voice? Can she speak?"
Odin took a long, cold gulp from his Spinda-Cola, the crisp carbonation hitting his throat before he set the can down with a dull thud. "Right now, she can't say a single word; she's completely sedated. The nurse manually reconstructed her neck?.. throat... cartilage? Anyways, and she stitched the deep muscle layers piece by piece. She told me there's a solid seventy-thirty percent chance of her recovery path. Seventy in favor of Angel regaining her vocal cords and being able to talk again down the line. We just have to let her throat rest completely."
Lucy let out a long, heavy breath she had been holding since Mount Moon, shifting her weight against the seat. "Thank god... seventy percent is a massive win considering she was bleeding out in those caves. If she lost her voice permanently, it would have broken her completely." She took another bite of her eggs, chewing thoughtfully before her red eyes narrowed, her focus shifting directly to Odin's frame. "And what about your shoulder wound? And more importantly... where the hell did you spend your entire night sleeping? I sat alone in my quarters for hours waiting for your name to pop up on my PokéGear. I thought you would actually call my line so we could sleep together after all that chaos, but you completely vanished."
Odin didn't even blink. He casually sliced another piece of his stuffed omelet, completely relaxed as he dropped a massive, unedited truth bomb straight onto the table. "I spent the entire night sleeping inside the medical room. Right on the bed where the nurse patched me up."
Lucy's eyebrows raised, her expression turning spicy. "Oh, really? Just sleeping? On a narrow hospital bed? For the whole night straight?"
Odin leaned back, a lazy, cocky smirk returning to his lips as he looked her straight in the eyes, completely unrepentant. "Nah. I ended up passionately making out with her across the desk, pulling her onto my lap, and thoroughly fucking her right in the dark while the heart monitor was blinking. I busted a massive nut deep inside of her before I fell asleep naked on her sheets. For the absolute sake of pure masculine supremacy."
Lucy's jaw instantly dropped, her red eyes flashing with a volatile mix of genuine shock, fierce jealousy, and a twisted kind of respect. She slammed her can of punch onto the table, her cheeks turning bright red as she glared at him. "Are you fucking serious, Odin?! Your girlfriend is lying unconscious on a hospital bed, Critical condition with her neck ripped open from a Pokemom attack, and you use that exact window to seduce a nurse and bust your nut inside of her on a desk?!"
Odin picked up his Spinda-Cola, taking another slow sip as he watched her flare up. "I was going to stay inside that ward overnight anyway because of Angel. The room went completely quiet with some jazz playing, and she climbed onto my lap. I take what I want, sweetheart. You know how I operate."
"You are an absolute, cold-blooded monster," Lucy gasped out, a wild, sharp laugh escaping her lips as she shook her head in disbelief, her jealousy melting into her usual spicy attitude. She picked up another hash brown stick, stabbing it aggressively into the ketchup. "A complete, unhinged villain. I swear, you don't possess a single shred of basic human shame. You just claimed a captive nurse like she was a bonus item on a mission sheet, meanwhile your girlfriend is unconscious and injured"
Odin chewed on his last roll fragment, his plate now completely clean except for a few stray crumbs. His expression hardened slightly, the lazy smirk fading into a more calculated, cold stare as he leaned further across the table. Because he trusted Lucy completely as his primary partner in this base, he decided to break open the deeper layout of the situation and lay the facts flat.
"Her name is Celine," Odin said, his voice dropping into a low, quiet murmur that barely traveled past the edge of their wooden table. "And she isn't just some random Nurse Joy staff member assigned to this base. She's explicitly being held down here as a high-value captive because a high-ranking Executive named Arlo is completely, pathologically obsessed with her existence."
Lucy froze, her fork stopping halfway to her mouth as her green eyes widened in absolute shock. She chewed quickly, swallowed her scrambled eggs, and leaned in until her chest was practically resting against the edge of the table. "Executive Arlo? Are you out of your mind? The bug-type fanatic? The one who completely flattened the Vermilion City Gym Leader and had the entire League police force running around Kanto chasing his Dumb ass?"
"Yeah, that exact bastard," Odin nodded calmly, taking another slow, deliberate sip from his Spinda-Cola can. "Celine told me the entire backstory while we were splitting some food at her desk late last night. She was working as a simple field trainee at the main Pokémon Center in Vermilion City. Arlo burst through the automatic front doors in the dead of night, straight off the cargo ships at the harbor. His main Scizor and Scyther were bleeding out through their body, and the base there was too far away for them to survive the travel. He held the entire night staff captive, threatening to end every life in the lobby if they didn't heal his team immediately."
Lucy took a sharp breath, her fingers tightening around her punch glass. "And she actually helped him?"
"None of the senior nurses wanted to step forward, despite him screaming and waving a weapon," Odin explained, his voice entirely flat. "But she took her duties seriously. She stepped up, wheeled his partners into the surgery wing, and manually saved both of their lives. The second the operations were successful, that so called terrifying Executive literally fell to his knees on her floor, crying like a baby and begging for her forgiveness for threatening her life. But that intense gratitude of his... it curdled into a complete obsession over the next few weeks. He kept making illegal visits to her clinic, cornering her in hallways, madly confessing his love, and tracking her shift schedules. A few months ago, he completely lost his remaining reasoning, broke into her house, and kidnapped her from her bed to hide her deep inside this base."
Lucy let out a long, stunned whistle, taking a heavy, frustrated gulp of her Pecha Pink Punch as her mind raced through the logistical terror of what Odin had just done. "And you still touched her? Knowing she is the personal captive of an obsessed Executive who treats her like a prized possession? Odin, Arlo will literally turn this entire base into a burning slaughterhouse to find you and kill your ass if he finds out another male has been laying his hands on her."
"She explicitly told me the exact same thing this morning," Odin grinned darkly, his fingers casually tapping against the aluminum can. "She put her clinical white coat back on, treated me like a complete stranger, and told me last night was a complete mistake that never happened. She warned me that Arlo has fiercely loyal grunts monitoring her perimeter and that I'm currently far too weak to survive a direct collision with his elite squad. But I already told her straight to her face: I will never be a memory. I claimed her, and if her love-obsessed Bowser wants to fight about it when his team gets back from Unova, I'll happily crush his bug Pokémon into green paste."
Lucy stared at him, her chest rising and falling as her shock shifted into a twisted, dark smirk of her own. She finished the last of her hash brown sticks, wiping her greasy fingers on a napkin. "You really are an absolute psycho, you know that? We make a massive mountain of cash scanning the field and selling high-potential Pokémon's, but you're actively buying a first-class ticket to a war with the highest tiers of Team Rocket's hierarchy. Arlo is unstoppable when he's in Kanto."
"Then I guess the future me better grow up fast," Odin smirked, his black eyes flashing with cold arrogance as his large hand closed around the empty Spinda-Cola can, crushing the metal flat inside his glove with a loud, violent crunch.
He stood up from the corner table, his tall posture casting a long, commanding shadow over the cafeteria floorboards as the meal officially concluded. On the floor beneath them, both Nidorans finished the remaining crumbs of their dark Poison blocks, licking their jaws clean before looking up at their trainers.
"Tomorrow morning Angel gets officially released from the clinic," Odin stated, his tone dropping the playful edge completely as he unclipped his Pokéball to recall his nidoran in a flash of red light. "We're taking her straight back to home, keep her safe there, and then we begin calculating our next move toward the coast. I want to see Vermilion city, the sea life is calling me! Captain Odin of the Sex pirates, now Let's get moving."
Lucy stood up from the table, her crimson eyes reflecting the harsh cafeteria lights as she hurried to match Odin's long, deliberate strides out into the hallway.
"Pfft, sex pirates? Right... whatever, anyway, what do you mean by home and Vermilion City?" Lucy asked, her tone shifting seamlessly from her previous shock into an analytical, sharp curiosity as she stepped closely alongside his flank.
"Home... well, I bought a house," Odin replied smoothly, his tone flat as he navigated the gray concrete path. "Well, no, more like I gave Angel a mountain of cash and she went ahead and bought a big house right in the central district area of Pewter City. I saw the map coordinates on my phone; she apparently sent the full location data to my inbox before shit went to hell."
Lucy blinked her red eyes, tilting her head in confusion. "Uh-huh... what about it?"
"Well, this would be the exact house we are going to be staying at for a while, and then we would officially move to Vermilion City, as I told you we would," Odin said, his voice carrying a hint of annoyance. "We should have already long been on our way down to Vermilion by now... but stupid shit just keeps happening."
Lucy froze for a split second, her boots skidding slightly on the floorboards before she quickly caught up to him. "We? You mean me too?"
"Yeah, of course you too... I mean, look at you! You're pathetic," Odin teased, a malicious, bullying smirk splitting his lips as he looked down at her. "How can a high-profile target like me be seen hanging around you while you're still sleeping in these low-life barracks or standard quarters where all these other pathetic beggars called grunts sleep in? Sheesh, seriously, don't you think that's completely embarrassing? You're embarrassing my reputation; I can't be seen around the sector with you living like this. I need to fix your lifestyle. I can't have you look like a generic beggar when you're with me. So yeah, my house is your house... ya get, bitch?"
The exact second the crude bullying line dropped, Lucy's eyes flared with pure, ecstatic energy. She completely flipped straight into her exaggerated Aegyo mode, her expression transforming into a hyper-sexualized, submissive baby face.
With a sudden, explosive spring, she violently jumped straight onto his front and wrapped her long legs tightly around his waist, locking her boots firmly behind his lower back. She began showering him with a torrential downpour of high-pitched, whiny compliments, her voice echoing loudly down the quiet hallway.
"Omg! Oppa is so big and generous! You're the most amazing, dominant alpha criminal in the entire world!" Lucy cooed in her whiny baby voice, bouncing her weight against his front while squeezing his waist with her inner thighs. "You're going to take your little Lucy away from those stinky grunt barracks? You're so rich and powerful, daddy! Look how handsome you are when you're taking care of your girl! You're a literal god compared to these low-life rats! I knew my strong man would never leave me behind to sleep in the dirt! I'm going to be the luckiest girl in the city!"
While she was aggressively screaming out her explicit Aegyo praise for anyone in the corridor to hear, she leaned her face forward, burying her mouth against his neck and jawline. She began giving him incredibly sloppy, loud, and wet kisses, smearing her glossy saliva entirely over his skin in an intense, territorial display of pure lust and gratitude.
Odin didn't even flinch or slow his stride, carrying her extra weight with total ease as his hands stayed tucked deep inside his office trousers. "Aye, aye... I get it... get your wet mouth off me," he grumbled bluntly, his expression completely blank and deadpan under the assault.
"Plus, it won't be just you, me, and Angel staying under that roof," Odin continued, completely ignoring her legs wrapped around his waist. "Her mother is also living there, and her little brother too. They are quiet, though, and they don't really bother anyone... but the mom doesn't like my face at all. She won't like you either, by the way. Criminals and outlaws and all that shit, it's reasonable. Oh, and there should be a local caretaker assigned to the property too... shit, damn, that's right, there's a civilian caretaker there... that won't go well at all. Guess I'm going to have to manually kill him or her... or just threaten to break their jaw or something."
Lucy finally slid her legs down his waist, her boots hitting the floorboards with a soft click as she smoothed down her shirt, her crimson eyes settling into a thoughtful stare. "Right... we are Rockets, after all. No normal civilian will ever accept us or our lifestyle."
She paused, walking quietly beside him for a moment before looking up at his profile, her voice dropping the high-pitched act. "But you know... you're awfully kind for someone who is supposed to be a mean, cold-blooded bastard. You gave your girlfriend's mother a luxurious place to live, and her little brother as well... probably sent them a massive amount of allowance money too."
Odin let out a sharp, cynical laugh, his black eyes glinting with pure villainous manipulation. "Well, I'm a bully, a thug, and a gangster... not a complete monster, sweetheart."
He leaned down slightly, his voice dropping into a smug, arrogant purr as he exposed the real strategy behind his charity. "Besides, there's a lot more to it. I'm basically buying Angel away from her mother. Give the old lady and her son a free house in Pewter City, and it becomes an incredibly easy excuse to permanently get rid of her. I can take Angel straight with me down to Vermilion City, while the mother lives her own separate life completely away from Angel and me... no headaches, no moral scolding, no disruptions. Once the family is out of the picture, I could manipulate Angel all I want without any external interference! How cool is that? All of this control, and the total cost was just one cheap house? Cheap as fuck, if you ask me."
Lucy let out a long, frustrated groan, rolling her red eyes at his massive financial detachment. "Ugh... rich people... Odin, you have absolutely no fucking idea how much a house costs in the high-end central district of Pewter City. It's an astronomical amount of credits."
"Boo-hoo, don't care, get on my level, bitch," Odin said mockingly, shooting her a smug grin.
Before Lucy could fire back an aggressive retort to defend her budget, her pocket suddenly exploded with a sharp electronic alert.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
The chime was incredibly loud in the narrow hallway. Odin clicked his tongue in irritation. "Your ringtone is fucking loud, Lucy. Just pick the damn phone up already!"
Lucy pulled the screen out, her crimson eyes quickly scanning the encrypted caller ID before her expression turned dead serious. "It's Executive Ariana... my cousin."
Odin's eyes narrowed slightly, his posture straightening.
"Give me a minute, I'll pick it up," Lucy said, her voice dropping the playful edge entirely as she slid the thumb valve to accept the line.
"Take your time," Odin muttered.
While she held the phone to her ear, Odin simply reached out with his glove, grabbing her hand firmly as he began guiding her down the corridor toward the main logistics block—the 5 Centers hub. He wasn't about to waste valuable operational time. He was going to use this exact window to sell the high-tier Platinum-potential Beedrill and the two extra Platinum-potential Nidorans he had scanned and captured out in the Mt.moon, ready to turn them into a mountain of fresh Team Rocket points.
□■□■□■□■□■□■□
Odin and Lucy continued their long walk through the concrete corridors of the base. Lucy held her phone tightly to her ear, her crimson eyes scanning the gray walls as she spoke into the encrypted communication line. From what Odin could hear as he walked alongside her, she was actively discussing an immediate mandatory meeting that they both needed to attend.
"Yes, Executive Ariana," Lucy spoke into the receiver, her voice dropping all playful attributes. "We just stepped out of the lower wing. Yes, Odin is right here with me... No, he didn't run off. We can report to your desk immediately... Understood. We'll lay out exactly what happened during our adventures in Mount Moon, why our communication lines went completely dead, and the full timeline of how the entire operation fell apart in the caves. We aren't hiding anything."
Odin didn't interrupt her phone conversation for a single second. He simply kept his hand wrapped firmly around hers, casually pulling her along down the hallway as they marched straight into the massive trading block. Soon, they arrived directly at Center 3—the central where you could sell your Pokémon and items alike for TR points. You could sell other stuff as well.
Odin swaggered right up to the desk counter, looking down at the female clerk on duty.
"Sup, bitch," Odin drawled crudely, his tone full of absolute disrespect as he dropped three heavy Pokéballs right onto the counter surface with a loud rattle. "I have no time to waste, so take my balls right now, scan the data, and spit up the fucking dough."
The receptionist grunt stared at him, her face twisting in immediate anger at the blatant insult. She thought he was incredibly rude, but the second her eyes tracked his wild black hair and sharp high-neck sweater, she instantly swallowed her tongue. She recognized his face. He was famous across the lower sectors—the ultimate rising star, the absolute golden goose of Team Rocket, and the legendary three-million-dollar bounty man. Plus, Odin held an official officer rank that was a full tier higher than her rank, giving him total disciplinary authority over her.
Because of that power gap, she decided it was best to shut her mouth, take the disrespect lying down, and pull the Pokéballs into her inventory tray.
"Listen, bitch, you better look closely at those Pokémon's," Odin sneered, his expression completely warping. His face violently twisted into an unhinged, wide-eyed look of absolute madness, his mouth stretching into a psychotic, wide smile with his tongue extending out like an erratic animal as his black eyes locked onto her trembling form. "Those are three individual Platinum-Potential targets you're holding right there... and one of them even has the internal talent to reach Max Diamond-Potential. Yeah, you heard me right, not just standard diamond, but max... full thirty-one IV spreads across every single stat line. The Boss better be exceptionally happy with my delivery, and you better start coughing up my money right now."
The receptionist panicked, her fingers shaking as she quickly slid the first two Pokéballs into the high-frequency IV scanning dock. Within three seconds, the digital holographic screens flared to life above the desk, flashing the verified biological spread. She gasped loudly, her hand rushing to cover her mouth as she stared at the glowing metrics. It was completely real—the results displayed a male and a female Nidoran, both holding a flawless, pristine Platinum-Potential baseline with near-perfect IV spreads.
"Oh my god..." she stammered, frantically reaching for her desk landline terminal to call the higher-ups for an immediate credit authorization.
She attempted to patch the call straight through to Executive Ariana's office, but the system immediately bounced the signal back with a busy tone because Ariana was actively on the phone with Lucy in the corridor. With the automatic protocol escalating due to the sheer rarity of the assets, the secure call routed straight to the very peak of the organization—the Boss himself, Giovanni.
The terminal chimed, and Giovanni's heavy, low voice vibrated through the audio grill, demanding to know why a low-tier desk was bypassing security channels.
The girl completely panicked, her voice cracking as she stammered out the data report to the ruler of the syndicate. "B-Boss! Officer Odin is standing right here at Center 3 counter! He just presented three rare field targets for direct selling! I've already scanned the first two... they are two Platinum-Potential Nidorans! One male and one female, sir!"
While keeping Giovanni actively on the line, the receptionist quickly looked up at Odin, her attitude turning entirely polite as she hurried to explain the pricing structure. "Officer Odin... the Boss is instructing me to process the trade immediately. As you know, the Nidoran evolutionary line is considered absolute royalty here in the Kanto region, and they hold an incredibly prestigious status within the history of Team Rocket. Combined with the massive final competitive power of Nidoking and Nidoqueen, they are considered the true historical face of our entire syndicate, standing right alongside the Rhydon evolution tree. Because these are matching, high-tier Nidorans, the corporate matrix values them at exactly thirty-thousand TR points each... making your total payout sixty-thousand TR points for the pair."
Odin stood at the counter, his mind immediately running the mathematical conversions real quick based on the currency system:
1 TR point is equal to 100 PokéDollars.
10 TR points is equal to 1,000 PokéDollars.
100 TR points is equal to 10,000 PokéDollars.
1,000 TR points is equal to 100,000 PokéDollars.
10,000 TR points is equal to 1,000,000 PokéDollars.
Odin's black eyes flared with a wild, hungry light as the calculation finished inside his head. With sixty-thousand TR points... that translates directly to six-million PokéDollars. I am fucking filthy rich.
But his greed didn't stop there. He leaned over the counter, tapping his finger against the third ball. "Wait a fucking minute, bitch. I still have the Beedrill sitting in that tray. Scan it."
The receptionist nodded frantically, grabbing the final premium ball and dropping it into the IV scanner slot. The terminal chimed once more, and the digital readouts exploded with an even brighter blue light. Another flawless Platinum-Potential file populated the database... but this specific Beedrill possessed the hidden talent parameters to fully break the ceiling and reach Max Diamond-Potential with full thirty-one IVs across the board.
Giovanni received the real-time data sync directly on his personal office screen over in Viridian City. The moment the report hit his interface, the Boss immediately yelled down the phone line to the desk girl, his voice full of a sudden, deep authority. "That Beedrill is mine! Transfer the data lock directly to my private sector immediately! Although the Beedrill species usually suffers from a short biological lifespan and low standard base stats... a Max Diamond-Potential Beedrill on my main competitive team will shine beautifully under my personal care. This bug will sting this fucking world into absolute submission!"
Giovanni knew the raw corporate books couldn't justify offering a massive volume of TR points for a standard bug-type, but he recognized the unique value Odin was bringing to his personal roster. I can owe this officer a direct favor, Giovanni thought to himself, instructing the girl on the final terms.
The receptionist girl listened to the headset, nodding quickly before addressing Odin. "Officer Odin... because it is a Beedrill and not a royal bloodline like the Nidorans, the base TR point conversion will be significantly less. However, the Boss has just explicitly stated that he will personally owe you a direct favor for this target. The terminal is capping the point transfer at twenty-two thousand TR points for the asset."
"FUCK YEAAHHHH!!! AHAHHAHAHAHA!" Odin suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs, breaking the entire silence of the trading hub as he broke into a loud, menacing laugh of pure joy.
He couldn't give a single flying shit if the Beedrill didn't sell for a massive mountain of points compared to the royalty lines; with his hidden system, he could always just walk out into the forest, grab another low-level weedle, and turn it into a Platinum-Potential Pokémon whenever he felt like it. So who the hell cared about the minor point difference? What mattered most was the final sum: eighty-two thousand TR points gained in a single transaction.
He already had ten-thousand TR points sitting in his secure balance from his previous sector runs, and the other ten-thousand TR points he had made almost a week ago, he had already successfully converted into raw PokéDollars and handed straight to Angel so she could purchase her house within central district and do whatever she needed to do. Therefore, with this fresh Money drop, Odin now officially possessed a grand total of ninety-two thousand TR points. That translated directly to an astronomical nine-point-two million PokéDollars sitting in his pocket.
"HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Odin continued to roar with laughter, his voice echoing off the concrete walls like a complete madman.
Suddenly, a sharp pain hit his shin. Lucy stepped up and lightly kicked him with her boot, her crimson eyes full of irritation as she glared at his laughing face. "Shut up, Odin! Snap out of your stupid trance already. You're acting completely creepy in front of the others."
Odin smirked, his laugh fading into a cocky grin as he handed his black Team Rocket identification cards over to the clerk. The girl took them with trembling hands, quickly swiping the plastic through the network slot to permanently update the point totals on his secure account balance.
Odin reached out and happily snatched the card back, sliding it into his tailored trousers with a huge, satisfied grin. He looked right back at the receptionist girl, delivering a rude, sexually provocative parting gesture by sticking his tongue out and making a crude, suggestive gesture with his fingers. "Thanks for the cash, sweetheart. Make sure to keep that seat warm for me until I come back to fuck you."
He turned his broad frame around, looking over at Lucy, who had just smoothly clicked her phone shut, finally finishing up her lengthy operational conversation with Executive Ariana.
BZZZZ—DING!
Suddenly, a brilliant blue system notification flashed right across his internal vision, the digital text engine updating his records in real-time.
[Achievement Unlocked: The Millionaire Outlaw — Accumulate 5,000,000 or more PokéDollars in net assets.]
[Reward Granted: 1CP]
[Reward Granted: 1 SP]
Odin smirked at the internal screens, noticing Lucy was still staring at his face with a weird, highly scrutinizing look.
"Just so you know, babe... I literally just earned 9.2 million PokéDollars in pure profit just now. Ninety-two thousand TR points loaded straight onto my card," Odin said, swaggering right into her personal space with an arrogant shrug. "So let me celebrate my victory in peace without your scrutinizing look tracking my face."
"9.2 Million?!" Lucy yelled out, her crimson eyes instantly flashing wide as the massive economic reality hit her brain.
Without a single shred of her serious composure left, she completely flipped straight into her Aegyo mode once again. She jumped right back onto him, locking her legs tightly around his waist and wrapping her arms around his collar as she began voicing loud, whiny praise, making a massive scene in the middle of the crowded logistics center.
"Omg! Oppa is filthy rich! You're literally the wealthiest alpha criminal in the base!" Lucy squealed in her incredibly high-pitched, whiny baby voice, bouncing her weight against his groin right in front of the trading terminal. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her bare breasts tightly against his sweater as she bragged shamelessly for everyone to hear. "Nine point two million?! You're an absolute god, daddy! Let me hold the card! You have to buy your spicy little Lucy a whole new custom wardrobe and the most expensive Luxuries in Kanto! Look how big and powerful my man is! I'm going to ride you until your legs give out tonight!"
While she was screaming out her explicit Aegyo praise, she leaned her face forward, wrapping her ruby lips tightly around his jaw and cheek. She began giving him incredibly sloppy, loud, and wet kisses, smearing her glossy saliva entirely over his skin in an intense display of territorial lust. "Mmm~ chu! You're so hot when you make this much money, Odin-Tan! Tell me I'm your favorite girl! Tell me you're going to spoil me rotten!"
Odin didn't shift his posture, his expression remaining completely blank, deadpan, and entirely unimpressed as her wet lips smeared against his skin, his hands staying tucked in his pockets as he carried her weight with ease. "Your something else ya know.. What's with this sudden personality switch.. you weren't like this before–"
"Mmm–Chu" she kissed him to shut him up.
□■□■□■□■□
Odin and Lucy walked hand in hand straight into Center 2, passing beneath a massive neon archway. This was the base's primary marketplace, a vast department hub where operatives could purchase anything they needed or wanted. The rows of steel shelves and glass display cases were packed to the brim, showcasing an array of Pokéballs, evolutionary stones, medical potions, electronic equipment like updated Pokégears, Pokédex units, and Xtransceivers, alongside a high-end black-market pharmacy, TM's and other goods.
Odin began systematically pointing out supplies, starting with their field equipment. He first bought ten sets of Rocket Balls featuring the signature red 'R' logo for Lucy, and another ten sets for himself. He followed that up by stacking their shopping basket with twenty Ultra Balls, twenty Great Balls, and twenty standard Pokéballs to split down the middle. He pulled down a premium, higher-quality, and slightly larger Pokébag from the gear rack, handing it directly to Lucy to replace her worn grunt satchel. Next, he completely overhauled their medical stock, grabbing bundles of high-tier Hyper Potions and throwing all their basic Normal Potions and Super Potions directly into a recycling bin.
With their survival gear finalized, Odin dragged her over to the high-end beauty and lifestyle aisles. He began tossing a massive collection of premium maintenance goods into the cart, ensuring she had everything a girl needs to perfectly maintain her look down here. He selected luxury perfumes, design bags, jeweled earrings, necklaces, bracelets, skin lotions, luxury shampoos, deep conditioners, a premium hairbrush, a heavy-duty hairdryer, and a full assortment of makeup kits, nail paint, and polishers.
Reaching the top shelf, he grabbed a bottle of Monarch brand perfume and a matching skin lotion. The distinctive gold lettering immediately made Lucy's crimson eyes twitch with a sharp recognition.
"That's exactly why you smell so incredibly good today, Oppa," Lucy teased, her ruby lips curving into a sharp, knowing smirk as she nudged her shoulder against his chest. "You finally decided to learn how to impress your girl."
"Courtesy to Celine," Odin drawled flatly, completely deadpan as he checked the lotion labels.
Lucy's smile instantly evaporated, her red eyes flaring with pure, volatile jealousy as she let out a loud, frustrated groan. "Ugh! Celine this, Celine that, Celine here, Celine fucking there! I swear to god, if I hear that nurse's name leave your mouth one more time, I'm letting Arbok bite your other shoulder!"
Odin simply barked out a loud, mocking laugh, thoroughly enjoying her territorial frustration as he pushed the heavy cart down the final aisle.
Eventually, they reached a specialized glass counter that immediately caught his attention. Stacked neatly in rows beneath the fluorescent lights were hundreds of brightly colored electronic devices. "Vapes... they actually sell vapes down here," Odin cheered out, his black eyes widening with genuine, child-like excitement. "Holy shit, I can finally smoke again!"
He leaned his forearms against the glass, quickly scanning the extensive menu of vapor profiles laid out across the terminal screen:
Oran Berry Ice: A crisp, chilling sweet blueberry profile inspired by the universal blue Oran Berry.
Pecha Mint Cream: A velvety, sweet pink peach vapor mixed with refreshing menthol based on the fragrant Pecha Berry.
Aspear Sour Apple: A sharp, throat-hitting tart green apple flavor utilizing the ice-thawing, sour Aspear Berry.
Sitrus Tangy Twist: A smooth citrus cloud featuring a blend of sweet tangerine and grapefruit notes from the restorative Sitrus Berry.
Cheri Fire Cracker: A warming cinnamon-spiced cherry inhale that heats up with the spicy kick of a Cheri Berry.
Rawst Menthol Burst: An intensely cold, bitter, and frosty herbal mint juice made directly from the burn-healing Rawst Berry.
Lum Berry All-Stars: A complex, smooth, multi-layered mixed fruit profile that blends sweet, sour, and bitter elements using the status-clearing Lum Berry.
Nanab Smooth Banana: A creamy, smooth, banana-creme inhale with a mild throat hit based on the dense Nanab Berry.
Razz Berry Cotton Candy: A super-sweet, airy vape cloud that tastes like sugary raspberry spun-sugar from the Razz Berry.
Bluk Blackcurrant Slush: A deep, tart blackcurrant and dark plum flavor profile derived from the stain-inducing Bluk Berry.
Pinap Tropical Pineapple: A sharp, tangy, punchy pineapple juice vape that delivers a massive throat hit using the Pinap Berry.
Wepear Green Pear Ice: A crisp, mellow orchard pear flavor paired with a refreshing menthol cooling agent from the Wepear Berry.
Mago Magenta Melon: A uniquely sweet, exotic pink melon and cantaloupe mix derived from the curved Mago Berry.
Aguav Bitter-Sweet Guava: A complex tropical guava flavor that finishes with a slightly dry, bitter undertone from the Aguav Berry.
Iapapa Sour Passionfruit: A lip-smacking, intensely sour passionfruit and citrus blend utilizing the yellow Iapapa Berry.
"Wow, there are so many goddamn choices... I feel like a kid back in a candy store," Odin said excitedly, his hands gesturing wildly at the glass panel. "Lucy, help me out here. Choose a flavor! Hurry up!"
Lucy blinked her red eyes, looking completely overwhelmed by the brightly colored plastic cases. "Uh... I don't really know anything about these smoking things, Odin. But Oran Berry Ice sounds completely fine, I guess?"
"Alright then, I'll take the Oran Berry Ice and the Nanab Smooth Banana! Miss Clerk, over here!" Odin called out loudly, snapping his fingers.
The female counter clerk walked over, offering a polite nod. "Okay, sir. We have the seventy-five hundred puff models, the ten thousand, the fifteen thousand, or the twenty thousand puff variants. Which ones do you want?"
"Give me the twenty thousand puff model for both of them!" Odin ordered without a single second of hesitation.
"Understood," the clerk replied, turning around to pull the premium, large-capacity devices straight from the secure inventory lockbox.
She quickly prepared everything they had requested, scanning the massive pile of luxury beauty products, custom bags, Hyper Potions, and the heavy blocks of Rocket Balls. Odin swiped his black identification card across the terminal once again, letting the machine deduct a massive chunk of TR points to finalize the purchase.
Lucy watched the numbers flash on the screen, her red eyes softening with genuine concern as they bagged up the mountain of items. "Damn, Odin... you know, that is a ridiculous amount of points you just blew through. I didn't actually need all this luxury stuff, beauty makeup, and high-end perfume... just standard survival supplies are good enough for the field."
"It's whatever, sweetheart," Odin drawled, lifting the heavy bags with his gloved hands, his tone completely relaxed. "Making money is all about spending money. If you have the capital, you live like royalty."
Lucy let out a sharp, mocking chuckle, crossing her arms as she teased him about his earlier breakdown at the cafeteria register. "So much for 'Points are points, Sweetheart, broke-ass cheapskate motherfuckers.' You switch your logic real quick when it benefits you, don't you?"
"Who cares? Now shut up and let me try my new toy," Odin grinned.
He ripped open the cardboard packaging for the Oran Berry Ice device, pulling the sleek plastic unit free. He brought the mouthpiece directly to his lips and took a deep, massive puff, pulling the heavy vapor deep into his lungs. He held it for a beat before exhaling a massive, thick white cloud that smelled intensely of sweet blueberries and icy menthol.
"Holy shit, that was literal heaven! Ahhh... the absolute bliss," Odin sighed happily, his eyes glaze over with pure satisfaction as he immediately took another deep drag. "I missed this garbage so fucking much."
Lucy shook her head with a soft smile, turning her broad shoulders toward the main hallway indicators. "Well, now that your lungs are full of ice, shall we go see Executive Ariana now? She is waiting for us."
Odin took one more deep, slow puff of the Oran Berry Ice Vape, the thick vapor trailing out from his lips as he stepped into line beside her. "Yeah, sure. Lead the way, babe," he said smoothly, exhaling another freezing cloud into the concrete corridor.