Chapter 100: Join Team Rocket—Name Your Price
Hoenn Region's this big, and you're saying it only needs Team Rocket??
Silence.
The moment Damian finished speaking, the entire Team Magma base went dead quiet.
"What did you say?"
Courtney finally reacted, her deep purple eyes trembling as she stared at him in disbelief.
"Was I not clear enough?"
Damian raised a brow, looking the short‑haired, purple‑bobbed Team Magma Admin over with genuine interest.
"Then I'll make it simpler. We're taking this turf, the Hoenn Region, for Team Rocket.
"As for you Team Magma and Team Aqua… what are you, exactly? Filthy trash. A laughable organization, a laughable ideology, and laughable people."
Damian smiled as he laid on the mockery without holding back.
He really did look down on Team Magma and Team Aqua.
Calling them an "evil organization" was putting it nicely. Strip the nice words away and they were just a pair of extremist eco‑groups.
And their ideology wasn't even pure.
They claimed they wanted to expand land and sea to "create a better world."
But what they actually did was steal other people's Pokémon, hijack other people's submarines, break into labs, that kind of thing.
What a joke.
An incompetent leader commanding an incompetent organization.
What use was there in letting them stick around?
"Your kind of rabble thinks you're on the same level as us, getting called an evil team too?"
Arrogant. Absolutely arrogant.
The Team Magma members were furious.
This was no different from having someone sit on their heads and take a dump.
Lord Courtney! Say something already!
"Big talk!!"
Courtney was livid too.
Her face was still mostly expressionless, but it was obvious from the way her full chest rose and fell that her emotions were slipping.
"So we're filthy, are we? Then I'd love to see what exactly you Team Rocket people can do."
Courtney couldn't accept her organization being looked down on like this.
Normally, she was cold‑headed and clear‑minded.
Before joining Team Magma, Courtney had been a scientist, the kind of person who only had passion for things she was personally interested in.
Maxie's dream of creating more land was what had caught her attention—so she'd chosen to follow him, help him build a world with more land. Her loyalty had been absolute.
But now their organization's ideology had been humiliated this hard.
Courtney was done.
"Tsk." Damian clicked his tongue, genuinely amused.
But when Courtney saw Damian still looking utterly relaxed, she just went colder.
She threw out a Poké Ball.
A Swellow and a Ninetales appeared in front of her.
She didn't have a choice; back on Mt. Chimney, both her Camerupt and Mightyena had been beaten by May.
But the second the two Pokémon came out, a faint blue glow wrapped around them.
Swellow and Ninetales struggled desperately—but it was useless.
A binding Psychic! When had it—
Courtney's face went ugly as she turned to look.
It was that armored Pokémon behind the boy!
Armored Mewtwo lifted one finger, then flicked it back.
Ninetales and Swellow shot backward at high speed, slamming into the wall hard enough that they stayed stuck there, not even sliding down.
"That's it?"
Damian raised a brow, asking the question flatly.
Courtney stared at her two Pokémon, who'd completely lost the ability to fight.
For a long second, she was just stunned.
How could it be this strong?!
Seeing even their own Admin get instantly wrecked like that, the Team Magma grunts were all completely rattled.
"At this level… you really dare run around acting tough?"
Damian kept the pressure on.
Courtney pressed her lips together.
She wanted to argue back—but reality was worse than brutal.
Right now, all she could do was shut up.
"Strictly speaking, I should send all of you down to the mines as workers.
"But I'm a softhearted guy."
At Caitlin's psychic nudge, a chair floated over.
Damian took it and sat down, crossing one leg over the other as he looked them over like he had all the time in the world.
"If you keep running with Team Magma, there's only one road ahead: a dead end.
"No future.
"Right now, this is your fork in the road. Your chance.
"Whether you can grab it or not… that's on you."
Damian's gaze swept over the dozens of Team Magma members in front of him, finally stopping on a short‑haired, black‑haired girl.
He raised a brow.
Her outfit was a little different from the standard Team Magma grunt uniform. That made the corner of his mouth curl upward.
"The offer's right in front of you.
"If you're willing to join Team Rocket, step to the left.
"If you're not, step to the right."
Damian's tone was casual.
All the Team Magma members glanced at each other, frozen between hesitation and panic.
No one dared to move.
"Didn't you hear Lord Damian?
"Or are you waiting for me to come 'invite' you myself?"
Gladion's cold voice cut through the air, his icy stare instantly snapping the Team Magma grunts out of it.
"I want to join Team Rocket!"
"I've been sick of Team Magma for ages! I'm joining Team Rocket—we're gonna go big!"
"I was born to join Team Rocket!"
"Anyone can see which side's got the future. Team Rocket's the real chosen one!"
Unsurprisingly, most of the Team Magma grunts scrambled to the left.
They were just ordinary Team Magma members; their loyalty wasn't exactly sky‑high.
Sure, it was awkward as hell switching sides right in front of their former superior, Courtney.
But compared to their own safety, compared to being sent to mine till they dropped… they were choosing survival.
Work's work—who cared where you worked?
And Team Rocket had just proven they were the real deal.
"..."
Courtney glanced over the crowd.
More than ninety percent of her subordinates had already defected.
The rest were still torn or watching her nervously.
She tilted her head, a slightly dazed look in her eyes.
Just like that… she'd become a lone wolf?
Time passed quickly.
In just a few minutes, under the pressure from Silvally and Umbreon, almost every Team Magma grunt had moved to the left.
Beside Courtney, only a single cloak‑wearing woman remained, dressed in a black tight top and hot pants.
"Lord Courtney, this is bad.
"How about we fake a surrender? Don't worry, I'll always be on your side!"
Even standing in this mess, the black‑haired cloaked girl's face still showed that same bright, fearless smile as she quietly whispered to Courtney.
Courtney's heart rippled, just a little.
She remembered this girl.
Zinnia—she'd only joined the organization not long ago.
She hadn't expected that even in this situation, Zinnia could stay calm.
Courtney thought it over carefully, then raised her hand, expressionless as ever.
"I surrender."
In a spot like this, if she didn't compromise, there was no way she was walking out of the Team Magma base in one piece.
Besides… she'd developed a bit of interest in these three.
They were too strong.
Did Team Rocket really have this many powerhouses?
"Excellent.
"Welcome, new colleagues.
"You've all made a wise choice—I don't think you'll regret it."
Damian clapped, thoroughly pleased.
"Compared to Team Magma, you can trust me on this—Team Rocket will give you a lot more."
"Our organization doesn't have any lofty, empty dreams.
"Take more turf. Make more money. Live better. Seize more power."
Damian stood as he spoke.
That was the core difference between Team Rocket and the other evil teams.
Starting with Giovanni, Team Rocket's goals had always been brutally practical: use Pokémon to rake in cash by any means, then seize control of the world.
Damian hadn't changed that goal.
He had, however, cut down a lot of the truly inhuman plans.
Playing dirty was fine.
Having literally no bottom line wasn't.
Not that Damian's own bottom line was all that high—
But at least he wasn't a complete animal.
Courtney stayed expressionless.
Empty? Their Team Magma ideology was "empty"?
She mulled that over in silence.
"Gladion, take them and get a headcount.
"You—and you two—come with me."
Damian tossed control of the grunts to Gladion, then pointed at Courtney and Zinnia.
With that, he and Caitlin headed out of the base.
Damn, it was hot in here.
Not just hot but stuffy, the kind of stuffy that made your whole body itch.
Courtney and Zinnia naturally followed.
It was obvious Damian was the one in charge among the three.
"Haa～ that's better. Way more comfortable out here."
Once they stepped outside, Damian let out a long breath.
The air here wasn't exactly fresh, but compared to inside Team Magma's base, it was heaven.
"How did you Team Magma people even think this was a good idea?
"Building a base underground next to a volcano?
"You're not worried you'll just suffocate to death in there?"
Damian couldn't help complaining.
Courtney: "..."
Zinnia, on the other hand, nodded in subtle agreement.
She didn't get it either.
In the end, she'd chalked it up to "Team Magma's brains are broken."
"Lord Damian, what did you call us out here for?"
Courtney tactfully dropped the topic, her voice soft and surprisingly adorable as she addressed Damian.
She was very professional.
Calling him "Lord Damian" already showed how clearly she'd shifted her own stance.
"I've got something to discuss with you two.
"Let's find somewhere to eat first and talk over food.
"Oh—and change your clothes."
Damian gave Courtney a look.
Zinnia could pass, but there was no way Lord Courtney was stepping into town wearing that Team Magma‑signature uniform.
Courtney went quiet again, but still nodded.
She really did want to see what Damian was aiming at.
Once Courtney had thrown on a jacket over her clothes, the group of four headed for Lavaridge Town.
With Team Magma and Team Aqua's little brawl over, the security around Lavaridge had already relaxed a lot.
Damian didn't even see Flannery or that leading Officer Jenny anywhere.
After entering Lavaridge, the four of them picked a restaurant and booked a private room.
Damian was planning to eat first. He was getting hungry.
"Team Rocket's just arrived in Hoenn. Everything's still in its infancy.
"That means we're very short on people right now."
Once they'd eaten most of their fill, Damian finally turned to the two women across from him.
Courtney clearly had no appetite.
The spread on the table was huge, but she'd barely touched anything.
Zinnia, on the other hand, hadn't been shy at all.
She ate like a champ, grease shining at the corner of her mouth.
Courtney honestly couldn't understand it.
How was Zinnia this carefree?
Damian and Caitlin were sitting right across from them.
She wasn't even a little worried about their safety?
"I won't beat around the bush.
"You're both talented.
"I can put you in key positions—let you really shine."
Damian tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, his gaze settling on Courtney.
"The reason I look down on Team Magma and Team Aqua isn't just your joke of an ideology.
"It's also your actual strength.
"Take Maxie, for example.
"At Elite Four–level, he doesn't even qualify as strong.
"With that kind of power, what exactly do you think he can accomplish?"
"Lord Maxie, he—"
Hearing Damian sneer at Maxie, Courtney's cool expression finally shifted a little.
But Damian had no interest in listening to her.
He cut her off with a wave.
"Do you have any idea how many people Team Rocket has?
"Just counting executives, we're already over ten.
"And the minimum bar to be an executive is Elite Four–tier—or at least quasi‑Elite Four."
Damian's tone was flat.
Hearing that, Courtney's purple pupils shrank.
Even Zinnia, who'd been leisurely stuffing her face, paused mid‑bite.
More than a dozen executives, all basically at Elite Four–level?
Holy crap.
Was that really the kind of roster an "evil organization" should have?
Zinnia was floored.
Stacked up against that, Team Magma and Team Aqua really were exactly what Damian had called them.
Trash.
No wonder the guy looked down on them so much.
If it were her, she'd be even more arrogant than Damian.
"Stick with trash like Maxie and you've got no future.
"Think it through, carefully.
"Of course, I'm not about to let you just walk out of here either."
Damian addressed Courtney directly.
He wasn't all that impressed with her raw strength, but he could see she had ability.
Team Rocket was short on reliable people right now; anyone usable was getting used.
Courtney fell silent, deep in thought.
"And as for you."
Damian turned to Zinnia.
She flashed him a big, fearless smile, the contrast between her white teeth and tanned skin striking.
This one—really didn't seem scared at all.
Caitlin took a sip of tea, quietly surprised as she watched Zinnia.
She'd been keeping an eye on the two of them this whole time.
Unlike Courtney's heavy mood, Zinnia had been relaxed from start to finish.
She didn't seem concerned about danger at all.
It was… not normal.
"Any instructions for me, Lord Damian?"
Zinnia even took the initiative to ask.
"I'll be straight with you too, Zinnia.
"Join Team Rocket.
"Name your price."
Damian reached into his pocket, took out a gold badge, and tossed it to Zinnia.
She caught it and turned it over curiously.
The badge was beautifully made, with delicate patterns etched around the edges.
In the center was a large, stylized "R."
Caitlin's expression changed instantly.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the badge, then at Zinnia.
That was the top‑tier Admin ID badge in Team Rocket.
Right now, only Damian and Giovanni had one.
Which meant just one thing.
This Zinnia was a Champion‑tier Trainer?!
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