Rustboro City, right before the storm.
Under Officer Jenny's lead and guidance, civilians in Rustboro City's northwestern district were quickly evacuated.
Devon Corporation's building had already been emptied out hours ago.
Damian lounged in the president's chair, sipping coffee and scrolling through forums. Beside him, Tapu Fini was happily nibbling on little cakes, bite by bite.
Armored Mewtwo stood silently at the floor‑to‑ceiling window like a statue.
Zinnia sat on the sofa, filing her nails. Caitlin was on the other side, using a clean cloth to polish her Poké Balls.
Joseph Stone, on the other hand, was a bundle of nerves. These three were way too calm.
They did know what was about to happen… right?
"Mr. Stone, you look a little tense."
Damian finally tore his gaze away from the computer and looked over at Joseph Stone with a faint smile.
"If you three leave now, it's still not too late."
Joseph Stone hesitated for a moment. He still hoped they'd get out while they could.
In his mind, there was simply no way just three people could take on the League personnel led by Steven.
"You're all still very young."
"And because you're young, your time should be spent doing far more meaningful things, don't you think?"
Damian stood and looked down through the spotless glass. He could already see them: the officers led by Officer Jenny had arrived at Devon Corporation's front entrance.
"There's a line I really like—'Let life blaze like the brilliance of summer flowers, and let death fall as quietly beautiful as autumn leaves.'" Damian's tone was almost refined.
"Life is incredibly short. In such a limited span, to go all‑out and bloom, to pursue the most extreme beauty and radiance—"
"That's a pretty meaningful way to live, isn't it?"
Damian looked back at Joseph Stone.
"Just like you, Mr. Stone. You built Devon Corporation from an unknown little company into one of the strongest companies in the world. For other businesspeople, your existence is dazzling."
"That's not the same." Joseph Stone shook his head.
"No, it is. For me, I also want people to recognize my brilliance—to truly remember… a name that belongs to me alone."
The corner of Damian's mouth lifted.
Boom!
With a violent crash, the main doors to the president's office were blown open as a Metagross came into view.
"Father!"
Behind Metagross, Steven's eyes immediately locked onto Joseph Stone.
"Steven!" Joseph Stone's face lit up in relief.
Zinnia and Caitlin slowly rose to their feet.
"Steven‑sensei, don't you think that was a bit too violent?"
Damian smiled lazily at Steven. There was no one behind Steven—which meant he'd come up alone?
"That door wasn't cheap, you know. Smashing it like that's kind of a shame."
"Damian!"
Steven's gaze went cold as he stared at Damian, eyes flicking briefly toward Zinnia and Caitlin.
"Why did you kidnap my father?!"
He couldn't understand why Damian and the others had specifically targeted Joseph Stone.
"You'll have to ask Mr. Stone about that. I'm sure he'll tell you." Damian shrugged.
Steven frowned slightly and glanced at Joseph Stone, catching the complicated look on his father's face. His heart sank.
So there really was something his father had been hiding from him? They were going to have to talk about that later.
"Damian, our people have already sealed off this entire area. You have no way out." Steven said heavily.
"Way out?"
Damian raised a brow and gave Steven an amused look.
"Haven't seen you for a few days and you've already picked up Wallace‑sensei's bad habits, huh?"
Damian flexed his fingers, his tone openly mocking.
"Why would we need a way out? Steven‑sensei, I'd say the real surprise here is that you actually came up here alone. You've got some guts."
On the open ground not far from Devon Corporation—
"Is it really okay for Steven to go up there alone?" Wallace was a bit worried about his bro's safety.
"Champion Steven's not a reckless person. Since he made that decision himself, we should trust him and wait for his signal."
Cynthia wasn't exactly at ease either, but Steven had insisted on going up alone. All they could do was agree.
"Looks like they've started fighting!"
Nemona's eyes were sharp; she was the first to notice the explosions at the top floor of Devon Corporation.
Smoke drifted from the building as several silhouettes blasted their way out.
"They're coming down!"
Brandon, the stern‑faced middle‑aged man, spoke in a deep voice. He'd come as invited as well—when it came to taking down an evil organization, there was no way Brandon was going to say no.
In midair, Damian gradually descended under Armored Mewtwo's psychic control, then landed smoothly.
Armored Mewtwo and Tapu Fini also touched down at his side.
Salamence carried Zinnia and Caitlin to the ground. Steven's Metagross was last, bearing both Steven and Joseph Stone as it landed opposite Damian.
Up on the top floor, it had been Metagross's Psychic attacks that caused those explosions.
"Moving the battlefield, huh? Not a bad idea."
Damian dusted off his clothes. He'd never planned on fighting Steven inside the building anyway.
The space was way too cramped—he couldn't cut loose at all.
"Father, please step back." Steven said to Joseph Stone.
Joseph Stone gave Damian and the others one last look, opened his mouth like he wanted to say something to Steven, then just sighed and slowly backed away.
Cynthia and the others immediately converged on the scene.
"Well, well～ look who we've got here. Wallace‑sensei, Champion Cynthia—and～～ Dad. Didn't expect you to show up too."
Damian's grin just wouldn't go away as his gaze swept over Wallace and the others, finally landing on Giovanni.
"One, two, three, four, five, six—six Champion‑tier, huh? Hoenn League's really going all‑out."
Zinnia clicked her tongue at the six opponents lined up across from them.
Hoenn League was seriously throwing everything they had.
"Damian!" Giovanni's expression was deeply conflicted.
"Caitlin."
Cynthia's gaze fell on Caitlin, her lips pressing together, face just as complicated.
Caitlin noticed Cynthia's eyes and let a faint smile tug at her lips. Her emotions were very calm this time.
"So these are Team Rocket members? They're all so young."
Nemona's eyes were full of curiosity. These three… looked totally different from the evil‑organization thugs she'd imagined.
Especially Damian and Caitlin—handsome guy, gorgeous girl.
And while Zinnia wasn't the type of beauty that hit you like a truck on first sight, that heroic, bold aura of hers was seriously striking.
"Damian, don't you have anything you want to say to me?"
Giovanni's magnetic voice was lower than ever.
"Say what?"
Damian's smile faded a little.
"Are you ashamed of me?"
Damian's tone went flat.
"'Giovanni of the Earth,' such an outstanding Gym Leader—and his son actually joins Team Rocket. People must think I've really disgraced my father. Need me to say it out loud for you?"
The air went dead silent.
Steven and the others all fell quiet.
Zinnia's eyes lit up.
That middle‑aged man across from them was Damian's father?
Holy crap. Now things were getting spicy.
"I've never thought that." Giovanni's expression was heavy.
"Damian, come home. Whatever your reasons, you never should've joined Team Rocket to do evil."
"Even now, you're still trying to lecture me."
A cold arc pulled at Damian's lips.
"Giovanni, you've never actually tried to understand me. I used to be nothing but a puppet you'd arranged a 'future' for—someone carefully taught and groomed. And even out in the world, I was still just wearing your label."
Giovanni's expression shifted, his eyes full of regret and self‑reproach.
"Gym Leader Giovanni, say no more. At this point, no matter what you say, Damian's not going to listen." Steven said quietly to Giovanni.
"Steven‑Champion is right. Once we beat them and catch them, we'll have time to talk sense into him and drag him back onto the right path."
Brandon agreed completely. He didn't know the full story, but he could see plain as day that this Damian kid had some serious issues—
And it looked like Damian hated Giovanni. Because of something in the past, probably.
Poor kid.
But right now wasn't the time to pity him.
He'd kidnapped the president of Devon Corporation today. Brandon didn't even want to imagine what he might dare do tomorrow.
"I understand." Giovanni took a deep breath.
"So, you're planning to make a move?"
Damian's voice went light and almost playful.
"But it's a shame. With just the six of you, you're still a long way from being able to beat us."
"You really are arrogant, you know that?!"
Wallace's face went dark at the familiar tone.
"I'm just stating facts. Wallace‑sensei—do you honestly think the lot of you can beat us?"
Damian raised a brow and gave Wallace a look of feigned surprise.
Steven, Wallace, and Cynthia—all of whom knew Damian's personality—weren't exactly shocked by that line.
They were just… resigned.
Wallace's mouth twitched.
Nemona, on the other hand, was floored, and Brandon went dead silent.
"Holy crap! This guy's insanely full of himself!"
Nemona snapped out of it, utterly stunned.
Seriously? Six‑on‑three, and he's the one talking like that?
Not only did they have the numbers advantage—every one of their six was Champion‑tier.
"Damian really is like this. But he's also really strong. Everyone, stay sharp." Steven reminded them solemnly, then started assigning matchups.
"Wallace, you take Caitlin. That okay?"
Steven turned to Wallace. Out of those three, Caitlin was clearly the weakest.
They couldn't afford to waste too much power there, so it made the most sense to send Wallace.
"No problem at all! I'll take her down. You can always count on me!"
Wallace thumped his chest with righteous confidence.
Hearing that line again, Steven's eyelid twitched.
Honestly, after what had happened last time, "you can always count on me" was not a phrase he was itching to hear from Wallace.
Still, this wasn't the time to say that out loud.
Cynthia didn't object either.
She wanted to battle Caitlin herself, sure—but she wasn't about to let her own emotions call the shots. She knew what mattered more right now.
Damian was the priority.
"As for Zinnia—" Steven thought for a moment. "Senior Brandon, Nemona, could I trouble you two to take her?"
"Fine by me." Brandon nodded calmly.
"OK, OK! Senior Steven, leave her to us!"
Nemona flashed a huge, sunny grin. She was Paldea's new Champion Nemona, after all!
And on top of that, she'd be fighting alongside a Senior who'd caught the Legendary Regirock. How could they possibly lose?
"And Champion Cynthia, Gym Leader Giovanni—let's you and I take on Damian."
Steven's gaze locked on Damian, expression as serious as it got.
Of the three standing across from them, Damian was still the key.
If they couldn't beat Damian, then even taking down Caitlin and Zinnia wouldn't amount to much.
"All done talking?"
Seeing Steven and the others finally stop discussing, Damian smiled and called out.
"I do think you're wasting your time, to be honest. You're not going to win. But since you pulled together such a big lineup, letting you have a little extra prep time isn't too unreasonable."
"Damian, this arrogance will be the start of your downfall!"
Steven's eyes narrowed slightly, his words ringing with conviction.
"Oh? Then say it again after you've actually pulled it off. Right now, I'll show you—"
"An evolution that surpasses evolution."
Damian raised his hand.
A gleaming Key Stone flashed into view before Steven and the others' eyes.
~~~
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