"Please exit from here in an orderly fashion."
In the Southern District, Officer Jenny—along with regular police—started organizing an evacuation of residents and tourists. A lot of people looked lost, but the official announcement said terrorists were hiding in the Southern District. Once people saw that, they followed instructions.
"What kind of terrorists are they, that they have to clear out the whole Southern District?"
Ash, Misty, and Brock were stuck in the crowd. Ash had dropped into a full-body collapse, hunched over like his soul had left his body.
"Hey, Ash, pull yourself together," Misty said, staring at him with that tired, fed-up look. She sighed and started complaining. "What is that face supposed to be?"
"Waaah… my wallet…" Ash's eyes were watery. "My wallet is gone. It left me."
His food money for the next few months. Gone. All of it.
"I told you to show some restraint," Misty snapped, not holding back at all. "Who told you to throw every last cent into that?"
"But I really like Riolu!" Ash stared at the Poké Ball in his hand, looking like he was both proud and in pain at the same time.
To be fair, he had followed Damian's suggestion. He went to the Game Corner with Misty and Brock. The Celadon Game Corner was one of those places you were "supposed" to visit if you came to the city.
Then Ash got carried away.
The prize exchange list had Pokémon he'd never even seen before. The top prize Dratini. The rare Porygon. Even Pokémon from other regions. Ash had been confident at first—he wanted Dratini. The coins you could buy with cash weren't enough, but he figured he could just win the rest on the slot machines.
And then… there was no "win the rest."
His luck there was awful. If Misty and Brock hadn't stopped him, he probably would've tried to pawn his underwear for more coins. Naturally, Dratini was out of reach, so he lowered his target to Riolu.
"It's not a total loss," Brock said with a smile. "Riolu is rare too. Your luck was already pretty good, Ash."
"But for the next two months, I won't have a single cent," Ash said, like his heart was bleeding.
Pikachu rolled its eyes.
"Don't worry," Brock said, sounding helpless. "With me around, do you think I'd let you go hungry?"
"Waaah—Brock!" Ash looked so moved he was practically about to sob. "You really are my best friend for life!"
"Honestly, Brock, don't keep bailing him out," Misty said, hands on her hips. "He did this to himself. He just got carried away."
"We're traveling together," Brock said, still smiling. "That's what companions do."
Misty clicked her tongue. Brock could get strange the second a pretty woman showed up, but when it came to day-to-day things, he really did take care of them like an older brother.
Then Brock's expression shifted.
"Still… this is unusual," he said, scanning the river of people ahead. "I've never heard of an evacuation this big."
This was Celadon City. Something serious had to be happening. What kind of situation justified clearing out an entire district?
And on top of that…
Officer Jenny was checking everyone's identification.
…
"Damian, please go out and surrender," Erika said.
Inside the underground base, she was tied to a chair, trying to persuade Damian as he sat across from her.
"The League has already surrounded this place, haven't they?"
"If I had a choice," Damian said, taking a sip of juice, "I'd rather flirt with you than listen to something that kills the mood."
His gaze moved over Erika openly. Erika tensed up and pressed her legs together without meaning to. The look made her uncomfortable, and she hated that she couldn't hide it.
"If Giovanni saw you like this," Erika said, taking a slow breath, "I'm sure he'd be heartbroken."
She brought up Damian's father on purpose.
"Heh." Damian scoffed. "Doesn't matter. If anything, it's better if he knows."
Erika frowned. Were Damian and Giovanni on bad terms? That didn't sound right. People always said Damian was Giovanni's pride.
Could Damian's involvement with Team Rocket be because of Giovanni?
Erika's thoughts started running. Maybe there were conflicts she didn't know about. And if that was true… it felt even more tragic.
"Forget that," Damian said. "Look at you. You're a bit of a mess."
He stood up and walked over to Erika, then leaned down. His face came close to hers.
At that distance, Erika couldn't avoid noticing details: clear eyes, smooth skin, a healthy color in her cheeks. Her pores were almost invisible. She took good care of herself. There was also a light floral scent on her.
Erika kept turning her eyes away, pink rising in her face again. He was simply too close.
"You smell good," Damian murmured. "Makes you wonder who's going to get lucky enough to be close to you someday."
His fingertip traced lightly along her cheek. Paired with his low voice, it made even the tips of Erika's ears turn red. She wasn't used to this. Not at all.
"Please… don't," Erika said, voice tight with embarrassment and anger. "You…"
But tied to the chair, she couldn't pull back. And she could feel Damian's finger drifting lower again.
How could he act like this? That was a place only her future husband should touch.
"Hahaha—You really are cute," Damian said, grinning as he stopped his hand. "Relax. I like beautiful women, but I'm not going to force you."
Erika felt a surge of anger under the shame. She looked up and saw the wicked look on Damian's face, and it only made her more furious.
And what did he mean by "not force"? If she hadn't spoken up, wouldn't his hand have kept going? No—worse—it had already brushed too close.
And earlier, touching her waist, stroking her face so casually—this was the behavior of a rogue. He knew exactly what he was doing.
"There's a bathroom in this room," Damian said. "Go clean up properly. I already prepared clean clothes for you."
Then he untied the ropes on Erika.
Erika froze. "?"
What did he mean? He wanted her to bathe now?
Damian looked at her expression and added, flat and blunt, "Don't worry. It's not 'wash yourself clean so it's easier for me to sleep with you.'"
Erika's face stiffened.
"???"
Are you sure?
"Really," Damian said, shrugging like he was innocent. "I'm not a good person, but I'm not interested in forcing anyone."
Erika didn't respond.
The silence was loud.
Damian grinned. "The fight with the Kanto League is about to start. This is the first time I've had a stage that actually feels right."
He looked at Erika like he was making a formal announcement.
"Bear with the inconvenience. After all…"
His grin widened.
"I'm the Final Boss of this Celadon City Team Rocket base."