Within Team Rocket, hierarchy was absolute.
From top to bottom, there were four ranks—Boss, Executive, Elite, and Grunt.
And Ariana stood just beneath Giovanni himself.
Not everyone recognized the name.
For example, Rento and Floyd looked completely blank when they heard it.
Armin turned his head slightly and noticed Hannah watching him.
Their eyes met for a brief second.
Neither of them spoke.
There was no need to inform the two scheming veteran players just how significant Ariana's identity truly was.
Ariana offered no lengthy introduction. Instead, she produced a red-and-white Poké Ball from seemingly nowhere and balanced it lightly in her palm.
"I won't waste time with pleasantries. I'm sure you're already familiar with Pokémon," she said lazily. "What I'll be teaching you is how to make them stronger."
"As everyone knows, Trainers and Pokémon grow together. There are many ways to strengthen a Pokémon—but the fastest and most effective method…"
Her lips curved slightly.
"…is real combat."
She pressed the button.
A burst of white light filled the room.
When it faded, a massive Vileplume stood before them, five enormous crimson petals blooming above its head.
"Go on," Ariana stepped back, clearing space for a battlefield. "Release your Pokémon. Battle me. Let's see what you're capable of."
Team Rocket's training methods were… direct.
Brutally direct.
Armin didn't even know where to begin complaining.
The four Infinite players exchanged glances, silently debating who would go first.
Before they could decide—
"You. The not-so-bright handsome one. You're up first."
Ariana's red lips curved into a slow, sultry smile.
"I've been very much looking forward to battling you."
She emphasized the word battling just slightly.
Floyd nearly choked. He grabbed Rento's sleeve.
"Did I hear that right? Is this NPC flirting with a player?!"
Armin's expression turned complicated.
After a long pause, he muttered, "I'm calling the police."
Being a handsome guy outside really was dangerous.
Ariana burst into laughter.
"A Team Rocket member calling the police? That's a first. If you go, I doubt you'll be coming back. But don't worry—if Officer Jenny arrests you, I'll personally retrieve you."
Armin: …
Against a mature woman who knew exactly how to tease, he stood no chance.
He pressed his lips together, refusing to engage further, and released Mimikyu from its Poké Ball.
The moment Ariana saw it, surprise flickered across her eyes.
If she remembered correctly, she had encountered this Mimikyu during a business trip to the Alola region and casually brought it back. Afterward, she had tossed it into the base storage.
She hadn't expected it to appear here.
But her expression quickly smoothed out.
"Ready?" she asked lightly. "I won't go easy on you."
Armin nodded.
At that moment, a system notification appeared before his eyes.
[Team Rocket Executive Ariana challenges you!]
Perfect.
Very Pokémon.
Not a Youngster. Not a Bug Catcher.
His first official battle—and it was against a Team Rocket Executive.
Armin had a sudden realization.
This "beginner instance" was basically Hell Mode.
"Vileplume, use Poison Powder!"
Ariana didn't hesitate.
Vileplume trembled gently. A faint purple glow shimmered across its petals before spreading outward as a thick violet cloud that rushed toward Mimikyu.
The coverage was enormous.
Mimikyu, small as it was—and only Level 1—had no room to dodge.
This was Armin's first time commanding a Pokémon in real battle. His heartbeat quickened, but his mind remained clear.
If he couldn't dodge—
Then charge straight through.
"Mimikyu! Use Astonish!"
Through the thick cloud of Poison Powder, Mimikyu leapt like a phantom, plunging headfirst into the haze as it let out a sharp, eerie shriek.
Invisible sound waves struck Vileplume directly.
The Grass-type Pokémon shuddered, fear flashing across its face.
At the same time, a faint purple sheen flickered across Mimikyu's body.
Poisoned.
Its Disguise Ability had already absorbed the initial damage instance earlier, meaning the protection was gone.
Ariana smiled faintly.
"Use Solar Beam."
Vileplume rooted itself in place, beginning to gather sunlight.
Solar Beam.
A move with a clear charging phase—roughly three seconds of buildup.
Against evenly matched opponents, that window could mean opportunity.
But when the power gap was overwhelming—
Resistance was meaningless.
Armin didn't know Vileplume's exact level, but he was willing to bet it exceeded Level 20.
And Ariana clearly wasn't fighting seriously.
If she had wanted to end it instantly, she could have opened with Giga Drain to break Disguise, followed by Energy Ball or Petal Blizzard to eliminate Mimikyu outright.
Floyd watched from the sidelines, wincing.
"This NPC is ruthless…"
In this instance, if all of a Trainer's Pokémon fainted and they failed to use revival items like Sacred Ash or Revives in time, their main quest would automatically fail—resulting in heavy point deductions.
Rento checked Vileplume's status panel.
Level 25.
He couldn't help laughing.
"Hahaha! This batch of newbies is doomed! What kind of demon-start is this? Compared to them, my first instance was child's play!"
Beside him, Hannah said nothing.
Her brows were tightly furrowed.
She knew this battle would soon be her turn.
0.13 seconds passed.
Armin's brain had already calculated everything.
No—
He had thought of this even before the battle began.
He opened Mimikyu's panel and fixed his gaze on two words beneath Egg Move:
Destiny Bond.
After using this move, if the user faints due to an opponent's attack, the attacker faints as well.
Disguise was gone.
If Solar Beam hit, Mimikyu would unquestionably faint.
Which meant—
He had one chance.
His heart pounded violently in his chest.
Mimikyu turned its head midair.
Their eyes met.
In that instant, something passed silently between Trainer and Pokémon.
"Charge in," Armin commanded firmly.
"Use Destiny Bond!"
"What?!" Floyd froze for a split second before exploding.
"Are you kidding me?! What kind of luck is that?! His first Pokémon has an Egg Move?!"
Before his words finished—
A faint violet orb condensed before Mimikyu, streaking forward and merging into Vileplume's body the instant it made contact.
Destiny Bond took effect.
At the same time—
Solar Beam completed its charge.
Brilliant, blinding white light erupted outward.
A concentrated beam of destructive energy tore across the battlefield.
Mid-leap, before it could even land—
Mimikyu was swallowed whole by the overwhelming beam.
Its small body vanished into a sea of white.