In the alley.
Under Armored Mewtwo's control, Erika—dressed in a tight black outfit—hung with her legs off the ground, slowly turning around.
Only now did she finally see the person behind her.
Erika's pupils shrank sharply.
"Hm?"
Damian raised a brow.
"Well, what d'you know. Talk about running into each other again, Gym Leader Erika.
Didn't expect our reunion to be like this."
Damian strolled lazily up to Erika, clicking his tongue as he looked over Celadon's Gym Leader.
He really hadn't expected the intruder to turn out to be Erika.
That was genuinely surprising.
"Oh, right. Mewtwo, ease up on Gym Leader Erika a bit."
Seeing that Erika still hadn't said a word, Damian suddenly realized.
"And put this Vileplume to sleep while you're at it."
He spared a glance at the Vileplume baring its teeth at him.
Even though Armored Mewtwo's psychic hold had it completely immobilized, its protectiveness toward its Trainer was obvious.
Armored Mewtwo stayed silent and raised its right arm, giving a light wave off to its left.
Bang!
Vileplume slammed into the wall like lightning, hitting hard enough to punch a gap into the concrete.
Half its body ended up embedded in the wall as it dropped into a baby‑like slumber.
"Vileplume!"
As soon as Armored Mewtwo relaxed its psychic grip, Erika cried out in worry.
"Relax, Gym Leader Erika. It's only lost the ability to fight, that's all."
Damian walked a slow circle around Erika.
He never would've guessed.
As the Gym Leader of Celadon Gym in Celadon City, Erika was known as a young lady who loved nature, a proper refined miss.
With a temperament like a classic Yamato Nadeshiko, she usually wore kimonos most of the time—elegant and reserved.
And with a kimono, it really was hard to see what someone's figure was like, unless they were seriously well‑endowed.
"Mr. Damian… are you Mr. Damian?"
Erika bit down lightly on her lip as she stared at this unfamiliar‑acting boy.
This wasn't her first time meeting Damian.
She remembered very clearly the time Damian had come to Celadon City last year to challenge her Gym.
He'd left an incredibly strong impression: overwhelming strength, gentle personality, and impeccable manners and poise in conversation.
"Looks like you still remember me, Gym Leader Erika. I'm honored."
Damian chuckled softly—and then, without the slightest hesitation, slid his hand to Erika's waist.
"Ah!"
Erika let out a startled yelp before she could stop herself, her face turning bright red in an instant.
"Mr. Damian! W‑what are you doing?!"
The flower‑arranging miss, soft and radiant, had a voice now laced with inescapable shame and anger.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not trying to take advantage of you.
I just want to find Vileplume's Poké Ball."
Damian's hand roamed along the young lady's slender waist, with zero sense of embarrassment.
Erika bit down on her lip again, bowing her head as she felt the heat of the boy's palm through her clothes.
Even her ears were burning red.
"But still, Gym Leader Erika—your waist is really soft. And very slim."
Damn it! And you say you're not taking advantage of me?!
Hearing him say that, Erika felt her head go fuzzy.
As a calm and gentle young lady, when had she ever experienced a situation like this?
"B‑back… it's in the back…"
"Hm? What was that, Gym Leader Erika?"
"The Poké Ball… Vileplume's Poké Ball is on the back."
Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.
If Damian hadn't leaned in, he really wouldn't have heard her.
He moved his hand to the small of her back—and sure enough, found several miniaturized Poké Balls there.
Sigh～
Erika had just started to feel relieved when she heard Damian sigh, and her shame and irritation flared back up.
You're sighing too??
Wait—no, that wasn't the point!
"Mr. Damian… you're actually a member of Team Rocket?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
Damian used Erika's Poké Ball to recall Vileplume, then took her phone from her hand.
He saw that she'd been in the middle of calling Officer Jenny.
At his words, Erika's face went a little pale.
Her eyes flicked to the armor‑clad Pokémon beside him—one she'd never seen before, frighteningly powerful.
"Why…"
"Another 'why' question, huh."
Damian rolled his eyes and headed for the base's entrance.
Armored Mewtwo followed silently, using psychic power to float Erika along behind them.
"A lot of people have already asked me the same thing you just did, Gym Leader Erika.
It's boring."
He replied offhandedly.
Why did everyone feel compelled to ask that line, anyway?
"I thought Mr. Damian would become part of Kanto's Elite Four very soon.
You didn't need to walk down this path."
Erika pressed her lips together.
She knew very well that as a prisoner, she had no real right to say this kind of thing—but she couldn't help it.
And… she didn't want to watch Damian sink like this.
"Please come with me and leave this place, Mr. Damian.
It's not too late to turn back now.
I won't tell anyone you joined Team Rocket."
She spoke earnestly, trying to persuade him.
"Gym Leader Erika, are you joking with me?"
Damian stopped walking and turned back, looking at the young lady with a half‑smile.
"Don't say stuff that naïve.
You do realize you're my prisoner right now, yeah?
If I feel like doing something to you, you won't be able to fight back."
His hand drifted lightly over Erika's smooth, pale cheek, gentle as a lover's touch, then slid down toward her white neck.
But paired with Damian's words, the gesture sent goosebumps crawling all over Erika's skin.
"…"
She pressed her lips together again and wisely fell silent.
If Damian's hand kept going down from there… it'd be touching that place.
"Good girl.
I'm not the kind of person who can be talked down so easily.
If you really want to convince me, at least bring something to the table."
Damian smiled as he withdrew his hand.
He really didn't like people who couldn't read the room.
At his words, Erika's eyes dimmed.
He brought her back to the underground base's control room.
"Lord Damian, this person is…?"
Seeing Erika, Gladion looked a bit thrown.
The all‑black outfit was giving him a serious sense of déjà vu.
"This is the intruder from just now.
Ariana, what happened on your end?"
Damian answered casually, then turned a curious gaze on Ariana, who was limping as she walked over.
It was clear from one look that her leg was injured.
"My apologies, Lord Damian.
It was my incompetence that let the intruder escape."
Ariana's face was a little pale as she bowed her head in shame.
"…What did you just say?"
Damian's brows lifted.
There had been two intruders?
Hearing her words, Erika, on the other hand, felt a wave of relief.
Looked like that girl with the unknown identity had managed to get out.
"I went to capture the other intruder earlier, but on the way I ran into a very strong Trainer.
Even going all out, I wasn't his match."
Ariana's expression was ugly and grim, but she still gritted her teeth and reported the truth.
She'd never expected that kid in the baseball cap to be that strong.
How old could he even be?
But the reality was what it was.
She'd lost.
And if she hadn't run fast enough, she probably wouldn't have made it back alive.
"Tsk～"
Damian clicked his tongue.
Any random passerby who could defeat Ariana was definitely no ordinary person.
Ariana was an executive, at the very least.
Who could it have been?
No—right now, that wasn't the key issue.
If the intruder had escaped, that meant this base was exposed.
Which further meant the Indigo League would be sending people here soon.
Slowly, Damian's lips curled into a grin.
His first clash with the Indigo League… was about to begin.
He'd been waiting for this day for a long time.
~~~
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