Chapter 3: A Wild Idea
Which region to start with?
"What do you think, Matori?"
Rather than answer directly, Mammon pulled up a world map and turned to Matori with a grin.
"…"
Matori said nothing. Personally, she still felt this decision was premature — but if both the Boss and the Young Master were on board, then her job as a subordinate was simply to figure out the logistics.
"Based on what you've said, Young Master, Galar and Paldea would be the most suitable targets." She thought for a moment before speaking.
"Neither region has a criminal organization. We'd have plenty of room to operate."
"In theory, sure. But your thinking's still too conservative, Matori — and not seeing the full picture."
Mammon crossed his legs, his tone unhurried and lazy.
"If we're talking expansion, we need to go where the biggest payoff is. Galar might not have an evil team, but the entire region is under the thumb of League Chairman Rose and his Macro Cosmos conglomerate."
"In fact, out of all the regions, trying to build anything under Macro Cosmos would be the hardest path we could choose."
And he wasn't exaggerating. Macro Cosmos was one of the most powerful corporations in the world, controlling over fifty percent of Galar's economy. Every industry had Macro Cosmos's fingerprints on it.
If you really thought about it, Galar's "evil organization" already existed — it was Rose and Macro Cosmos.
Matori blinked in surprise.
"We'll make our move on Galar eventually. Just not now." Mammon's eyes flickered with something deeper.
Galar was absolutely on the list — because Mammon, having been reborn into this world, knew full well that Rose was keeping the source of Dynamax energy locked away in his power plant: Eternatus.
The energy plant. Mammon would raid it sooner or later and take Eternatus for himself. But not yet.
"Paldea's the same story. That region is managed too well under Chairman Geeta. The timing isn't right."
Paldea was ruled out too.
"Compared to Galar and Paldea, regions like Hoenn and Sinnoh are way easier targets."
Mammon summed it up neatly.
"Forgive me — I didn't consider the full picture." Matori pushed up her glasses with an apologetic nod.
"Don't worry about it. It's not like you've done the homework on all this." Mammon waved it off.
"So where are you thinking?" Giovanni asked with a calm smile, watching his son. Mammon had clearly put serious thought into this.
"Alola. Obviously."
Without a moment's hesitation, Mammon dropped a coin onto the Alola region on the map.
"Team Skull in Alola is just a street gang at the end of the day. But more importantly — Dad, do you know what makes Alola truly special?"
Mammon bared his teeth in a grin — wild, confident, and a little savage.
"It doesn't have a League." Giovanni's smile deepened.
Matori stiffened.
"Exactly. Alola has no Pokémon League! Professor Kukui's been trying to get one established for years — he's come to Kanto to apply multiple times — but the Kanto League has shot him down every time."
Ambition blazed in Mammon's eyes.
Kukui dreamed of founding an Alola League. He'd made the trip to Kanto over and over, and every single time, he'd been turned away.
"But a League in Alola is inevitable. It's only a matter of time. The Pokémon League Association would never abandon a region like Alola for good."
Even without a League, Alola — as an island region — boasted the most developed tourism industry of any region in the world. Its beaches and oceans were unrivaled. And while there were no Gym Badges to earn, Alola's signature Island Challenge was famous in its own right.
"Once we take Alola's underworld, we install a puppet as the future Alola League Chairman. And just like that — the entire region is ours."
"Doesn't that sound fun?"
Mammon's grin was utterly shameless.
"That's…" Matori was stunned.
Weren't they just talking about expanding the organization? How did it suddenly jump to secretly controlling an entire region?
Installing a regional Chairman? The Young Master's ambitions had gone completely off the rails.
"Heh heh heh…"
Giovanni chuckled and clapped his hands. That was his son, all right.
Young. Ambitious. Fearless.
This was a path Giovanni himself had never even envisioned — but crazy as it was, it was undeniably worth a shot.
"Then this operation is yours to run, Mammon."
Giovanni had full confidence in his son. He could hear it in Mammon's voice — the kid was dead serious this time.
Then again, that tracked. Ever since he was little, Mammon had always thrown himself headfirst into anything that posed a real challenge.
"You got it! Restoring Team Rocket to glory — I won't let you down!" Mammon flashed a wide grin.
"You and your dramatics." Giovanni shook his head, caught somewhere between laughter and exasperation. Restoring Team Rocket to glory. Sure, kid.
"So, Dad — how many people are you giving me?" Mammon asked point-blank.
This was non-negotiable. He was going out there to conquer new territory for Team Rocket. He couldn't exactly do it solo. That'd be a joke.
"Grunts and Elites — how many do you want to bring?"
"Those don't matter. What about senior officers?"
Mammon said it casually. Grunts and Elites weren't worth worrying about — he could recruit locally once he got to Alola.
The real question was senior leadership. He needed at least someone competent by his side.
"The Beast Trio is in Johto. The Three Admins — you know as well as I do — can't leave their posts. And the Four Generals are needed to keep operations running here in Kanto."
Giovanni paused to think before answering.
"So you're telling me you won't spare a single senior officer? Come on, Dad — you can't be that stingy."
Mammon's smile was paper-thin, his expression flipping on a dime. Matori nearly broke composure and laughed.
"I want Archer! You've gotta give me at least one or two people I can actually put to work!" Mammon demanded.
Archer — one of Team Rocket's Four Generals. His battling strength was only around Elite Four level, but he was one of Giovanni's most reliable right-hand men.
More importantly, Archer was an exceptional administrator with a sharp mind.
"Archer stays. I need him managing the bulk of the organization." Giovanni shut it down immediately.
"Fine. Then let Ariana come with me, and assign me a few regular officers too."
"…All right." Giovanni considered it briefly, then nodded.
"Deal! Just you wait, Dad — I'm gonna build you an empire!"
Mammon rose to his feet, satisfied. He'd scratched the travel itch. Now it was time for the real fun — growing the family business.
After all, what was the point of being reincarnated into another world if you didn't have a little ambition?
Mammon had always believed that Team Rocket was the strongest evil organization in the world — the only real one. As for outfits like Team Magma? They didn't even deserve the title.
He was going to devour them all, recruit the strongest fighters into his ranks, and forge the ultimate Rainbow Rocket.