"Didn't expect you to actually know me, huh?"
Damian raises a brow.
"Looks like that woman Sird really did send you my data before."
He straightens his coat at an easy pace, not particularly surprised.
At this point, he's a big name, at least a little.
Team Rocket already rules the underworld of four regions, and as Team Rocket's boss, Damian figures he ought to have some reputation.
Team Rocket?
Sheena's face shows confusion.
Is Team Rocket some kind of organization?
Spending all year in the Michina ruins and almost never leaving town, Sheena obviously has no idea what Team Rocket is.
But she doesn't dwell on it.
Mr. Damian is definitely a good person!
Isn't Champion Cynthia here with Mr. Damian too?
Cyrus's expression, on the other hand, changes slightly; his gaze grows dark and complicated.
Sird's been exposed?
That's the first thing he thinks.
On a subconscious level he can't believe Sird would betray him.
Sird's been with him from the very start, even going all the way to the Kanto Region as a spy for the organization.
Sird would never betray him.
Never.
"What did you do to Sird?"
Cyrus's tone drops several degrees.
To him, Sird is a very valuable subordinate, far more important than half‑baked tools like Mars.
"What do you think?"
Damian looks at Cyrus, genuinely a bit surprised.
This guy's actually not surprised?
Wait.
Damian suddenly gets it.
"Hahaha~"
He can't help bursting out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?"
The mocking edge in that laugh makes Cyrus's temper spike; his face stays expressionless, but his voice is a cold interrogative.
"Sorry, it's just your reaction really doesn't line up."
Damian reins his laughter in a bit, smiling as his eyes rest on Cyrus.
"Tell me you didn't think I smoked out Sird as some kind of spy?"
Cyrus's brows knot tight.
"That's not it at all. Sird came to me on her own, told me who she really was and defected."
Damian's grin widens, flashing white teeth.
Matched with his current smile, it looks downright evil.
"Impossible."
Cyrus blurts the rebuttal almost reflexively.
"Nothing impossible about it. Compared to a brain‑damaged 'leader' like you and a garbage 'organization' like yours, anyone with real ambition knows exactly which side to pick."
Damian's tone is pure ridicule.
"What did you just say?!"
"Arrogant little brat! How dare you look down on Team Galactic?!"
"Bastard! He's actually mocking us!"
"You Team Rocket people think you're so great?!"
Mars and the other Team Galactic elites behind Cyrus all glare daggers at Damian.
The more hot‑headed ones are already about to snap.
"Nonsense."
Cyrus's eyes stay locked coldly on Damian.
"Trying to sow discord? Pathetic. Sird was still in contact with me just yesterday—"
Cyrus lets out a low chuckle.
He's figured it out.
Damian's clearly trying to rattle him.
Sird was talking to him yesterday.
How could she have betrayed him?
Beep‑beep—
Right then, Cyrus's communicator starts ringing.
He taps it; a panicked voice bursts out at once.
"Bad news, boss! We've been ambushed—some group suddenly rushed us and hit us hard!"
"Please send reinforcements, boss!"
Cyrus's eyes flicker again.
Ambushed?
He looks at Damian.
Damian's smile is bright and unhurried, like he'd planned this from the start.
Cyrus's gaze grows darker, almost ice.
If it's an ambush, that means this is a trap.
The bastard wasn't lying.
Sird really did betray him?!
"Tsk~ that look's pretty scary. Don't be so mad."
Damian's smile only grows wider.
"Sird's very capable. A smart bird picks a better tree to nest in. Don't blame her—ditching a leader like you isn't strange at all."
He loves the look on Cyrus's face right now; it's pure entertainment.
A second ago, he was lording it over everyone, convinced he saw through everything.
The next, his face goes dark like his mom just died.
Hilarious.
What a quick change.
"Heh heh heh…"
Cyrus's grin looks forced, like he squeezed it out from his throat.
"A petty man finally getting the upper hand. So what if this is a trap?"
He goes flat again, but his tone gets much colder.
"There's just the two of you. You really think you're my opponents?"
He's right.
No need to panic.
Sird used his trust to screw him over, yeah.
But it doesn't matter.
This arrogant, self‑important brat Damian didn't actually lay any proper trap.
Ridiculous.
Does he really think just the two of them can take on everything Cyrus brought?
What an idiot.
"As for that traitor Sird, I'll deal with her sooner or later."
Cyrus's voice goes icy.
Sird, you short‑sighted fool.
Daring to betray him is courting death.
"You know, I really don't get where you get that confidence from."
Damian clicks his tongue, openly sizing Cyrus up.
"A big chunk of trash leading a bunch of regular trash, and you're actually proud of that?"
His trash talk is still brutal.
Cyrus and his subordinates are all breathing heavy now.
Left‑and‑right "trash."
This guy…!
Cyrus realizes even his heart's beating faster.
From anger.
"I'd really like to see what you've got that makes you this cocky."
Even so, Cyrus's "self‑cultivation" is strong.
Even with Damian practically in his face, he still stuffs his fury down.
"You're not worth my time."
Damian stretches lazily.
Fight Cyrus?
He honestly can't be bothered.
Cyrus's aura grows even colder.
He's just about to order Houndoom to attack—
When a series of booms go off behind him.
The noise makes him pause.
"Boss, someone's ambushed the rear."
Mars's face changes.
"I know."
Cyrus's expression twitches slightly.
How could he not?
He stares hard at Damian.
Should he pull back?
The rational move is clearly to retreat right now.
This is a Team Rocket setup, who knows what other dangers are waiting?
But he's not willing.
Sird's betrayal and Damian's mockery have both shaken him.
That slick, ugly mess of resentment and rage bubbling up inside is exactly what "soul" brings.
Cyrus finds it disgusting.
But the truth is—he's affected.
"Boss, let's retreat for now."
This is the first time Mars has ever seen Cyrus's face this dark.
She still forces herself to speak up.
"No rush."
Cyrus answers coolly.
He opens another Poké Ball.
A Weavile appears in front of him.
"I'll take this guy out first."
Cyrus fixes his gaze on Damian.
His voice is heavy.
Mars presses her lips together, sighing inwardly.
But if that's Cyrus's decision, she'll follow it.
Damian notices the look and just shrugs, strolling toward Sheena and Kevin.
This bastard.
Cyrus's eyes could freeze water.
Even now, he's this arrogant?
"Houndoom, Flamethrower—"
Cyrus has just given the order—
When a clean beam of dragon light spears toward Houndoom.
It's a Hydreigon.
"Flamethrower!"
Houndoom whirls and fires a blazing stream of fire back at the incoming Dragon Pulse.
Boom!
The Flamethrower and Dragon Pulse collide mid‑air.
They hold each other just a moment; then the Flamethrower starts winning and pushes forward.
Hydreigon beats its wings hard and dodges, barely avoiding the Flamethrower.
"Tch~ that reaction's fast."
A bright, energetic girl's voice cuts in.
Cyrus glances sideways.
Several figures are approaching, and the one who just spoke is the bun‑haired girl.
"So that's the boss of Team Galactic, huh? He does look pretty imposing."
Drayton studies Cyrus with open curiosity.
"Yup. He's the big boss of this mission, a Champion‑tier Trainer."
Hilda is a lot more serious.
"No problem! Even a Champion‑tier Trainer's not beyond us!"
Rosa's confidence is burning.
"Rosa's right. We're all named Trainers ourselves, y'know. Beating a Champion‑tier isn't out of reach."
Drayton nods vigorously.
He thinks Rosa's pretty inspirational right now.
"As long as we take him down, Team Galactic won't be a threat anymore."
Dawn opens a Poké Ball.
Her starter, Empoleon, appears in front of her.
On this year's journey she's already clashed with Team Galactic several times, and their actions are undeniably those of a downright evil organization.
The Sinnoh region doesn't need evil groups like them.
"Let's stick to the plan. We all go in together. We'll split the merit points for downing Cyrus evenly."
Drayton releases his Archaludon.
Rosa, Hilda, Dawn, Drayton, and Kieran had already talked this through yesterday after taking the mission.
Today's raid is a group boss fight.
Cyrus is obviously that boss.
For Rosa and the others, who haven't yet stepped into Champion‑tier, Cyrus is definitely a challenge.
But if they cooperate properly, they figure they've got a good shot.
"So that's it. Just a bunch of little brats."
Cyrus narrows his eyes, gaze sweeping over the five with zero emotional ripple.
"Heh heh heh…"
He laughs again, low and dark.
This is pure anger.
"So that's all I rate, huh. Just sending a bunch of kids to deal with me."
"Hey, hey, I'm not pretending I didn't hear that. What, you looking down on us?"
Rosa is instantly offended.
"To deal with someone like you, Damian doesn't have to move a finger. Who do you think you are, thinking you're worthy to battle him?"
"We'll take you down ourselves."
Rosa clearly knows how to weaponize "provocation."
Cyrus is successfully taunted.
"Just you?"
His tone stays icy.
A bunch of snot‑nosed kids really think headcount's all that matters in a battle?
Cyrus straightens slowly.
Poké Ball in hand, he scans each of the five.
Even at five‑on‑one, he thinks he has the advantage.
"This guy really is arrogant."
Rosa mutters.
"He's still an evil‑org boss, and he's not weak. Don't underestimate him."
Hilda rolls her eyes and reminds her.
"Relax, relax. I'm not gonna go brain‑off."
"Then let's roll with the plan."
It's their first time fighting side by side, but the five already look in sync.
At least for now.
Damian doesn't join the battle.
He walks over to the main doors of the temple, grabs a chair, and lies back in it.
"Mr. Damian, you're really not going to help?"
Sheena is stunned.
She thought when Damian said he wouldn't fight, he was just trying to crush Cyrus's momentum.
But now Damian's actually lying down.
"No need. These kids are more than enough to handle Team Galactic."
Damian shakes his head, straw in his mouth as he drinks pineapple juice.
"Emmm…"
Sheena tilts her head.
Still, if Mr. Damian's this confident, things probably will be fine.
"Mr. Damian, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"Earlier that Cyrus said you were Team Rocket. What kind of organization is Team Rocket?"
Sheena can't hold back her curiosity.
She really is curious.
And more than that—
Something about the way Damian and Cyrus talk gives her this weird feeling, like Damian's actually the bad guy…
Which is completely different from the impression she has of Mr. Damian.
"Team Rocket's a legitimate organization that's been misunderstood."
Damian answers with a laugh.
"Eh?"
"But from the Pokémon League's point of view, yeah, Team Rocket's an evil organization."
Damian rubs his chin.
"Huh?"
Sheena's brain stalls.
An evil organization?
"Right. Team Rocket's officially classed as an evil organization. Miss Sheena, better be careful around me."
Damian teases.
Sheena covers her mouth and laughs, but she still doesn't quite get it.
Mr. Damian's really part of an evil organization?
That can't be right.
If Mr. Damian really were in an evil organization, why would Miss Cynthia be traveling with him?
Sheena mulls it over.
Could it be that Miss Cynthia's Team Rocket too?
No way.
Damian has no idea what's going through the guardian girl's head.
Right now he's just watching Cyrus's one‑versus‑five battle with great interest.
He has to admit, Cyrus does have some skills.
But only relatively speaking.
Within Champion‑tier, Cyrus is definitely on the mediocre side, and it shows in this battle.
Sure, none of the five are Champion‑tier, but all of them are extremely strong among Elite Four–level Trainers.
Especially Rosa, Hilda, and Dawn.
As the fight drags on, Cyrus is clearly starting to get stretched.
His mistakes are piling up.
End of the day, it's one versus five.
When the power gap isn't huge, numbers are the best way for the weaker side to win.
Like now.
Cyrus is already sweating buckets.
He's already thinking about hopping on Crobat and bailing.
Otherwise, these kids might actually take him.
He's the boss of Team Galactic.
Where's the dignity in that?
No way.
He can't fall here.
His dream isn't fulfilled yet.
Cyrus steels himself.
Run.
"Hey, at least you'll have something to brag about later. You got to fight three 'protagonists' at once."
Damian clicks his tongue, amused.
"Cyrus, Cyrus… consider this me giving you a personal, dignified way to exit the stage."
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