Time passes, second by second.
"I think I need to consider it."
Diantha, exhausted, replied.
Right now she really doesn't know what to do—send Alexa over? She can't bring herself to do that.
But to be Damian's maid? She also isn't keen on that.
Sure, as Kalos League Champion, she's pledged to give her all for the Kalos people and this region; that's been true since the moment she became Champion.
But truthfully...
That isn't quite right!
"Of course, I understand. Then I'll give you a day, Miss Diantha—tomorrow at this time, give me your answer."
Damian smiled, his tone unhurried and elegant, like a true gentleman.
He's completely unafraid of pushing the Kalos League to the edge; after all, he won't end up on the losing side either way.
And that knowledge is why Diantha is so anxious.
"Please permit me to take my leave first."
Diantha hurriedly left—she needed to calm down and think this through.
"Interesting."
Watching Diantha's retreat, Damian couldn't help but laugh.
"Dawn, what do you think Miss Diantha will choose?"
Damian asked Dawn.
Dawn froze at the question.
"…Probably she'll sacrifice herself, right? For Miss Diantha, taking care of you would be a terrifying job."
Dawn thought for a moment and replied.
Hmm, it seems Mr. Damian may have his eye on Miss Diantha and that reporter from earlier?
Dawn doesn't quite understand; if it's about attending to Mr. Damian's daily needs, she thinks she could do it.
Miss Caitlin should be willing too—why push a lady as senior as Miss Diantha so hard?
Mr. Damian probably has his own ideology, Dawn thought.
"Ah—she looks at me as if I'm a wolf or a tiger; Tsk—maybe she isn't wrong."
Damian chuckled softly.
What to say? Diantha is, well, not exactly the sharpest negotiator.
"Come on, let's go find Serena."
Lumiose City's Centrico Plaza is the center of Lumiose City and home to Prism Tower.
The Prism Tower, actually Lumiose Gym, whose Gym Leader is Clemont, a teammate of Ash in the anime.
But Damian isn't here to challenge Lumiose Gym.
Serena still wears her signature black-clad red dress, her silhouette drawn with precision, and the black over-the-knee socks give her a strong "girl" vibe.
But right now, this girl from Vaniville Town seems preoccupied, staring at her phone and thinking.
"Miss Serena."
"Mr. Damian, Miss Caitlin, Miss Dawn."
Hearing that mellow man's voice, Serena snaps back to herself and greets the three of them.
"Sorry, on the way here I ran into Miss Diantha, so I spoke with her for a bit."
Damian smiled and apologized.
"No problem. Dawn already told me; I wasn't waiting long anyway."
Serena shakes her head; she hates lateness, but Dawn had messaged her that she'd run into Miss Diantha on the way.
Since the other party had a reasonable reason, Serena won't make a stink.
"Miss Diantha asked to see Mr. Damian—do you all have something to discuss?"
Serena can't help but be curious; after all, Miss Diantha is the Kalos League Champion.
"Yeah, we're talking about some organization matters—how to cooperate with our organization, perhaps."
Damian thinks for a moment and answers; he doesn't see a problem with that.
"Oh, that's a coincidence." Serena nods, not quite understanding, since she's a rookie who doesn't know much about the big players and what Damian's organization actually is.
But since Miss Diantha wants to cooperate with whatever this organization is, it must be formidable, right?
"Then please, Miss Serena; we're new to Lumiose City and still unfamiliar with it."
"No worries—leave it to me."
Serena flashes a bright smile.
"Mr. Damian, Lumiose City is divided into six avenues—Spring, Summer, Autumn, East, South, and North—and six squares, including the Centrico Plaza we're in now."
Serena starts introducing the city to the three.
"Which area do you want to start with?"
"Look at the two girls beside me—the best start is Fashion Street."
Damian jokes with a wry smile.
"Hmm—then let's head to Vernal Avenue. There are lots of fashion shops there—the girls' favorite avenue."
Serena doesn't hesitate; she loves going there.
Serena is a fashion-forward gal, after all.
"Okay, let's go."
Serena leads the four of them to Vernal Avenue; she really knows Lumiose City well.
Being a Kalos local and Lumiose City serving as Kalos's central hub, she's been here countless times.
Although they plan to spend a day exploring Lumiose City, most of that time ends up on Vernal Avenue.
Serena knows fashion, and Dawn and Caitlin are also stylish girls.
But Dawn and Caitlin's extravagant shopping still shocks Serena.
Serena's family isn't poor; her parents are successful in their own fields, kind of upper-middle class.
Yet Serena is still shocked by the other two's wealth, especially Caitlin.
"Nice—how about this one?"
"Looks great."
"What about this one?"
"Beautiful—beautiful—beautiful."
"That one as well."
"Pack up all the dresses in these styles."
What a display of money.
Serena knows the three are from wealthy families, so she takes them to upscale stores.
Dawn isn't Caitlin's equal in spending, but if she sees something she likes, she buys it without asking the price.
How can Serena describe it? This is the telltale extravagant, money-no-problem young ladies.
"Come, have a drink. Why not keep looking?"
At the storefront, Serena takes a break; Dawn and Caitlin are still shopping. Damian holds a bag and hands Serena a cup of juice.
"Take a moment to rest."
Serena takes a sip of pineapple juice and feels much better.
Then Serena glances at Damian; beside him Jirachi and Victini float, with Tapu Fini following behind, all three Pokémon holding cups of juice.
The scene is pleasantly harmonious and cute.
Serena isn't blind; she recognizes all of them as Legendary Pokémon!
Mr. Damian is indeed very mysterious.
"Mr. Damian, are Dawn and Caitlin from wealthy families as well?"
Serena can't help asking.
"You could say that."
Damian raises an eyebrow, understanding why Serena asked.
"Dawn is a young lady from Sinnoh Region's House of Dawn—the Dawn family is among the wealthiest in Sinnoh."
"Caitlin also hails from a very wealthy Sinnoh family, so their families are indeed privileged."
Serena isn't particularly surprised by that explanation.
"But they're not in touch with their families at the moment; they're spending their own money."
Damian adds.
"Wait, really?"
Serena is surprised; aren't they backed by family money?
"They do receive salaries within the organization; Caitlin was financially independent long ago, Dawn's savings aren't huge, but she has some, and if she's short, she can get an advance from the organization."
Damian smiles.
Serena wonders what organization this is, and if they're short on people.
She hasn't forgotten what Dawn told her yesterday.
"If Serena joined us, I could offer you a very good deal."
Damian sits on a bench outside the shop, gesturing to the spot beside him with a smile.
"Could you tell me more?"
Serena doesn't reject; she sits beside Damian, curious, and wants to learn more.
"Sheesh—an organization called Team Rocket used to be an illegal evil organization, right?"
Damian's first line leaves Serena stunned.
"Team Rocket used to be evil, sanctioned by the Indigo League; but that's in the past. I took over Team Rocket."
"Now it makes sense."
Serena understands; it explains why Miss Diantha has interacted with Mr. Damian, implying he isn't a villain.
"And what are the organization's actions and goals?"
Serena ponders for a moment, asking.
"The first goal is to wipe out evil teams and hunter organizations. I hate villains; zero tolerance."
Damian's words are decisive.
Serena gazes at Damian's handsome profile with admiration.
"As for the second goal, it's about growing the business—making money. Don't be fooled by us being a private organization; under my umbrella, Arceus Enterprises Conglomerate is thriving, with entertainment complexes and Pokémon ride shops that are famous in other regions."
Damian smiles.
Impressive!
Serena had wondered, if Team Rocket's primary aim is wiping out other evil organizations, where does the funding come from?
If they're growing across regions, the organization must be huge; where does the money come from to support its members?
Now it's not so strange.
"Any more questions?"
Damian asks warmly.
"If I join Team Rocket, Mr. Damian, then… what's the treatment for me?"
Serena hesitates; she wants to know what she'd get.
Otherwise, why join Team Rocket?
Although she personally likes the idea of Team Rocket wiping out evil organizations, she wonders if Damian is lying to her.
Not to mention that Miss Diantha is negotiating with Damian, which suggests Damian isn't a straightforward villain.
"Let me give you a quick rundown."
Damian's lips curl slightly.
Clearly, Serena is in.
Great—Team Rocket gains another excellent comrade!
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