"Can I ask something more specific?"
Alexa was definitely pretty curious right now.
"Of course. I'm last year's Indigo Plateau Conference winner. I guess I still have some name recognition on the Kanto side online."
Damian answered modestly.
"Oh? Mr. Damian, you shouldn't be that old, right?"
Hearing that, Alexa's eyes lit up. She started thinking about the "success rate" of using Damian's achievement as a hook.
After all, a regional tournament winner—and specifically an Indigo Plateau Conference winner—would probably attract plenty of civilians' curiosity in Kalos too.
"Yes. I only set out on my journey last year."
"Okay, I get it. Mr. Damian—when would you have time to accept interviews?"
Alexa asked.
"How about tomorrow afternoon?"
Damian was the type who liked to sleep in. Unless it was serious, he usually wouldn't get up until after 10.
And obviously, for Damian, this interview didn't count as anything serious.
"Awesome! I'll come visit you tomorrow at 1 PM."
Alexa confirmed the time.
"See you tomorrow," Damian said with a smile.
Alexa watched their silhouettes get into the car.
Why was Serena leaving with Damian's group?
They seemed to get along really well.
Forget it—she'd ask Serena later.
Right now, it was all about tomorrow's interviews.
"I'll go search for info on Damian when I get back."
Alexa thought to herself.
After all, Damian himself said he was fairly famous on the Kanto side.
If she searched online about Kanto after getting home, she should find some info.
"Mr. Damian, why are you agreeing to Miss Alexa's interviews?"
Meanwhile, in Damian's car, Dawn in the back seat asked, very puzzled.
From her perspective, this wasn't a good ideology.
Team Rocket still wasn't really suitable for exposure to the public.
After all, Damian's many moves simply weren't things other people would accept.
"And why can't we?"
Damian smiled and asked rhetorically.
"Dawn, Team Rocket is a legit organization now. We're also a real, proper enterprise."
Damian said lazily.
"Emmm…"
Dawn really didn't know what to say.
Was it really that "proper"?
"Anyway, evil Team Rocket is already dead in the past. We have to turn the public's reputation around."
"Otherwise wherever we go, people will point at us and scream 'Evil Team Rocket,' and that's not something we want to see."
Damian's reasoning was actually a bit shaky.
But as long as there was a reason, it worked.
In reality, Damian didn't care about Team Rocket's public image that much.
No matter what the outside world thought of Team Rocket, did it matter?
Either way, Damian wouldn't change how he did things.
As for why he accepted interviews?
That was mostly because of a sudden impulse—he thought it would be interesting.
Just imagine the people who knew him, after watching those interviews, wearing expressions like they swallowed a whole lemon.
That would be hilarious.
"That's how it is."
Dawn finally understood.
She felt that Mr. Damian was right.
Now Dawn was calmly accepting her own Team Rocket identity.
If Team Rocket's reputation could improve out in the world, that would be for the best.
Serena blinked a couple times, somehow not fully getting it but also not totally lost.
She didn't know much about Team Rocket.
Damian had said Team Rocket used to be an evil organization, and she didn't really have a concept for it.
But after hearing Damian talk with Dawn, it sounded like Team Rocket's reputation in Kanto really was terrible.
Still, whatever.
That was the old Team Rocket.
Serena wasn't that shallow.
"By the way, Serena. Have you chosen which Ultra Beast you want?"
Damian asked Serena.
"Um— Mr. Damian… I want Blacephalon."
Serena made her choice.
Fire/Ghost-type Blacephalon is an offensive Ultra Beast.
Its Special Attack is brutally strong, its physical Attack is also solid, and its speed isn't slow either.
But the traits of Ultra Beasts are that Blacephalon's stamina and defenses tend to be kinda lacking.
"Blacephalon?"
Damian nodded.
"It's a good pick. It'll cover and strengthen your team."
For Serena's team, Blacephalon really was a solid choice.
One worth noting here: Serena's starter is Greninja, not Delphox from the anime.
And Blacephalon's typing completely reinforces Serena's lineup.
"I'll provide you with a Blacephalon at Elite Four-level. That saves you a lot of time raising it, but you still have to catch it yourself first."
Damian reminded her.
"Ultra Beasts have pretty strong wild instincts."
"Yeah! Thanks, Mr. Damian."
Hearing that, Serena was genuinely surprised.
An Elite Four-level Blacephalon.
Once she catches it, all she has to do is raise it a little and build some synergy.
Then it could basically become her main roster right away.
Mr. Damian was just too thoughtful.
"No need to thank me. Work hard from here on out, and don't let me down."
Damian smiled.
He still had a lot of anticipation for Serena.
"Yes!"
Serena straightened her little face.
Time flew by, and it was already deep into the night.
In Alexa's room, she sat at her computer desk with long hair wrapped up after a shower.
"So, sister… you want to interview last year's Indigo Plateau Conference Champion?"
"Ugh… this news isn't that explosive."
On the video call, a girl with a pretty face wearing a white sleep dress lay on the bed, looking puzzled.
The lace of her nightgown slid slightly downward, revealing a large stretch of pale skin.
So scandalous.
"See, you don't get it, Viola. This guy is definitely not ordinary."
Alexa opened the Kanto Region website, then immediately started searching for Damian's info.
A video popped up right away.
And then—
"Hey everyone, I'm Damian. I'm Damian from Team Rocket."
Team Rocket?
Alexa froze.
Team Rocket sounded… really off.
And this was being broadcast?
After Alexa listened to the video—without any visuals—
No, something was seriously wrong.
They were saying stuff that sounded way too crazy!
"sister, I think… you might want to cancel this interview. Team Rocket is an evil organization in Kanto!"
Because she had the video calling on nonstop, Viola also heard the voice from that video.
Her tone carried a bit of shock.
"Oh my gosh… and the Team Rocket incidents I found? It's all terrifying."
"Kidnapping, extortion, gene experiments, snatching Pokémon from bystanders… and just this year, Team Rocket even held S.S. Anne hostage!"
That was a world-class cruise ship.
This was way too much.
It was completely beyond anything Viola could even imagine.
"This is too dangerous, sister!"
"Don't panic."
Alexa's heartbeat was speeding up.
Now she understood why Miss Diantha wanted her to leave quickly that morning.
Miss Diantha obviously knew Damian's identity.
Alexa immediately searched for info related to Team Rocket.
And sure enough—
It was a record of wrongdoing without end.
But Alexa noticed something important.
"Viola, you heard it too, right? Damian is the current Team Rocket boss. In the broadcast, he said he took over after dealing with the original Team Rocket boss."
Alexa's eyes shimmered with eager light.
She felt like she was about to get rich.
"sister, you're not still planning to interview him, are you?"
Viola sounded unbelievable.
"Are you insane?!"
"I don't agree! It's way too dangerous, sister!"
That's the boss of an evil organization.
Besides the issue of Alexa's personal safety, interviewing an evil organization boss—
Could that even be broadcast?
"Calm down, Viola."
Alexa said patiently.
"I saw Miss Diantha talking with Damian this morning. I also scraped some info. Under Damian's boss-level leadership, Team Rocket has already changed its style. It's no longer the Team Rocket from before."
Alexa tried to steady Viola.
"But still…"
Viola's brows were still tightly knit.
"Viola, you know how long I've been waiting for a chance like this!"
Alexa looked at some basic info about Damian on the computer screen.
"If this interview show about Damian gets spread, I'll definitely become famous!"
Yes, this was a once-in-a-kind opportunity.
It wasn't that famous in Kalos, but Damian was the boss of Team Rocket—
And the boss of the former evil Team Rocket!
Even if the interview only gets mediocre reactions locally in Kalos, Alexa still had full confidence.
As long as she got this interview segment spread to Kanto, she would blow up for real.
"Viola, I have to consider whether this is my only chance in my whole life. I want to grab it!"
"I still don't think so…"
Viola stayed pessimistic.
"Trust me, Viola. I don't think Damian is that evil."
Alexa soothed her little sister's mood.
This was an exclusive interview with the Team Rocket boss.
Alexa absolutely didn't want to give it up.
Opportunity and risk always come together.
And in Alexa's view, the risk probability wasn't that high.
If Damian were truly extremely dangerous, then why would Miss Diantha allow Damian's group to run around in Lumiose City?
That also proved Damian was at least "controllable."
"If I can rise to the top, it all comes down to this one interview."
Alexa still had a bit of ambition.
Even though Viola—her little sister—had become one of the Kalos Gym Leaders, Viola's strength among Gym Leaders was honestly pretty average.
And she was a Bug-type Gym.
A lot of people online still criticized Viola's strength.
Mostly because Viola is pretty, and her personality is sunny and upbeat.
That kind of charm helped her reputation a lot.
But what use is that?
"If that's what you decided, sister, then I'm coming with you tomorrow to Lumiose City."
Viola said seriously.
"If anything unexpected happens, I can protect you."
Viola didn't argue anymore.
She knew Alexa's personality was like this.
If she couldn't persuade her, then she'd do her part to protect her sister.
"Well… fine."
Alexa was touched, and she only had to agree.
She knew rejecting wouldn't help.
~~
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