At this moment, Fortree City was no longer filled with soaring flames.
The fire had been extinguished, leaving only a few wisps of black smoke curling upward like ugly scars.
On the streets, Officer Jenny and her subordinates were maintaining order, while firefighters and many warm-hearted Trainers dragged their exhausted bodies, dealing with the aftermath of the fire.
The entire city seemed to be shrouded in a layer of heavy sadness.
Ariel led a group of people out of the forest, and this abrupt procession immediately attracted everyone's attention.
Winona was directing an Altaria to fan away the smoky embers with its wings; she was sharp-eyed and immediately saw Ariel and the group of ragged, haggard researchers behind him.
A flash of bewilderment crossed her face, followed by immense joy. She stepped forward quickly, her gaze passing over Ariel to land on the old professor.
"Professor Muraki! You... you're all alright?" Winona's voice trembled slightly.
"Gym Leader Winona,"
The elder known as Professor Muraki was also extremely excited,
"We... we were saved by this young man!"
Only then did Winona's gaze refocus on Ariel. The scrutiny and wariness in her eyes completely dissipated, replaced by sincere gratitude. She didn't thank him immediately but turned to the Officer Jenny beside her and shouted:
"Officer Jenny, all personnel from the Weather Institute have been found! Arrange for a medical team to come over immediately!"
After a brief commotion, the researchers were quickly taken away and sent to a temporary medical point for examination and placement.
After handling all this, Winona walked back to Ariel and solemnly straightened her collar, which was stained with ash.
"On behalf of Fortree City and everyone at the Weather Institute, I express my most sincere thanks to you."
Her voice was clear and bright, piercing through the noisy surroundings.
"You actually brought the researchers back!"
"If it weren't for you, the consequences would have been unthinkable. Fortree City will never forget this kindness."
"It was nothing."
Ariel's response was as concise as ever,
"The Weather Institute looked like it had been through a fierce battle."
"When I arrived, there were no members of the Magma Team left at the Weather Institute."
"So I just brought these researchers out along the way."
Hearing Ariel's words, Winona became lost in thought.
Exactly who was it that fought the Magma Team?
Team Aqua? Or a passing Trainer?
Or perhaps the Team Rockets who had retreated from Fortree City?
Winona shook her head, choosing not to overthink it; at the very least, the outcome was good.
Even if this Trainer named Ariel had only brought the researchers along "on the way," he still had to cross the forest, and bringing so many defenseless people would surely have involved harassment from wild Pokémon.
Looking at Ariel, Winona cleared her throat.
"To you, it might have been a small favor, but to us, it saved the entire city's future."
Winona clearly didn't accept his downplayed explanation. She gave Ariel a deep look. "Fortree City will definitely commend and reward you."
Ariel then changed the subject,
"Commendation isn't necessary. I'm someone who is indifferent to fame and fortune. I'm tired and want to return to the Pokémon Center to rest."
Winona looked at Ariel with admiration. Seeing that he didn't want to talk more, she didn't force the issue and nodded:
"Alright, please get some good rest. I will personally visit the Pokémon Center tomorrow to thank you again."
Ariel gave a noncommittal grunt, turned, and walked toward the Pokémon Center, leaving the noise and gratitude behind him.
The large bed at the Pokémon Center was so soft one could sink into it.
Ariel lay on his back with his arms behind his head, staring calmly at the ceiling.
The lights in the room were off; only the LCD TV screen hanging on the wall emitted a faint glow.
The TV was broadcasting the Hoenn region's evening news, and the headline was the fire in Fortree City.
"...According to the latest news from our reporter, the malicious arson incident in Fortree City has been confirmed as the work of a criminal organization. Under the heroic fighting of Officer Jenny and local Trainers, a total of ten criminals were killed on the spot..."
The female anchor's voice was sweet and spirited, filled with the pleasure of justice being served.
A few frames of blurry scene footage flashed on the screen, showing Officer Jenny's Arcanine breathing fire and engulfing a figure in black. The image flashed by, pixelated, but the desperate silhouette remained clear.
"...In this incident, the criminals showed an extremely strong sense of resistance and committed heinous acts, causing significant property damage to Fortree City. Fortunately, under the rapid response of the League, the fire was effectively controlled and did not cause large-scale casualties. The dozens of missing researchers from the Weather Institute were also successfully rescued half an hour ago by a heroic Trainer..."
Ariel looked at the TV screen, the corner of his mouth curling into a nearly imperceptible arc.
A masterpiece.
A perfect masterpiece, directed by his own hand.
Those ten Team Rockets members—from the moment he gave the order to set the fire, their fate was sealed.
They were pawns, sacrificial pieces used to draw Winona's attention.
They were worth their deaths, and Ariel was satisfied... Meanwhile, at the Rocket Hideout in Mauville City in the Hoenn region, the atmosphere was completely different from the gloom of Fortree City.
Dozens of Team Rockets members who had just returned from the Weather Institute mission were surrounded by a large crowd, excitedly recounting the details of the operation.
"You guys didn't see it! Lord Ruth was simply divine!"
A team member with scratches on his face was flushed with excitement,
"The League's reinforcements were about to arrive, and the Gym Leader had already fought her way to the entrance. We all thought we were finished, but Lord Ruth didn't even blink and directly formulated Plan B!"
"Plan B? What Plan B?" the people nearby asked curiously.
"A diversion! He had another team set fires in the city to draw everyone away! In just that short amount of time, we took the goods and slipped out right from under the League's nose! The whole process was smooth and seamless, without a single wasted movement!"
"Holy crap, for real? He could stay that calm in that situation?"
"That's nothing!"
Another team member cut in, his face full of worship,
"The most incredible thing was that when Lord Ruth was commanding our attack, he assigned specific tasks to every single squad! The execution was perfectly linked! He completely crushed those Magma Team guys!"
"Hiss—" A chorus of sharp intakes of breath sounded around them.
Strategizing and planning, never a missed calculation.
These terms began to be tightly associated with the codename "Ruth."
The team members who followed him on the mission had witnessed his calmness, decisiveness, and his almost monstrous ability to anticipate.
From their initial doubt to shock, and finally to complete submission.
After returning, they became Ariel's most loyal advocates, spreading the details of the operation with added flair throughout the entire Hoenn Branch.
Word spread from one to ten, and ten to a hundred.
The codename "Ruth" was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves in the underground world of Hoenn's Team Rockets.
And the instigator of it all, Ariel, was still completely unaware of this.
He turned off the TV, and the room fell into darkness.
Moonlight from outside spilled in through the gaps, casting a pattern of light and shadow across his face.
What he was thinking about now was tomorrow's Gym battle with Winona.
A Flying-type Gym... Which Pokémon should he use to take that badge?