Chapter 166: Leon: Chairman, Do We Have Legends Like This in Galar?
The next day.
Mauville City Airport.
"Message me when you're back in Alola. Come find me when you have time."
Mammon straightened Lillie's collar, then ruffled her soft golden hair.
Lillie was heading home. She'd been in Hoenn for a good while, and Lusamine had been pressing her.
Lusamine had probably sensed something.
"Mm~"
Lillie answered obediently, tilting her head up, her bright eyes looking at Mammon with an expression she wasn't quite managing to contain.
She gathered herself internally. Gathered herself again.
"Mammon, I—"
But when the moment came, the golden-haired young woman found, embarrassingly, that she still couldn't get the words out.
"What is it?"
Mammon looked at her, puzzled.
"N— nothing." The moment Lillie registered his gaze, a flush rose on her face and her voice dropped to nearly nothing.
Lillie, come on. You have to do better than this.
She was screaming at herself internally. Why was it so hard? Just a few words — why wouldn't they come?
"Passengers for the Alola flight — boarding is now open."
The airport announcement played.
"Go on, you'll be late." Mammon smiled at her.
"Mm~ Mammon, look over there."
Lillie raised one hand and pointed past his shoulder.
Mammon turned instinctively — but there was nothing there. He turned back.
And found something soft against his lips.
Mammon raised an eyebrow, turning to look at the girl whose face had gone completely, brilliantly red.
Lillie stood with both hands tucked behind her back, eyes down, drawing slow circles with her toe.
She was visibly, thoroughly flustered.
"Lillie, you—" Mammon started.
"T— that — Mammon, I'm boarding now."
And she was off, practically fleeing toward the gate, white pleated skirt fluttering.
This girl.
Mammon watched her go with an amused expression. She reached the gate, looked back. He smiled and waved.
Lillie's face broke into a smile immediately, and she waved back with her whole arm.
Not far from them, Caitlin sat on a bench with a cup of coffee, taking small, deliberate sips. The coffee wasn't to her satisfaction. Somehow it tasted sour.
Jirachi sat beside her, tiny head drooping, already half-asleep — entirely unaware of anything that had just happened.
With Lillie seen off, Mammon and Caitlin returned to the villa.
"Hoenn is more or less on track at this point. I'll spend a few days doing handoffs — Maxie and the others can handle what's left."
Mammon sat back against the sofa, studying a world map in his hands.
The Hoenn operations had settled into a working rhythm. Steven had been forced to acknowledge Team Rocket's "legitimacy." Things were reasonably stable here.
"We're leaving Hoenn?" Kagura blinked.
"Mm. Hoenn was only one stop. I can't afford to spend too much time in any one place." Mammon nodded.
They'd only reached Alola and Hoenn so far. There was a considerable distance still to go.
"Are you coming, or staying to hold things down here?" he asked Kagura.
"Rayquaza is with you. I have to follow." Kagura crossed one leg over the other, the curve of her calf swaying slightly.
She hadn't given up on Rayquaza, not even a little. And with Rayquaza temporarily in Mammon's care, of course she was coming.
Caitlin gave Kagura a quiet smile at that. She genuinely liked Kagura — and most importantly, despite being a girl, Kagura had absolutely zero interest in anything romantic.
"All right. We'll go to Johto first."
Mammon thought about it. He had something he'd promised Kagura — might as well take care of that along the way.
"The Johto Pokémon Association. Those responsible — they can't be allowed to get away quietly."
Mammon's finger tapped a steady rhythm against his knee. The Johto Pokémon Association had been the organization behind the Rayquaza Capture Operation. Those people, blinded by greed, were a problem that needed clearing up.
"Yes." The smile left Kagura's face. Her eyes went sharp and cold as a blade.
Those people at the Pokémon Association—
One day later.
"Steven, you're really sure this is fine? The doctor said two more days."
Wallace looked at Steven with some concern.
"I'm fine. Resting at home is still resting." Steven shook his head.
"And Wallace — if you'd agree to take the Champion title back, I wouldn't need to rush." Steven's face was perfectly neutral.
When it came down to it, Wallace was simply unwilling to take the position. Otherwise he could have afforded a proper rest.
"Steven, I don't have what it takes, and you know it."
Wallace was the picture of innocence. Maybe before all this it would have been different, but now with Team Rocket in Hoenn? He didn't have remotely the strength for the Champion role right now.
Steven had collapsed into a hospital bed, and Steven was Steven. If they switched, Wallace was going straight to the morgue.
Steven pressed two fingers to his temple, brow furrowing deeply. He knew, of course.
But the self-reproach wouldn't let him rest. He felt he genuinely no longer deserved the title of Hoenn's Champion.
And yet outside of Wallace, who in Hoenn could step into the position?
Steven exhaled, and together they headed to a nearby hotel where Leon and the others were waiting.
The group shared a meal, and afterward Leon, Cynthia, Giovanni, and Nemona said their goodbyes to Steven and Wallace.
They'd been away long enough. It was time to go home. Steven understood, and thanked them sincerely.
They hadn't dismantled Team Rocket — but Steven also understood that wasn't on any of them.
"Steven — what's your plan from here?"
At the Mauville Airport, while waiting for their flights, Leon turned to him.
"I'll take it one step at a time. I honestly don't know right now."
Steven gave a tired answer. With Primal Kyogre behind Mammon, he genuinely had no idea how to move forward.
"Understood. If you need anything, don't hesitate to reach out." Leon patted his arm and smiled.
He'd developed a real regard for Steven. He'd be glad to spend more time with him.
"Come visit Galar when you get the chance — you and Wallace both. I'll pick you up personally. Our Dynamax is something you have to see."
"We will." Steven's mood lifted a little. He even managed a joke: "As long as you can actually find the airport."
"Ha—" Leon scratched his head sheepishly. His lack of directional sense had become very well known among the group over the past weeks.
"Paldea too! Steven, whenever you visit, Champion Nemona will be very excited to have you!" Nemona added brightly.
"We'd love to." Steven smiled and nodded.
"Sinnoh is always open to you." Cynthia said it warmly.
Steven nodded with genuine feeling. The results hadn't been what he'd hoped — but he'd found some remarkable people.
"Kanto likewise. Reach out any time." Giovanni shook his hand, a faint smile on his face.
"Thank you. Speaking of — is Groudon all right, Giovanni?"
Steven nodded, and thought of Groudon. Mammon had also returned the Red Orb.
"We've come to an understanding. Nothing to worry about." Giovanni said it evenly.
Once Groudon had finally stopped expelling water and regained some coherence, Giovanni had had a conversation with it and managed to calm it down.
"That's good. Still — be careful. Groudon is dangerous." Steven thought it over and added the reminder.
What he actually wanted to say was that Giovanni should consider releasing Groudon entirely. A legendary of that scale was too unstable to keep.
But then he thought about what would happen if Groudon were suddenly released and decided to go find Kyogre for a rematch, and what that would do to Hoenn, and decided Steven couldn't bear any more disasters right now.
"I understand." Giovanni nodded with care.
Half past five that afternoon. A private dining room in one of Mauville's upscale hotels. The senior leadership of Hoenn's Team Rocket branch was gathered together for the first time.
The three top executives: Mammon, Caitlin, Kagura.
The three senior officers: Gladion, Maxie, Archie.
And the other officers and command staff: Courtney, Shelly, Brawly.
"The organization's development has been progressing very smoothly. That's thanks to all of you. A toast."
Mammon rose and lifted his glass, smiling at Maxie and the others.
"Ha ha ha~ You're too kind, Lord Mammon."
Archie laughed loudly — though his broad, rough features made the expression look somewhere between jubilant and menacing.
"Lord Mammon has done all the heavy thinking. We only carry out what's been laid out for us. We can't take credit." Maxie pushed his glasses up and said it evenly, not looking at Archie once.
Sycophant.
Archie barely suppressed an eye-roll. This Maxie — really knew how to work an audience.
The two of them, of course, still thoroughly disliked each other. With Mammon present they weren't going to let it erupt, but the mutual disdain was entirely intact.
"I'll be leaving Hoenn for a while. The two of you hold things down."
Mammon pretended not to notice, drank with Maxie and the others, and gave his instructions.
"Caitlin and Kagura will be leaving as well?" Maxie asked.
"All three of us will be gone for a while, yes." Mammon confirmed.
"Don't worry, Lord Mammon! Leave it to us!" Archie thumped his chest emphatically.
"Lord Mammon — if that's the case, there won't be any Champion-level strength left here. If Steven and Wallace decide to cause trouble—"
Maxie glanced sideways at Archie and let the concern show. He and that muscle-headed idiot were not alike.
Steven aside, even Wallace wasn't a match for them to handle. Frankly, the entire Hoenn Elite Four was beyond what they could take on.
The island that day had proven it — Archie hadn't been able to hold Drake.
"As long as you don't go looking for trouble, the Hoenn League won't come after Team Rocket in the short term." Mammon shook his head.
Steven wasn't the sort to say one thing and do another. Having accepted Team Rocket's "legitimacy," he wasn't going to go back on it.
The condition, of course, was that Team Rocket Hoenn not actively cause harm.
"Lord Mammon really is something else!" Archie exclaimed, which made Maxie's mouth twitch briefly.
"That said — anything that does require action, keep it clean. Don't get caught." Mammon warned them both.
"Maxie, you manage the organization's business and commercial ventures. Archie, you lead the combat personnel and sweep out the poaching operations. Our territory doesn't need that kind of garbage."
"Understood."
"Leave it to me, Lord Mammon."
Both of them nodded.
"Good. I'm expecting results when I return." Mammon said it with satisfaction.
The two of them were at each other's throats constantly — but as long as it didn't interfere with organizational interests, the competition suited him fine.
Meanwhile, everyone else had returned to their home regions.
Wyndon. Rose Tower. Leon arrived at the top floor.
"Welcome back, Leon. How was Hoenn?"
Rose sat in his executive chair, a composed and confident smile on his face, his voice warm.
"A lot to take in, Chairman. This world is much larger than I understood." Leon was genuinely reflective.
He'd spent too long settled in Galar. This trip to Hoenn had opened something up in him.
"Oh?" Rose's interest sharpened.
"It sounds like you learned a great deal. Would you tell me about it?"
Rose gestured to the seat across from him. Oleana walked in with two cups of coffee.
"Of course. Chairman — you won't believe how dangerous this Team Rocket actually is." Leon's expression was very serious.
"Before that, though — Chairman, do you know whether Galar has any legendary Pokémon beyond Professor Magnolia's research on Zacian and Zamazenta?"
Leon looked at him.
"Legendary Pokémon?" Rose raised an eyebrow, affecting mild surprise.
"Yes. The kind that are far more powerful than what we know — the kind that could destroy a city effortlessly."
Leon nodded. He was now genuinely worried that somewhere in Galar there might be something on the level of Primal Kyogre or Mega Rayquaza.
"Are you interested in them?"
"Honestly, yes. I won't hide it — on this trip I experienced firsthand what legendary Pokémon are capable of. Chairman, can you imagine? A Primal Kyogre, if it chooses, can submerge an entire region under rain."
Leon's voice was full of residual disbelief. That kind of power was simply a walking natural disaster.
"The legendary Kyogre from Hoenn?" Rose's deep eyes flickered faintly. A Pokémon capable of flooding an entire region with rain?
"Chairman, you have broad knowledge and experience — does Galar have anything on Kyogre's level?" Leon pressed.
He hadn't heard of anything like that himself — but Rose was perceptive and well-connected. If anyone might know, it would be him.
Rose was quiet for a moment, and then the corner of his mouth curved into something that carried its own particular quality of meaning.
"There are, of course. In fact, Leon — Galar has four legendary Pokémon of that caliber."
(End of chapter)
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