He raised his head, sizing up Yuki with a peculiar look in his eyes.
This girl didn't seem particularly bright; how could she possibly idolize him?
He believed that within Team Rockets, especially among the low-level personnel, his reputation should be more akin to that of an "evil ghost."
"I'm fine."
Ariel waved his hand, signaling the staff to withdraw.
He pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and spoke to Yuki as if nothing had happened.
"If it were Lord Ruth, he probably wouldn't care about a Supervisor like that at all."
"Eh?"
Yuki's attention was indeed diverted. Her large eyes blinked curiously as she leaned in closer, a faint fragrance wafting into Ariel's nose.
"Big shot, how do you know? Do you actually know Lord Ruth?"
Her tone was filled with expectation and excitement.
In Yuki's eyes, the big shot before her possessed unfathomable strength and surely held a very high status, so knowing the legendary Lord Ruth didn't seem strange at all.
Ariel's expression stiffened for a moment.
Know him? It was more than just knowing him; he was as familiar with himself as one could be.
He couldn't exactly say, "I am that 'Lord Ruth' you're talking about."
"Ahem."
Ariel cleared his throat, his gaze drifting elsewhere as he fabricated a story in a flat tone.
"I've only heard some... stories about that Ruth... Lord Ruth, and made a guess."
"Is that so? Really?"
Yuki's curiosity was completely ignited, like a little fan chasing a star.
"Then guess again, why wouldn't Lord Ruth care about a small character like that?"
Seeing her look of thirsting for knowledge, Ariel suddenly found it a bit amusing.
He picked up his coffee cup and took another sip. This time he didn't add sugar, letting the bitterness spread across his tongue.
"Because that Supervisor, in terms of age, has no room for advancement; in terms of mindset, he's blinded by a tiny bit of power, showing his narrow-mindedness; and in terms of potential, he's practically negligible."
Ariel's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear.
"He is destined to be a small character spinning around the bottom for his entire life. To deal with a small character, one naturally uses the methods meant for small characters."
These words were half for Yuki and half his own true thoughts.
He truly didn't take that Supervisor seriously.
Just as a lion doesn't care about the provocation of an ant. Stepping on it would only dirty its feet.
"Use... the methods of a small character?"
Yuki tilted her head, murmuring the words to herself as if trying hard to understand this profound sentence.
Suddenly, as if struck by a bolt of lightning, she clapped her hands and her eyes lit up.
"I get it! I completely understand!"
Ariel: "?"
He looked at Yuki's expression of sudden realization and enlightenment, completely baffled.
What did you understand?
Did I just say anything with a lot of information? Weren't those just some very ordinary platitudes?
"Big shot, you really are a person full of wisdom, just like Lord Ruth!"
Yuki looked at Ariel with a face full of admiration.
"Thank you for your guidance. I know how to deal with that dead fatty now!"
Ariel became even more curious and couldn't help asking:
"Oh? What do you plan to do?"
Yuki leaned into Ariel's ear and lowered her voice, speaking mysteriously.
"To deal with a small character, you use a small character's methods! What that dead fatty cares about most is his position and that bit of power. From now on, I'll write anonymous reports every day! I'll say he's corrupt, that he harasses female subordinates, and that he slacks off at work! Anyway, by mixing truth with lies, even if I can't bring him down, I can make his life a mess and have the Disciplinary Department invite him for tea every day!"
"..."
Ariel's hand, holding the coffee cup, froze in mid-air.
He looked at Yuki's face, slightly flushed with excitement, and her eyes sparkling with the light of "wisdom," and for a moment, he was speechless.
This is your understanding of "the methods of a small character"?
Though... it actually sounds quite reasonable.
"By the way,"
Ariel put down the coffee cup and changed the subject.
"Isn't your task of leading the way already over? Why are you still here?"
"My task isn't just leading the way!"
Yuki put her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest with some pride, and triumphantly waved the data recording board in her hand.
"I am also the Combat Recorder for this assessment. I'm responsible for collecting all the combat data between you and the assessment Pokémon!"
Perhaps Ariel's guidance had helped her find a way to solve her problem; at this moment, Yuki had swept away her previous tension and sorrow, returning to her lively and bouncy self.
Just then, a heavy sound of mechanical operation came from the center of the field.
The ground slowly cracked open, and a huge lifting platform rose from below.
On the platform, a massive figure gradually appeared.
It was a Tyranitar!
Its body was covered in rock-like dark green armor, with ferocious bone spikes extending from its back to its head. Its abdomen was a grayish-white shell with a diamond-shaped deep blue area.
It stood nearly three meters tall, its thick limbs filled with explosive power. Just by standing there, a fierce and violent aura swept across the entire field.
"Roar—!"
The Tyranitar let out a roar toward the sky, the sound waves spreading like visible ripples, making the surrounding explosion-proof glass buzz.
Yuki's face turned pale instantly.
"Ty... Tyranitar?!"
She almost dropped the recording board in her hand.
"The assessment... uses a Pokémon of this level?"
Even the researchers in the observation room took on solemn expressions.
Ariel, however, remained seated in his chair, his expression unchanged. He merely glanced up at the irritable Tyranitar, then slowly finished his last sip of coffee and gently placed the cup on the table.
"I'm ready."
He stood up, stretching his wrists while walking toward the center of the field, his voice as flat as if he were saying, "The weather is nice today."
Yuki stared blankly at his back.
That figure clearly wasn't particularly tall, but at this moment, it seemed as if it could hold up the entire sky, forming a stark confrontation with that fierce Tyranitar.
Her heart began to race for no reason.
Is this... what a true big shot is like?