Chapter 133: Champion Cynthia — Will You Marry Me?
"Visitors?"
Professor Lund set down his report and turned to face the three of them.
"Hello, Professor Lund. I've heard a great deal about your work on Pokémon behavioral ecology — we came specifically to learn from you."
Mammon gave a slight bow.
Mewtwo — can you sense it?
Internally, he was already sending the question through telepathy to Armored Mewtwo.
"Mammon. That gem — it's alive." Armored Mewtwo's low, graveled telepathic response came immediately.
Even inside its Poké Ball its psychic sensitivity was extraordinary. And this gem — this was something else entirely.
"The power it contains is formidable. Its consciousness has not fully awakened, however."
"It's Deoxys, after all. Any chance you could wake it?"
"I'm not certain."
Armored Mewtwo considered the question before answering. It could sense the dormant power inside the gem clearly enough — but stimulating it to full awakening was another matter. Its psychic abilities were powerful, not omnipotent.
"Which means there's a probability you could."
Mammon filed the answer away. That was enough to work with.
"Oh? You have an interest in that area?"
Professor Lund looked slightly more engaged. He had light blue hair and an extremely cool, detached manner — the kind of person who gave the immediate impression of being difficult to approach.
"I do. Particularly Pokémon that don't originate from this planet."
The corner of Mammon's mouth lifted.
Both Professor Lund and Yuko's expressions shifted — very slightly.
"Pokémon like Solrock, for instance — said to have fallen from space. Their behavioral ecology does present some fascinating research angles." Lund kept his voice level.
There were actually quite a few Pokémon rumored to have extraterrestrial origins — Solrock and Lunatone right here in Hoenn being the obvious examples.
"As expected of Professor Lund. Would you be willing to tell us more?"
"Of course."
Mammon's smile didn't quite reach his eyes, but he didn't push on Deoxys directly. No rush. Deoxys was a remarkable mythical Pokémon — capable of shifting freely between multiple forms, with impressive combat capacity in each. If he could obtain one, that would be very useful.
They stayed at Professor Lund's facility for a while longer. Lund and Yuko were both forthcoming and thorough in walking the three of them through various topics in Pokémon ecological research.
"I feel like I learned so much." Lillie tilted her head thoughtfully as they stepped back outside.
She genuinely admired research professors. Growing up, after leaving home, she'd been taken in by Professor Kukui and had worked as his assistant — and she'd always been struck by how much these researchers simply knew.
"Rightfully so — he's the most eminent researcher in this city. Shall we head to the hotel?"
The afternoon was getting on. The three of them made their way to the hotel Mammon had booked in advance.
Lillie was feeling tired from the day's travel and turned in early. Mammon and Caitlin headed out to a nearby training facility — she'd been making rapid progress lately, and he wanted to run a proper session with her.
Recent weeks had confirmed it: Caitlin had fully crossed into Champion-tier. She was Team Rocket's fourth Champion-level member.
The organization is growing. Mammon felt genuine satisfaction about it. This was the fruit of his own effort.
"Hm?! Cynthia-senpai, it's them!"
He was running Suicune against Caitlin's Gallade when a startled female voice cut through the air nearby.
Mammon's eyebrow went up. He turned.
Cynthia. And Nemona.
"Well, well, well~ Look who it is. Small world, isn't it."
Mammon's grin spread as he looked the two of them over.
"Are all criminal organization members this brazen?! Training out in the open — in the middle of the city?!"
Nemona was visibly on edge. Mammon alone had held off Cynthia, Steven, and Giovanni simultaneously. And Caitlin was standing right there. The two of them against these two — the math was not favorable. And no civilian evacuation had been done anywhere near here.
"Relax. We're not here to cause trouble today." Mammon waved a hand. "No need for the tension."
Nemona's expression was deeply strange. What do you mean, 'not here to cause trouble today'—?
"As long as you don't start something, we can all coexist."
Since Cynthia and Nemona had appeared, continuing the training session wasn't going to happen. Caitlin drifted calmly to Mammon's side, her gaze moving to Cynthia with quiet composure.
Cynthia's expression was complicated, as it always was when Caitlin was in front of her.
"Mammon. What brings you to Larousse?"
Cynthia kept her voice level. They'd been alone together once before, back in Hau'oli City in Alola. She'd found then that he generally meant what he said — which was an odd basis for trust with someone from a criminal organization, but there it was.
"It's a remarkably advanced city. Came to look around and decompress. Yourselves?"
Mammon's easy conversational tone made Nemona deeply uncomfortable. They had been trying to arrest these people in Rustboro days ago.
She shot a sidelong glance at Cynthia. The composure Cynthia maintained in this situation was something Nemona genuinely admired.
"The Hoenn League has been unable to locate Team Rocket's movements lately. So Nemona and I decided to take a walk." Cynthia said it without embarrassment.
"Ha~ Cynthia, you really don't worry about me taking offense, do you."
Sweat appeared on Nemona's forehead.
If it comes to a fight here— They'd lose, and there'd been no civilian evacuation. She was very clear-eyed that starting something now would be a bad idea.
"Mammon. I don't know what's truly driving you. But I know your future isn't with Team Rocket."
Cynthia had assessed the situation the same way. If Mammon had intended violence, he'd have opened with it. She moved into verbal offensive mode.
"Skip the lecture, Cynthia. Frankly, I'd much rather have a pleasant conversation with a beautiful woman." Mammon gave her a sideways look, letting his gaze move over her casual outfit — her hair in a ponytail today.
She really was genuinely beautiful.
"?" Cynthia sent him a question mark.
"??" Nemona sent him two.
Caitlin's eyes narrowed very slightly.
"Words alone won't convince me of anything."
"What would it take, then?"
Cynthia paused to think. That was fair — they were all adults. If offering the right incentive could bring Mammon back from Team Rocket, it was worth considering.
"Let me think. Back in Kanto, Elite Four Lorelei told me that if I left Team Rocket, she'd marry me and give me ten children."
Mammon's expression was artfully scandalous, smile playing at full force as he looked at Cynthia.
"What do you think, Cynthia? Interested?"
"—What."
Nemona's jaw dropped.
Cynthia's brow furrowed deeply. What exactly was he implying?
Caitlin's face was expressionless.
"You can't be serious." Nemona found her voice.
Mammon gave her a flat look. "Who jokes about something like that?"
Nemona made a strangled noise. The scope of this gossip is enormous. She couldn't even share this with Penny — it was too much.
"Mammon. That isn't funny."
Cynthia pressed her lips together. She understood what he was implying — but sacrificing her own future, her entire life—
Even she couldn't say she was prepared for that. She was Sinnoh's Champion. She carried the weight of protecting the League and its people.
But not like this.
Cynthia and Lorelei were very different people. Lorelei's proposal had come from a particular place — intense, a little extreme, driven by her own complicated logic. Cynthia wasn't built that way.
And setting aside the marriage entirely: ten? Was he trying to kill her? What normal woman—
"Pff — so Champion Cynthia isn't quite that dedicated after all. And here I was thinking, if Cynthia were willing to marry me and stay by my side unconditionally, leaving Team Rocket might not be entirely out of the question."
Mammon shook his head with theatrical regret.
(Absolute lie.)
(Not even ten Cynthias. He was not leaving Team Rocket. He had sworn to build it into the greatest criminal empire this world had ever seen. But this was too good to pass up.)
Caitlin remained expressionless.
"..."
Cynthia went quiet.
Was that — did I just miss an opportunity to actually solve the Mammon problem?
The thought surfaced involuntarily in Nemona's head.
Mammon was extraordinarily powerful. If they could neutralize him without a single battle — the blow to Team Rocket would be massive.
No — no no no. Not if the cost was Champion Cynthia's entire future. That was wrong.
Nemona shoved the thought away immediately and looked at Mammon across the gap.
Young. Handsome. That powerful. As a husband — objectively, someone could do considerably worse—
"Well then — until next time. A shame Cynthia won't have me, but personally I'm quite fond of her. Perhaps one day I'll simply abduct her and keep her in my basement."
Mammon's smile was sunny. The words coming out of his mouth were the opposite.
Cynthia: "…"
Nemona: (⊙○)
A BASEMENT?! That was unhinged. That was genuinely disturbed behavior. Only a complete—
Oh, right. Evil criminal organization. Never mind then.
"Wait — Caitlin."
As Mammon and Caitlin turned to leave, Cynthia finally broke her silence.
She hadn't taken the marriage comment seriously. She'd read it as mostly performance. But this she couldn't let pass without saying.
"?" Caitlin looked back.
"Caitlin. Is there still nothing you want to say to me?" The complexity in Cynthia's voice was audible.
She couldn't let it go. She genuinely wanted her friend back.
"I've already told you, Cynthia — I have my own path." Caitlin shook her head, then glanced at Mammon beside her. The corner of her mouth curved without her deciding it would. "And Mammon wouldn't let me leave regardless."
She said it with a small, quiet smile.
"That's right. Caitlin is one of the people who matter most to me. I'm not about to let anyone take her away." Mammon played his part perfectly.
Caitlin's eyes softened with something she didn't bother to hide.
Cynthia: "…"
She had nothing left to say. She watched the two of them walk away, and stood for a long while in thought.
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you