Chapter 399: Team Rocket's Top-Tier Executive? Let Me Test Your Mettle!
"You've got some nerve."
Peony couldn't help laughing.
"Do you know where Rose stands now?"
Peony rarely followed the Galar League anymore, but even he knew Rose's standing in Galar these days.
It was no exaggeration to call Rose the finest League Chairman in Galar's history.
And Macro Cosmos had a near-monopoly on every market. Surpass Rose, in Galar?
Without exaggeration, it was a fantasy.
"So what?" Mammon asked back.
"Rose may rule Galar with one hand, but at the end of the day, he's just a local king in his own little pond."
The corners of Mammon's mouth slowly rose.
"But Peony, do you know anything about Team Rocket?"
"Starting from Kanto, then Alola, Hoenn, Unova, Sinnoh, Kalos: Team Rocket's flag has been planted in every one of those regions."
"The League, the Champions, none of them can stop Team Rocket's growth. Sooner or later, Team Rocket will become an organization that stands against the League as an equal, or even surpasses it."
Mammon's tone wasn't heavy at all. If anything, it was a little offhand.
But that was exactly why the overwhelming confidence radiating from every word made Peony's pupils contract.
"That's impossible!"
Peony exclaimed in disbelief.
That's right. It should be impossible!
The Pokémon League had ruled the world for over a hundred years and covered nearly every region. Even if some underground organization did grow, suppressing it couldn't possibly be hard for the Pokémon League.
"Why is it impossible? Peony, your view of the world is too shallow."
Mammon tilted his head and looked at Peony.
"Just like when you became Galar's Champion. What a perfect opportunity that was. You'd proven your ability. You'd become the person at the very top of Galar."
Peony's big, dark face darkened further.
"But then what? After Rose became Chairman, what did you do?"
"You never thought to use your position as Champion to keep proving yourself to everyone. Instead, because you didn't want to work with Rose, you resigned as Champion and fled the Galar League."
"Do you know why you've always fallen short of Rose? Because your outlook is too narrow."
Mammon said it without mercy.
"Why, you...!" Peony clenched his fists, glaring at Mammon.
But Mammon didn't care at all. He wasn't as burly as Peony, but this body of his had been blessed by the Alpaca.
In an actual fistfight, even with Peony's years of adventuring in the wild, Peony couldn't possibly beat him.
And did anyone think the Gengar and Marshadow in Mammon's shadow were just for show?
"Even Rose only finished runner-up in the Champion Cup, while you actually became Galar's Champion. Didn't that already mean you'd surpassed Rose in something?"
"If you hadn't left the Galar League back then, and had instead done your duties as Champion and worked hard to make things better, people would have been proud of you too. How would you have been any less than Rose?"
Mammon's question stopped Peony short.
That's right. The moment I became Galar's Champion, I'd already surpassed Rose, hadn't I?
But I threw that honor away myself, because of the bad blood with Rose.
Seeing her father suddenly fall silent, Peonia pressed her lips together, but still didn't say anything.
Peonia didn't really understand the conflict between Peony and her uncle Rose, but she respected her dad's choices.
"Life gives people lots of chances, but a lot of people let them slip by for all sorts of reasons."
Mammon went on.
"Peony, you threw that chance away yourself, and you've been weakly running ever since. And now the gap between you and Rose keeps getting wider and wider."
Mammon didn't want to dwell too much on the feud between Peony and Rose. It was between the two brothers, and an outsider passing judgment on who was right was pointless.
Besides, it was precisely Peony's resentment toward Rose that made him easier to recruit.
"Look at yourself now. Galar's former Champion~ And how many people in Galar still remember you?"
Mammon said with a smile.
He wasn't making that up. Peony had been Galar's previous Champion, but his tenure had been far too short.
He did have some fans, but these days, the people of Galar remembered almost no one but the current undefeated Champion, Leon.
Peony? Practically no one knew who he was anymore.
Never mind Peony; even Mustard, the Champion before him, was more famous.
Mustard had retired earlier, but in his youth Mustard had been invincible, and he still held a record no one had ever broken:
Eighteen years without a single loss!
That was Mustard's undefeated record, which no Champion had broken to this day. And Mustard was the only known trainer of an Urshifu.
Urshifu was a Legendary Pokémon.
So of Galar's three Champions, Peony was the least known.
"So what?" Peony said flatly.
"I don't care about empty fame."
"No, you don't. But are you really content to just fade away? Even with an obvious opportunity right in front of you?"
Mammon asked Peony directly.
Peony's breathing grew heavy again.
"You've missed your chance once already. Now I can give you another, Peony."
"Accept this badge and join Team Rocket, and I'll give you the resources and the backing to take your shot."
"Or don't, and keep being an obscure adventurer. Take all that strength of yours, live out your days peacefully with your daughter, and keep running from your own brother forever."
Mammon's tone was very calm.
When Mammon finished, the whole room fell silent.
Peony looked down at the gold badge in his hand, his expression shifting constantly. Clearly, his mind was in a storm.
If he joined Team Rocket, the quiet life he had now would naturally be gone.
But say no? Mammon's words had truly struck a chord.
Am I content?
How could I be? If I'd really let it go, why would I react so badly every time I hear the name "Rose"?
I'm not content at all!
Why should I? Why should I spend my whole life in the shadow of that name?!
Peonia took her father's hand, offering silent encouragement and support.
Peony glanced at his daughter. Peonia nodded to him, showing that whatever he decided, she'd back him.
"And why should I believe you can actually help me?"
Peony took a deep breath and said it to Mammon in a low voice.
"Why? Because my name is Mammon!"
The corners of Mammon's mouth lifted, and he raised his chin slightly. His proud voice rang in the ears of father and daughter.
Untamed!!
"There is nothing in this world I can't do, and nowhere Team Rocket can't reach!"
"Big words. In that case, if you can beat me, I'll join your Team Rocket."
Peony's deep eyes fixed on Mammon. His instincts told him this young man was very strong.
But either way, thinking he could win Peony over with Talk no Jutsu alone was far too presumptuous.
"Fine by me." Mammon shrugged.
There was always going to be a fight. He had to flex a little in front of Peony so he'd feel comfortable joining.
"Mammon, let me handle the battle with Mr. Peony."
Suddenly, Caitlin spoke up with a faint smile.
"Consider it a welcome for our new colleague."
She was very curious to see just how good Galar's former Champion was.
"Fine by me."
Mammon raised an eyebrow and looked at Peony.
He'd originally planned to show off with a Legendary Pokémon, but letting Caitlin do it wasn't a bad idea either.
Peony frowned slightly, looking Caitlin up and down appraisingly.
She looks glamorous and pretty, but a trainer's strength isn't about looks.
"I'm Caitlin, one of the organization's six top-tier executives. I'd like to ask you for a lesson, Mr. Peony."
Caitlin paid no mind to Peony's rude gaze and gave an elegant little bow.
"All right." Peony couldn't really object.
A top-tier executive? So, Champion-caliber?
Good. I'll see what level Team Rocket's other top-tier executives are at.
The group went to a Power Spot outside Freezington. Having a Power Spot meant they could Dynamax.
"Mr. Peony specializes in Steel types, right? Caitlin's at a bit of a disadvantage against him."
Platinum looked at Peony and Caitlin, who were already set, still a little worried for Caitlin.
Caitlin specialized in Psychic types, and Peony was an expert in Steel types.
Steel wasn't super effective against Psychic, but it did resist it.
Steel was just too privileged a type.
How privileged? It resisted a full ten types! And it was immune to Poison.
Out of only eighteen types total, ten were not very effective against it, and Poison couldn't touch it at all. Only Ground, Fighting, and Fire were super effective against Steel.
Downright terrifying.
"Caitlin, was it? I don't like picking on women, but I'm sorry. I won't go easy on you in this battle."
Peony took out a Poké Ball and said it in a low voice.
"Please don't worry, Mr. Peony. I'm no delicate little girl."
Caitlin was as elegant and composed as ever, her tone unhurried.
"And there's no need to hold back. Please be sure to give it your all. Otherwise, you might lose rather badly."
Caitlin said slowly, with a faint smile.
How can she be so elegant and so arrogant at the same time?!
Peonia's eyes were shining as she looked at Caitlin. She's way too gorgeous!
"Oh? Real confident, huh. It's been a long time since I met an opponent this interesting."
Peony grinned at that. The blood in his veins seemed about to boil.
How many years had it been?
Ever since he'd stepped down as Galar's Champion, he'd never had a chance to battle at full strength. But today, it seemed, he could.
"Wah ha ha~ Don't you dare disappoint me!"
Peony laughed loudly and hurled his first Poké Ball.
"Perrserker!"
The Poké Ball opened, and in a flash of white light, a mostly gray Pokémon standing on two legs landed in front of Peony.
It was Perrserker, evolved from Galarian Meowth, a pure Steel type.
"Come on! Let me see just what Team Rocket's top-tier executives are made of!"
"I've got high hopes!"
Peony looked across at the lovely, elegant Caitlin, burning with fighting spirit. Team Rocket's top-tier executive. Don't let me down.
Pokémon Trainer Peony would like to battle!
☆☆☆
-> 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