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"Fighting the League..."
After the meeting, in the castle room prepared by Mammon, Ash's expression was still extremely subtle.
Although he probably understood the ins and outs of the battle between Team Rockets and the Pokémon League, how should he put it...?
"It still feels so strange. If this is the case, am I still a League Trainer?"
Ash clutched his hair, his mind as muddled as paste.
Pikachu stood on the desk, holding an apple, tilting his head to look at his Trainer, slowly taking a bite and chewing it deliciously.
"Idiot, of course not," Misty rolled her eyes.
"You're going to fight the League, how could you still be a League Trainer?"
"Huh? It seems so, oh, I'm so annoyed."
Ash was greatly troubled. Although Mammon said at the end of the meeting that they could decide whether or not to participate in this battle and he would respect their choice, still...
Ash was truly conflicted. Emotionally speaking, he still liked Team Rockets very much, and Mammon had been so good to him. To back down at such a 'life-and-death' moment and not help Team Rockets?
Ash found it very difficult to do such a thing.
But if he participated in this battle as a member of Team Rockets, wouldn't he, in some sense, be opposing the Kanto League?
How would he face Professor Oak and Red in the future?
The Kanto League would definitely summon Red, wouldn't they?
In that case, wouldn't he even encounter his own brother on the battlefield as an opponent??
Damn it!
"Ah ah ah ah! Misty, Brock, quickly help me think of a solution, what should I do?"
Ash immediately collapsed onto the bed and started roaring. He had no idea how to choose anymore.
"How would I know? I don't even know what to do myself," Misty said, sitting on a chair, holding her phone and pouting.
Because at this moment, in the Team Rockets app, there was a special large-scale mission that only Top Executives and above could see. That's right!
It was the legendary large-scale mission!
"Legendary Large-Scale Mission Dungeon: Saffron City!"
Misty looked at this large-scale mission with extreme hesitation. Clicking into it, there was a 'Participate' option.
This was her first time encountering a 'large-scale mission'! One must know that Team Rockets has only had a few large-scale missions to date.
And this was a 'Legendary' large-scale mission, the highest level large-scale mission that had appeared so far.
Brock narrowed his eyes, also looking at this large-scale mission on his phone.
Especially the part below, where simply participating in the mission guaranteed a reward of 10,000 Merits (merit points).
A guaranteed 10,000!
If they earned some more battle merits, wouldn't this mission bring in tens of thousands of merit points?!
A glint flashed in Brock's eyes.
"First, we need to clearly understand the nature of this battle between Team Rockets and the League."
The squinty-eyed man calmly put away his phone and spoke to Misty and Ash with a serious expression.
"What nature?" Ash was stunned: "Uh, didn't Mammon say during the meeting? It was about fighting for some rights or something..."
"It's the right of Team Rockets to exist, and the right to judge criminals," Misty said, looking at Ash with disdain.
"Idiot Ash, were you even listening carefully during the meeting?"
"Of course I was, I just couldn't explain it right away," Ash retorted, unconvinced.
"Don't argue, don't argue. So, now that we understand the nature of this battle, which side do you think is right, Team Rockets or the League?"
Brock helplessly calmed them down and asked again.
"This..."
Misty and Brock exchanged glances. Ash was very conflicted, while Misty hesitated, unsure whether to speak.
"Alright, I'll ask in a different way. Is Team Rockets wrong? Does it have a reason to exist?" Brock asked, seeing that the two hadn't answered for a while.
"How should I put it? The old Team Rockets was definitely bad, but the current Team Rockets... it's not an Evil Organization, and hasn't it been doing good things?"
Ash scratched the back of his head, speaking his true thoughts.
"Hmm, from the moment we joined Team Rockets, we've experienced it firsthand. Team Rockets is actually a legitimate organization. Although... some of its methods can be a bit rough, it is indeed maintaining order in the underworld."
Brock nodded, and the 'rough methods' he mentioned referred to how they dealt with villains.
The League would only imprison those villains, but Team Rockets would implement 'labor reform,' such as making those people work in factories, or for more severe cases, directly sending them to mine ore or coal.
How should he put it?
Brock initially felt that this was a bit wrong, not respecting human rights, forcing people to work without pay. But after participating in a small mission, Brock felt that it was actually quite necessary.
For those black-hearted individuals, being even more severe with them was perfectly acceptable!
"This is also the difference between Team Rockets and the League, and what Mammon said: the hidden side of the world needs an organization like Team Rockets to exist," Misty said with deep agreement.
"So, if Team Rockets is right, isn't our choice obvious?" Brock said again.
"Brock, you mean, we should help Team Rockets fight the League?"
Brock's meaning was already clear, but Ash was still a bit hesitant.
"But if we do that, what about our families..."
"Ash, we are adults now. We have the right to make choices we believe are correct, and we are actually all free Trainers now," Brock said seriously.
"I am not the Gym Leader of Pewter Gym now, Misty has not yet taken over Cerulean Gym, and you are just the runner-up of the Indigo Plateau Conference, not a League official."
"Of course, whether or not to participate in this battle is for you to decide. What I want to say is, follow your inner decision, and don't ignore your inner voice because of concerns."
Hearing Brock's words, Ash fell into deep thought. His inner voice...
"I... I really like Team Rockets! I don't want the current righteous Team Rockets to disappear!"
Ash looked up and said firmly. Yes, he actually really liked the current Team Rockets.
He liked Team Rockets' philosophy, he liked Team Rockets' comrades, and he liked Team Rockets' atmosphere.
"Misty, Brock, let's sign up together and fight for Team Rockets!" Ash regained his usual passion.
"Fight for a better tomorrow!"
It's just the League! Let's do it!
Team Rockets helps the weak and suppresses the strong, Team Rockets is good!
The League wants to eliminate Team Rockets, the League is bad!
"Okay! Then I, this girl, will also sign up. I wonder if my three older sisters will also participate in this battle," Misty responded spiritedly.
"What about you, Brock?" Ash smiled.
"I already signed up ten minutes ago," Brock said calmly.
"???"
Ash looked at the squinty-eyed Brock with a confused expression. Their conversation hadn't even started ten minutes ago, had it?
In another room, the Galar small group was gathered there.
"In summary, I'm participating."
Marnie analyzed in detail the conflict between Team Rockets and the League, and thoroughly explained the advantages of Team Rockets, finally stating her position calmly.
"I share Marnie's view," Piers naturally supported Marnie.
"I think Mammon's words make a lot of sense. The world needs an organization like Team Rockets that can maintain the underworld. This is the correct way."
Piers added.
In reality, this brother and sister pair had been subtly guiding these several Galar 'compatriots' all along.
As for helping Team Rockets fight the League? Piers and Marnie had no psychological burden whatsoever. Team Rockets was their true home!
The League? They weren't really familiar with it.
"Emmm... then I'll also participate. I think Team Rockets isn't wrong. Not allowing Team Rockets to exist, that's not right."
Hop also quickly made his choice. He believed that right was right, and wrong was wrong. In this matter, he felt the League was too overbearing.
What was so bad about Team Rockets?
"I think so too. What about Uncle Peony?" Gloria nodded in agreement, looking towards Peony.
"Wahahaha~ Team Rockets pays my salary, so of course, I'm helping my boss!" Peony laughed heartily.
He had already withdrawn from the Galar League, and as the manager of Galar Team Rockets, he now held a high position in the Galar region.
Then everyone looked at the handsome white-haired young man in the corner.
"Bede?"
"Hmph~ Mammon rescued me from that old hag, so there's no choice to be made. I'm definitely siding with Mammon and helping him defeat the League!"
Bede snorted, tilting his chin up proudly.
"Everyone is very motivated, that's great. Being able to directly confront the Pokémon League, this must be unprecedented since the League's establishment, right?"
Peonia, beside Peony, touched her lips, feeling a little envious.
Unfortunately, her strength was average, so she couldn't help much in such a battle.
"Little Penny, what about you? Do you want to participate in this mission?"
Peony, however, looked to his other side, at a slender girl wearing a gray hoodie and carrying an Eevee-themed backpack.
Her name was Penny, Peony's second daughter.
She was originally studying at Orange Academy in the Galar region, but because it was near the end of the year, she returned to Galar.
As a result, Peony and Peonia persuaded her to come to the Kanto headquarters.
Penny never expected that after only a year, her father and sister would actually become members of Team Rockets.
Especially her father. When she first returned to Galar, Penny was startled. That serious appearance in a suit and tie, was that really her father, not an uncle?
Moreover, her sister Peonia had also become a Top Executive at Arceus Enterprise, leaving Penny completely bewildered.
"Me?" Rarely ignoring Peony's embarrassing nickname, Penny hesitated a little.
Actually, she didn't really want to participate in this matter, after all, it was fighting the League. And Nemona had previously gone to the Fengyuan Alliance to help deal with Team Rockets, whose reputation hadn't yet changed at that time.
So, in this Kanto battle, Nemona and Xiao Liko might also participate.
In that case, wouldn't she have to fight her good friends on the battlefield? That kind of thing would be too strange.
"Come on, Little Penny, just help Dad out. And Team Rockets is really a legitimate and righteous organization. What the League is doing is unreasonable."
Peony saw Penny's hesitation. He only thought his daughter was introverted and pleaded with her.
"This... alright."
Feeling the encouraging gazes of her father and sister beside her, Penny could only reluctantly agree in a low voice.
"Wahahaha~ I knew my precious daughter would help Dad. I'll send a message to the boss right away and have him promote you to Top Executive!"
Peony let out his signature hearty laugh again, patting Penny on the shoulder.
That's right, although Penny's team was quite unique, she was indeed a Champion-level Trainer!
Hmm, Penny really liked Eevee, so her team was also an Eevee team, with all her main Pokémon being various Eevee evolutions.
"..." Penny pursed her lips and fell silent.
She could only pray that Xiao Liko and Nemona wouldn't come, and even if they did, that they wouldn't run into each other, otherwise it would be truly too awkward.
And on the other side, the Unova small group of Rosa and Kieran, naturally, there was even less to say.
They firmly believed that Team Rockets was righteous. Having been Team Rockets for so long, how could they not know whether Team Rockets was evil or not?
To actually want to eliminate Team Rockets, the Pokémon League had clearly lost its mind and needed serious correction!
Time flew by, and it was already the next day.
Mammon, with Caitlin and Platinum, arrived in front of the Silph Co. headquarters building in Saffron City.
"Mammon, why are we here?"
Platinum was a bit confused. Shouldn't they be preparing for the upcoming major battle with the League now?
"Platinum, a splendid battle also needs a sufficiently excellent stage, and we also need to give the League a reasonable reason to start a war."
Mammon's lips slowly curled into a smile.
Platinum blinked. She understood the reasoning, but what did this have to do with Silph Co.?
"Let's go. I imagine the Silph President is already getting a bit impatient waiting."