That day was destined to be one that Chairman Loki could not remain calm about. That Silph Co. had been taken over by Team Rocket, and even the president of Silph Co. himself had been taken hostage.
That alone was enough to make Loki furious. But even in his anger, he knew one thing very clearly, he absolutely could not allow rage to cloud his judgment at this moment.
Team Rocket was continuously and systematically deploying their members into Silph Company. This was the perfect opportunity!
Yes, the best chance to deliver a decisive blow, perhaps even to annihilate Team Rocket once and for all.
All that was needed now was patience. They would wait until Team Rocket had completely gathered inside. Then, Loki would mobilize the forces, evacuate the citizens of Saffron City, and finally — bring Team Rocket to ruin.
…
Time passed, and night quietly fell.
Inside Lusamine's villa, in her private collection chamber, an isolated room of considerable size, filled with a faint, chilling coldness.
The layout was simple yet refined. Row upon row of glass display cases stood neatly in place, each containing a Pokémon sealed within thick ice. The expressions frozen on their faces — fear, panic, despair were captured at the very instant before they lost consciousness.
Yes, all of them had once been alive. They weren't statues instead they had been forcibly frozen.
The eerie silence, the oppressive cold, and the sheer number of frozen creatures made the entire room feel like something out of a nightmare enough to send shivers down the spine of anyone who dared to enter.
And yet, in this macabre space, a beautiful blonde woman walked gracefully between the frozen displays, stopping occasionally to admire them with almost childlike satisfaction.
"Such beautiful little darlings," she said softly, her tone filled with warmth that was entirely at odds with the surroundings. "You'll soon have new friends to keep you company."
Lusamine dressed in a fitted golden nightgown that shimmered faintly beneath the cold light leaned forward slightly, gently tapping the icy surface where a Marill lay encased. Her delicate smile was radiant… yet in such a place, that smile felt profoundly unnatural. So unnatural, in fact, that it was terrifying.
"The perfect collection piece — the Ultra Beast," she murmured. "I truly didn't expect it to be this easy. Mr. Lucas is… frighteningly powerful."
She produced a Poké Ball from her palm, a faint gleam flickering within her deep blue eyes. On her beautiful face appeared an expression that bordered on obsession, the kind of fervent joy only the truly unbalanced could show.
Ultra Beasts, her most coveted collectibles. And now, she finally possessed one or rather several after her adventure with Lucas.
But then she frowned slightly, her manic joy giving way to contemplation.
"Still… what kind of reward should I offer Mr. Lucas? It's such a troubling question…"
The thought alone made her temples ache. Her recent expedition into the Ultra Space had made her fully realize just how terrifying Lucas's strength truly was.
And it was precisely because of that realization that she was now agonizing over what kind of "payment" could possibly be worthy of him.
"Actually," a calm, unhurried male voice suddenly drifted through the air, "I don't have very high demands regarding payment."
"Who's there?"
Startled, Lusamine froze. Her expression turned instantly cold and severe as she spun toward the source of the voice.
This was her private collection room, a place she visited only alone. No one else was ever permitted to enter.
But when she saw the man standing at the entrance, her pupils contracted sharply.
"Mr. Lucas?!"
The man in the spotless white coat descended the steps slowly, with a faint smile. Beside him stood his Gardevoir, silent and graceful.
"Ah…," he said with a faint smile, stepping down from the stairs one deliberate step at a time, Gardevoir following closely behind him.
"Originally, I only came by to discuss the matter of payment… but I must admit, I didn't expect the famous President Lusamine to have such… unique hobbies."
His red eyes swept across the frozen Pokémon. Every one of them still had a faint trace of life left. Living beings, preserved for her own viewing pleasure.
He gave a soft click of his tongue.
"Tsk tsk… Pokémon frozen alive just for you to admire at your leisure. A private gallery of suffering how very Lusamine of you."
Lusamine's expression darkened instantly.
"Mr. Lucas," she said coldly, though her tone betrayed a flicker of unease, "to enter another person's private space without permission, that is quite an impolite thing to do."
It was her first instinctive reaction the panic of having a secret exposed. For someone who had grown accustomed to standing on a pedestal above others, that loss of control was intolerable.
But as soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. The man before her was no moral knight.
"Ah, my apologies," Lucas said lightly, spreading his hands in mock innocence. "But you must remember, President Lusamine — I'm a member of Team Rocket."
His tone was casual, but the curve of his lips was cutting.
"And you know," he continued pleasantly, "if word were to spread that the kind, benevolent Lusamine, the woman praised across Alola for her compassion — was, in truth, a twisted and cruel collector of the living… well, that would be quite the scandal, wouldn't it?"
Her pupils trembled.
In Alola, Lusamine's reputation was nothing short of saintly. The Aether Foundation she led had been established, at least on the surface, to rescue and care for injured, abandoned, and disabled Pokémon.
Even among her staff, only a handful of the highest-ranking members knew her true nature.
"No," Lusamine said sharply, the light fading from her pupils, her face becoming pale and eerily rigid. Though her voice was calm, it was the calmness of someone suppressing panic. "Mr. Lucas… I believe we can… talk this over."
Her eyes regained a spark of intelligence as she took a slow breath, forcing herself to think clearly.
She could not, absolutely could not allow her secret to be exposed.
If this man revealed the truth, the Aether Foundation she had built from nothing would crumble overnight. Her name would be dragged through the mud. And worst of all her own children would turn away from her forever.
Everything she had built, everything she was, would be destroyed.
"Oh?" Lucas tilted his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "You want to negotiate? And what, exactly, do you think you still have to offer me, President Lusamine?"
He leaned casually against one of the glass cases, his expression both curious and faintly amused as he regarded her.
He had to admit for all her madness, Lusamine's appearance was undeniably striking. The sharp intelligence in her gaze, the flawless elegance in her posture… she was a woman both dangerous and dazzling.
"I still have the Aether Foundation," she said after a moment, pressing her lips together, her tone controlled but desperate. "It's a corporation entirely under my command — one that can offer you far more than money or fame."
"Do you really think I need that?" Lucas's tone was dismissive, his smile razor-sharp. "Surely you understand me better than that by now."
Lucas smiled faintly. Although his tone was indifferent, his attitude undoubtedly expressed his disdain for the Aether Foundation.
Lusamine fell silent. With his power, he could erase Aether Paradise from the map if he wanted
"I'm not interested in your corporation," he said, taking a step closer. "But I am interested in you, Lusamine."
---- Explicit Content and Coercion, skip this part if you don't feel uncomfortable about it. ----
Her breath caught. Her expression stiffened, her eyes losing their light. She never expected that Lucas would actually set his sights on her!
Especially Lucas's unscrupulous look at her made her extremely embarrassed.
This guy!
"Mr. Lucas… you—"
But he cut her off with a dark smirk.
"It's simple. Cooperate with me, and you'll remain the elegant and beautiful President Lusamine, beloved by all of Alola."
"Refuse… and you'll become a dirty rat hiding in the sewers and scorned by everyone—surely, for someone like you, President Lusamine, that would be quite a refreshing new experience, wouldn't it?"
Lucas's voice cut through her words, calm but laced with biting sarcasm. Each syllable hit her ears with chilling clarity.
Shares of the Aether Foundation? What good would that do him?
Lucas didn't lack money, and besides—if he took control of Lusamine herself, wouldn't the entire Aether Foundation naturally fall into his hands as well?
What was there to negotiate?
The corners of Lusamine's lips trembled slightly, her expression darkening into a storm.
She understood very well that this wasn't an empty threat. The Pokémon League strictly forbade any form of abuse or cruel experimentation on Pokémon.
If this collection room this frozen gallery of her "collections" were ever exposed to the public, her reputation would shatter overnight.
The name Lusamine, the benevolent and graceful president of the Aether Foundation, the woman known throughout Alola as a loving protector of Pokémon... would become synonymous with horror and hypocrisy.
But what truly terrified her was that Lucas clearly wasn't bluffing.
With his power, destroying Aether Paradise itself would be no more difficult than crushing an empty Poké Ball beneath his heel.
Even if she somehow managed to placate the League, to silence the outcry, to reduce this entire scandal to a mere whisper...
Lucas would never let her go.
She knew it. She could see it in his eyes—the kind of man who, once deciding on his prey, would not stop until he had full control, not just of the body, but of the soul as well.
And...
She understood Lucas's look very well. She was not some innocent girl, and she was also a mother of two children.
Even if she really agreed to Lucas's request, she would probably just be Lucas's secret lover, or to put it bluntly, a mistress.
"I see."
After a long pause, Lusamine whispered, "There's no way to refuse, there's absolutely no way."
After saying that, Lusamine immediately regretted ever inviting Lucas to Alola.
She let out a weary sigh.
"...I understand. I'll be your lover, your mistress even, but you mustn't let my children know about this. They still believe their father is alive. I've already accepted that he's gone and moved on, but they haven't... and they must never learn about my collection."
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. She couldn't get rid of him—neither quietly nor by her forces. Lucas was simply too powerful for her to handle.
For the first time in years, Lusamine felt truly powerless.
She looked at Lucas again, her eyes softening slightly as she tried to focus on the silver lining.
'Well... at least he's handsome. A young, strong lover—and a powerful ally, too. Maybe... this isn't so bad after all.'
…
Two hours later, Lucas left Lusamine's villa looking quite pleased with himself.
Although she was already a mother of two, Lusamine's allure and charm were truly to his satisfaction.
That woman's figure was absolutely stunning.
"Come to think of it…" he muttered to himself as he walked down the path toward his own villa, "doesn't this technically make me Lillie's father now?"
The thought suddenly popped into his mind, and as he pictured the scene of Lillie shyly calling him "Dad," a smug grin crept across his face.
Mm… now that would be a sense of accomplishment.
Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At the artificial beach of Aether Paradise, Lucas reclined comfortably on a lounge chair, sipping coconut juice while scrolling through his phone.
On the screen was the latest ranking data for the World Tournament.
Ever since Leon had challenged Lance, and Bruno had gone head-to-head with Raihan, the ranking battles in this world had completely exploded in popularity.
Especially within the Ultra Class, there was nothing but blood and chaos.
Trainers were constantly breaking into the rankings, only to be kicked out within half a day. It was truly a madhouse of fierce competition.
The Great Class wasn't much better either. Positions were constantly shifting, though the top few remained occupied by the same handful of names.
As for the Master Class …
Two days after returning from watching the Indigo matches, the Hoenn League Champion had announced his intention to challenge Alder the Unova League Champion, ranked fifth on the Master Class Trainers!
Wallace himself traveled all the way to the Unova Region, where, in the Vertress City Arena, his Milotic ultimately triumphed over Alder's Volcarona!
Just like that Wallace successfully claimed Alder's fifth-place spot, pushing Alder down to sixth.
The victory sent shockwaves through the Pokémon world. Wallace's popularity in Hoenn, already sky-high, now soared to terrifying new heights.
But before Wallace could even savor his success, the young prodigy Iris ranked third on the Great Class board stepped forward to challenge him!
The battle took place three days after Wallace's match with Alder. And to everyone's utter disbelief—
That young girl, Iris, actually defeated Wallace in a full 6v6 battle. The fight was grueling, but she did it.
The world was in an uproar.
For the first time ever, a reigning regional champion had been defeated by another ordinary trainer!
Leon was defeated by Lance.
Alder fell to Wallace.
Raihan, of course, wasn't a regional champion.
But Wallace Waterford—Wallace was the first true regional champion to be beaten head-on by a regular trainer!
"Iris, huh… so she's finally made a name for herself," Lucas murmured, chuckling softly as he scrolled through the article.
He wasn't particularly surprised.
After all, in the interest of fairness, all Master-class battles were held on neutral terrain—ordinary arenas. But for Wallace, who specialized in Water-types, neutral terrain was practically a built-in disadvantage.
Given Iris's exceptional strength, her victory over him didn't come as a shock to Lucas at all.
"N's climbing fast… already ranked thirty-eighth in the Great Class division," he noted, scrolling down further. "And Zinnia… huh?"
"She's only just entered the Great Class division? That girl's slacking off."
Lucas opened the ranking app again and quickly found both N and Zinnia's names. He had personally instructed the two of them to enter the ranking circuit.
Their strength was undeniable, and sure enough, their standings were rising at an astonishing pace.
By contrast, he still hadn't seen Red or Blue's names anywhere on the Great Class board. Perhaps something was holding them up.
"Big Brother Lucas~!"
Just as Lucas was lost in thought, a cheerful voice called out.
He turned his head to see a young girl jogging toward him.
"Big Brother Lucas, look! Nebby—Nebby really evolved!"
Her pure, radiant face was lit up with joy. Her golden hair was tied into a ponytail, her white sundress fluttering lightly in the sea breeze—it was Lillie.
She cradled her newly evolved Pokémon carefully in both hands, beaming as she ran up to him.
"Well, congratulations, Lillie. Da… I told you Nebby would be fine."
He gently patted her head, his expression softening with genuine warmth.
Lillie blinked, tilting her head slightly.
Did he just almost say… Dad?
Why did it sound like Brother Lucas hadn't said it by mistake?
(End of Chapter)
TN: It got long, I got ehem tone it down a bit and edit it myself since chat gpt won't do it, due it being explicit, so I got to get creative on this one. If you guys notice any mistakes since I had to use raws itself I might have miss some names.