"Please leave in an orderly fashion this way."
On the south side of town, Officer Jennys and regular officers were organizing the evacuation of residents and visitors.
Most people were baffled, but since the official notice said there were terrorists lurking in the south side, they cooperated with the operation.
"What kind of terrorists would make them evacuate the entire south side?"
Ash and his two companions were currently among the crowd.
Ash himself was slumped over in despair, a gloomy look on his face.
"Hey, Ash, pull yourself together already. What's with that posture?"
Misty looked at Ash, exasperated, and couldn't help facepalming.
"Uuuu… my wallet… "
Ash was teary‑eyed.
That was his food money for the next couple of months!
Gone. All gone.
"I told you to show some restraint. Who told you to dump all your money in there?"
Misty was in no mood to be gentle, ruthlessly stabbing straight through Ash's gambler's delusions.
"But I really like Riolu…"
Ash looked at the Poké Ball in his hand, hurting and happy at the same time.
That's right—he'd taken Damian's suggestion and gone to the arcade with Misty and Brock.
After all, the Celadon Game Corner was a must‑visit if you came to Celadon City.
And then Ash got a little too into it.
The prize list at the Celadon Game Corner had tons of Pokémon he'd never seen before.
Like the grand prize Dratini, or the rare Porygon, plus several Pokémon from other regions.
Ash had originally wanted to trade for a Dratini.
Even though he didn't have enough coins just from buying them with cash, couldn't he just win them on the machines?
And then… well, there was no "and then."
His luck in that department turned out to be pretty terrible.
If Brock and Misty hadn't physically stopped him, he probably would've gambled his underwear away.
Of course, he didn't have nearly enough coins for a Dratini.
So Ash set his sights on Riolu instead.
"It's not a total loss. Riolu's a really rare Pokémon too.
You actually did pretty great, luck‑wise, Ash."
Brock smiled.
"But I'm flat broke for the next two months."
Ash felt like his heart was bleeding.
Pikachu rolled its eyes in an adorably dramatic way.
"Relax. As long as I'm around, it's not like I'm gonna let you starve."
Brock sighed helplessly.
"Uuu～ Brock! You really are my best friend for life!!"
Ash was so moved he was almost in tears.
"Honestly, Brock, you really shouldn't always bail him out like this.
He got carried away all on his own."
Misty stood with her hands on her hips.
She felt Brock spoiled Ash way too much—dumping money into game coins without thinking at all about how he'd live afterward.
"We're all teammates, you know."
Brock just chuckled.
Misty pouted.
Even if Brock turned into a total clown whenever he saw a pretty girl, on most days he was calm and dependable—like a big brother who really did look after both her and Ash.
"But this is pretty unusual.
I've never heard of such a big‑scale evacuation before."
Brock shifted the topic, frowning as he looked at the massive crowd ahead.
This was Celadon City, after all.
It really felt like something major was about to happen.
But what exactly could be serious enough to warrant something this extreme?
And on top of that…
Officer Jenny was checking everyone's IDs.
...
"Mr. Damian, please turn yourself in.
The League has already surrounded this place, haven't they?"
In the underground base, Erika was tied to a chair, trying to persuade the boy sitting across from her.
"Miss Erika, if possible, I'd much rather be having a pleasant talk with you than listening to buzz‑killing lines like that."
Damian took a sip of juice and slowly looked her over.
His openly wandering gaze roamed Erika's body without restraint, making her tense up and press her legs together in discomfort.
"If Mr. Damian knew you'd become like this, Senior Giovanni would be heartbroken."
Erika drew in a deep breath and decided to bring up Damian's father, Giovanni.
"Heh～ like I care.
If anything, I want him to know."
Damian let out a derisive laugh.
Noticing that, Erika frowned slightly.
So Damian and Giovanni weren't on good terms?
That didn't fit at all with the rumors that Damian was Senior Giovanni's pride and joy.
Could Damian's decision to join Team Rocket actually be because of Senior Giovanni?
Erika's imagination ran wild.
There must've been some hidden conflict between this father and son.
Which only made it feel all the more tragic.
"Let's not talk about such a buzzkill topic.
Miss Erika, just look at you—you're in quite a sorry state."
Damian stood up and walked over, leaning down slightly in front of Erika, the Celadon Gym Leader.
At this distance, he could clearly see her beautiful, clear eyes and that soft, pale skin.
Her pores were practically invisible; her fair, rosy complexion was downright dazzling.
This young lady really took care of her skin—and there was a faint, alluring floral fragrance clinging to her as well.
But Erika kept shifting her gaze away, her cheeks blooming pink.
The boy was way too close.
"Miss Erika smells really nice.
I wonder which lucky guy will get to enjoy that up close someday."
The pad of his finger traced lightly along Erika's cheek as he murmured in a low voice, sending heat surging all the way to the tips of her ears.
As a gentle young lady who rarely had close contact with men, her tolerance for this sort of thing was very low.
"P‑please don't do this, Mr. Damian, you…"
Tied to the chair, she had no way to pull back.
All she could do was voice her refusal in a flustered, angry tone.
Because she could feel his fingers sliding lower again.
Absolutely not!
That was a place only her future husband was allowed to touch!
"Hahaha～ Miss Erika, you're really adorable.
Relax, okay? I might like pretty girls, but I won't force you."
Damian stopped his hand and spoke with an easy smile.
He just wanted to see Erika make that shy expression.
Erika, rarely truly angry, lifted her head to glare at the boy's smug face, feeling even more incensed.
And what did he mean, "I won't force you"?
If she hadn't spoken up, his hand really would've gone straight onto her chest just now, wouldn't it?!
Actually, he'd already brushed it a little!
And casually caressing her face like that, and earlier her waist—that was definitely harassment.
"There's a bathroom in this room.
Miss Erika, please go freshen up.
I've already prepared clean clothes for you."
Damian loosened the ropes around her.
"?"
Erika froze.
What was that supposed to mean—he wanted her to bathe now?
"Relax. It's not so I can have you all clean before I sleep with you."
"???"
The expression on Erika's fair face was hard to keep straight.
You sure about that?
"Seriously. I'm no saint, but I really don't get off on forcing people."
Damian spread his hands in an innocent gesture.
Erika fell silent.
That silence was deafening.
"We're about to go to war with the Indigo League.
And I figure a proper final boss ought to have some dignity."
Damian's lips curled up.
"So I'll have to trouble you a bit, Miss Erika.
I am, after all, the final boss of this Celadon City Team Rocket base 'dungeon.'"
~~~
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