"Just as I thought—Wallace in girls' outfits is absolutely stunning."
On the way back to Lavaridge Town, Damian kept sneaking glances at the photos of crossdressed Wallace, marveling nonstop.
Caitlin covered her mouth, laughing softly. Courtney's expression was a bit creepy, while Gladion turned his head away, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"But really, Champion Wallace's 'base stats' are amazing. With just light makeup he looks more refined than most girls."
Caitlin couldn't help sighing in admiration.
Good thing her own looks were high enough.
If she actually lost in pure beauty to a man, Caitlin felt her mental state would be in a very awkward, hard‑to‑hold‑together place.
"Yeah, Champion Wallace really is… indescribable."
Courtney chimed in with her soft, girlish voice. She thought about it for a long time but still couldn't find the right word. What she did know was that she probably wasn't forgetting today for the rest of her life.
Because—the one who'd done Wallace's makeup… was her.
Yeah. Courtney really felt like this world was way too bizarre. She was part of an evil organization, and yet she'd just done full girl‑mode makeup on Hoenn's Champion, then watched that same Champion strike one gorgeous pose after another.
This world was just too damn magical!
"..." Gladion stayed silent, but his face didn't look great.
Because he'd realized: when Wallace had been twisting his waist in black stockings and hot pants, he'd almost pitched a tent.
Damn!!
Gladion went expressionless.
He, of all people, had almost reacted to a man. Wallace really was too dangerous a monster.
He needed to stay far, far away from Wallace from now on!
"Oh right, Courtney—get me a local Hoenn forum account and a video channel." Damian's lips curled up.
"Yes, but… what are you planning?" Courtney froze.
Wait— you're really going to upload them??
She honestly couldn't even begin to imagine what Wallace's expression would look like when the time came.
"Of course. I'll polish them a bit first. I want all the good people of Hoenn to see their most beautiful Champion in his best light."
Damian truly felt that dolled‑up, crossdressing Wallace could absolutely stand toe‑to‑toe with Cynthia in raw beauty.
Who said Hoenn didn't have its own "gorgeous beauty" Champion? Here he was.
The three others: "..."
Meanwhile, back on Jagged Pass—
"Champion Wallace? What… happened?"
The Officer Jennys finally woke up. Looking at Wallace's back not far away, they were full of confusion.
Where was Team Rocket? And that little house over there—where'd it come from? What had happened while they were out?
"Everyone okay?"
Wallace turned around, giving them a reassuring smile.
"We're fine, Champion Wallace. What about Team Rocket?" the lead Officer Jenny asked with a frown.
If she remembered right, before they blacked out, Champion Wallace's Milotic had been easily taken down by the enemy…
"They've already left. Officer Jenny, you should head back to Ever Grande City for now. Team Rocket is far too evil and dangerous. We'll have to treat this matter with extra caution."
Wallace's expression was more serious than ever.
And the lead Officer Jenny could've sworn—for just a second—it sounded like Champion Wallace had been grinding his teeth.
"Yes!"
Still, she just took his words seriously.
She felt the same way. Their opponent had taken down Champion Wallace's ace Milotic like it was nothing. That was terrifying.
The Officer Jennys left, and not long after, a Metagross flew across the sky.
Metagross landed steadily. Steven, in his suit, hopped down—only for his knees to nearly buckle as he almost face‑planted.
"Whew!! Sorry I'm late, Wallace. I really had diarrhea and—uh, what happened to you?"
Steven apologized, but before he could finish, he noticed something was off about Wallace's face.
Right now, seeing his reliable close friend finally appear, Wallace's emotions exploded.
"Steven!! I was humiliated!!"
"????"
Steven was completely lost.
A while later, Metagross was carrying the two of them toward Ever Grande City. On the way, Wallace gave a rough rundown of what had happened at Jagged Pass.
Of course, when Steven pressed him on what exactly he meant by "humiliated," Wallace—having somewhat come back to his senses—hemmed and hawed his way around the topic.
Steven's IQ and EQ were both very high; naturally, he could tell Wallace was hiding something.
But Steven didn't press. He respected other people's privacy.
"So… Team Rocket's come to Hoenn?"
Steven's usually easygoing, handsome face turned a lot more grave.
The evil organization Team Rocket, huh?
Hoenn already had Team Magma and Team Aqua—two pains in the neck. He hadn't expected a dragon from overseas to barge in now too.
"Yeah, Steven. Unlike Team Magma and Team Aqua, this Team Rocket is seriously dangerous."
Wallace swore on his purity—he had never imagined an evil organization could be this evil.
Team Magma and Team Aqua might like to stir up trouble, but neither Wallace nor Steven had ever really put those two in their hearts.
Between expanding land and expanding sea, their ideologies were just too ridiculous. And more importantly—their actual strength was only so‑so, nowhere near threatening enough.
"You're saying Team Rocket sent executives this time?" Steven asked.
"Yeah. And I'm afraid it's not just two of them."
Wallace replied in a low voice. There was Gladion, then Damian, and finally that gorgeous girl who'd pulled out seven sets of girls' outfits at the end—no way she was simple either.
Wallace trusted his instincts.
"Especially that Damian—he's way too strong. Even I wasn't his opponent."
"That is pretty troublesome." Steven frowned slightly in thought.
"Have the chairman request a dossier from Indigo League. Kanto'll have something on them. We need to know exactly who we're dealing with."
Even though he was no longer Hoenn's Champion, Steven was still a righteous, upstanding young man with solid principles.
If Hoenn was in trouble, of course he had to step up. Hoenn had no need for an evil organization like Team Rocket on its soil.
Especially since they'd had the nerve to bully his best bro.
Ever Grande City, League building.
In the conference room, the full Hoenn Elite Four had gathered—a rare sight. Steven and Wallace were seated as well. Hoenn's overall Jenny commander turned on the projector.
"Based on the info you provided, Champion Wallace, we can already confirm there are three Team Rocket executives currently in Hoenn."
The commander switched the image to a cold‑eyed blond boy.
"The first one is him—Gladion, from Alola."
Name: Gladion (Image.jpg)
Age: 17
Known main roster: Silvally, Umbreon, Zoroark
Affiliated organization: Team Rocket
Danger level: ★★★★
Secondary danger rating: N/A
Notes: Son of Alola Region Aether Foundation chairwoman Lusamine. Has joined Team Rocket and cut ties with his family. Elite Four‑level Trainer. Extremely dangerous.
Wallace recognized him at once—it was the first boy he'd battled earlier today.
"This boy's strength is very high even among Elite Four–level Trainers," Wallace said gravely.
Hearing that, Drake and the rest of the Hoenn Elite Four all exchanged surprised looks.
"And the second is her—Caitlin, from the Sinnoh Region."
Officer Jenny flipped to the second image, with a block of data beside it.
Name: Caitlin (Image.jpg)
Age: 17
Known main roster: Tapu Lele, Metagross, Gallade, Gothitelle, Alakazam
Affiliated organization: Team Rocket
Record: Defeated Alola Island Kahuna Hala in a straight fight; fought Kanto Elite Four Lorelei one‑on‑one to a draw; later went one‑versus‑two against Lorelei and Bruno and won.
Danger level: ★★★★★
Secondary danger rating: N/A
Notes: A Psychic girl from Sinnoh Region. Her Tapu Lele and Metagross both fully possess Champion‑tier combat power. Extremely dangerous!
"As expected, that girl is no joke." Wallace's face turned grim.
"A specialist Psychic‑type Champion‑tier…" Steven's brows knit slightly as well.
Psychic was already a nasty type to deal with—never mind a Psychic‑type Psychic specialist.
"Team Rocket's strength… is really this insane?"
Drake's deep voice held thick gravity. This was completely overturning most of what he'd believed his whole life.
As the oldest member of the Hoenn Elite Four, he'd seen a lot. But this… he really hadn't.
Seventeen and already Elite Four–level was enough to call someone a prodigy. Seventeen and Champion‑tier? That was just nuts.
"And the last one is the real key figure."
The Jenny commander's tone dropped as she switched to the final image.
"The third is him—Damian, from Kanto Region."
Name: Damian (Image.jpg)
Age: 17
Known main roster: Mewtwo (not yet in Pokédex), Tapu Fini, shiny Gengar, Tyranitar, Annihilape, Mismagius
Record: Easily defeated Alola Island Kahuna and Champion‑tier Kukui; easily defeated the combined forces of Kanto Elite Four Lorelei and Bruno.
Danger level: ★★★★★★★★
Secondary danger rating: N/A
Notes: Viridian Gym Leader Giovanni's son, the Son of Giovanni. Has now joined Team Rocket. Incredibly powerful. If encountered, withdraw immediately.
Silence.
The conference room went dead quiet.
Drake stared at the smiling boy on the screen, then at that blinding row of eight stars. Wasn't the max danger level five stars?
And that note—this wasn't some bad joke, right?
Easily defeated Champion‑tier Trainers??? And this kid was seventeen??
"H‑hey, uh… is this third guy for real?"
Sidney, with his tuft of red hair, couldn't help but blurt it out.
As a Hoenn Elite Four, he'd seen a lot of crazy. But this? He really hadn't.
The second one, Caitlin, was already bad enough. But this third one's "record" was ridiculous.
With that kind of strength, he'd chosen to join Team Rocket?
"This file came from my big sister in Kanto. There's no mistake."
The Jenny commander's tone was firm.
Her "big sister" was Kanto's current Jenny overall commander.
Sidney shrugged. "Okay, whatever. Either way, guys like that are for Steven and Wallace to handle, not us."
"Seriously, why would Team Rocket even come to Hoenn? It's not like we ever did anything to them," Phoebe couldn't help complaining.
"Trying to reason with an evil organization? Too naïve, Phoebe." Wallace was very calm.
"And Damian's dossier isn't completely accurate either. I fought him myself today. His main roster also includes a shiny Pheromosa and a Suicune."
Wallace added.
"In that case, Champion Wallace—after experiencing it firsthand, how would you rate Damian's strength?" Drake asked the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Extremely strong. Even I wasn't his opponent."
Wallace answered with utter seriousness.
Hearing that from their normally over‑confident Champion, Drake and the others all frowned deeply.
Just then, Wallace's phone started buzzing nonstop.
He'd originally planned to ignore it; they were still in a meeting. But the calls just kept coming.
Helpless, Wallace glanced down and saw it was from his sensei, Juan.
"Champion Wallace, you can take it. I think we all need time to digest this anyway."
The Jenny commander was tactful.
"My apologies—that's very rude of me."
Wallace gave the group a quick, embarrassed nod of apology, then answered.
"Sensei, what's wrong?"
He didn't bother to step out. There was nothing shameful between him and Juan.
Sootopolis Gym Leader Juan was his teacher—that was common knowledge.
"Wallace." Juan's deep, magnetic voice sounded oddly complicated.
"Yes, sensei?" Wallace was puzzled.
"If the pressure's really too much, I hope you can go back to your roots instead of… instead of picking up those twisted bad habits."
Juan sighed softly, speaking with grave concern.
"????"
Wallace was completely lost.
Huh? Since when had he picked up any twisted bad habits?
He'd always been diligent and pure, thank you very much!
Wait.
Wallace's mind suddenly rang like a struck bell.
Wait a second!!
That bastard couldn't have—!
~~~
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