Professor Kukui hadn't been sleeping very well lately. Honestly, he'd been in a great mood at first—ever since Selene's "sudden emergence."
A "monster" with talent like Selene was exactly the kind of sign Alola needed. Proof that the region was on the rise.
He'd been planning to head to the Kanto region again soon to apply for the establishment of the Alola League. He didn't know if it would work, but he had to try.
But over the past few days, a handful of subtle discoveries had made him realize something unpleasant:
There were undercurrents moving beneath Alola's calm surface.
Team Skull disbanding out of nowhere—and Guzma opening an entertainment center—were two things Kukui simply couldn't make sense of.
It was too strange.
But now… he understood.
"So it's confirmed?" Kukui asked, brow furrowed. He was on a multi-person video call. "It really is Team Rocket from the Kanto region?"
On the other end were Hala, the Island King of Melemele; Nanu, the Island King of Ula'ula; and Olivia, the Island Queen of Akala.
In terms of authority and strength, they were the highest-ranking figures in Alola at the moment.
"Yes." Hala's voice was deep and steady. "I interrogated them myself. Black uniforms with a large 'R' on them—Team Rocket, without a doubt."
His subordinates had accidentally captured a few disheveled Pokémon hunters. Under questioning, the story came spilling out: their base had been wiped clean, and they'd been chased so hard they were forced to hide wherever they could.
And the ones who had cleared the Pokémon hunters out… were the dark organization Team Rocket.
Hala had been stunned when he heard it. He wasn't intimately familiar with Team Rocket, but he'd heard the name before. The real problem was—
"Isn't Team Rocket only active in Kanto?" Olivia asked, genuinely confused. "How would they even show up here?"
Kanto and Alola were separated by a long distance.
"Sigh… these are troubled times," Nanu muttered, pressing a hand to his forehead.
"Is it really that dramatic?" Olivia said, unconvinced. "Even if Team Rocket is a headache, this is still Alola."
She planted her hands on her hips, calm and self-assured.
"Team Rocket's foundation is in Kanto. Even if they're expanding, they can't send all their manpower out here. And with an ocean this big between us, it takes time just to travel—forget reinforcements."
Olivia's tone stayed steady, as if this was all obvious.
"Instead of worrying in circles, we send people to locate their base, then we hit them together and wipe them out."
She smoothed her hair back, smiling with easy confidence.
"Let Team Rocket see what Alola can do. Honestly—out of all the regions they could've picked, they chose ours. What does that tell you? That they think we're weak."
As the youngest current Island Queen, Olivia had every reason to be proud. And she didn't believe this Team Rocket branch in Alola would be difficult to handle.
What a joke.
Alola might not have a League yet. They might not have an Elite Four or a Champion on paper.
But did that mean Alola was weak?
The three Island Kings were all Elite Four-level trainers. Kukui himself was Champion-level.
There was also Kukui's good friend Molayne, Acerola—who Nanu was grooming as a successor—and Kahili, the Island Challenge Champion from a few years back, currently traveling the world. They were all Elite Four-level as well.
Did Team Rocket really think Alola was easy to bully?
Bastards!!
Olivia felt like she could solve this Alola Team Rocket branch herself. She was Akala's Island Queen, after all.
"Olivia has a point," Hala said at last, the elder among them. "We investigate first. But no matter what—Team Rocket cannot be allowed to grow unchecked in Alola."
Team Rocket was an evil organization. You didn't need to overthink it to know they weren't here with good intentions.
"And if you find traces of Team Rocket," Hala added, voice turning heavier, "do not act rashly."
Nanu exhaled, tired. "Mm. Leave it at that for now."
"And we keep a close eye on Guzma," Kukui said, adding the piece that had been bothering him most. "I suspect Guzma may have already joined Team Rocket."
His intuition was rarely wrong.
After a few more points were exchanged, the call ended. Kukui stared out at the ocean beyond the research institute, his expression deep and weighted.
A Team Rocket capable of developing right under the Kanto League's nose was not a simple opponent—especially not for a region like theirs, one that hadn't even established its own League yet.
The only small comfort was that Team Rocket wouldn't move their entire organization across the sea.
He just didn't know how many of their real heavy hitters had come to Alola this time.
…
Inside a villa on Melemele Island.
"Master Damian," Proton said, bowing his head respectfully. "I'm afraid Hala's side has already detected our existence."
Damian had an arm around Domino's soft waist, holding her comfortably as he listened.
"According to reports from our people, some of the fleeing Pokémon hunters were caught by Hala's men," Proton continued.
"It's fine," Damian replied, completely indifferent. "That was going to happen sooner or later."
If anything, the Island Kings discovering Team Rocket only now was actually a bit slow.
But it wasn't strange. Aside from clearing out Pokémon hunter bases, Team Rocket's other operations had been extremely discreet.
"Keep the purge going," Damian ordered. "Have Guzma and Caitlin go together. I want the underground forces on Melemele Island completely erased."
"Yes." Proton nodded immediately. "I'll inform Caitlin and Guzma."
The clearing operation on Melemele had always been Caitlin's responsibility.
Domino tilted her head slightly, curiosity in her eyes. "Master Damian… if we keep acting so openly, won't it just put Hala on higher alert?"
"We're going to have to say hello eventually," Damian said, smiling faintly. "After all, we'll all be 'friends' developing in the same region from now on."
The corners of his mouth rose a little more. He'd wanted a proper meeting with Hala and the others for a long time.
Proton hesitated, concern flashing across his face. "You're going to appear personally, Master Damian? But what about the Boss's side?"
After all, the fact that Damian was Giovanni's son wasn't exactly a secret. If Damian surfaced as a high-level executive in Team Rocket—and the Kanto League compared notes with Alola—wouldn't Giovanni be dragged into the spotlight?
"Relax," Damian said. "I've already accounted for that. When the time comes, I'll just have the Old Man cut ties with me."
Proton froze. "Huh?"
Damian's grin widened, arrogant and bright.
"A great man is born into this world—how could he spend his life serving under someone else?" he said, voice rising with certainty. "When the time is right, the Old Man should step down for me and go be a proper Gym Leader."
He lifted his chin, eyes sharp with ambition.
"I, Damian, am the one who can lead Team Rocket to its rise. I'll take a turn sitting in that Boss's seat too!"
Proton: (⊙.⊙)
Domino: (°—°)