Chapter 104: Lord Mamen, it

Lavaridge Town, inside a rented villa.

"So, for the first meeting of our Team Rocket Hoenn branch, does anyone have any thoughts?"

In the evening, Mamen looked at the few people before him and asked.

In truth, there were very few people; Caitlin and Gladion were brought by him, and the newcomers were Zinnia and Courtney.

Courtney felt out of place here; clearly, her body was in Team Rocket, but her heart was with Team Magma!

Although... although after listening to the conversation between Mamen and Zinnia in the afternoon, she had developed a keen interest in Team Rocket.

How to put it, she just felt that compared to Team Rocket, Team Magma seemed a bit too small-time...

Subconsciously, she had the impression that Team Magma's vision was too narrow.

But at least she still had feelings for Team Magma, yet why did Lord Mamen make her attend this so-called first Hoenn branch meeting...

She was still loyal to Team Magma in her heart!

"Lord Mamen, I have tallied our current manpower," Gladion spoke first.

"We brought about a hundred people from Kanto, most of whom have arrived, and we rounded up thirty-three from the Team Magma base."

Gladion spoke earnestly.

"That's a bit low," Mamen clicked his tongue.

"That's right, the manpower is still insufficient, and those recruited from Team Magma are generally lacking in both discipline and strength; only a few elites are usable."

Gladion glanced at Courtney, a look that made the expressionless Courtney want to curl her toes into the floor.

That look of 'how could you bring such subordinates' is just too rude!!

"It's fine, that can be trained slowly."

Mamen was not in a hurry about this.

"And as for founding a company... Lord Mamen, although we can copy many of the plans from Alola, the environment in Hoenn is very different from Alola."

Gladion voiced his thoughts.

In the Alola region, Team Rocket's biggest source of income was the game corner inside the entertainment complex.

Founding a company?

Zinnia, who was listening with interest, and Courtney, who had been silent, were both stunned.

Wait, Team Rocket is going to build a company?

"Mauville City already has a game corner," Caitlin roughly understood what Gladion meant.

"It's simple, just acquire it," Mamen didn't care.

"But I estimate the owner of the game corner won't sell; that game corner's revenue is quite good."

Gladion frowned; he had looked at the data for the Mauville Game Corner. Although the business wasn't as booming as the Alola Arceus Game Corner,

the revenue was still quite considerable because the prizes at the Mauville Game Corner were Technical Machines and rare Pokémon dolls.

So it was also quite popular.

"Gladion, you need to broaden your thinking," Mamen felt this young man was still too upright.

"If you want to acquire someone's industry, if the honest way doesn't work, use the underhanded way. If they won't sell even at a premium, for those who don't know what's good for them, then use coercion and inducement."

Mamen spoke earnestly.

"We are Team Rocket. Is competing with people properly something Team Rocket should do? If other evil organizations found out, they would laugh at us."

"Then, Lord Mamen, what do you mean?"

Gladion seemed to understand but not quite.

"Just find people to go to his game corner and cause trouble, ruin his reputation first, and then we buy it. Of course, be clean about it; don't let anyone catch a handle, otherwise, if that person notifies the Hoenn League, it won't be good for us either."

"I understand." Gladion was thoughtful; he knew what to do.

"You don't need to do this yourself, you know?"

"This subordinate knows."

"Mauville City is the largest city in the Hoenn region. In Mauville City, we must have a firm foothold; the Penguin Entertainment Complex must be built here."

"Then Lilycove City and Slateport City cannot be missed either. These two big cities also have great potential. Buying more land won't hurt; get industries like bike shops up and running too."

Mamen instructed, and Gladion nodded and took notes.

Zinnia and Courtney were stunned listening to this. This...

How is this different from the meeting they imagined?

"Leave the specific operations of the company to the subordinates. The more important thing now is to increase manpower."

"The next main goal is to strike at Team Magma and Team Aqua and annex their people."

Mamen said.

The Hoenn Team Rocket is indeed too small in scale right now, but it doesn't matter; they can rise up by standing on the 'corpses' of Team Magma and Team Aqua!

Didn't the Alola Team Rocket get a big boost by annexing Team Skull before?

However, compared to Team Skull, Team Magma and Team Aqua are indeed more troublesome, mainly because it's unknown where their true bases are.

Mamen remembered there was a large base on a small island in the sea northeast of Lilycove City, but he didn't know if it belonged to Team Magma or Team Aqua. (The affiliation of this base changes depending on the version.)

It's not a big problem; anyway, the people of these two organizations are all to be crushed.

"Courtney, Zinnia, do you know where the bases of Team Magma and Team Aqua are? Courtney, you only need to tell me the Team Aqua bases you know."

Mamen looked at Zinnia and Courtney. Considering Courtney's situation, Mamen did not force her to reveal the Team Magma base.

As one of the executives of Team Magma, Courtney certainly knew the whereabouts of the Team Magma base, but asking her to betray Team Magma now put a lot of psychological pressure on her.

Mamen didn't think Courtney would follow Team Magma blindly forever. As long as one is a normal person, they would know the gap between Team Magma and Team Rocket and know which one has more of a future.

So he didn't mind giving Courtney a chance. If she really was hopeless and stubborn, then Mamen wouldn't be polite either.

"The core base of Team Aqua... actually, I don't know either, but I do know the locations of a few small ones."

Courtney breathed a sigh of relief; she was still very grateful to Mamen in her heart, and then she hurriedly spoke.

What she feared most was Mamen forcing her to reveal the core base of Team Magma; she really wouldn't have known what to do then.

"I'm just a newbie who just joined Team Magma, of course I don't know."

Zinnia was more straightforward; she hadn't joined Team Magma for long, so of course, she couldn't reach the core.

"Fine, Courtney, mark the locations when the time comes." Mamen was not disappointed.

After discussing the details briefly, the first meeting ended there.

The next day.

Gladion and Courtney dispatched subordinates from the original Team Magma base, Zinnia was sleeping in, and Mamen and Caitlin went sightseeing in Lavaridge Town.

Because of the natural hot springs in Lavaridge Town, besides tourists, the local population was mostly elderly.

"Huh? It's you!"

Not long after they started walking, while passing a training ground, a crisp girl's voice came over in surprise.

"We meet again, May."

Mamen turned around and saw the slender, energetic girl standing in the training ground looking at them.

"Hehe~ Looks like we're quite fated."

May trotted over, a lively smile with strong infectious power blooming on her fair and pure face.

Caitlin's delicate brows furrowed imperceptibly. They had finally managed to have a two-person date with Mamen, so why did this unfamiliar woman come over so familiarly?

However, although she was unhappy, as a reserved and elegant young lady, Caitlin still showed a polite, just-right smile.

"Handsome, I handed that Team Aqua executive over to Officer Jenny yesterday, Officer Jenny was so happy."

May hurriedly indicated that she had successfully completed the mission, and she also remembered how happy Officer Jenny was at the time.

After all, it was a Team Aqua executive; the 'value' of an executive and an ordinary member is very different.

"Officer Jenny wants to thank you properly, saying she's even preparing to send you a banner. She seems to know you too."

"Officer Jenny is too polite; a banner or something, let's skip it."

Mamen immediately understood it must be the Officer Jenny who communicated with them at the time.

And a banner or something, isn't that a bit exaggerated?

Mamen rubbed his chin. Speaking of which, if his identity as the leader of Team Rocket in Hoenn is exposed in the future, what kind of expression will this Officer Jenny, who wants to award him a banner, have?

"After all, everyone has a responsibility to strike at evil organizations. I, for one, cannot tolerate other evil organizations in the place where I am."

Mamen said with a smile.

"Ha~ That's right, evil organizations are just the worst! I just started my journey and ran into Team Magma bad guys; they actually snatched this old man's Wingull! It's really too shameless!"

May agreed very much, clenching her small fist in righteous indignation.

How can people be so bad? Even though Mr. Briney is so old, they actually snatched his Pokémon.

"Indeed, evil organizations like Team Magma and Team Aqua are just too rotten; they have no vision at all."

Mamen agreed with this point extremely, so as long as there is Team Rocket in the Hoenn region, that's enough.

"Emmm..."

May tilted her head slightly, tapping her chin cutely. It sounded like this handsome guy had the same thoughts as her.

But she always felt something was not quite right? Forget it, she couldn't figure it out, so she wouldn't think about it.

Using her brain is really a troublesome thing; battling is better!

"May, are you a Trainer who just set off this year?"

Mamen glanced at the Swampert and Aggron behind May.

Come to think of it, this girl May looks pure and cute, but the Pokémon she uses are all very powerful.

"That's right, I'm a rookie, but my goal this year is the Ever Grande Conference champion. If I can win, I'm going to challenge the Hoenn Elite Four!"

May flashed a big smile, clenching her little fist with great energy and drive.

That's right, her goal wasn't just winning a regional league; she wanted to become the Champion of the Hoenn region's the Elite Four!

She was going to take down Wallace and replace him! From now on, this land of Hoenn would be under her, May's, command!

"Not bad, that's quite an ambition. I'll wish you success right here and now."

Mamen smiled and clapped to encourage her.

To be honest, this wasn't a game after all; May's talent was absolutely monstrous, but whether she could take down Steven after only a year of growth? Mamen really felt it was an unknown, as Steven's strength was quite formidable among the Champion-level Trainers.

But as for defeating Wallace... Mamen felt that with May's growth rate, it certainly wouldn't be much of a problem.

After all, those in the know understand; although Wallace is also Champion-level, among the many Champion Trainers, his strength is truly on the weaker side.

Moreover, Wallace specializes in the Water type, yet in official battles, most venues are standard fields.

Among Wallace's main Water-type team, there are some that rely quite heavily on the battle field.

For example, Wailord...

On a standard field, with Wailord's twenty-meter-long body lying on the ground, it can barely even move; isn't that just a sitting duck?

If it were a specific Water field or a battle at sea, Wallace could certainly unleash his team's combat power beyond the norm, but there are no "ifs."

The Champion Challenge is a standard battle field; Mamen felt it was hard to say whether Wallace would be able to withstand May's impact at the end of this year.

Beep, beep, beep~

Suddenly, Mamen's phone rang.

Nodding apologetically to May, Mamen turned and walked a few steps away to answer the call.

"What is it, Courtney?"

"It's bad, my lord Mamen! Champion Wallace has brought people to attack! Lord Gladion has already led people to meet them in battle, and Zinnia isn't answering her phone."

Courtney's delicate voice couldn't help but carry a hint of panic.

After all, Wallace was the local Champion of their Hoenn region!

"Don't panic, I'm on my way."

Mamen raised an eyebrow; speak of the devil, and Wallace arrives.

Not bad, not bad, the luck is truly good.

Mamen hung up the phone, thought of Wallace's delicate and handsome appearance, and a wicked arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Caitlin, go to the clothing store and buy a lot of pretty dresses; while you're at it, buy some JK uniforms, Lolita outfits, school swimsuits, and black, white, and fishnet stockings—I have a major use for them."

"???" Caitlin cast a few question marks his way.

(End of chapter)