Chapter 125: Daido! You Can Still Trust Me Forever!

Kanaz City, a storm was about to break.

Under Officer Jenny's guidance, the residents of Kanaz City's northwest district were evacuating swiftly.

And the Devon Corporation building had already been emptied out hours ago.

Marnie was lounging in the executive chair, sipping coffee and browsing a forum; beside her, Kapu·Finizen was nibbling daintily on little cakes, clearly enjoying them.

Armored Mewtwo stood silently before the floor-to-ceiling window, like a statue.

Xijiana sat on the sofa, filing her nails; Gardellia sat on the other side, polishing her Poké Balls with a clean cloth.

Zivuchi Mujin, however, could not sit still — after all, those three were far too calm.

But surely they knew what was about to happen.

"President Zivuchi, you seem a little tense?"

Marnie finally lifted her gaze from the computer, a smile tugging at her lips as she looked toward Zivuchi Mujin.

"You three, if you leave now, there's still time."

Zivuchi Mujin fell silent for a moment; he still hoped the three of them would leave.

In his mind, relying on just three people to deal with the League members led by Daido was simply impossible.

"You're all still so young."

"Precisely because we're young, it's worth doing something more meaningful, isn't it?"

Marnie stood up and looked down through the clean, transparent window — she could already see that the officers led by Officer Jenny had arrived at the entrance of Devon Corporation.

"There's a line I quite like: to live is as brilliant as summer flowers, to die is as quiet and beautiful as autumn leaves." Marnie's tone was very refined.

"A person's life is very brief. Within that limited span, to bloom with all one's might in pursuit of the utmost beauty and brilliance — isn't that a very meaningful thing?"

Marnie looked toward Zivuchi Mujin.

"Just like you, President Zivuchi. You personally took Devon Corporation from a small, ignored company and brought it to become one of the world's strongest enterprises. Your existence, to those businessmen, is just that dazzling and resplendent."

"That's not the same thing." Zivuchi Mujin shook his head.

"No, it is the same. As for me, I too want others to recognize my brilliance, to truly remember… the name that belongs to me alone."

The corners of Marnie's mouth slowly curled up.

Boom!

With a violent crash, the door to the executive office was blasted open, and a Metagross came into everyone's view.

"Father!"

And behind Metagross, Daido's gaze landed on Zivuchi Mujin at first glance.

"Daido!" Zivuchi Mujin cried out in delight.

Xijiana and Gardellia slowly rose to their feet.

"Teacher Daido, wasn't that a bit too violent of you?"

Marnie watched Daido with a smile. There was no one behind Daido — meaning he had come up here alone?

"That door wasn't cheap, you know. Breaking it like that is a bit of a shame, isn't it?"

"Marnie!"

Daido's gaze darkened as he stared at Marnie, his eyes flicking briefly toward Xijiana and Gardellia.

"Why did you kidnap my father?!"

Daido could not understand why it was Marnie and her group who had set their sights on Zivuchi Mujin.

"That's something you'd have to ask President Zivuchi himself. I think he'll tell you?" Marnie shrugged.

Daido frowned slightly, glanced at Zivuchi Mujin, and noticing the complicated expression on Zivuchi Mujin's face, felt his heart sink.

Was Zivuchi Mujin really hiding something from him? He'd have to have a talk with his father afterward.

"Marnie, our people have sealed off this entire area. You can't escape." Daido said in a low voice.

"Escape?"

Marnie raised an eyebrow, looking at Daido with a half-smile.

"It's only been a few days, Teacher Daido, and it seems you've picked up the same bad habit as Teacher Da Mi."

Marnie flexed her palms, her tone dripping with mockery.

"Why would we need to escape? Teacher Daido, on the contrary, you actually dared to come before us all alone — you've got real nerve."

……

And on an empty lot not far from Devon Corporation.

"Is it really okay for Daido to go up there alone?" Mikoli was a little worried about his good brother's safety.

"Champion Daido isn't a reckless person. Since this was his own decision, we should just wait for his news."

Zhulan was actually not entirely at ease either, but Daido was determined to go up alone, so they could only agree.

"Looks like they're fighting!"

Nimo's eyes were very sharp — she was the first to notice the explosion on the top floor of the Devon Corporation building.

Smoke drifted out from the building, and several figures flew out from within.

"They're coming down!"

The stern-faced middle-aged man Kamijou reminded them. He too had been invited to join the fight; putting down an evil organization was something Kamijou naturally wouldn't refuse.

Marnie, whose flight through the air was controlled by Armored Mewtwo's psychic power, kept descending and finally landed steadily.

Armored Mewtwo and Kapu·Finizen also landed beside her.

And Salamence carried Xijiana and Gardellia down to land; Daido's Metagross was the last to come out, carrying Daido and Zivuchi Mujin, and landed opposite Marnie.

Just now on the top floor, it was Daido who had Metagross use Psychic to attack, causing the explosion.

"Shifting the battlefield? Not a bad idea."

Marmen brushed a little dust off his clothes; he hadn't intended to fight within the building anyway.

After all, the environment was simply too small to move freely.

"Father, please leave first." Steven Stone said to Mr. Steven.

Mr. Steven glanced at Marmen and the other two, opened his mouth as if to say something to Steven, but finally sighed and slowly retreated to leave.

Cynthia and the others immediately arrived at the scene.

"Yo yo yo~ Look who I see: Mr. Rice, Champion Cynthia, and... tsk~ Dad, I didn't expect you to show up too."

The smile on Marmen's lips was impossible to suppress; his gaze swept over Mick and the others one by one before finally landing on Giovanni.

"1.2.3.4.5.6, six Champion-level fighters? The Hoenn League is really willing to put in the effort." Iris looked at the six opponents opposite her and couldn't help but smack her lips.

The Hoenn League is really going all out.

"Marmen!" Giovanni's expression was complex.

"Caitlin..." Cynthia's gaze fell on Caitlin; she pressed her lips together, her expression equally complex.

Caitlin noticed Cynthia's gaze, a faint smile playing on her lips; this time, her emotions were very calm.

"So these are the people from Team Rocket? They're all so young." Nemona's expression was curious; these three... were really very different from the image of evil organization members she had imagined.

Especially Marmen and Caitlin, a handsome man and a beautiful woman! Although Iris wasn't stunning in the direct sense, that heroic and spirited temperament was also eye-catching.

"Marmen, do you have nothing you want to say to me?"

Giovanni's magnetic voice was now incredibly low.

"Say what?" The smile on Marmen's face faded a little.

"Do you think I've shamed you?"

Marmen said indifferently.

"'Giovanni of the Earth,' such an excellent Gym Leader, yet his son actually joined Team Rocket; it's truly a shame on his father. Do you want me to say it for you?"

The scene fell silent in an instant.

Steven and the others all remained silent, but Iris's eyes lit up; was that middle-aged man opposite Marmen's father?

Holy crap! Thrilling!!

"I never thought that." Giovanni's demeanor was Solemn Demeanor.

"Marmen, come back; no matter the reason, you shouldn't join Team Rocket to do evil."

"At this point, you still want to lecture me." A trace of sarcasm curled at Marmen's lips.

"Giovanni, in the end, you never thought to understand me; the me of the past was just a puppet whose future you arranged and carefully taught, and even outside, I wore your label."

Giovanni's expression changed, his eyes filled with regret and self-blame.

"Gym Leader Giovanni, no need to say more; no matter what you say now, Marmen won't listen." Steven said quietly to Giovanni.

"Right, Gym Leader Giovanni, let's defeat them first; once we capture them, I think we can persuade him to turn over a new leaf."

Siebold agreed strongly; he didn't know the specific details, but he could see that the Marmen opposite was "seriously ill."

Moreover, it seemed Marmen hated Giovanni quite a bit? Was it because of past experiences?

What a pitiful child, but now isn't the time to sympathize with him.

Today he even dared to kidnap the president of Devon Corporation; Siebold didn't dare to think what he would dare to do tomorrow.

"I understand." Giovanni took a deep breath.

"Going to make a move? But unfortunately, forgive me for saying so, just the six of you wanting to defeat us is still far from enough."

Marmen's tone became frivolous, and within that frivolity was a fullness of carelessness.

"You guy, you're really arrogant!" Mick heard these "familiar" words, and his clean face darkened.

"I'm just stating facts; could it be that Mr. Rice really thinks you few can defeat us?"

Marmen raised an eyebrow, pretending to be surprised as he looked at Mick.

And with this statement, Steven, Mick, and Cynthia, who roughly understood Marmen's personality, weren't too surprised; only Mr. Mick's lips twitched.

But Nemona was utterly shocked, and Siebold fell silent directly.

"Whoa! Isn't this person just too arrogant?" Nemona came to her senses and was stunned.

Good lord, they were six against three! Not to mention the absolute numerical advantage, but all six of them were Champion-level.

"Marmen is like this, but he is really strong; everyone must be cautious." Steven warned seriously, then immediately began assigning opponents.

"Mick, you go deal with Caitlin, no problem?"

Steven said to Mick; naturally, the weakest of the three people opposite was Caitlin.

So naturally, their side couldn't waste too much combat power, sending Mick to respond.

"Of course no problem! I will take her down; you can always trust me!"

Mick solemnly patted his chest to guarantee it.

Hearing this sentence again, Steven's eyelid twitched; to be honest, after the last incident, Steven really didn't want to trust Mick anymore.

But such words certainly couldn't be said at this time.

Cynthia didn't object either; although she wanted to fight Caitlin more, she wouldn't let emotions sway her; she knew the difference between urgency and importance.

The most important thing was still Marmen.

"As for Iris..." Steven pondered for a moment: "Senior Siebold, Nemona, how about you two take her down?"

"Okay." Siebold nodded steadily.

"okok! Senior Steven, leave it to us!"

Nemona flashed a big, sunny smile; she was Nemona, the new Champion of Paldea!

Besides, there was a senior who had captured the legendary Pokémon Regirock fighting alongside her; Nemona felt it was absolutely foolproof, okay!

"Then Champion Cynthia, Gym Leader Giovanni, we will deal with Marmen!"

Sieve's expression turned solemn as he gazed at Mewtwo.

Among the three opponents across from them, Mewtwo was the most critical; if they could not defeat Mewtwo, defeating Cacturne and Cynthia would be useless.

"Have you finished your discussion?"

Seeing Sieve and the others cease their exchange, Mewtwo asked with a smile.

"Although I think you are wasting time, since you cannot possibly defeat us, it is not too much to grant you extra preparation time given the grand scale of your mobilization."

"Mewtwo, arrogance is the beginning of your defeat!"

Sieve narrowed his eyes slightly, his words ringing with conviction.

"Oh? Say that when you can actually do it. Just so happens, I will let you witness an evolution that surpasses evolution itself."

Mewtwo raised his palm, and a crystal-clear Key Stone came into view before Sieve and the others.

(End of this chapter)