"Damian, it's just finding two people. Is it really that difficult for your organization?"
Lusamine had the distinct feeling the boy was brushing her off.
Hearing that, Damian chuckled.
"Our organization only just arrived in Alola. Right now, we have a mountain of things to handle," Damian said evenly. "We haven't even fully digested the territory we already have. We're severely short-handed."
He met Lusamine's eyes without flinching.
"President Lusamine, we're very willing to establish a cooperative relationship with you. But asking us to spare people to find two individuals at a time like this… it's simply not realistic."
Damian tilted his head slightly, studying her.
"Besides, Team Rocket is an underworld organization. Locating missing persons isn't exactly our specialty. You'd be better off hiring a private investigator."
Lusamine stared at the boy. He looked casual—uninhibited—like he was completely at ease sitting across from her.
"These two people are extremely important to me," Lusamine said, voice controlled. "I must ask your organization for this favor. There will be a significant reward afterward."
Despite Damian's excuses, Lusamine didn't believe him for a second. If Team Rocket truly wanted to help, they could make the manpower appear. He was simply negotiating for benefits. After all, Damian had said it would be "not easy," not "impossible."
"I see. Since President Lusamine is being so sincere…"
The corners of Damian's mouth slowly curled upward as he motioned to Caitlin. Caitlin produced a prepared file and handed it to Lusamine with practiced elegance.
He even had the terms ready in advance?
Lusamine kept her expression under control as she accepted the documents. After scanning them for a moment, her brow furrowed tightly.
"I would like you, President Lusamine, to purchase these properties and then transfer them to us. Is that alright?" Damian asked with a smile.
The problem Proton had been facing was that Alola locals were unwilling to sell land to him; he could barely even rent much. But if it were Lusamine, that problem wouldn't exist. Not only was she an Alola native, her reputation in the region was spotless.
Of course, that was only if Lusamine was willing.
"Damian, isn't this going a bit too far?" Lusamine looked up, her gaze sharp as a blade. "No matter how discreetly I handle these real estate transactions, people are bound to notice. Where does that leave the Aether Foundation?"
Her tone had turned noticeably colder.
Buying the properties and transferring them wasn't difficult. The difficulty was doing it without anyone connecting the dots. If the outside world discovered that the Aether Foundation was "colluding" with Team Rocket, the public image she had spent years cultivating would collapse overnight.
But Damian wasn't in a hurry at all.
"If President Lusamine finds it difficult, we can take it slow," Damian said lightly. "There's no need to buy everything at once. As for the funds, we'll provide them."
He smiled, as if he were offering a courtesy.
"Of course, if you're unwilling, President, we won't force you."
Lusamine's expression remained stoic, but inside she was seething. This Team Rocket boy was pushing her far too hard.
Gradually, the light faded from her eyes. Her pupils dulled—empty and hollow—enough to make anyone uncomfortable. It was a physical habit of Lusamine's; whenever her mind leaned toward obsession or paranoia, her eyes changed.
"You must help me find these two children," Lusamine said coldly.
By saying that, she was essentially agreeing to the terms. Compared to the risk of losing Cosmog, she was willing to bear this burden.
"Of course." Damian's smile deepened. "It's a pleasure doing business with you, President Lusamine."
It was genuinely interesting—watching Lusamine—usually so untouchable—look so displeased, yet still have no choice but to lower her head.
After a few more brief exchanges, Lusamine left, citing other matters she needed to handle.
"Truly, once someone has an Achilles' heel, they become far too easy to manipulate."
Damian leaned lazily against the back of his chair and took a sip of red wine. If she weren't so desperate to find Lillie and Nebby, Lusamine would never have accepted those conditions.
"Those two… they must be President Lusamine's children, right?"
Caitlin picked up the photo and studied it. The relationship was easy to guess. After all, both Gladion and Lillie bore a strong resemblance to Lusamine.
But that made it even stranger, didn't it? Despite being blood relatives, Lusamine was willing to risk everything to hire an underworld organization like Team Rocket to retrieve her own children.
"And… Damian, Gladion is already a member of the organization, isn't he?"
Caitlin looked at Damian, the corners of her lips curling slightly. She hadn't met Gladion yet, but Damian had mentioned him during a previous call with Plumeria. Caitlin was observant—once she heard a name like that, she didn't forget it.
"That's right." Damian nodded. "Gladion joined a while ago."
As for telling Lusamine—why would he? And as for "breaking trust"… that was almost funny. Who talked about honor and trust with a dark organization?
Besides, Damian would eventually bring Gladion to see Lusamine—but not yet. Right now, Lusamine's mind was filled with Ultra Space and Ultra Beasts; she was practically possessed. A direct emotional shock from Gladion at this stage wouldn't be effective enough.
Only after Lusamine finally calmed down would Gladion and Lillie become the children she cared about more than anything.
"Damian, you really are a liar."
Thinking back on Damian's conversation with Lusamine, Caitlin couldn't help sighing. Yet she didn't hate it. In fact, given their position and status, how could they ever grow "big and strong" without a little cunning?
"Once the opportunity arises, we can take over the Aether Foundation entirely," Damian said, eyes flickering. "When that happens, our plans for Alola will take a massive leap forward."
In his plan, Lusamine was someone he had to control. There was no better candidate than her. And Aether Paradise was a magnificent location.
"Mhm~"
Caitlin's face softened into a small smile as she answered with a quiet, almost playful hum.
Meanwhile, Damian was already thinking about how to use Lillie and Gladion to pressure a "reformed" Lusamine in the future. Surely, for the sake of her beloved children, that version of the Great Mother would be willing to make certain sacrifices.
"I call you 'Sister,' but you call me 'Dad'… tsk. Isn't that a little too exciting?"
Damian muttered to himself. He wasn't that kind of person… right?
"Damian, did you just say something?" Caitlin asked, confused. Damian's voice had been too low for her to catch clearly.
"No," Damian said calmly. "I was just thinking about how to 'take down' Lusamine."
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