At the same time, in Room 904—officially arranged by the S.S. Anne for Mondo, the external security contractor.
"This kid is going to be a real headache."
Watching the six matches Kael had fought that morning on the television, Mondo's marble-hard features grew increasingly grim.
"Meow—Officer Mondo," the voice beside him chimed in, "that kid's Weavile is way stronger than that brat's Pikachu. If we catch the Weavile and present it to Boss Giovanni, he'll definitely be pleased."
As it spoke, a Meowth standing upright like a human was actually chatting away in fluent human language, logical and smooth, enough to make one wonder whether there was a human soul hidden inside its body.
"That's right, that's right," Meowth continued eagerly. "Offer that Weavile to Boss Giovanni and he'll surely look at our unit in a new light."
Standing beside this talking Meowth were a man and a woman, both dressed as service staff.
The man had short, light-blue hair and a somewhat refined, clean-cut look.
The woman was tall, with waist-length wine-red hair and strikingly delicate features—a real beauty, though her manner of speaking carried a distinctly tomboyish edge.
"Just the three of you?"
Mondo glanced at the trio and suddenly bared his teeth in a grin. "The infamous rookie trio of Team Rocket. Two years in the field, and every single mission ends in failure." His expression hardened as his voice turned icy. "I don't know why Boss Giovanni keeps useless trash like you around, but in this operation, you're only fit to run errands in the back. If you act on your own and cause any problems, I'll skin you alive."
"Get lost."
"Yes, Officer Mondo!"
Terrified by the burly man's sudden change in demeanor, the three scrambled for the door and fled in a panic.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
Lisa was smacked hard on the forehead as the door flew open. She was just about to explode with curses when she realized the three culprits had already run far away.
"You came at the right time," Mondo said when he saw Lisa, beckoning her over.
Rubbing her forehead, Lisa plopped down onto the sofa with a huff. "Those three reckless idiots—are they your subordinates?"
"No," Mondo shook his head. "They operate independently. No direct superior. If they answer to anyone, it's only Boss Giovanni."
"So impressive?" Lisa covered her red lips in surprise and murmured, "Directly under Boss Giovanni… those three brats have quite the background."
"Forget them. Just three pieces of trash."
Mondo sighed and pointed at the photographs on the table. "You should recognize this person, right?"
"Let me see."
Lisa took the photos, her eyes lighting up as she smiled. "That little guy—these shots turned out pretty well. Don't tell me he's also a member of Team Rocket?"
There were three candid photos on the table: one of Kael commanding a battle, and two others featuring Weavile and Kirlia.
Mondo let out a cold laugh. "You're overthinking it. If anything, he's more likely a League mole. Now, there's a job for you…"
"What kind of job?"
Lisa lazily crossed her long legs.
"Make sure that kid doesn't see tomorrow's sun."
Bang!
A dagger was driven hard into Kael's photograph.
"That's not covered by our contract," Lisa said indifferently, pulling the dagger out and starting to file her nails.
"One million," Mondo said flatly.
"Tsk, tsk. The kid's got quite the face-if he were half as useful as he looks, I might even consider letting him earn that million."
"Three million."
"Don't try to test me."
Lisa tossed the dagger back onto the table and spread her slender fingers. "Five million. One less, and I walk."
Mondo's face darkened. The woman was bleeding him dry, but he was already too far in to back out now. If he wanted the mission to go off without a hitch, he'd just have to choke down the cost.
Besides, once this was over, Boss Tyson was already planning to deal with this woman anyway. She might take the money—but she wouldn't live to spend it.
"Fine. Five million it is," Mondo said through clenched teeth. "But it has to be clean. An accident at sea. No problem?"
"When have I ever let you down?"
Lisa shot him a sideways glance, then held out her hand. "Same rules as always. Half upfront."
Mondo pulled out an League black card from his coat. "Anonymous. No password required. You can transfer funds directly online."
"Hehe, then I won't stand on ceremony."
Lisa accepted the card with a bright smile, then swayed her shapely figure as she headed for the door.
Watching her back, Mondo split into a wide grin, revealing cold, gleaming teeth.