"Sir, did I fight you too hard?"
Damian looked at Clay with an apologetic face. Clay's face showed both frustration and shock, but Damian's voice was very gentle.
"..."
The muscles on Clay's face moved a few times. But he did not know what to say.
He was the one who asked to test Damian's strength. He was also the one who told Damian to fight with all his power. Now, he was completely beaten.
"Not at all. I made a fool of myself. Young man, your strength is truly amazing."
Clay controlled his feelings and spoke to Damian with real admiration.
People called him the Underground Boss, but Clay was a man with a good heart. He truly respected Damian. This power was just too much.
Most importantly, Damian was still very young. Clay had seen geniuses before. For example, he met two genius girls this year who were very strong.
However, this black-haired boy from Kanto was on a much higher level.
"Phew~ I told you, Dad. Damian is incredibly strong."
Lacey took a long breath. She teased her father with a playful look.
Clay only gave an embarrassed smile.
"Thank you for the kind words, sir. I still have a lot of room to improve," Damian answered with a smile.
"It's getting late, sir. Lacey, we are going to leave now."
Damian said goodbye. His main goal in Driftveil City was to find Ghetsis.
"Is it something urgent? Damian, if you are not in a rush, why don't we eat? I know a restaurant that tastes excellent."
Clay tried to make him stay. He really wanted to be friends with this young man.
They just met, but Clay could tell Damian's future was great because of his strength and personality.
Clay saw the girl next to Damian. She was very beautiful and had a great aura. If she was not there, Clay would want Lacey to spend more time with him.
If Damian and Lacey became a couple, Clay would be very happy.
However, he did not know the relationship between Damian and Caitlin. Maybe they were not a couple?
Clay thought his daughter was very cute and talented. Maybe there was still a chance?
"I have some things to do right now. Thank you for the offer, sir. If there's a chance later, let's have a meal together."
Damian politely refused.
"Alright then. If you ever need help, tell me. I have a lot of power here in Driftveil City," Clay said with a smile. He did not push more.
"I will."
Damian nodded to Lacey and left with Caitlin. Clay and Lacey walked with them to the Gym door.
"A true elite man..." Clay said quietly as he watched Damian walk away.
"I wonder what a young man like him is doing in Unova?"
Clay was curious. Damian was too strong to be here for just a simple training trip.
"Lacey, do you know anything about Damian's past?" Clay asked his daughter.
"Hmm~ I don't know much about that. I only looked at his strength. You have no idea, Dad—he used only one Annihilape for every single match. In the finals, he beat a full team of six with just that one Pokémon!"
Lacey touched her chin with a finger as she thought. She made a cute sound of surprise.
"With his talent, that is not surprising." Clay was not surprised now. He had felt that power himself.
"Oh, right! I remember some comments on the video. People said Damian is the son of a Gym Leader in Kanto," Lacey remembered.
"I see. So he has an official background." Clay nodded.
"Such a young and powerful boy. If only he could become our Unova Champion."
Clay said this to himself.
"Pfft~ That would be very hard, Dad. Damian is from Kanto."
"That is why I said 'if.' Our Unova region right now..."
Clay sighed. As a Unova Gym Leader, Clay wanted his home to be stronger.
However, things were not going well. Right now, Unova was becoming more pathetic.
Alder was just a wanderer now. If someone like Damian could replace Alder and lead Unova, the region would be great.
I hope Damian came to Unova for the Champion title, Clay thought.
The Kanto Champion was Lance. Damian was still young, so maybe he did not want to fight Lance yet. Maybe he came to Unova instead?
As Clay thought about it, he felt it was possible! If it happened, Clay would be very happy.
Clay thought Alder would be very happy to give the Champion seat to Damian.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Damian and Caitlin walked a short distance from the Gym.
"Caitlin, what do you think about our group going to Blueberry Academy to hire people?"
Damian was thinking about this new idea.
"Eh?" Caitlin was confused for a moment.
"Blueberry Academy is not as good as Naranja Academy, but the students are trained very well. They would be better than people we find on the streets," Damian explained. He felt the plan was good.
Naranja Academy was the best school in Paldea and one of the best in the world.
Naranja Academy was eight hundred years old. The Pokémon League was only about one hundred years old. That showed the difference.
Blueberry Academy was a sister school to Naranja Academy. It was new, but the students were excellent because of the resources. They were better than random people and had more potential.
Damian thought Team Rocket could build more schools to train people. It would be easier to use talent they trained themselves.
Damian remembered this. He would do it after going back. He would build schools in every region with Team Rocket!
"The idea is good, but I think it will not be easy to succeed," Caitlin said gently.
She thought that if they were a normal company, it would be fine. But they were the evil group, Team Rocket!
"It is not that hard. We can use a company name first. We can show the money and benefits to attract students. Then we can ask them in private."
Damian smiled. A group needs people to grow.
Damian knew Blueberry Academy had great talent.
For example, the Blueberry League was like the official League. It had an Elite Four and a Champion. Lacey was one of the Elite Four there.
Lacey had good potential. She was at the Elite Four level. Because she was young, she might reach the Champion level later.
Also, Blueberry Academy had Kieran!
Kieran had very high talent. He was the rival in the Scarlet and Violet stories. His potential was very clear.
After he became "dark," he beat the whole Blueberry League. He became the Champion very quickly. His strength was at the Champion level.
He was not as strong as the main character or Nemona, but Kieran's talent was the best after them.
Also, Kieran could join them. His personality was extreme, which is why he became "dark" before.
"It can work," Caitlin agreed after hearing him.
"I will have Gladion prepare for it, and then..."
Before Damian finished, his phone rang. Zinnia was calling.
"Damian, Damian! I see that Ghetsis guy! Come here quickly!"
Zinnia spoke with excitement on the phone.
"Okay." Damian was surprised. He did not expect Zinnia to find him so fast.
Inside a park, a man in strange robes was giving a speech to people.
Zinnia was leaning against a tree and watching him.
"My name is Ghetsis. Ghetsis of Team Plasma."
Ghetsis had a powerful voice.
"I want to talk to everyone about liberating Pokémon. Have you thought about it?"
"Humans live with Pokémon. We are partners. Many people think this is true, right?"
"But is that the truth?"
What is this guy talking about?
Zinnia was confused. She did not understand Ghetsis. Was he saying humans and Pokémon do not need each other?
Is he crazy?
Zinnia was confused. If Ghetsis meant that, he was crazy. He was more crazy than Team Magma or Team Aqua.
"Maybe this is just what we want as humans?" Ghetsis continued his speech quietly.
"Trainers use their Pokémon however they want. They only give orders. Who can say this is not true?"
"Everyone, Pokémon are different from humans. They have unknown possibilities. We can learn a lot from them!"
"What should we do for these Pokémon?"
Ghetsis raised his arm. He spoke with passion.
"That's right! Liberate the Pokémon! Then humans and Pokémon can be equal!"
Idiot!
Zinnia thought of this word for him.
She guessed Ghetsis's plan. He wanted people to release their Pokémon while he kept his. Then he would be the most powerful person.
Nobody in the crowd was clapping. This meant the people were smart. Zinnia wondered if the people in Unova were smart or not.
Clap, clap, clap~
Suddenly, someone clapped loudly.
Zinnia was surprised. A fool agreed with Ghetsis? Was he stupid?
The people around looked confused, just like Zinnia.
However, Ghetsis was very happy. He looked at the person.
He saw a handsome black-haired boy. He looked special. His black coat showed he was not a normal person!
"Lord, you spoke very well. You said what is in my heart."
Damian smiled. He sounded very honest.
"You understand my ideas at a young age. You have a great future," Ghetsis said. He felt happy.
"You are too kind, Lord. Since you have a great ideal, I guess you are a good example, right?"
Damian asked with a smile.
Ghetsis frowned a little. Be a good example? That was impossible. Releasing his own Pokémon? Only an idiot would do that.
"Of course. I released my Pokémon long ago." Ghetsis lied.
"That is good. Then I do not have to worry."
Damian took out a Poké Ball.
"Young man, if you want to liberate Pokémon, you should go to the wild." Ghetsis thought Damian was going to release his Pokémon there.
"You misunderstand me, Lord."
Damian gave a big, friendly smile.
"?" Ghetsis was confused.
"I mean, since you already released your Pokémon, Lord, I do not have to worry about you fighting back."
Damian's smile looked very healthy.
"??" Ghetsis frowned.
"Ghetsis, you evil leader, surrender now! Today, I represent the righteous Team Rocket and give you legal judgment!"
Damian's voice was loud and full of energy.
"???"
Ghetsis was shocked.
What did this guy say he represented?
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