Armin was still figuring out how to explain things to Mimikyu when Hannah suddenly sat down across from him, carrying a neatly arranged sushi meal.
Armin raised an eyebrow.
Without hesitation, he pulled Mimikyu closer to his side before looking at her questioningly.
"?"
Hannah lowered her voice.
"You noticed it, didn't you?"
Armin cooperatively lowered his voice as well. "Noticed what?"
"This Pokémon instance isn't as safe as we thought."
Armin immediately recalled the world notification from earlier.
Two players had died.
He understood what she meant.
He shrugged casually and scooped up a spoonful of mushroom soup.
"Compared to that, I'm more concerned about what they're serving for dinner."
Hannah stared at him for a second, then decided to get straight to the point.
"My mission is to collect a piece of Team Rocket's criminal evidence and report it to the Kanto League."
"Newbie missions are probably similar," Armin said lightly.
He could already tell what she wanted.
A partnership.
Compared to the two veteran players who were clearly full of hidden agendas, another newcomer was a far more reliable option.
Armin didn't feel a strong need to team up—but since they were both beginners, he didn't mind offering some help.
"There are two major problems in front of us right now," he said.
"First, even though we're supposedly Kanto League investigators, we have no contact method. That means even if we find evidence, we have no way to reach the League."
"Second, the mission doesn't specify how we're supposed to submit the evidence. We don't have phones, recorders, data disks—nothing to preserve proof."
He paused.
"The bigger issue? We have no money. We can't buy anything. Even if we wait for Team Rocket's paycheck, that's a month away. We don't have that kind of time."
At that moment, Armin once again felt how absurdly well Team Rocket treated its employees.
The cafeteria food was completely free.
Otherwise, broke rookies like them would be out begging on the streets.
He briefly imagined himself and Mimikyu holding a cracked bowl on the sidewalk.
He almost laughed.
Hannah fell silent, thinking hard.
After a while, she looked up seriously.
"Then let's split up. You look for a way to contact the Kanto League. I'll focus on gathering evidence."
Armin casually fed Mimikyu another bite and nodded.
"Sure."
In truth, he wasn't particularly attached to forming a team.
He had already connected himself to another path.
Still, as a temporary ally, he kindly reminded her:
"Be careful. Team Rocket probably already suspects that we might be undercover."
He wasn't fearmongering.
He had inferred that from Ariana's speech earlier.
Hannah nodded solemnly and left.
-----
In a corner of the cafeteria, the two veteran players watched her go.
Floyd clicked his tongue. "Looks like they teamed up."
Rento sighed dramatically. "What a waste. I thought maybe I could flirt with a newbie girl in this instance."
Floyd was about to reply when he suddenly felt something.
His movements paused.
He frowned.
"Bro… we're being watched."
Rento's expression darkened as well.
"Looks like Team Rocket doesn't trust us."
Then he seemed to remember something.
"You still haven't told me your main quest."
Floyd sneered internally but kept his expression steady.
"Same as yours, obviously. We're both undercover in Team Rocket, aren't we?"
Rento didn't fully believe him.
But remembering Floyd's performance in previous instances, he reluctantly nodded.
"You better not be lying. I've got no points left to lose. One more failure and I'm out."
-----
After lunch, a Rocket Grunt came to fetch Armin and brought him to Ariana's office.
Her office was minimalist—just a desk, a computer, a cabinet, and a black leather sofa.
Nothing about the decor revealed her personality.
Ariana sat behind her desk, eyes fixed on her screen. She only glanced up briefly when Armin entered before returning to work.
Armin stood there for a while until his legs started to go numb.
"You eaten yet?" he asked casually.
Ariana finally looked up, one elegant brow lifting.
"Why? Planning to invite me to lunch?"
Her voice was husky and alluring.
Armin shook his head honestly.
"No. I already ate. That was just polite small talk. I'm actually asking why you called me here."
Ariana laughed softly.
"You're… surprisingly honest."
She leaned back in her chair.
"It's nothing serious. Just wanted to ask—are you adjusting well to Team Rocket?"
Armin thought about it seriously.
"It's great. The cafeteria is free. The accommodations are excellent. Honestly, I don't think there's a better organization for employees."
"Oh?" Ariana leaned lazily against the leather chair.
"Then have you considered staying in Team Rocket long-term?"
If Armin truly were a Kanto League investigator, he would probably give a polite answer while internally rejecting the idea.
But he wasn't.
In his eyes, completing the mission and freeloading Team Rocket's training resources weren't mutually exclusive.
The mission didn't specify the importance of the evidence.
At worst, he could submit some minor, harmless clue to the League and clear the objective.
By then, he'd likely already moved on to the next instance.
And if Team Rocket wanted revenge?
They wouldn't even know where to look.
From Ariana's perspective, she wasn't fully certain whether Armin was undercover.
But a handsome subordinate was pleasing to the eye.
More importantly—
His talent in battle earlier had been undeniable.
Promising.
Their gazes met.
In a flash of silent understanding, Ariana saw right through him.
She sighed lightly, lips curving.
"You greedy little brat."
"…I like that."
In her eyes, a person driven by profit was far more genuine—and easier to control—than someone who claimed unquestioning loyalty.
Armin smiled innocently.
Ariana rolled her eyes internally.
So much for thinking he was slow this morning.
She pulled out a black-and-gold card from her drawer and tossed it to him.
"Here. Password's six zeros. Go buy yourself and Mimikyu some daily necessities."
Armin caught it smoothly.
Grinning, he took the elevator back to the surface.
Celadon City awaited.
-----
After he left, Ariana returned to the deepest level of the base.
"Boss. The target accepted," she reported.
Giovanni's lips curved into a swoosh-like smile.
If Armin was undercover, then he could be used.
If he wasn't?
Even better.
Everything was progressing exactly as he had anticipated.
He was very curious to see—
What kind of expressions the Kanto League would wear when the investigators they painstakingly nurtured… turned against them.