The cleanup work proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Specialists in Team Rockets uniforms entered the scene, their movements practiced, like a flock of silent vultures.
Corona's eyes, filled with Eruption, stared fixedly at Ariel, churning with jealousy, resentment, and a trace of... fear that he himself was unwilling to admit.
Ariel, however, was completely oblivious, or rather, he didn't care at all.
He glanced at Deino; the little fellow had eaten until its belly was round and was now lying on the ground, burping contentedly. It looked adorable and naive; who would have thought it had just devoured so many lives.
"Ruth,"
Finally, it was Dar, who had been squinting his eyes all along, who broke the silence. His gaze fell upon the Pokémon at Ariel's feet, his narrowed eyes revealing a hint of scrutiny.
"A Pseudo-Legendary pokémon, Deino. Quite the grand gesture."
There was no envy in his tone, only pure surprise, as if he were evaluating a rare collectible.
"For people like us, it's not hard to get a Pseudo-Legendary, but the cost and time to raise it... Tsk, you really are willing to pay a heavy price."
Hearing this, Corona's expression darkened further.
Ariel merely gave him a faint glance and didn't respond.
Dar didn't mind; he seemed naturally gifted at adjusting the atmosphere, or rather, stirring it up.
He turned to look at Viper, who was wiping a dagger nearby; that dagger had just slit the throat of a Sandslash.
"Viper, your codename really suits you."
Viper's wiping motion paused, and she raised her charming yet dangerous eyes, giving him a glare.
"Mind your own business. What does your codename mean? Dar?"
"Oh, that."
Dar laughed even more happily, his eyes curving into crescents.
"It's just my name."
As soon as these words were spoken, even the silent Corona snapped his head up to look at him.
Viper stopped her movements entirely, her eyes full of astonishment.
Even Ariel couldn't help but take a few extra looks.
Using a real name as a codename?
What kind of move was this?
Was he crazy, or confident to the extreme?
"You..."
"Is it strange?"
Dar spread his hands, looking as if it were perfectly natural.
"It's just a name, there's nothing that can't be used."
His frankness left the other three speechless, feeling that this squinting fellow was even more unfathomable than they had imagined.
In this strange atmosphere, a reconnaissance member hurried over and handed over a piece of intelligence.
"My Lords, the Alliance has made a move. They have set up three lines of defense on the only path leading to the center of the lake, led by an Alliance Investigator."
The scale of Team Rockets' operation this time was not small, and it had finally reached the ears of the Alliance.
The four gathered around the map.
Those three lines of defense were like three sharp knives, firmly choking the vital passage.
"It seems passing through silently is impossible."
Corona said in a muffled voice, his words already implying a direct assault.
Ariel put on a silver mask, covering half of his face, revealing only a pair of bottomless eyes.
His identity could not be exposed to the Alliance's view.
"A direct assault will alert the enemy; we don't have that much time."
Ariel's voice sounded somewhat muffled through the mask.
"Then what should we do?"
"Leave it to me."
Viper suddenly spoke, she sheathed her dagger, a confident smile playing on her lips.
"Dealing with men is what I'm best at."
She volunteered, and no one objected.
This was her professional field.
...
The night was as dark as ink, and the moonlight was like crushed silver, filtering through the dense canopy to cast mottled shadows.
On the forest path, a figure stumbled along, looking isolated and helpless.
Viper had shed the black uniform that symbolized discipline and slaughter, changing into a set of heavily worn traveler's gear, even smearing some mud on her face and arms.
That disheveled yet stubborn appearance, combined with her naturally pitiable face, would evoke pity in anyone who saw her.
Sure enough, the sound of footsteps approached from a distance.
An Alliance patrol squad discovered her. Leading them was a young man who didn't look very old, in his early twenties, wearing a Superior Trainer badge on his chest, with an air of arrogance belonging to a young talent between his brows.
"Halt! Who goes there?"
The young man shouted sharply, and the Arcanine beside him had already assumed an attacking posture.
Viper seemed startled, her body going limp as she slumped to the ground, letting out a painful groan as she clutched her ankle.
"I... I'm just a passing traveler, I got separated from my companions, and... and I accidentally twisted my ankle..."
Her voice carried a sob, a perfectly measured weakness that, combined with her tear-streaked face under the moonlight, was incredibly lethal.
The young Superior Trainer had clearly never seen such a scene before.
He ordered his team to remain on alert where they were, while he walked forward, his vigilance unconsciously turning into concern.
"Are you okay? It's very dangerous here, not a place you should be."
"I... I know..."
Viper looked up at him with teary eyes,
"But all my pokémon have lost their ability to fight, I'm all alone..."
A beauty weeping, walking alone under the moon.
This image precisely struck the young man's hero complex.
His meager bit of wariness was washed away completely by Viper's exquisite acting.
He brought Viper back to their temporary camp and even personally treated her sprained ankle.
Warm towels, gentle movements, accompanied by the man's clumsy consolation.
Viper lowered her head, the corner of her mouth curling into an unnoticed arc.
The fish has taken the bait.
Under the glow of the campfire, Viper began her performance.
She fabricated a tragic background, a story about pursuing dreams but encountering misfortune.
Every detail of the story was flawless, and every emotional turn was just right.
The young Trainer was mesmerized, his gaze shifting from sympathy to admiration, and finally, to unconcealed affection.
"It's rare to see a girl as strong as you."
He praised her sincerely.
"Strong?"
Viper gave a bitter smile and handed him a cup of water,
"In front of those powerful bad people, what use is being strong? Fortunately, the Alliance is here, otherwise we ordinary people really wouldn't know what to do. Your mission this time must be very hard, right? You have to deal with a heinous organization like Team Rockets."
"It is hard, but it's our duty!"
The young man felt a bit lightheaded from the praise and subconsciously straightened his back,
"But don't worry, we're well-prepared! Boss Vulcan is personally overseeing things, and the three lines of defense are rock-solid. Those scum from Team Rockets won't even think about getting through!"
"Investigator Vulcan? He's so powerful, he must have concentrated all the elites at the front, right?"
Viper asked seemingly casually, her eyes shining with admiration.
"Of course... but, not entirely."
The young man lowered his voice, speaking with a hint of showing off,
"The real trump card hasn't been used yet. I'm telling you, but don't tell anyone else... our eastern supply point looks like it has the weakest defense, but it's actually a trap! Lord Vulcan's real elites are preparing to set out from there, circle around to the back, and strike Team Rockets' mechanical units right in the center!"
The intelligence had been obtained.
In the depths of Viper's eyes, the last trace of warmth faded away.
She looked up, her eyes shimmering with tenderness like water.
"Thank you for telling me so much. You really are a good person."
She proactively leaned in, opening her arms and giving the young man a gentle embrace.
The young man's heart fluttered, feeling that tonight was the luckiest night of his life.
As he indulged in this warm and fragrant embrace, even beginning to imagine the future, a purple shadow emerged silently from behind Viper.
It was Arbok.
Cold scales pressed against the back of his neck, and the young man's body stiffened.
The next second, sharp fangs, accompanied by immense piercing force, stabbed in from his back, accurately piercing his heart.
"Ugh..."
The happy expression on the young man's face froze. He looked down at the section of the purple body protruding from his chest, his eyes full of incomprehensible shock.
He wanted to say something, but the welling blood choked his throat.
Viper slowly pushed his warm body away, letting him fall by the campfire. A few drops of blood splattered onto her cheek.
She extended her tongue and licked away that bit of metallic sweetness, her gaze cold as iron.
"A good person?"
"What a pity. In Team Rockets, good people don't live long."
She spoke into the communicator in a toneless voice, relaying the intelligence she had just obtained word for word.