Chapter 81: How Am I Ever Going to Get Married After This?
"I thought I'd get to watch a bit longer. Didn't expect company this fast."
Mammon turned to face the red-eyed boy walking toward him.
"Well, well~ Look at you." The corner of his mouth pulled into a slow grin, something peculiar sparkling in his eyes. "Now this is interesting."
Blue jeans. Red sleeveless jacket. Red-and-white cap pulled low. Backpack.
An extremely familiar silhouette.
The Generation I Champion. The Mt. Silver villain of Generation II. The battle legend of Generation VII.
Red.
Heh heh heh heh.
"…"
Red noticed the boy's gaze heating up and took an instinctive half-step back.
That look was aggressive. It was difficult not to read things into it — and while Red had absolutely zero interest in girls, he had equally zero interest in boys. His heart belonged entirely to Pokémon.
"Don't misunderstand. My preferences are completely normal."
Mammon raised an eyebrow. He felt the clarification was probably unnecessary, but he made it anyway. He didn't want Red filing him under the wrong category.
Red: "…"
"Let me think — the St. Anne, a while back. The two Trainers who took down Archer and wrecked his whole operation. That was you, wasn't it."
Mammon tilted his head, smiling pleasantly.
He'd chatted with Archer about it at some point out of mild curiosity. The two boys who'd dismantled the St. Anne operation: one had been Ash. The other had been Red.
This world was genuinely strange. Red and Ash, coexisting in the same timeline — and stranger still, they were apparently twin brothers.
Red said nothing. But his right hand had closed around a Poké Ball, and his red eyes — visible just below the cap brim — were fixed on Mammon with a weight that combined intensity and caution. This person set off something in his instincts. A clear sense of danger.
And something vaguely familiar, though he was certain they'd never met.
"You're… Mammon?"
A slightly low voice. Careful with the words.
"Oh? You know who I am?"
"…"
Of course he did. Unlike the somewhat oblivious Ash, Red followed the competitive scene closely — he'd watched last year's Indigo Conference with genuine attention. Mammon's dominant performance had registered. Red had even wondered, distantly, if they might battle someday.
He hadn't expected this to be the context.
And then—
Red's gaze shifted to the figure standing behind Mammon. A beautiful young woman in a brightly patterned floral kimono.
Erika met his eyes and gave the faintest shake of her head.
"No need to look at Miss Erika for cues." Mammon's arm moved, looping easily around Erika's waist and pulling her to his side. "She's not Rocket. She's just my current trophy."
He said it lightly, like it was the most natural thing.
Erika, pressed against his side, bit her lip. Her face — already composed with lip tint that made it worse — went red again.
Especially with someone else watching.
She and Red knew each other. He'd challenged her Gym just yesterday.
She pushed against Mammon's chest with both hands, trying to create any distance at all. It accomplished nothing. She was not strong enough.
How is she ever going to get married after this?
Erika wanted to cry. This wasn't fair. Being taken advantage of in private was one thing, but doing it in front of someone? Her entire future romantic life was flashing before her eyes and it looked bleak.
Red's brow furrowed slightly. Trophy. Which means she's a hostage.
"Let Gym Leader Erika go."
He pulled his cap lower, voice flat.
"I'll pass." Mammon declined without ceremony.
"If you want her back — try beating me."
"…"
Red went quiet. Behind him, his Charizard stepped forward, measured and deliberate, eyes steady on Mammon.
"If the records are right, you only started your journey this year." Mammon's fingertip clicked a Poké Ball open.
Tapu Fini drifted out from the ball and settled in front of him, regarding Charizard with complete calm.
"Remarkable, genuinely. Less than four months in and you're already at this level."
He meant it. Monstrous talent — not a step below Mitsuki.
These people. They really did make things difficult for ordinary humans.
Oh, right. I'm also a monster. Never mind.
"But your development window is still too short. Right now, you're not in my league."
Red was strong — already Elite-Four-tier by any reasonable measure, given that he'd beaten Archer and Ariana. And from Ariana's report, he hadn't found her particularly difficult. But four months was four months. A Red who hadn't yet crossed into Champion-tier wasn't a real match for Mammon.
"Tapu Fini…"
Red stared at it. His expression had gone careful and serious.
"You recognize her. Yes — one of Alola's Island Guardians. She's on my main team now."
Mammon laughed quietly. He wasn't surprised Red had placed her. Someone aiming to be the world's strongest Trainer read the Pokédex thoroughly — you didn't need to know every detail about every Pokémon, but knowing names and typings was the floor. Red might not know Tapu Fini's full profile, but he'd know the name and know she was Water/Fairy.
"Pikachu."
Red made his decision. He released a second Ball. White light — and a Pikachu appeared in front of him.
"Red's Pikachu."
Mammon looked the small electric Pokémon over. Sharp-eyed, excellent bearing. It looked slightly leaner than Ash's — or possibly Ash had been feeding his a little generously.
Red's Pikachu was iconic in its own right. In the games, Red's appearance on Mt. Silver as the hidden final boss of Generation II was legendary — and in HeartGold/SoulSilver, walking up that mountain and suddenly facing a level 88 Pikachu when your own team was barely level 60 after the Elite Four—
Genuinely agonizing.
"Alright then. First meeting courtesy — you go first."
Mammon settled his arm around Erika's waist, mood still light. Running into Red here was an unexpected bonus.
He'd have preferred to wait for Red to develop further before crossing swords with him. But getting him to simply walk away also wasn't going to happen. So — this would do.
Though, Mammon was idly considering a different possibility.
Any chance of recruiting Red into Team Rocket?
He turned the idea over, genuinely curious whether it had any legs.
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