Chapter 174: The Justice Alliance to Defeat the Evil Mammon!
"Keep it measured."
Mammon delivered that final reminder and ended the call.
He didn't have strong feelings about Chakra's approach — Chakra was arrogant and brutal, yes, but on one thing he wasn't wrong.
Team Rocket was not something just anyone could trample on. Let Chakra sort that out.
But when he put the phone down, Mammon noticed the room had gone very quiet.
"Lord Mammon — you…"
Zuki's expression was tense. She and Tamao had both heard everything.
Mammon had said he was with Team Rocket.
"Tch. Caught out." Mammon clicked his tongue, and a very particular expression settled on his face.
Zuki steadied herself. Team Rocket — she'd heard of them, of course. She simply hadn't anticipated ever finding herself this close to them.
"I can't very well let you leave with that information, can I? What to do. You're both far too pretty to simply dispose of — perhaps I'll have you locked in the cellar and filled up like cream puffs."
Mammon pressed a finger to his chin in an exaggerated show of contemplation.
Strangely, hearing this, both sisters became notably less frightened.
"You do love to tease." Zuki covered a small laugh with her sleeve.
"Who said I was teasing?" Mammon raised an eyebrow.
"The fact that Ho-Oh chose to give you its Rainbow Wing means you are absolutely not a man who does evil without restraint."
Zuki's voice remained perfectly gentle.
She didn't know why Mammon was with Team Rocket. But after the initial shock, she'd settled quickly.
Mammon was a person recognized by Ho-Oh — given its Rainbow Wing.
Ho-Oh did not misjudge people.
And two days of acquaintance had taught Zuki something. Mammon didn't look like a good person. But he didn't feel like a bad one either.
"I've told you more than once — my Rainbow Wing didn't come to me the way you're imagining." Mammon found this mildly entertaining.
The great turkey, in the eyes of its believers, was apparently sacred and pure beyond reproach.
Though fair enough. Setting aside that it couldn't match Mega Rayquaza in raw power, there really wasn't much to hold against Ho-Oh. The kidnapping incident had been the Masked Man's doing — not something Ho-Oh had chosen.
Zuki smiled lightly and said nothing.
She wasn't particularly focused on how the Rainbow Wing had come to be in Mammon's hands. All that mattered was that Ho-Oh had given it to him.
That was enough.
"Are you leaving?" Having finished washing and drying his feet with careful attention, Zuki rose and addressed him softly.
"Mm. They've found traces of Lugia in the Whirl Islands. Would you two like to come?"
Mammon stood. Tamao rose as well, stepping to stand before him, and smoothed the wrinkles from his clothing with careful hands.
A light fragrance drifted up. Looking down, he could see the precise lines of her face. When she finished with the clothing, she produced a handkerchief and dabbed delicately at his cheek.
This level of attentiveness — Mammon thought he might genuinely be enjoying it a little too much.
Damn these two. Trying to make him dependent on them with exactly this, weren't they.
"Lugia?"
But at the word, Zuki and Tamao looked at each other, both of them visibly affected.
"Would that be all right?" Zuki asked with barely-contained hope.
Lugia.
"Of course it's all right. If anything, it makes things simpler."
Mammon answered as if it were obvious.
He'd promised them an audience with Ho-Oh or Lugia. Whether Ho-Oh and Lugia would actually forgive their ancestors was no concern of his.
So naturally, bringing them along was the more efficient option.
Otherwise he'd have to bring the Lugia back to them.
"Thank you, Lord Mammon."
Zuki gave a delighted bow.
Being able to meet Lugia — that was already the best she could have hoped for.
"No need to thank me. Go get ready."
Mammon waved a hand. He had to message Caitlin too.
Caitlin had gone out to train. Kagura had headed to the Burned Tower — she'd helped flatten the Pokémon Association yesterday, so today was a natural occasion to visit Shelly's memorial. Gladion had also gone off to train somewhere.
Mammon would be in the Kanto-Johto area for a few days.
Zuki and Tamao went to pack. Mammon stepped to the back door of the theater and pulled out his phone.
The Kanto forums were lively today. Most of it was about the bombshell out of Goldenrod.
A Rayquaza had appeared and attacked the Pokémon Association. And one very extreme individual had personally eliminated most of the Association's leadership.
It was, unquestionably, the kind of severe incident that sent shockwaves through the region.
Though the Kanto League had done the decent minimum — Goodshow had disclosed the Association's old crimes, even if the guilty parties were already dead and beyond legal reach.
And then there was —
"Wallace and His Good Friends"
A group chat created by Wallace, membership consisting of people Wallace considered to have "shared hardships" with him.
Wallace: Friends, LOOK AT THIS. [link] [jaw-dropping.jpg]
He'd posted the Goldenrod incident into the chat.
Steven: …
Cynthia: It was probably Mammon and Kagura. [sighing.jpg]
Giovanni: This happened yesterday. Suicune was reported at the scene — no question it's Mammon's group.
Nemona: Wait, but how does Mammon have a Rayquaza too?? [shocked.jpg]
Leon: Remember Kagura is a Lorekeeper. For someone at Mammon's level, capturing that green Rayquaza wouldn't be unusual.
Steven: Cynthia — the Berlitz situation. If it's not handled quickly, Kagura won't let it go.
Cynthia: I'm already on my way to the Berlitz estate.
Cynthia's eyes had gone quietly sharp. She hadn't expected Mammon and Kagura to move this fast. She didn't object to Kagura seeking justice — but going directly to mass elimination was extreme.
Wallace: But this means Mammon has already left Hoenn! This terrible person has FINALLY stopped tormenting us! [crying with relief.jpg]
Steven: …
Giovanni: Team Rocket's Hoenn business ventures are established now — naturally he'd move on. But don't relax. Alola, Hoenn — he'll keep expanding to other regions.
Wallace: WHAT?? He's going to terrorize other places too?? He really is pure evil! The ambition on this man, yo!!
Without seeing his face, the others couldn't quite tell whether Wallace was horrified or gleeful. Though given his general nature…
Nemona: I really hope Mammon doesn't come to Paldea. Paldea couldn't survive Team Rocket doing this to us… [weeping and wailing.jpg]
Leon: Right, I need to discuss this with Chairman Rose. Wait — where am I? Where is this place?? HELP EVERYONE I THINK I'M LOST AGAIN. [head in hands.jpg]
Giovanni: In any case — if any of you need assistance dealing with Mammon, contact me at any time. I will answer without hesitation.
Nemona: Giovanni is SO COOL!! [heart eyes.jpg]
Wallace: The man we can always rely on!! I truly believe you are the only one who can stop Mammon, Giovanni!! YO!! [heart eyes.jpg]
Steven sat in his office, completely expressionless.
Wallace. Good grief.
Nemona was a junior — her being like this was forgivable. But Wallace, you were the former Hoenn Champion.
Steven felt his head starting to swim again. He wasn't sure if it was residual effects from the hospital, but it increasingly felt like Wallace had entered a state of terminal unbothered-ness. He used to be reliable occasionally. Now he was pure comedic presence.
Though Steven did strongly agree with what Giovanni had said. The chat had been created with exactly that purpose — mutual support in the common effort to take Mammon down.
The original proposed name had been "The Justice Alliance to Defeat the Evil Mammon" — but that was too embarrassing to look at, so Wallace had renamed it to the current one.
The Whirl Islands — also called the Whirl Island Archipelago.
A cluster of islands located in the sea between the Johto mainland and Cianwood City.
According to old records, the Whirl Islands were once a single great landmass, and two nations had fought a war over its ownership.
Lugia was its guardian — and it had been utterly disappointed by what the humans had done. It had descended, split the island into four pieces with lightning, and vanished beyond the falls at the top of the archipelago, waiting for something — the possibility that trust between humans and Pokémon might emerge again.
That was the game lore, anyway. In reality, the Whirl Islands consisted of four main islands plus many smaller ones scattered around them. The surrounding currents did create whirlpools, though nothing as impassable as the game made them seem.
The archipelago also hosted an unusual event: the Whirl Cup — a Pokémon tournament open only to Water-type Trainers.
Mammon had no interest in that.
He brought Caitlin, Zuki, and Tamao to the Whirl Islands and made for their destination: Whirl Island One.
This was the location Chakra had identified. Someone had apparently sighted the Lugia pair here.
Chakra had reported that he'd arrived and found the two who'd attacked Team Rocket. The situation was currently unclear.
On the island.
"So it's you two. You dared to attack Team Rocket."
Chakra had come ashore. He looked at the man and woman across from him, his face dark, his eyes dark, his tone dark.
Because the two of them were sitting on a rock and hadn't deigned to look at him at all.
The great Chakra — when had he ever been shown this level of disrespect?
"Ah~ Actually, yes. Though really, we should be thanking you — your people found the Lugia for us."
The woman with the long grey-blue curls gave a leisurely yawn, flicked a glance at Chakra, and let a faint, layered smile settle on her face.
"If you'd like to stay and wait for Lugia to appear, I'd be even more grateful. What do you think?"
Rika rested her chin on her hand, and that perpetual edge of mischief at the corner of her mouth made her magnetic in a way that had no softness to it.
"Heh heh heh…" Chakra's fury had reached the point where he was laughing — though the sound came out like something being forced through a very narrow gap.
"Fine. Fine, fine, fine. So you've got a death wish. Is that it?"
His face had gone a deep, ugly colour. He hadn't encountered anyone this brazen in front of him in a long time.
Acting like this in front of Chakra? You've earned what's coming.
"Take them out. Both of them. I am going to feed them to the fish today."
Chakra gave the cold order to the people behind him.
"Mm mm mm~ So aggressive."
Rika tilted her head slightly, and something sharp moved in her eyes.
"You're making me angry, little man."
"NO CHEST NO ASS WHO THE HELL ARE YOU CALLING LITTLE?!"
Chakra's face went rigid. His height was his one unconditional sore spot.
Not that Chakra couldn't give as good as he got — when it came to being offensively rude, he ranked near the top of Team Rocket.
Rika's expression went flat instantly. Her narrow eyes pressed tight, fixing on Chakra with a look that could cut glass.
"Heh heh heh…"
(End of chapter)