~The next day~
Caleb Chase was watching Mimikyu eat Pokéblocks when Ariana summoned him to her office...
Before he even reached the door, he heard a hysterical roar from inside.
"What more do you want from me?! I've done everything you asked! And what about your promises?! Why is no one taking care of my daughter?!"
Ariana's calm voice followed, "Calm down, Doctor. We're short-staffed right now, and the new recruits haven't adjusted yet. Just wait a few more days, and I'll—"
Then, her gaze landed on Caleb as he approached. She abruptly changed her tone, "Doctor, what do you think of this one?"
The middle-aged man in a white lab coat and round glasses turned around.
His expression was vacant, his eyes brimmed with barely suppressed anguish and madness... He was like a man who was on the verge of insanity...
Caleb met those brown eyes, and in the next second, as if it had all been an illusion, the hysteria vanished, replaced by gentle warmth.
The man smiled kindly, "What's your name?"
Caleb didn't answer, instead he glanced at Ariana for clarification.
However, Ariana seemed unfazed by the abrupt shift. Weariness flickered across her face as she stepped forward, "This is Caleb Chase, a new recruit still in training. He's a gentle, kind young man. I think your daughter would like him."
Caleb was speechless. He had to admit, Ariana's ability to lie with a straight face was on par with his own.
"Caleb Chase…" The man murmured the name, then turned back to Ariana, "Him, then. Arrange it as soon as possible. I can't leave my daughter alone at home."
With that, he walked away.
Caleb watched his retreating figure disappear around the corner before turning to Ariana with a questioning look, 'What just happened? Did you just sell me off?'
Ariana understood the unspoken question. She ushered him into the office and slumped into her chair, exhaustion etched into her features.
She didn't speak, she just sat there silently.
Caleb hesitated... standing felt awkward, and sitting felt presumptuous... so he decisively sprawled across the black sofa instead...
After all, he had stayed up until 2 AM reading last night, and was running on insufficient sleep.
Ariana stared: "..."
This guy was nothing like an undercover League agent. The stuffy, rigid officials of the Indigo League would never produce someone this shameless.
The thought reminded her of yesterday's surveillance report. She abruptly asked, "Was Nurse Joy pretty?"
Caleb froze, then looked up at her questioningly...
He was well aware of the surveillance... Mimikyu was hypersensitive to being watched. The moment the Rocket grunt had appeared, Mimikyu had noticed.
But Ariana bringing it up now meant she didn't care if he knew.
'What's her game? Is she about to expose me?'
Seeing Caleb's hesitation, Ariana chuckled lightly, then with her tone casual, she said, "Don't overthink it. I'm just saying... Caleb, can I trust you?"
'Here it comes!' Caleb's heart pounded, but he forced himself to stay calm.
Frowning, he met her gaze and asked gravely, "What do you mean?"
Amused by his act, Ariana's lips curved into a smile as her earlier frustration melted away, 'Having a handsome face around really does help. At least my mood doesn't worsen just by looking at him...'
Her red lips quirked up in delight, "After our battle the other day, I asked if you knew Lance. Your reaction told me you did, and not just by reputation..."
"...Microexpressions never lie, Caleb. Tell me, are you an undercover investigator sent by the Indigo League?"
Her eyes bore into his.
Caleb knew there was no escaping this. He sighed inwardly and asked, "What if I am?"
Ariana looked even more pleased. She relaxed slightly, and murmured, "I'm glad, Caleb. You didn't choose to lie to me."
"So what now?" Caleb dropped the act entirely, "Toss me into the ocean for a Sharpedo snack?"
Ariana looked at him weirdly, "Why would you think that? Sometimes I want to crack open your skull and see how your brain works. I can't believe you spent yesterday flirting with Nurse Joy instead of contacting the League."
Caleb didn't deny it. With everything laid bare, and Ariana's reaction suggesting he wouldn't end up as Sharpedo chow, he asked curiously, "What if I had contacted the League?"
Ariana shook her head with a smile, "You'd never have gotten the chance. The agents surveilling you four are specially trained. They would have eliminated you the moment you dialed."
Caleb: ".…"
'Of course. Team Rocket isn't that stupid...'
"So, what's your decision?" Ariana asked softly. Then she went on saying, "Choose Team Rocket. Whatever the League offered you; money, power, rare Pokémon, even women... we can give you more."
Caleb shook his head, "No thanks. Women are less appealing to me than a Gardevoir–"
Just then, a system notification popped up.
[Will you accept Ariana's offer? Accepting will automatically update your main mission!]
"Mhmm... You know what, I accept!" Seeing the system prompt, Caleb immediately changed his mind.
'Only an idiot would refuse now!' Without hesitation, Caleb confirmed.
Instantly, his mission log refreshed.
[Main Mission Updated!]
[New Objective: Uncover the moles within Team Rocket! (0/5)]
[Time Limit: 29 days! Failure upon timeout!]
[Due to increased difficulty, rewards will be significantly enhanced upon completion!]
Ariana smiled, satisfied with his answer, "Good. As a new Team Rocket recruit, you'll first need to complete a simple task to prove your loyalty."
Caleb paused, then quickly connected the dots, "Is it something related to that man in the lab coat earlier?"
Ariana nodded, "He suffers from severe mental illness; paranoia, dissociative identity disorder, delusions, anxiety. A pitiable man… but also a brilliant biologist."
Remembering the argument in the hallway, Caleb asked, "So my job is to babysit his daughter?"
Ariana's expression turned odd, "No. His daughter is already dead. The 'daughter' he speaks of is a delusion. You just need to play along, visit his home, and humor him to keep him stable."