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"Seriously, Dad, you need to rein it in when we're out! I've told you so many times, haven't I?"
Peonia's forehead throbbed with a visible vein as she suppressed her voice, fuming at Peony.
"Don't call me that when we're in public!"
"Wahahaha~ Don't sweat the small stuff, Peonia, don't you think it's cute?"
"Only you think it's cute, you idiot! I'm already grown up!"
Peonia's anger intensified, especially when she saw the strange looks from the surrounding passengers when they heard 'Peonia'.
Peonia felt her embarrassment levels explode.
"Eh~ Alright, alright, let's go, we'll head to Freezington first."
But clearly, Peony paid no mind to his fuming daughter; he had ample experience.
Just muddle through.
Such a cute nickname, yet he didn't know why his two daughters disliked it.
Peony was troubled.
The father and daughter prepared to go to Freezington, the only small village within Crown Tundra.
Freezington was the most suitable place to rest and stay.
"Hello, you two seem to have a really good relationship."
Suddenly, a clear male voice reached their ears.
Peony and Peonia turned their heads to look, and Peony immediately couldn't help but click his tongue.
It was a group of one male and three females, and no matter how one looked at it, all four of them were exceptionally good-looking.
Peonia looked at the four curiously; she remembered noticing them on the train.
After all, the four of them were truly eye-catching.
"Hello, is there something you need?"
Peony said generously; the leading young man opposite them was clearly there for them.
"Indeed, there's something important I'd like to discuss with you properly, Mr. Peony."
Mammon smiled and spoke to Peony.
Peony's brows furrowed slightly; the other party knew him, so it was probably not an ordinary matter.
"To Freezington, right? This isn't a good place to talk."
Mammon looked around; there wasn't a suitable place to stay in the Upstart Snowfield.
"Alright." Peony thought for a moment and didn't refuse.
Although he didn't know the other party's intentions, Peony was confident in himself; his strength was no joke!
Freezington, a village in Crown Tundra, is located between the Upstart Snowfield and the Freezing Point Snowfield.
There aren't many residents in Freezington, as it's not very suitable for people to live there due to the constant ice and snow.
So most of Freezington's villagers have moved away.
At the Freezington Inn, Mammon and the others arrived. With the fireplace roasting, warmth filled the room, making it much more comfortable.
"Young man, what do you want with me?"
Peony proactively asked Mammon.
"Peony, you were once a Gym Leader of a Steel-type Gym, and later you even became the Champion of the Galar League, correct?"
Mammon took a sip of hot tea and spoke to Peony.
Hearing this, Caitlin and the two other females looked at this middle-aged man, who resembled Rose but was more rugged, with surprise, realizing he had once served as the Champion of the Galar region.
Peonia looked at Mammon in confusion; this person actually knew her dad's past?
"Those are old stories. What exactly do you want to say?"
Peony said somewhat impatiently.
"Don't be impatient. From this point alone, Mr. Peony, you are indeed very different from Chairman Rose."
Mammon chuckled softly.
Although they were biological brothers, Peony and Rose's personalities were vastly different. Rose was mature, steady, meticulous, and patient, while Peony was very bad at listening to others speak, and his behavior was unrestrained and rugged.
"Kid, don't think that just because you're young, you can talk nonsense."
Hearing Rose's name, Peony's expression changed, his face and tone becoming grim.
"Uncle's fist isn't light!"
Hearing Peony's blatant threat, Mammon remained unfazed.
"Don't get agitated. I'm actually curious, why did you, Mr. Peony, suddenly resign from the position of Champion, a position everyone yearns for and pursues?"
Mammon, holding the dozing Jirachi, feigned curiosity and asked Peony.
"What does that have to do with you?" Peony retorted impolitely.
Clearly, Peony was not in a good mood right now.
"Peonia, let's go."
Peony had lost patience for further conversation, called out to Peonia, and turned to leave.
Peonia responded, still looking curiously at Mammon. This guy...
"Is it because of Chairman Rose?"
However, Mammon's next sentence made Peony's face darken again, and his steps halted.
"Not long after you became the Galar region Champion, Rose also became the Chairman of the Galar League, which directly caused you to leave the Galar League in a huff."
Mammon watched Peony's back at his leisure, his tone inevitably carrying a hint of mockery.
"How weak, Peony, are you really that afraid of your brother?"
"Shut up!"
Peony suddenly turned around and roared at Mammon.
Because of his intense emotions, his chest was heaving, expressing his current anger.
"No need to raise your voice so much, and what good does it do to scold me here?" Mammon tilted his head slightly, meeting Peony's angry eyes.
In reality, Peony was truly a genius; becoming the Champion of the Galar region already proved this point.
But why did he and his biological brother Rose reach this point of never speaking to each other?
In Mammon's view, it was truly Peony's own fragile and unruly psychology that led to it.
Peony and Rose were biological brothers, growing up together, but during their growth, Peony was constantly compared to his excellent brother, Rose.
The evaluations and opinions of outsiders made Peony unbearable, and his personality gradually became rebellious.
Later, Peony finally ran away from home, but he met a patron who appreciated him and became a Gym Leader.
Peony even became a Champion later, but even so, his brother's shadow still loomed over him.
Upon learning that Rose had become the League Chairman, this directly prompted Peony to leave the Galar League and become an ordinary person who traveled and adventured.
How should this be described? One can only say, as expected of Rose.
"Don't you dare mention that name in front of me!"
Peony gasped, his eyes fixed on Mammon, speaking word by word, his low, hoarse voice like a beast.
Peonia cautiously stood behind Peony; it was the first time she had seen her father so angry.
"Oh? So this is how you escape?"
Mammon, however, seemed not to notice Peony's expression, still tilting his head as he spoke.
Peony's breathing grew faster and faster.
"Because you couldn't surpass Rose, you ran far away, burying that name, pretending that person never existed in your life."
Mammon continued to speak to himself.
"Peony, the Champion-level Trainer of Steel-type, affectionately known as 'Iron Big Brother'. If those fans knew that their idol was just a weakling who only knew how to escape, I wonder what their expressions would be."
Mammon continued to mock with a smile.
Platinum and Serena nervously watched Peony, their hands already tightly gripping their Poké Balls, fearing Peony might suddenly lash out.
Because everyone could feel that Peony's anger had reached a critical point, like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.
Peony was indeed practically exploding with anger at this moment!
For so many years, he had tried his best to draw a clear line with that person, to forget that person.
But now, this reckless fellow kept mentioning that name in front of him again and again.
Did he really think Peony was made of mud?
Peonia quietly retreated two steps, afraid that blood would splatter on her later.
However, after the extreme anger, Peony instead calmed down a bit.
"My business with him is not for an outsider like you to judge." Peony took a deep breath and said in a deep voice.
"Hmm? Tsk~ I thought you'd make a move. Can you actually hold back?"
Mammon rested his chin in his hand, looking at Peony with surprise.
Peony, hearing this, laughed in extreme anger. This guy!
"I really want to teach you a lesson, but this is an inn, and..."
Peony's face turned grim, and although what this guy said was unpleasant.
But Peony also knew that he wasn't wrong; no matter how it was embellished, he was indeed escaping.
Because Peony knew very well that his talent couldn't compare to his brother Rose's. From Galar's current thriving situation, it was clear that Rose becoming the League Chairman was the right thing.
"In short, I don't want to waste any more words with you. If you came to find me just to mock me, you've already achieved your goal."
Peony said indifferently, preparing to leave with Peonia.
Clap, clap, clap~
Applause suddenly came, and Mammon slowly stood up, smiling as he looked at Peony.
"Do I look like someone with that much free time?"
"This time, I specifically sought you out, Mr. Peony, not to provoke you, but to discuss a serious matter."
Mammon took a golden badge from his pocket and tossed it to Peony.
Peony immediately caught it, opened his palm to look, and saw it was an exquisite 'R' shaped badge.
Peony's brows furrowed deeply; he seemed to roughly understand.
"I now, as the Team Rocket Boss, sincerely invite you, Mr. Peony, to join our Team Rockets as a top executive."
Mammon said slowly with a smile.
"Mr. Peony, please believe me, your talent and worth are no less than your brother's, and I can give you the stage to demonstrate your self-worth."
"Team Rockets..."
Peony confirmed it; it was indeed Team Rockets.
Although he had been staying in Crown Tundra recently to search for the legendary Pokémon, he had occasionally seen some news about Team Rockets online when he was outside before.
And now, Team Rockets had actually reached the Galar region.
But a mere underground organization, saying they could let him show worth beyond Rose? Had underground organizations become this arrogant now?