"Wallace has very good eyes."
Damian was smiling. He did not expect Wallace to find him so easily in a big stadium with many people. And...
They had not seen each other for a few days. Wallace seemed to be acting a bit naughty. He looked at Damian with angry eyes.
It looked like he wanted to take more artistic photos.
The corners of Damian's mouth went up. He waved his hand at Wallace, who was still on the stage. Then he prepared to leave with Caitlin.
Wallace saw this. His expression changed a little. He stopped caring about his elegant image. He hurried off the stage. This left May standing there. She looked very confused.
"Steven!"
"What is wrong?"
Steven was looking at a report about rocks and ore. He looked up because he was confused. Wallace ran into the room.
"Damian! I just saw that evil Damian!"
Wallace was breathing fast. But he cared more about Damian. He grabbed Steven's arm. He started pulling him toward the door.
Steven frowned when he heard the name. Was Damian from Team Rocket really here?
"Quick! We must catch him before he leaves the building!"
Outside the building, Damian walked slowly. He was relaxed. He took Caitlin to an ice cream shop. He bought two Casteliacones.
It is important to say that Team Rocket owned this shop.
Damian had sent people to the Unova region. He paid a lot of money to buy the Casteliacone brand. At first, the owner did not want to sell it.
Casteliacones were famous in the Unova region. People in other regions knew about them too. The brand had a great future. Why would he sell?
But he could not stop Team Rocket's many tricks. Some tricks were official and some were not. The founder of the brand finally sold the name. He also sold the technology to Team Rocket. He was crying when he did it.
There was a reason why Casteliacones were popular in Unova. The ice cream was very delicious. Even Damian liked to eat it.
"Damian, Wallace and Steven are following us."
Caitlin saw the two men behind them.
"It does not matter. Send a message to Zinnia. Let's play with them for a bit."
Damian did not care. He led Caitlin toward the edge of Lilycove City.
Caitlin nodded. She took out her phone. She sent a message to Zinnia.
Soon, they arrived at the western suburbs of Lilycove City. Damian chose a wide area. There were no other people around.
"You have been following us all this way. You two do not get tired, do you?"
Damian had a big smile. He turned around to look at Wallace and Steven.
"Wallace, and this man must be Steven. You are two Champions of Hoenn. One is the former and one is the current. Wow."
"Damian, I bet you did not expect to see us here," Wallace said. He was very angry.
"Actually, it was a surprise. But I am happy about it."
Damian moved his head a little. He looked at Wallace.
"Wallace, your photos are blowing up online. You owe me one."
"You!!"
Wallace's face became red with anger again. Damian was brave to talk about it!
Now, almost every post about Wallace online was about those artistic photos.
Only one in ten posts was different. That person probably just got the internet for the first time.
This was true. He was the Champion of Hoenn. He was also a top Pokémon Coordinator. He was very famous.
So, news about him spread fast. The special artistic photos spread very quickly.
"See? You are so excited that your face is red. You really want to take more photos, right? I felt a little sad after our last time. Today the view is much better than the mountain path."
Damian's voice was very kind. He looked at the area.
There were mountains, water, trees, and grass. You could see the sea far away. It was very beautiful.
"If we take more photos here, I believe your name will be famous all over the world. Do you agree, Wallace?"
"Damian! You are an evil member of Team Rocket! Today, I will personally..."
Wallace was very angry. He opened a Poké Ball. He wanted to fight Damian right now.
What did "famous all over the world" mean?
Wallace loved art. He wanted to be famous. But he wanted people to know him for his skills as a trainer or a Coordinator.
He did not want to be famous for wearing girls' clothes.
That was not being famous. That was global social death!
"Calm down, Wallace."
Steven pulled Wallace back. He did not want Wallace to attack Damian.
He thought Wallace was too emotional. Usually, Wallace was very calm and smart. He was always elegant.
But in front of Damian, Wallace was very impulsive.
Was the last event too scary for him?
"You are Damian and Caitlin from Team Rocket, right?" Steven spoke with a deep voice.
"You took over Team Magma and Team Aqua, right?"
"I did not expect you to know that news already, Steven. You are right. That happened," Damian said with a smile.
"What is Team Rocket doing in our Hoenn region?"
Steven felt worried. He guessed this yesterday. But hearing it made him more afraid of Team Rocket.
The Hoenn League did not think Team Magma or Team Aqua were very strong. But they were still on the wanted list.
The League never caught them. How long had Team Rocket been in Hoenn? They already took over both groups. They were even stronger now.
It was very scary.
"It is funny that you ask that, Steven," Damian laughed.
"Team Rocket has no more space to grow in Kanto. So we have to go to other places. I really want to talk with you both."
Damian clapped his hands. He remembered something.
"Now Team Magma and Team Aqua are gone. Team Rocket is the only famous dark group in Hoenn."
"Team Rocket removed two tumors for the Hoenn League, right?"
"Are you saying you did something good? Damian, Team Rocket is more dangerous than Magma and Aqua," Wallace said.
Team Magma and Team Aqua were like tumors in Hoenn. Many people hated them. They did many bad things.
But Wallace preferred Magma and Aqua over Team Rocket. He did not want Team Rocket in Hoenn.
"Wallace, you do not like us very much."
Damian shook his head. He looked sad. He showed his hands were empty.
"Team Rocket has not done anything very bad yet. You are being unfair."
Wallace was so angry that he started laughing. You have not done anything bad?
You made me wear female clothes! That hurt my mind!
My name is famous in other regions because of that!
"Damian, Team Rocket is not welcome in the Hoenn region," Steven said.
"Do I need to tell you about Team Rocket's bad name?" Wallace added.
Team Rocket had a very bad name in Kanto. It was worse than Team Magma and Team Aqua.
"That is very mean. It looks like you two do not want to talk."
Damian moved his shoulders. They could not talk anymore. It made sense.
Wallace and Steven were not like the people in Alola. The Hoenn League was strong. They did not have to give up.
"We never wanted to talk to you, Damian! Today, we will arrest you! You will stay in prison for the rest of your life!"
Wallace made a strong statement.
"Oh? We saw each other a few days ago. Is Wallace saying things like 'I am the strongest on this land! I am Wallace!' again?"
Damian looked at him.
Wallace was silent.
Steven looked at Wallace. He was surprised. Did Wallace really say that?
"Be quiet! No more talking! Damian, you cannot change the ending today!"
"It looks like Steven makes you feel brave. But you two cannot catch me."
Damian smiled at them.
"Hmph! It is two against two! We have the advantage!"
Wallace was very confident. He thought Steven could beat Damian.
People said the blonde girl, Caitlin, only had two Champion-level Pokémon. They were Metagross and Tapu Lele.
Also, Lorelei and Bruno from Kanto beat her before. He was a Hoenn Champion. He could surely beat her.
He thought he could not lose.
Suddenly...
A dragon roared in the sky. It was very loud. Everyone looked up.
A strong Salamence landed. It had big wings. Zinnia jumped down. She stood next to Damian and Caitlin.
That Salamence!
Steven looked at the Salamence. It was a pseudo-legendary. It looked very strong. It was stronger than Drake's best Salamence.
Is this another Champion-level Pokémon?
Steven looked at the girl in the old cloak. She was young.
What was happening with Team Rocket? Were all their members young and talented?
And...
Steven looked at Zinnia. He was confused. She looked at him in a strange way. He could not describe it.
But Steven was sure he did not know her.
"So, what do you think now, Wallace?"
Damian smiled at Wallace.
"Stop calling me that!!"
Wallace was very angry. He did not like Damian's voice.
"Okay. Do you have any ideas? What kind of photos do you want today?"
Damian spoke calmly. He looked at Steven.
Photos?
Wallace wanted to say a bad word. But he stopped himself.
"And you have a partner today. Should we take couple photos for you and Steven?"
Damian suggested this.
A "couple's edition" would be popular. Wallace was beautiful in girls' clothes. Steven was handsome.
Photos of them together would be very famous.
Steven was shocked. Couple photos?
Was Wallace going to dress like a girl and be his girlfriend? Uh...
"Damn it! You are mean! How can you say that to me!!" Wallace's face was red again.
"It is just a difference in numbers. Steven and I will not lose to you!"
It was three against two now. But Wallace still thought they could win.
Because Steven was here!
His best friend Steven was the strongest man in Hoenn!
"Right, Steven? We are going to win, right?" Wallace asked. He wanted to feel safe.
He did not want to be caught by Damian. He did not want to take more photos.
Please, no more!
Steven looked at the three people. Then he looked at Wallace. He was silent.
This... might be hard to win.