Groudon felt like it was about to break.
In its whole life, it had never drunk so much water. It was almost leaking out from its backside!
That damn fish! AHHHH!
But reality was cruel. Its consciousness was already getting blurry. It couldn't take any more; it really couldn't fit a single drop more.
Primal Kyogre slowly surfaced from under the sea. When it saw Groudon's bloated, "pregnant" look, its entire body felt satisfied.
This feels great! So great!
"Groudon..."
Giovanni and the others were also shocked when they saw Groudon looking like a pregnant woman.
Good grief! Didn't you say you had a twenty-eighty split against Primal Kyogre? How long has it been?
Your belly got made this big already?!
"Hu... humans... quick... save me..."
Groudon spoke with breaks in its voice. It sounded like it was about to die. If Primal Kyogre kept playing with it, it was really going to be broken.
It was even starting to hallucinate. It saw Arceus glowing with holy light and a kind face!
Giovanni quickly used a Poke Ball to recall Groudon.
Damian's expression was strange for a while. He turned his gaze toward Primal Kyogre.
Seeing Primal Kyogre's proud expression, Damian could only give it a thumbs up.
"Awesome!"
Primal Kyogre became even more proud. It felt like it had truly reached the peak of its life as a fish!
"Kyogre, pull back your power for now."
Damian smiled and spoke to Primal Kyogre.
"Woo~"
Primal Kyogre understood immediately. A low cry sounded. The incredibly violent rainstorm suddenly became much smaller. it returned to the level of normal rain.
But the rain did not stop completely.
"Damian, we already had a deal, right?"
Steven's expression tightened. He looked at the rain that hadn't fully stopped.
"Of course. I've already made Kyogre hold back a lot, haven't I? Next, we should talk about the compensation issue."
Damian grinned. He looked at Steven calmly, waiting for a response.
"Compensation?"
Steven's brows locked together. He had already lowered his head and apologized to Damian. He also promised to release all the Team Rocket members caught during this mission.
But it seemed Damian was not satisfied.
"Of course it's compensation. Steven, you didn't think it would end just like this, did you?"
"My appearance fee is very expensive."
Damian raised his eyebrows and spoke with a half-smile.
"..."
Steven remained silent. Giovanni and the other three looked at Damian, and they were silent as well.
Even though they knew Damian was just asking for benefits, what could they do? They had no choice.
"Fine. Tell me. Just make Kyogre stop the rain."
Steven adjusted his emotions. He spoke to Damian in a deep voice.
No matter what, the most important thing now was to stop this disastrous rain. Although Primal Kyogre had lowered the amount of rain, as long as it didn't stop, it was still a burden for the cities that were already flooding.
"First, settle my appearance fee and the mental damage fee for our Team Rocket members." Damian held up one finger.
"Ten billion. That shouldn't be too much, right?"
Damian spoke with a smile.
"!!!"
Hearing this number, even Leon and Cynthia were shocked. Ten billion???
They knew Damian would ask for a lot, but they never expected it to be this high.
"Damian, isn't this price a bit too high?!" Giovanni couldn't help but speak out again.
The repair costs for the Team Rocket base, the medicine costs for a few injured members—even if you added Damian's so-called "mental damage fee," ten billion was an astronomical number.
"Is it high?" Damian tilted his head.
"Everyone, I was originally at home holding a beautiful woman, eating, and singing songs. Then I suddenly found out my base was being attacked."
Damian described the situation innocently.
"Also, please look at me carefully. I am Kyogre's trainer. My appearance fee is very high. Do you think I'm joking?"
Damian's tone was completely natural. It was as if he was born to say such things.
Damn!
Even Leon couldn't hold it in. How could this guy say such things so naturally?
"Ten billion. I'll give it to you."
Steven took a deep breath. He replied without any expression.
Joseph Stone was already in jail. Currently, Steven was acting for the Devon Corporation. He truly did not lack money.
However, even for the Devon Corporation, taking out ten billion in cash was not a small amount. But right now, there was no room to bargain.
Besides...
In Steven's view, he brought this incident upon them. He should be the one to take responsibility.
"Tsk~ Steven is so generous!" Damian clapped for Steven.
"What else?" Steven asked in a deep voice. He knew it wouldn't be this simple.
"The second point. Steven, you know about Team Rocket's businesses in Hoenn, right?"
Damian asked Steven.
"Arceus Entertainment City and its namesake companies." Steven's brows furrowed.
Arceus Entertainment City was a newly opened entertainment center in Mauville City. It was built on the site of the old Mauville Game Corner.
Steven did know about this. One could find out with a little investigation.
Arceus Entertainment City started in Alola. The intelligence from Alola had suggested that it was a Team Rocket business!
"Exactly. Our Entertainment City is a legal business. It has a license."
The corners of Damian's mouth curled up. Keeping things clean had its benefits. Looking at Steven's reaction, he only seemed to know that the entertainment city belonged to Team Rocket.
But in reality, Team Rocket had already set up many companies and projects in the Hoenn region. For example, the very popular Pokemon Riding Shop in Slateport City.
Steven stared closely at Damian. Compared to the ten billion, Damian's second request was clearly more outrageous!
Damian's hidden meaning was for Steven to admit the legality of Arceus Entertainment City!
But wouldn't that be the same as admitting Team Rocket was legal in Hoenn???
How could that be allowed? Team Rocket was an evil organization!
"Steven, you should think carefully before you answer." Damian's smile was still very kind.
Steven's breathing became heavier.
Leon and Cynthia both frowned deeply. They understood that Steven had been backed into a corner.
But if they were in his place, how would they choose?
Admit the legality of an evil organization? Or choose to fight Damian?
If they refused Damian now, who knew if he would go crazy and let Primal Kyogre drown the Hoenn region?
Leon and Cynthia asked themselves, but they didn't know the answer either.
Time passed second by second. Every second was torture for Steven.
"Damian, do you really have to force me like this?" Steven's voice was now extremely raspy.
He really didn't know what choice to make. He was the Hoenn Champion. He had the duty to make any sacrifice for the Hoenn region.
He had that resolve, but not like this.
If he had known this would happen, he would have rather worn a hundred dresses than take the position of Hoenn Champion from Wallace.
"Steven, you shouldn't say that." Damian couldn't help but laugh. His tone was very mocking. "This is what you chose."
Steven's face kept twitching. He looked at the boy in the white shirt and black pants across from him, and the powerful Primal Kyogre behind him. How should he choose?
Steven's expression kept changing.
The rain continued to drizzle down.
After a long time, the Champion's upright shoulders finally slumped down.
"I understand. As long as Arceus Entertainment City does not break the law, it is a normal business."
Steven's voice sounded incredibly tired. He had compromised.
He didn't dare to gamble. He had already lost the gamble with Groudon once, hadn't he?
The current situation was the result of that.
If Damian really "went crazy" and kept Primal Kyogre running the Sea of Origins at full power, how could he be responsible for Hoenn?
Hearing this, a very bright smile appeared on Damian's face.
Giovanni and the others looked at Steven, who seemed to have lost his spirit. They looked at each other and sighed silently.
They could understand. They really could.
Clap clap clap~
The sound of clapping came from Damian.
"That's right, isn't it? Steven, you really think about things a lot." Damian clapped and said it between laughs.
"After all, since Team Rocket arrived in Hoenn, we haven't done a single illegal thing, right?"
"We even got rid of those two groups, Team Aqua and Team Magma, for you. We've never stopped fighting hunter organizations, either."
Damian waved his hand to Primal Kyogre.
Primal Kyogre let out another cry. The dark rain clouds in the sky began to slowly disappear.
"Also, the prophecy of the Draconid people about the giant meteor that will destroy Hoenn—Team Rocket can solve that for you too. We have always been protecting this land."
"Steven, honestly, you should be thanking Team Rocket."
Damian's voice sounded very annoying to Steven.
But Steven suddenly thought back. It seemed... it really was like that???
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