Become Senior Executives in Team Rocket?
This was a path Plumeria had never even imagined.
At Damian's offer, Proton studied the two of them with a measured, skeptical stare. Guzma was one thing—but was someone like Plumeria truly worthy? It wasn't that Proton doubted Damian's judgment. Still, being a regular Admin was one thing; the seat of a Senior Executive was not something you stumbled into.
Damian, however, had already made up his mind. Plumeria was worthy.
Her raw talent as a trainer wasn't some once-in-a-generation anomaly—sure. But that depended on the standard of comparison. If you measured her against the kind of natural monster Damian remembered from the original timeline, the sort of prodigy who could reach Champion in a single year, then of course she would look ordinary. Against normal people, she was more than capable.
And Plumeria's value had never been limited to battling alone.
From what Damian remembered of the original timeline: after Team Skull fell apart, Plumeria focused on raising Pokémon. She even challenged the Alola League and pushed her way all the way to the protagonist. More importantly, her management ability was exceptional. She could keep Team Skull's messy, scattered members in line—perfectly—and that spoke louder than any flashy win record.
Plumeria's voice cut through the silence.
"If we join Team Rocket… then we'll be wanted by the Pokémon League, right?"
Guzma still hadn't said a word, so she asked instead—low, guarded, with no warmth at all. She had no good feelings toward these people. Team Skull might have been "local bullies" in the Alola Region, but Team Rocket was different. Team Rocket was an organization the League openly treated as criminal.
Damian laughed, soft and almost amused.
"Listen to yourself." He turned his gaze fully onto her. "Plumeria—answer me this. What do you think the difference is between how Team Skull operates… and how Team Rocket does?"
He rolled a Poké Ball lazily across his palm as he spoke, as if he were weighing her answer. Plumeria's brow tightened; she opened her mouth, clearly ready to bite back.
Damian didn't give her the chance.
"Yes, Team Rocket has a dark reputation." His tone stayed even. Controlled. "But times change. We've already discarded a lot of old rot. We're moving toward something cleaner. Higher-end."
He lifted the Poké Ball slightly, as if punctuating each point.
"We rarely do things like stealing Pokémon from travelers anymore. We have our own breeding farms—we raise young Pokémon ourselves."
Then he tipped his head, eyes sharpening.
"And you?" he continued. "Right now, on every island in the Alola Region, your Team Skull members are causing trouble everywhere."
Damian's mouth curved, as though her concern were almost cute.
"The only reason you're 'safe' is because the Alola Region doesn't have an established League yet." His voice cooled. "Once the Alola League is founded, Team Skull will be the first target they bring the axe down on."
"…" Plumeria had no answer ready. Not one she could say out loud.
Damian leaned back slightly, giving her space—then filled it again with the next blow.
"Besides, joining Team Rocket isn't a bad thing for you." He glanced between them. "I can see that both of you are capable. Rather than rotting away in Team Skull and eventually being thrown in prison by the League, it's better to do something real with Team Rocket."
He looked directly at Plumeria now.
"As long as you serve the organization well, you'll have a place in Alola's management." His eyes didn't waver. "And I can let you keep leading your original subordinates."
A brief pause—just long enough to make it feel like a promise, not a pitch.
"Believe me. Your future shouldn't be in a dump like this."
Damian's gaze flicked around the room: broken furniture, grime, the stench of neglect and exhaustion.
"People should have goals," he said, quieter—but not softer. "Not drift through their lives half-asleep. You're both capable. So think seriously."
His words gave Guzma and Plumeria plenty of face. And it wasn't empty flattery, either—within Team Skull, only these two were truly useful. If Damian could recruit them, he absolutely intended to.
Plumeria stayed silent. Guzma's eyes, on the other hand, kept flickering—restless, calculating, as if he were fighting with something inside his own chest.
The silence stretched.
Then Guzma finally spoke.
"The big bad me… joins!!"
He said it in his usual aggressive tone, like he was daring the world to argue with him. That was it—he chose to join.
"…" Plumeria stared at him, openly surprised.
Damian's expression brightened into a sharp, satisfied smile. He clapped once, crisp and approving.
"A wise choice, Mr. Guzma." His voice was pleasant—almost warm. "Your life has just opened a brand-new chapter. Power, wealth, beauty, fame—whatever it is you want, you'll have it. One by one."
Guzma's jaw tightened.
"I don't care about those things," he said, low.
Those were the desires of ordinary people. Guzma didn't need them.
He wanted proof.
Failing the "Captain" trial years ago had left a knot in his chest he could never untie. He wanted to prove—to everyone—that Guzma was capable.
Damian understood that without being told. From what he remembered of the original timeline, there had been a reason Guzma worked under Lusamine despite his pride and violence. Guzma had said it himself: it was because Lusamine acknowledged his strength. That acknowledgment alone was enough to make him follow.
Damian's tone remained smooth.
"Of course." He nodded once. "It doesn't matter what you want. When we rule the underground world of the Alola Region, we'll be kings of the underworld here."
Guzma's lips pulled back, teeth showing in a fierce grin.
"Kings of the underworld…" He savored the words. "That sounds interesting!"
That was it. He, Guzma, would become the king of Alola's dark world. He would make everyone who had looked down on him watch him rise—gloriously, unmistakably.
Damian turned to the remaining holdout.
"And what about you, Plumeria?"
"…" Plumeria looked at Guzma, her expression complicated—pride, frustration, worry, all tangled together.
Guzma met her eyes and spoke, unexpectedly solemn.
"Plumeria, you don't need to worry about me. Decide for yourself. Do what you think."
Plumeria inhaled, then let it out slowly.
"I…" Her voice caught for a moment. "I still want to look after those idiots."
She raised her eyes to Damian.
"Damian. I'm willing to join Team Rocket, too. But… please don't harm the other Team Skull members who don't want to join. Is that alright?"
Damian stood. No hesitation. He extended his hand to both of them.
"Of course."
"In truth, Damian didn't care about the rest. With Guzma and Plumeria leading, most of Team Skull would fall in line. As for the trash who refused—let them go wherever they wanted. He'd originally planned to shove the stubborn ones into prison crews or the mines, but since Plumeria asked, it wasn't worth the trouble."
"Welcome to Team Rocket."
"Welcome."
"I look forward to working with you both as colleagues from now on."
Proton and Caitlin spoke as well—polite, professional, and clearly pleased.
Proton felt genuine relief. He still didn't know how capable these two new colleagues would be, but at least there were now people who could share the workload. As for Caitlin, everything was fresh and new. This was her first day experiencing the dark world up close—the way people could be at each other's throats one moment, then smiling and greeting each other the next. It was strange. Still, as a member of Team Rocket, one thing was clear: Alola's Team Rocket was stronger now, and that was a good thing.
Damian moved on immediately, businesslike again.
"So. Next." His gaze swept them. "Guzma. Plumeria. Go outside and announce it. Anyone who wants to stay can stay. Anyone who doesn't is free to leave. We won't force them."
There was no need to rush. As long as the benefits were attractive enough—salaries, resources, Pokémon—there was no fear of lacking subordinates.
"Fine," Guzma said, and Plumeria gave a small, satisfied nod. They were clearly content with the arrangement.
Damian tilted his head slightly.
"Also, Plumeria—go to Proton and get some funds. Then go buy a few clothing factories."
"Huh?" Plumeria froze. Completely stunned.
"We're going to start producing Team Rocket uniforms." Damian's tone made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. "And you and Guzma will change your clothes. If there's a style you actually like, the factories can produce it later."
His eyes slid over their outfits with open contempt.
"That current thuggish look… your sense of aesthetics needs re-education."
Guzma and Plumeria: "…"
Caitlin bit her lip hard. If she hadn't been trying to maintain her ladylike image, she would have laughed out loud. The expressions on their faces were simply too much.
After a long pause, Plumeria managed, very quietly:
"…Understood."
Damian didn't stop there.
"And Guzma—you'll take over the Game Corner from Proton. You'll be the boss." He watched the reaction land. "Use your reputation in the Alola Region. Make our Game Corner famous."
"What? Me?" Guzma went rigid, then jabbed a finger at his own face, shock written all over him.
He was going to run a Game Corner—and be the boss?