"Everyone, why so serious? How about we all relax a bit?"
Seeing Kukui and the others stay silent, Damian tilted his head, as if he found their tension a little funny.
"After all, you're all famous figures in the Alola region, right?"
"Who are you?" Kukui didn't keep quiet any longer. His gaze locked on Damian as he asked the question directly.
"How should I answer that?" Damian chuckled, took another sip of coconut juice, and let the pause linger for a moment—just enough to be annoying.
"Damian. I'm Damian—Team Rocket executive and the leader of the Alola branch. Does that satisfy you?"
Damian?
Kukui searched his memory and came up empty. He was certain he'd never heard that name before.
Sure, Damian had won the Indigo Conference last year, but a conference champion wasn't normally someone who would stay on Kukui's radar.
The key point was the second half: this person named Damian was the one running Team Rocket in Alola.
In other words, the entire Alola branch answered to him.
"Anything else you'd like to ask?" Damian said, still lounging in the sun. "I'm in a good mood today, so I can answer a few more questions."
As he spoke, his right hand casually brushed through Tapu Fini's smooth gray-blue hair, like he was petting a spoiled house cat.
"If not, then let's get down to business."
"You seemed to know we were coming," Hala asked, voice deep.
"Isn't it obvious?" Damian raised an eyebrow and looked at Hala like the answer should've embarrassed him.
"Your people were practically tracking and monitoring Caitlin in broad daylight. Their professionalism is… mediocre."
The blunt mockery dropped Hala into a long silence.
"Why is Tapu Fini with you?" Olivia demanded, her tone openly hostile.
As if hearing its name, Tapu Fini lifted its head and looked at Olivia, confused.
"Tapu Fini is my Pokémon, Kahuna Olivia." Damian's tone was mild—almost polite. "Is there a reason it shouldn't be with me?"
That casual counter-question made Olivia freeze for half a beat.
"Tapu Fini is the Guardian Deity of Poni Island!" she spat, frowning as she forced herself past the shock.
"Right," Damian said, unbothered. "And?"
"How could you capture it?!"
Kukui and the other two fell silent. Olivia sounded overbearing, but the weight behind her words was real: to them, the Tapus were far too important to treat this like an ordinary matter.
But hearing her say it out loud, Damian couldn't help laughing.
"Heh~ Kahuna Olivia, you've got quite the presence."
Proton couldn't hold back either, letting out a cold, mocking scoff.
"You—" Olivia's eyes sharpened.
"No need for the 'you, you, you,' Kahuna Olivia." Damian cut in casually. "Let me ask you something: when did Alola ever make a rule stating that the Tapus can't be captured?"
Olivia's words jammed in her throat. It was true—Alola had never written such a rule.
So why did it feel like a line no one was allowed to cross?
Olivia pressed her lips together, her expression turning sour.
There was no rule because the Tapus' importance was self-evident. Anyone with the strength to capture a Tapu wouldn't normally risk offending all of Alola for a single Pokémon.
Take Cynthia, for example. With her strength, defeating a wild Tapu and capturing it wouldn't be difficult.
But after understanding what the Tapus meant to Alola, someone with Cynthia's character would never do it—because she was Cynthia.
As for those without the strength, anyone who targeted a Tapu would simply get taught a lesson by the deity itself. So, on paper, Alola never needed a rule.
"Since ancient times," Kukui said in a low voice, the edge of urgency slipping into his tone, "Tapu Fini has been the Guardian Deity of Poni Island. To the people of Poni Island, Tapu Fini isn't just a Pokémon. It's their spiritual symbol. Their totem."
Kukui looked straight at Damian, swallowing his pride.
"Executive Damian… please. Have a heart, and release Tapu Fini."
Kukui knew how shameless he sounded—begging someone like this, someone from an evil organization. The embarrassment burned hot in his chest.
But Poni Island truly couldn't be without Tapu Fini.
The kahuna position on Poni Island was still vacant. Without Tapu Fini, what would Poni Island do? The kahuna of Poni Island had to be chosen by Tapu Fini.
Seeing Kukui bow his head for Poni, Hala and the others frowned deeply.
"Oh?" Damian looked at Kukui with interest, as if he were watching something unexpectedly entertaining. Should I expect nothing less from the man who pours everything into Alola's future?
Tapu Fini understood human speech, so it naturally understood what they were saying.
Miss Shell didn't say a word. It just kept eating fruit, acting like none of this concerned it—while its eyes quietly watched Damian from the corner, cautious and alert.
"That's truly touching, Professor Kukui." Damian's smile didn't change. "I admire your determination. But I'm sorry."
He rose to his feet slowly, still smiling at the four of them.
"Even if you beg, it's useless. Tapu Fini is already my Pokémon."
"And also… I'll give you a heads-up."
Damian ignored their expressions and continued, as calm as if he were discussing the weather.
"Not just Fini. The other three Tapus as well—Team Rocket will capture all of them."
"What kind of joke is that? You're just Team Rocket!" Olivia was the first to shout, anger bursting out of her.
Damn it! This Team Rocket was far too arrogant! To say they'd capture Alola's Tapus right in front of the kahunas?
How is this any different from telling a man to his face that you're going to sleep with his wife?!
Too much!! This was simply too much!
Faced with Olivia's glare, Damian only smiled indifferently. She clearly hadn't been taught a harsh enough lesson yet.
But it didn't matter. She would be soon enough.
"Kukui, the situation is urgent now!" Olivia's voice tightened as she forced herself forward. "We have to capture these three first and rescue Tapu Fini!"
But wouldn't that mean stealing someone else's Pokémon?
Kukui hesitated for a moment. After all, Tapu Fini didn't seem to be resisting this Team Rocket executive named Damian in the slightest.
But when he thought of Poni Island, Kukui ultimately forced the doubt down.
Alola came first.
"Did you hear that, Fini?" Damian sounded amused as he turned slightly, speaking to Tapu Fini with a half-smile. "These people want to beat me to 'rescue' you."
Tapu Fini: (O_O)
"Tch~ Honestly," Damian said, straightening his black coat, the corner of his mouth hooking into something openly mocking as he glanced at Olivia, "I don't know whether to praise your courage or your ignorance."
He paused, then tilted his head.
"Or maybe you're all just incredibly stupid?"
"With just the few of you, you think you can take my Tapu Fini?" Damian's smile sharpened. "Are you all out of your minds?"
"Hmph! What an arrogant brat." Olivia let out a cold snort, refusing to flinch. "We're the ones with the numerical advantage now!"
Setting aside the fact that there were only three on the other side, Kukui was a Champion-level trainer!