Mauville City, Food Street.
The air was filled with a rich aroma of food—the smoky scent of grilled meat, the deep savoriness of ramen broth, and the fresh fragrance of dancing bonito flakes on takoyaki—blending into a warm current that whetted the appetite.
The crowds surged, as bustling as ever.
Ariel walked through them, the fatigue from his recent Gym battle fading significantly amidst this lively atmosphere of the mundane world.
But he soon noticed something was off.
Everything here was too orderly.
The stalls that used to have various styles and were even a bit cluttered had now been replaced by rows of uniform, brand-new, and shiny food trucks.
Every food truck was printed with a striking violet orchid logo, with four small words underneath—Mauville Corporation.
Even the stall owners were no longer the self-employed individuals of the past who wore greasy aprons and shouted loudly.
They were replaced by a group of young people in matching uniforms. They wore standardized smiles, moved briskly, and used uniform sales pitches.
"Welcome to Mauville Food Street!"
"Please try our special energy cubes-flavored crepes!"
As Ariel's gaze swept across, the long-lost sense of familiarity vanished completely.
This was no longer a food street full of life; it was more like a massive, open-air corporate cafeteria.
He found an empty seat in a corner and casually ordered a few meat skewers and a glass of juice.
At the next table, several men who looked like nearby office workers were eating with grease-covered mouths, talking loudly.
"Seriously, ever since Mauville Corporation took over this street, the food has become much better!"
A chubby man held up a skewer of sizzling, oily grilled meat.
"That Old Wang's BBQ from before was okay, but how could it be this clean? Look at this meat, the fat and lean are perfectly balanced, grilled just right, and the price is twenty percent cheaper!"
"Isn't that the truth?"
Another tall, thin man took a large gulp of juice and let out a refreshing sigh.
"I heard that Mauville Corporation has its own ranch and uses the freshest Tauros beef, plus they have professional nutritionists to mix the sauces. With that kind of cost and technology, how can those small street vendors compete?"
"Exactly! This is a good company that truly thinks about us ordinary people! Unlike those people before who would use any kind of meat just to make more money."
Their words were full of praise and trust for Mauville Corporation.
Ariel chewed the grilled meat in his mouth quietly. The meat was indeed tender, and the sauce was perfectly blended, tasting more refined than any stall he remembered.
However, this refined taste felt inexplicably cold in his mouth.
He sneered inwardly.
A good company for the people? There were no such philanthropists in this world.
These people only saw the delicious food and cheap prices in front of them, but failed to see the giant net slowly tightening behind them.
Ariel's thoughts drifted back to some time ago.
The Fumino Family, which had occupied Mauville City for many years, and those forces deeply rooted in the underground world, had been wiped out by him with thunderous methods.
He had cleared the final obstacles for Mauville Corporation, or rather, for Team Rockets.
Now, the prototype of a monopoly had emerged.
With its abundant capital and advanced technology, Mauville Corporation used higher quality and cheaper goods to crush all the small vendors on this street with crushing force.
The diners cheered, enjoying unprecedented benefits.
But what was the cost?
The cost was that those who used to rely on a small stall to support their families had completely lost their livelihoods.
The cost was that the price standards of Mauville City would now be defined by a single company.
Ariel could foresee that once this food street was completely in Mauville Corporation's pocket, the next step might be transportation, then department stores, energy supply, the garment industry...
When everyone's food, clothing, housing, and transportation could not do without Mauville Corporation, the lifeblood of this city would be firmly grasped by Team Rockets.
By then, whether prices rose or fell, or how rules were made, would all be a matter of a single word from Boss Giovanni.
These people, who were still singing praises for the sake of a few petty profits, would eventually find that they had lost even the right to choose, becoming frogs boiled in lukewarm water.
Ariel shook his head gently.
Of course, this had nothing to do with him.
He was no savior, nor was he interested in saving a group of fools who were content with the status quo.
He completed tasks, obtained resources, and improved his status—nothing more.
The future of Mauville City was not within his scope of consideration.
He was just a passerby.
However, his subconscious head-shaking was caught by the chubby man at the next table.
The man was speaking enthusiastically when he froze, put down his skewer, and asked with a hint of confusion and offense:
"Young man, what's with the head-shaking? Do you think Mauville Corporation isn't good?"
In an instant, the gazes of the people around focused on Ariel.
Ariel looked up, meeting the chubby man's suspicious eyes, and thought to himself that this was a hassle.
He didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble in a place like this.
A look of appropriate wonder and emotion appeared on his face, as if he had just snapped out of some great shock.
"No, brother, you've completely misunderstood."
Ariel's tone was sincere, even carrying a hint of excitement.
"I shook my head not because I disagree, but because I agree too much! I was marveling—marveling at how such a perfect enterprise as Mauville Corporation could exist in this world!"
His acting skills kicked in as he continued:
"Think about it, the food is better than anyone else's, the prices are cheaper than anyone else's, and the environment is so clean and hygienic. I was just thinking that this is simply too good to be true, like a dream! I'm just afraid—afraid that when the dream ends, such a good company will be gone!"
These words were spoken with such genuine emotion that the people at the next table were stunned.
The clouds of suspicion on the chubby man's face instantly vanished, replaced by the excitement of finding a kindred spirit. He slapped his thigh:
"Haha! So that's it! Brother, you really spoke from my heart! That's exactly it! It's so good that it makes people feel uneasy!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
The tall, thin man also nodded repeatedly.
"Brother, you're a sensible man!"
A small storm was easily resolved by Ariel with a few words.
He smiled and agreed with them for a bit, quickly finished his food, and stood up to leave.
Amidst the enthusiastic "Take care, brother" from the crowd, Ariel turned away, the smile on his face instantly vanishing as he returned to his usual calm.
Ariel didn't linger and went straight to the Team Rockets underground base... If it was just a sizable underground base the last time he came, now it could be called an underground city.
A main road wide enough for three trucks to drive side-by-side extended forward, with no end in sight.
The ceiling was extremely high, with soft lighting simulating daylight, making one feel no sense of oppression from being underground.
On both sides of the road were modern-style buildings.
Behind glass curtain walls were massive data centers, with countless server indicator lights blinking rhythmically.
In the distance was a Pokémon battle training ground that simulated various terrains, with the light of energy collisions flashing from time to time.
Further in, there seemed to be living areas, research areas, storage areas... People came and went, yet everything was orderly.
Researchers in white lab coats hurried along clutching data pads, action team members in black combat gear had sharp eyes, and a large number of logistics personnel in Mauville Corporation uniforms were busy at their respective posts.
Everyone was like a gear in a precision machine, driving this massive underground kingdom to operate efficiently.