Chapter 17: Team Skull Is Done — Alola Is Saved!
Team Skull was finished. With Guzma and Plumeria leading the "defection," the vast majority of members chose to follow suit and join Team Rocket. Only a handful walked away.
Guzma and Plumeria understood. Joining Team Rocket was a leap into the unknown — nobody could say how things would turn out.
But one thing was certain: they were leaving Po Town behind.
Maybe they'd come back someday. But when they did, Po Town wouldn't be the same dump it was now.
Over the following days, Team Rocket's Alola branch kicked into high gear.
Following Mammon's blueprint, Domino handled intelligence, while Caitlin led teams to sweep and dismantle the Pokémon Hunter operations on Melemele Island.
Under Caitlin's overwhelming strength, the Hunter syndicates crumbled. One hideout after another was cleared out and taken over by Team Rocket.
Plumeria acquired several garment factories. Lance continued managing logistics — processing reports daily, running around the island trying to buy more land.
If it weren't for the need to keep a low profile and avoid tipping off the Island Kahunas and Professor Kukui, Lance would have resorted to strong-arming the sellers ages ago.
And because the land deals kept stalling, the moment Lance finally got a breather, Caitlin's call would come in requesting another sparring session.
Lance was genuinely homesick for Kanto. At night, he'd call Archer to vent about his misery.
As for Guzma…
"EXTRA! EXTRA!! Huge breaking news!!"
Newspaper carriers blitzed through the streets of every Alolan island, and the news spread like wildfire.
"Team Skull has disbanded! Alola is at peace!"
"Guzma's untold past — his tragic, doomed love story revealed!"
"Did you hear? Guzma's opening a Game Corner!"
"Uh… we're not gonna get mugged if we go in, right?"
"Apparently the parents of Guzma's first love — who died young — tracked him down and convinced him to turn his life around. How inspirational is that?!"
The news was everywhere: Team Skull was no more, and Guzma had reformed and was opening a Game Corner. It was the talk of all Alola.
A certain professor doing research also caught wind of the story.
"He did WHAT?"
Kukui was floored. He genuinely thought he'd misheard.
Professor Kukui was Alola's most famous researcher — the man who'd developed the Rotom Pokédex — and currently the region's only Champion-level Trainer.
"Guzma's opening a Game Corner? As the owner?"
"That's right. It's real. Word is the grand opening is in about a week."
The voice on the other end was aged but resonant — Hala, the Island Kahuna.
"I…"
Kukui's eye twitched. He tried his hardest to picture it, but the image of Guzma as a businessman simply would not compute.
He and Guzma had been friends once. They'd both taken the Trial Captain selection — and both had failed. But while Kukui moved forward, Guzma grew bitter, determined to tear down the Island Challenge and the old system. He founded Team Skull to destroy everything.
Their paths had diverged further and further since then. By now, Guzma openly detested Kukui.
"Well… if he's genuinely turned over a new leaf, maybe that's a good thing." Hala sighed.
Guzma had once been his student. It was a source of deep regret that the young man had ultimately chosen the opposite path.
"Something feels off." Kukui frowned.
He knew Guzma's temperament inside out — volatile and stubborn to the bone. That stubbornness was precisely why he'd never changed course in all these years.
So why the sudden disbandment of Team Skull? Why the overnight transformation into a Game Corner mogul? The timing was too abrupt.
And more importantly — where did Guzma get the money? Opening a Game Corner wasn't cheap.
Kukui decided he needed to pay Guzma a visit.
Elsewhere, at a private beach.
Caitlin and Guzma were locked in battle — Scizor versus Gallade.
Gallade was clearly on the back foot, and it finally went down to a clean Aerial Ace from Scizor.
"Lost again."
Despite the defeat, Caitlin's emotions remained perfectly steady this time. She recalled Gallade with a gentle pulse of psychic energy and sighed softly.
"Hey~ don't sell yourself short, Caitlin. Your improvement has been massive. Talent like yours — makes a guy jealous, you know?"
Guzma stood with one hand in his pocket, clicking his tongue appreciatively.
This Gallade had only evolved a few days ago. When they'd first clashed, Scizor had taken it down without much trouble.
But today? Gallade had actually traded blows with his ace Scizor for a solid stretch before going down. The rate of growth was staggering.
This Gallade was, of course, Caitlin's former Kirlia — now fully evolved.
She'd actually been torn between Gardevoir and Gallade — two completely different paths. One leaned toward special attacks, the other toward physical.
But when Mammon learned this particular Kirlia was male, he'd immediately recommended evolving it into Gallade.
Setting aside the fact that Gallade with its Sharpness ability was a powerhouse — a male Gardevoir was just… no. Absolutely cursed.
Caitlin trusted Mammon's judgment, and without hesitation, she'd used a Dawn Stone. Gallade was born.
"You're too kind, Mr. Guzma. Thank you for sparring with me."
Caitlin gave an elegant bow. She genuinely enjoyed this dynamic — both Guzma and Lance were excellent training partners.
She loved going all out in battle. She hadn't beaten either of them with Gallade yet, but she could feel herself improving with every clash.
Mammon was right — real combat was the best training.
"Hahaha~ Don't mention it! I had nothing better to do today anyway. Come on, Caitlin — let's go another round! Full power!"
Guzma flashed his signature fierce grin. His tone sounded aggressive to anyone who didn't know him.
But after working alongside him for a few days, Caitlin understood that was simply how Guzma talked. No malice behind it.
"Then by all means."
Caitlin's smile brightened. A Poké Ball floated out on a wave of psychic energy and popped open.
The battle continued.
"Sun, sand, waves… just missing a beautiful woman."
Not far from the action, Mammon lounged on a beach chair, sipping from a coconut as he watched their match.
Now this is living.
The only downside? The beautiful woman currently only had eyes for battle.
As for Domino — she was still catching up on sleep.
Mammon and Domino had been up battling until the late hours last night. The intensity had been extreme — by the end, Domino was practically rolling her eyes back. She needed the rest.
Ring ring ring~
"Plumeria. What's up?" Mammon answered lazily.
"Sir — there's something I think you should know. Someone wants to join Team Rocket."
"Someone special?"
"Yes. He says his name is Gladion."
Mammon raised an eyebrow.
Well, well. The brother-in-law has arrived.