Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

Under the night sky, Aether Paradise was still aglow with lights.

The massive man-made floating island stood magnificently upon the ocean.

As the headquarters of the Aether Foundation, Aether Paradise housed nearly all of the organization's research facilities.

The centralized structure allowed for efficient resource utilization among departments. However, it also meant that in the event of a disaster or attack, the clustered facilities were vulnerable to being wiped out in one fell swoop.

Yet, Lusamine, president of the Aether Foundation, had no such concerns. The sea-air integrated defense system she had specially designed for Aether Paradise was more than capable of repelling any potential invaders.

At the moment, in the reception hall on the first floor, Lusamine was overseeing the final preparations before Luo Yuan's arrival.

To eliminate Luo Yuan once and for all, Lusamine had pulled significant resources from Aether Paradise's defenses. She intended to settle this nuisance decisively.

Given her suspicion that Guzma's disappearance was related to Luo Yuan, Lusamine had made meticulous preparations for this encounter.

However...

"Where is Faba?" Lusamine frowned.

At such a critical moment, Faba was nowhere to be found.

He always seemed to fail her when it mattered most. This was precisely why Lusamine favored Wicke over Faba as a potential department head.

"Deputy Minister Faba said he went to inspect the perimeter defenses," an Aether Foundation staff member reported.

"..." Lusamine said nothing further.

Of the two staff members she could still rely on, Wicke and Faba, Wicke refused to participate in such illicit actions, so Lusamine had relegated her to research tasks.

Despite Faba's many flaws, his loyalty was unquestionable.

He never refused her orders, so Lusamine often turned a blind eye to his minor failings.

"Tell him to finish up and get back here immediately."

Though she had a trump card prepared for dealing with Luo Yuan, Faba's combat abilities were still a crucial part of her strategy.

"Understood, President!"

As the staff member was about to contact Faba, a sudden alarm blared throughout the building.

It felt as though everything was conspiring against her tonight.

Snatching a communicator, Lusamine dialed Faba directly.

"Faba, what's going on? Why was the alarm triggered?"

"Apologies, President! My mistake—I accidentally triggered the alarm system. Everything's back to normal now."

As if to confirm Faba's words, the alarm abruptly ceased.

"Finish up your work there and get back here!"

"Understood, understood!" Faba replied hastily.

Lusamine hung up, visibly irritated but not overly suspicious.

On the other end of the line, Faba's demeanor shifted entirely. Gone was his earlier flustered tone, replaced by a smirk as he glanced at the communicator.

He quickly dialed Matori.

"Matori, the alarm system and aerial defenses are disabled. You're clear to proceed."

Matori's calm voice responded, "Team Rocket won't forget your contributions."

"All for Team Rocket!" Faba declared with conviction.

---

Meanwhile, Lusamine remained uneasy despite ending her call.

Something about Faba's behavior didn't sit right with her.

"What did Faba say he was doing again?" she asked a nearby staff member.

The staff member, unsure of the reason for her inquiry, answered truthfully, "Deputy Minister Faba said he was inspecting the perimeter defenses."

Lusamine's expression darkened.

If she remembered correctly, the alarm system's master control was located in the central control room on the second basement floor. What was Faba doing there if he was supposedly inspecting the perimeter?

Her instincts screamed that something was amiss.

Still, the idea that Faba might betray the Aether Foundation seemed far-fetched. What reason could he possibly have for turning against them?

To confirm her suspicions, Lusamine dialed Faba's number again.

This time, however, the call went unanswered.

Lusamine's face grew grim.

As she prepared to dial again, a faint tremor ran through the ground, interrupting her thoughts.

"Is it just some waves?"

As a floating island, Aether Paradise occasionally experienced tremors from rough seas.

The staff attempted to contact the central control room, but before they could get a response, a panicked Aether Foundation trainer burst into the room.

"President... President! Outside! It's—!"

Irritated by the stammering, Lusamine pushed past him and strode outside.

What greeted her eyes was a massive airship, its hull emblazoned with a crimson R. The airship descended from the skies, docking on Aether Paradise's helipad.

As its doors opened, a line of trainers in black Team Rocket uniforms emerged in formation.

"Team Rocket!"

The bright red R left no doubt about their identity.

Lusamine hadn't expected Kanto's Team Rocket to appear here, and what shocked her even more was that the island's defense systems had been completely ineffective...

Wait, the defense systems?

Her mind flashed back to the earlier alarm and Faba's suspicious behavior.

"Faba!" Lusamine clenched her fists tightly.

It all made sense now. Faba had deactivated Aether Paradise's defense systems, allowing Team Rocket to infiltrate. He had even turned off the alarm when it was triggered.

Faba had betrayed the Aether Foundation and allied himself with Team Rocket!

Lusamine's expression turned stormy.

While she had been focused on dealing with Luo Yuan, Faba had managed to execute a perfect backstab right under her nose.

"Well played. Very well played!" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Lusamine's pupils darkened as her anger reached a boiling point.

"President..." her staff called nervously, both afraid and desperate for guidance. With Team Rocket invading, Lusamine was their last pillar of support.

"I'm fine."

Lusamine forced herself to remain calm.

The angrier she felt, the colder her demeanor became. She wouldn't let Team Rocket and Faba succeed.

"All units, engage Team Rocket! Do not let them set foot in Aether Paradise!" she commanded resolutely.

---

...

Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.

Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.

WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.

If you had fun, you know what to do:

👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]

Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.

And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.

👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]

Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.

—Leaf