Pokémon: This trainer is too wild!

Chapter 430 Big Brother! I joined Team Rocket! Aren't you happy for me?
Shuizhou Town.

"By the way, Hop, how strong are you now?"

Mammon produced the contract and then asked Hep a few questions.

After all, if they were to get Hop to sign a contract, they would naturally need to understand his current level, even though Mammon knew very well that Hop was absolutely qualified to get a high-ranking executive contract.

"I'm not bragging, Mr. Mammon, but I'm still quite strong! I'm only slightly weaker than Yu!"

Hep puffed out his chest with great confidence, even though he hadn't beaten Yuu once since the start of the trip.

But he's also a trainer who has obtained all the gym badges.

"Oh? Only slightly worse than Xiaoyou?" Mammon feigned surprise.

"It seems I'm quite lucky to have such a strong fan."

Then Mammon couldn't help but smile.

"Hehe~ After all, I can't let my older brother down, so I work very hard every day."

Hep touched his nose a little embarrassedly, then scratched the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly.

It's clear that Hop is a very innocent young man.

However, it is precisely because of this that he was able to selflessly comfort Zamazenta, the Shield King, who was suffering from the erosion of Dynamax energy, in the game.

Keep in mind that at that time, Zamazenta, the Shield King, had truly gone berserk due to the Dynamax energy entering its body, and getting close to it would very likely result in being attacked and injured by it.

But Hop, worried about the safety of Zamazenta, the Shield King, chased after it and comforted it, never giving up even when attacked.

In the end, Hop's sincerity actually brought him good fortune, earning him the approval of Zamazenta, the Shield King.

In some ways, Hop and Ash are actually very similar: they are equally innocent, equally passionate about Pokémon, and equally yearn to be the strongest.

So Mammon actually had a lot of feelings for Hop.

Who is your older brother?

"Prantina asked curiously."

“My older brother is Dan! A very powerful champion,” Hop replied proudly.

Leon is indeed Hop's number one idol, and that's why Hop has never given up trying. One of the reasons is that he doesn't want to embarrass Leon, so he desperately wants to become a qualified trainer.

Upon hearing this, the three women, including Cattleya, looked at Hop with some surprise. "Leon's brother?"
"So he's the younger brother of Emperor Dan? No wonder."

Mammon looked at Hop, who scratched his head helplessly, feeling stared at.

"Yes, my older brother has always been my role model. I also want to become a champion as strong as him."

"Is that so? But I do think that you and Dan are quite different."

Mammon patted Hop on the shoulder and said with a smile.

"Huh?" Hep was taken aback.

“Hep is Hep, and Dan is Dan. You are different people, and you have different paths.”

Mammon was implying something.

"Champion Leon is very strong, but Hop, don't blindly imitate your older brother. You will never catch up with Champion Leon that way, and this is definitely not your own path."

"Although I don't know what you're thinking, I hope you can understand this: your future is your own. You can learn from other people's success stories, but ultimately, if you want to reach the top, you must find your own champion's will."

Mammon spoke earnestly to Hop.

In fact, among the formidable rivals in Sword and Shield, Hop is the character who received the most attention, because his growth was actually quite tortuous.

But this also proves Hop's potential, and Mammon still thinks highly of him.

"My own path?" Hop seemed somewhat dazed upon hearing this, his eyes appearing slightly unfocused.

This was the first time someone had taught him so patiently and meticulously.

What was his path? He recalled his travels.

Actually, his journey has been incredibly difficult. He has never defeated Xiaoyou, not even once. Not only Xiaoyou, he can't even beat Peter...

It seems that failure has always been a constant companion to him.

Yes, for Hep, failure truly was like the wind, always by my side.

While Hop certainly possessed an unimaginable inner strength, how could he remain unaffected?

For a period of time after losing to Peter, Hop was lost and struggling. During that time, he even sealed away his beloved Wooloo Poké Ball in order to become stronger.

But later he realized that he couldn't give up his bond with Wooloo and the others. He wanted to become stronger, but he also couldn't give up his 'weak' Pokémon.

“That’s right, it seems you’re still a bit confused, Hep. Let me give you a piece of advice.”

Mammon looked into Hep's eyes and spoke in a gentle voice.

"When striving towards higher goals, 99% of people will not have a smooth journey; encountering setbacks and confusion is an inevitable part of the process."

"But what can we do? Overcome these high walls of difficulties and setbacks, which will only become nutrients for our growth until we stand on the highest peak."

"So, always face your heart and dreams squarely, and move forward steadfastly toward them, and everyone will hear our story, understand?"

Mammon's voice was like a gentle breeze, not loud, but it dispelled the confusion in Hop's mind and brought him back to his senses.

"I understand! Mr. Mammon, thank you!"

Hep's eyes gradually cleared, and his tone regained its enthusiasm and energy.

Yes, failure is actually... not scary! It's the nourishment that makes him stronger.

Hep agreed with what Mammon had just said, because it was exactly what he had experienced.
Although he has never beaten Xiaoyou, and although defeat is a constant companion to him, he has always been getting stronger!
One day, everyone in the entire Galar region will look up to Hop!

Hop gazed at Mammon with adoration; he truly was his second idol, Mr. Mammon!
"Power, ideals, a sense of belonging, Hop, I believe you will obtain them one day, and at that time, you will surely surpass your brother Leon. Are you confident?"

Mammon asked with a smile.

"I have it!!" Hep answered loudly and excitedly.

Cattleya looked at Mammon and Hop with a strange expression. Why did those words sound so...familiar?
“Very good, very energetic.” Mammon nodded in satisfaction, then handed the contract to Hep.

"Then sign him, Hop. From today onwards, you are a senior executive of the Rockets."

"Great!"

Without hesitation, and without even looking at the contract, Hep signed his name directly at the bottom of it.

Because he believed in his idol, Mr. Mammon, who would never lie to him.

"You signed it without even reading it? What if there are unfair terms in the contract?"

Mammon looked at Hop, who handed the contract back, with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

This guy trusts himself way too much.

"Hehe~ I believe Mr. Mammon." Hep chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head.

"Should I thank you? You need to be more careful in the future, okay? It's all thanks to me, otherwise you'd probably be a slave for the rest of your life."

Mammon found it amusing; this Hop truly possessed a purity untouched by the corrupting influence of society.

Before Hep could respond, a pleasant female voice rang out. "Mr. Mammon is right, Hep. You really have no wits at all. You're bound to suffer for it in the future."

A beautiful orange-haired woman swayed over and gave Hop a light tap on the head.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Sonia, what are you doing?!" Hep cried out, clutching her head in pain.

"It's all because you acted too rashly. Honestly, it's a good thing this person is Mr. Mammon."

Sonia crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Tch..." Hep curled his lip.

“Mr. Mammon, Miss Cattleya, it’s been a long time.”

Then Sonia greeted Mammon and Cattleya with grace and poise.

Upon seeing this, Cattleya nodded in response.

"It hasn't been that long, so what brings Miss Sonia here?"

Mammon looked at Sonia with considerable curiosity.

"We were planning to investigate a nearby ruin, but we didn't expect so many people to come to Shuizhou Town these past two days. We heard that something big happened in Quan Guan City."

Sonia replied, seemingly somewhat troubled.

"As for the situation in Hammerlocke, it's been resolved. We just got back from there," Mammon replied.

Upon hearing this, Sonia became quite curious and wanted to learn more about the situation in Quanshi City.

"President Loz will issue a statement soon. And Hep, here is your badge of identity as a senior executive."

Mammon handed Hop the silver badge of a senior Rockets officer.

"Yes! Haha~ From today onwards, I'm also a member of the Rockets' management! Sonia, isn't that cool?"

Hep was overjoyed, jumping up and down as he took the badge, and even gesturing to Sonia.

"Handsome, very handsome." Sonia looked at Hop, who resembled a child, and replied with a touch of helplessness.

Is this kid really that happy to join Team Rocket? That might not be a good thing. I wonder what Leon will think…

"Then, if you become a senior executive in the organization, you can choose one Ultra Beast to train. Hop, see which one you like."

Mammon gestured to Hop with his phone, indicating that Hop could choose an Ultra Beast.

Wow! Is there such a perk?

Hep's eyes lit up; this was a completely unexpected delight.

But if there's an Ultra Beast to be had, Hop certainly wouldn't give it up.

Sonia, seeing this, also curiously came over to take a look. It was an Ultra Beast, which, if she remembered correctly, was a very precious Pokémon from Alola.

"Hmm...they all seem really impressive."

Looking at these Ultra Beasts, Hop bit his finger in a very conflicted manner, feeling that he liked them all.

"Mr. Mammon, which one did Xiaoyou choose?"

Hep thought for a moment and then asked Mammon.

"Xiaoxuan's choice is Xuwu Yide."

"Then I'll choose Paper Sword Control!"

Hop decisively stated that Nihilego, with its Rock and Poison attributes, is weak to Steel-type Pokémon, especially if there were other Ultra Beasts with Ground-type Pokémon.

No matter what, Hop should choose a ground-type character, because it's a counter to Yuu's Nihilistic Id!

Next time, he will definitely beat Xiaoyou!

“No problem. Once we reach Shuizhou Town, I’ll have someone send the Paper Sword over,” Mammon said with a smile.

Mammon had no particular thoughts on Hop's choice to counter Nihilistic Id's Paper Sword, as such an attribute-countering choice was not surprising.

Moreover, in a full-team battle, you have to be able to successfully match up with your opponent.

"Great! I'm about to have an Ultra Beast!"

Hep was very excited.

"No, we must tell our eldest brother about this good news!"

Hep couldn't wait to take out her phone, ready to tell her older brother the good news.

Seeing this, Sonia hesitated, while Mammon's eyes lit up.

“I think Champion Dandy would be happy for you too, Hop.” Mammon smiled broadly.

"Hehe~ I think so too."

Hep's smile was equally bright; he had already made the call.

The call was answered shortly afterward.

"Hep, what's wrong?"

While Leon was still in Motostoke City, he and Gibana were watching Loz assigning tasks to the construction team leader. Leon spoke gently.

"Big brother, where are you?"

"I'm in Hammerlocke City, there's something urgent here." As if remembering something, Dan added.

"By the way, Hep, I also happen to have something I'd like to talk to you about recently. Let's meet in the next couple of days."

Dan felt it necessary to give a serious reminder to his good brother to stay away from Mammon, lest he be 'bewitched' by him.

"Alright, I'm in Shuizhou Town right now, big brother, I have some good news for you!"

Hep's voice was very excited.

"Oh? What good news? Did you beat Xiaoyou?" Dan Di smiled. Every time he talked to Hop, he felt genuinely relaxed.

After all, no one understands his younger brother's pure and innocent nature better than Dan Di.

"No, not yet, but I'll beat her someday!" Hep pouted.

"It's Team Rocket! Dude, I just met Mr. Mammon from Team Rocket, and he even agreed to let me join Team Rocket!!"

"..."

"Big brother, Mr. Mammon is so incredibly handsome! And he's so gentle. I think joining Team Rocket was the best decision I ever made. I'm determined to work with Mr. Mammon to eliminate the darkness in this world! To make the skies of this world clean and beautiful again!"

"..."

"And you know what, big brother? Mr. Mammon even encouraged me! Strength, ideals, a sense of belonging! He said I'll definitely have them all in the future, and I'll definitely surpass you, big brother. So cool! Hehe~ I think so too! I'll definitely surpass you, big brother!"

"..."

"Big brother, why aren't you saying anything? Big brother? Hello? Big brother, are you still there? Are you listening? Strange, the phone isn't hung up, big brother, what's going on?"

(End of this chapter)