After Brodie left, Yuga turned to Lain and asked, "Are you okay? No injuries?"
Lain shook her head and inquired, "What about my Whimshicott? Is it okay?"
"Don't worry, I had Misaki take it back with her, and Mismagius is with them too. They'll be fine," Yuga reassured her.
Lain breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Yuga."
Yuga sighed and said, "I should be the one apologizing to you. It's because of me that you got caught up in this senseless trouble."
Lain looked puzzled and replied, "Oh, you have a point there. Well, you'll have to make it up to me then."
"Alright, alright, I'll make it up to you. Will that do?" Yuga agreed.
On the other side of town, Brodie returned to the city center, once again using his Ditto's transformation abilities to change his appearance. He then entered a hotel.
This time, he didn't wear a mask, but his disguised face looked different from the one he wore under the mask.
His title as the "Man of a Thousand Faces" was well-deserved.
Inside the hotel, he made his way to the tenth floor and knocked lightly on a room door three times, followed by three heavier knocks.
After a moment, the room's door cracked open slightly, revealing a face.
"It's you! Come in quickly," the person inside the room said.
Brodie entered the room, and someone immediately asked eagerly, "How did it go? Did you meet Yuga Shimizu? Did you retrieve Absol?"
If Yuga had been present, he would have recognized that all four people in the room, aside from Brodie, were members of the Team Magma, as they were all dressed in the Team Magma's uniforms.
Unlike the Team Aqua, which had been openly targeted by the Pokémon League, the Team Magma was still operating covertly as a civilian organization under the League's nose.
Their purpose for coming to Lilycove City was specifically for Yuga, or more accurately, for Yuga's Absol.
Yuga had acquired this Absol from the Team Magma in the past. Initially, those who had pursued Yuga were already solved by him, so this incident should have remained a secret.
However, the critical point was that Yuga used Absol in the Gym Leader Challenge, which was broadcast worldwide, and had a very high viewership.
As a result, the Absol's original owner noticed it.
Despite the significant changes in Absol's appearance, its original owner still recognized it.
Yuga's Absol had a unique ability, a weak form of Future Sight, though it was faint. It was this ability that led to the Team Magma capturing it.
They wanted to study Absol's ability and enhance it to help them locate Groudon.
Of course, this was only a theory, and whether or not it would succeed remained uncertain.
Unfortunately, they hadn't even begun their research when Absol escaped.
Knowing about Yuga's upcoming journey to Lilycove City, they planned this operation.
Since the outside world already knew Yuga was an Elite level Trainer, the person in charge of this operation was Brodie, another Elite level Trainer.
However, very few people, even within the Team Magma, knew Brodie's true strength.
For instance, the four individuals currently in the room were completely unaware. They also didn't understand why Brodie, a mere thief, was their leader, and they were quite unhappy about it.
Furthermore, Brodie's role within the Team Magma was highly mysterious. He wasn't a Captain, not an officer, and didn't have a specific boss.
Therefore, he was easily underestimated.
Brodie walked over to the sofa and casually said, "I did meet him, but I didn't retrieve Absol."
The four of them had already harbored resentment towards Brodie for a while, and his nonchalant attitude further infuriated them.
"What's the matter with you? You've been out all these days, and you didn't accomplish anything?" one of them angrily questioned.
Brodie raised an eyebrow and coldly glanced at him. "Mind your tone when you speak. Do you know who you're talking to?"
At the same time, a pink Ditto suddenly emerged from Brodie's clothing.
The Ditto transformed into a fierce-looking Persian, with sharp claws hidden within its paw pads. It fixed its icy gaze on the person who had questioned Brodie.
The individual targeted by the Persian (Ditto) was drenched in cold sweat and, swallowing hard, chose not to speak further.
The other three people were also drenched in sweat. At this moment, they realized they had better not mess with Brodie.
Brodie was indeed a master of disguise and transformation. His Ditto was no ordinary Pokémon; it was an Elite level Pokémon.
"That person is a genuine Elite level Trainer. It might be better to keep a low profile when trying to retrieve Absol," Brodie advised the three individuals.
"What... what should we do next?" one of them asked nervously.
"Should we report back that the mission is too challenging and beyond our capabilities?" suggested another person with a half-joking tone.
"I don't think that's a good idea," another one said anxiously. They all knew that failing the mission would have dire consequences.
"Even Brodie himself couldn't handle that person?" The tone of this person changed significantly after being frightened by the Persian (Ditto).
"Me? You're giving me too much credit. Even if there were another me, success wouldn't be guaranteed," Brodie chuckled.
"Then... what should we..." The four of them were trembling, unsure of what to say or do next.
"Alright, I won't bother with you anymore. Do as you please. I'm leaving now. Oh, and remember, don't contact me unless it's absolutely necessary."
After saying this, Brodie stood up and left the room.
Although Brodie was the leader of this operation, he didn't stay with them and rarely appeared in person, not even at the Team Magma.
He was truly a mysterious figure.
As they watched Brodie's departing figure, the four people exchanged glances, uncertain about their next course of action.
Could they really ignore the mission as easily as the boss did? What were they, mere pawns in this dangerous game?
"How about we go back too?" one of them suggested timidly.
The others remained silent.
Brodie, after leaving the hotel, entered a dark alley. When he emerged again, he had transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful woman.
Now, she took a taxi to a quaint and elegant small estate.
The two gatekeepers at the estate's entrance, upon seeing Brodie exit the vehicle, both bowed respectfully and said, "Welcome back, Second Lady"
Brodie, with a sweet smile, replied, "I'm back. Thank you for your hard work."
With those words, she entered the estate, leaving behind two gatekeepers with infatuated expressions.