Luke informed the Pokémon about his decision to participate in the conference and outlined his expectations.
"Enjoy the game, and aim for first or second place," he declared. "Losing is not a big problem, just don't get hurt."
Sylveon growled, baring her teeth "vui~ !(▼へ▼メ)", while Squirtle adjusted her sunglasses "uirt~ !ヾ(⌐■_■)" and inspected her turtle shell carefully. Growlithe, looking confused, let out a questioning howl.
"ao wu?(O_o)??"
Luke found their serious expressions amusing. "There's no need to be so intense... I wasn't aiming to win."
Before he could continue, Gengar interrupted, "jie jie~! (σ｀д) ′)Σ," waving its small fist and declaring, "jie jie~! (must take Champion!)."
The room suddenly became lively with sounds.
"vui~!" (Duck!)
"uirt~ uirt~!" (You go up first, I will cover!)
"ao wu!" (It's time for dinner!)
All eyes turned to Growlithe, who froze for a moment, a drop of cold sweat slipping down its forehead.
"Very energetic!" Luke remarked, pondering, "It seems making it to the top 64 won't be a big problem..."
In the afternoon, Gengar led the team to the club for training, leaving Luke at home to focus on setting up the company. Though Pokémon Studio's games were primarily stand-alone, Luke believed in planning for the future.
As an arm-flinging shopkeeper, he could delegate most tasks to the secretary, with Giovanni handling decision-making and Matori managing operations. Following Team Rocket's approval, Luke contacted Matori to discuss the specifics.
"I understand. Give me some time, and I will provide you with a satisfactory answer," Matori respectfully responded.
Within half an hour, Matori offered several suitable commercial office buildings in Magic City, showcasing remarkable efficiency. Matori even offered the assistance of Team Rocket's staff if needed.
"It's not necessary," Luke replied. "When Kanto opens the Company Branch, I'll just borrow Meowth and the others from Team Rocket!"
"Of course, you don't need to be polite!" Matori assured.
.......
Over the next three days, Luke waited for the company registration review process. As a temporary HR, Matori conducted interviews to hire suitable secretaries and technical personnel.
"I'll send you a resume; make sure to interview her," Luke instructed. "We met at the research summit. She was studying Dynamax—her name is Oleana."
"No problem," Matori agreed. "I'll assess her based on the strictest standards."
Matori initiated a video interview with Oleana, a Dynamax scholar from the Galar Region. In the video, a young woman with brown hair and blue eyes, looking a bit shy, held her glasses nervously.
"Can you hear me?" Matori asked.
Oleana nodded, and Matori said, "First, introduce yourself and state your intention to join the company."
"I previously worked for Macro Cosmos Group, having three years of Dynamax research experience. I hold a Top Rank accounting certificate and have researched company management," Oleana explained. Matori, while recording her resume, was speechless at Oleana's exceptional qualifications.
Answering professional questions, Oleana's competence surprised Matori. "Cough!" Matori cleared her throat. "Briefly explain why you want to join this company. Additionally, Team Rocket offers good benefits; think about it."
Oleana shook her head and said seriously, "Mr. Luke is the first senior who encouraged me. If I can join his company and work with him, it would be a very lucky thing!"
Matori, skeptical about seeing "Teacher Luke at work," asked one last question. "Tell me about your hobby; the company provides benefits at the end of the year."
"Hobby?" Oleana flushed and loudly said, "I like collecting photos of Teacher Luke—battles, cooking. I still lack rest's daily life photos, washing..."
Matori coughed vigorously, taken aback by Oleana's unusual hobby. "Hold on, sorry," Oleana apologized, her face reddened. "I lost self-control."
Despite the strange hobby, Matori, after reviewing Oleana's outstanding resume, gritted her teeth and said, "You've been hired!"
Luke, receiving the news, was slightly surprised. "Oleana was hired? I thought her professional skills as a researcher might not meet your standards."
"You'll have to see for yourself," Matori responded strangely. "Anyway, it won't make much of a difference."
Luke was left speechless.
In essence, Matori is also a Top Rank talent capable of managing an entire Team Rocket. This newly added secretary... Is she that amazing?
"So... what's the salary?" Luke nervously inquired. "It will be expensive."
"It's not expensive," Matori reassured, shaking her head. "Her salary requirements are within the normal industry range... and, well, your daily life photos."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "??"
Matori chuckled. "Hahaha, just kidding!"
Your tone earlier didn't sound like a joke at all!
"By the way, the company's address has been set. You can go see it directly," Matori informed. "If you're in Kanto and plan to open a company branch, you can also contact me. Although I can't make money directly, providing some help is no problem!"
Teacher Luke's new company is named 'Pokemon' The reason for not choosing the more common spelling 'Pokémon' is to avoid cybersquatting. The previous studio had this name, allowing players to quickly make the connection.
Two days later, Oleana officially joined. With Mina, Damien, special effects artists, programmers, and others, the company now has ten members.
"Recruiting Porygon for coding would increase profits," Oleana suggested. Dressed in a professional outfit, she wore contact lenses, an OL skirt, black stockings, and a pair of round-toed high heels.
Walking with a folder in hand, Oleana continued, "For the next game, there's a lot of buzz on the Internet. You can use this to conduct market research..."
Teacher Luke found himself in a delicate mood. He now understood why Oleana's name sounded so familiar. It wasn't until she changed into her new outfit that he recognized her.
She was President Rose's secretary, the one who would manage the top-ranking talents of the entire Macro Cosmos group in the future. Her abilities completely outshined Matori's.
"I'll carefully consider the new project..." Luke coughed lightly. "Thank you, Oleana."
Oleana blushed momentarily but quickly regained her composure, nodding seriously. "I'm going out for a while; the company is in your hands."
Luke waved his hand. "You can continue your scientific research. Just pursue what you're interested in!"
Watching Luke leave, Oleana stood there in a daze. Then, she hugged the folder close to her and her eyes grew determined.
She heard that Teacher Luke was going to participate in the Alliance conference. If winning is his ideal, then it's her ideal too.
"The research on Gigantamax must continue," Oleana muttered. "If it can be of help for Teacher Luke, that would be great!"