Chapter 246: Take Giovanni's Head
Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
"So, how long have you guys been working here? What's the promotion situation in the Pokémon League like these days?"
The frail-looking man suddenly asked.
"I've been working here for two years and still haven't earned a single Flower."
"You can get one stripe in Team Rocket after five years, but promotion in the League here is much harder. It takes about seven years just to earn your first Flower, and it's all based on seniority."
"And then there are the ones with connections. Damn it, we have to be at work at 9:00 AM sharp, but that grandson of the husband of the third aunt of the sister of the uncle of Champion Lance's second great-aunt in the next office waltzes in at 9:01 every day. I heard he's getting his first Flower next year."
"I'm so jealous. To be connected to the legendary Champion Lance."
"Things are pretty good here in the Kanto Region; at least we have benefits like social insurance and housing funds. An organization like Team Galactic wouldn't even give you a single stripe. They just feed you empty promises, saying that once they take over the world, everyone will be a founding hero and get their own piece of land."
The others also complained with looks of helplessness.
Team Rocket uses stripes for ranking, while the Pokémon League uses Flowers.
One Flower is the lowest and Five Flowers is the highest. But as things stand now, reaching 'Three Flowers Converged' already makes you a major figure. Most Elite Four members are at the Three-Flower level.
Only a very small number of highly experienced Elite Four members are at the Four-Flower level, like Kanto's Ghost-type Elite Four member, Agatha.
Of course, Champion Lance is also at the Four-Flower level.
As for Five Flowers, that's already the stuff of legend.
"Seven years..."
Hearing this, the frail-looking man nearly suffocated, almost passing out.
He had only been here for half a month and already felt completely drained. And now you're telling him he has to keep working for another seven years?
And that's just to get promoted to the lowest rank of one Flower?
"Farfetch'd! This young lady quits!!"
The frail man slammed his hand on the desk, threw his work uniform on the floor, and, on a whim, ran into the office next door. *Smack, smack, smack!* He landed three slaps on that relative of Champion Lance.
If there's one thing I hate in this life, it's people with connections!
And rich kids!
Then he ran straight out of the building, completely vanishing within seconds.
"This young lady?"
"Isn't that kid a guy?"
"Effeminate?"
The low-level workers discussed amongst themselves, completely bewildered...
Champion Lance's relative was even more bewildered.
On a stretch of grassland.
This was the area between the Indigo Plateau and Viridian City, a vast expanse of grassland. The frail man was now walking here alone, his expression quite foul, muttering and complaining under his breath.
Suddenly, he reached up and swiped a hand across his face, tearing off a lifelike mask and revealing his true appearance.
It was a vibrant young girl with fine facial features. Her cute face already held a faint, alluring charm and beauty.
As the mask was torn away, long brown hair cascaded down behind her fair neck. A few playful bangs curled up to the sides of her forehead, looking absolutely adorable.
But right now, her oval face was puffed up in anger. She chopped at the air with her hands as if dicing vegetables, the tips of her palms slicing through the air with a series of *swoosh, swoosh, swoosh* sounds, carrying impressive power.
She was Blue from Pallet Town, working a job to establish a foothold in the Pokémon League.
Today, after half a month, she chose to beat up the guy with connections and run for it.
"Hmph, seven years just for one Flower? This job isn't worth doing!"
She raised a fist, muttering to herself angrily, and even did a somersault on the spot to express her dissatisfaction.
Blue's plan was to collect stock certificates from Kanto's major corporations. She had already acquired ten thousand shares each from Team Rocket and the Rainbow Group, so her next target was naturally the Pokémon League.
But her target this time was, after all, an official, legitimate organization. A plan like the one she used against a corrupt enterprise like Team Rocket—using a disguise to pose as a small fry, finding a high-ranking official alone, offing them, and taking their place—was out of the question. Blue was a kind girl.
So, she decided to be down-to-earth, work hard, and become a high-ranking League official as soon as possible. Even if she couldn't reach the 'Three Flowers Converged' peak, she aimed to at least muddle her way to the Two-Flower level, embezzle a hundred thousand shares of stock, and then make a run for it.
The plan was great, but it would take over seven years.
Plan A: failed.
"Hey, Pokedex, tell me, is there any other way to become a high-ranking League official in a short amount of time? I need a righteous Plan B!"
Blue pulled out her Pokedex and asked in a righteous tone.
"Beep. Searching... Search complete! Time elapsed: 0.5 seconds. Faster than 99% of all Pokedexes in the country. A truly terrible performance. Please try harder."
Unlike Ash's Pokedex, this one tended to be self-deprecating when it performed well.
"Beep. Plan B: Catch a Ho-Oh and hand it over to the Pokémon League. You will be able to reach the Two-Flower level by the second half of next year."
the Pokedex prompted gently.
Blue: "?"
If she really had a Ho-Oh, she would've been riding it around for fun long ago, flaunting it in the skies above the Indigo League. Trading a precious and powerful Ho-Oh for a mere Two-Flower position?
Next!
So, the Pokedex gently offered a second suggestion.
"Beep. Plan C: Take Giovanni's head and hand it over to the Pokémon League. You will achieve 'Three Flowers Converged' by tomorrow."
Blue: "!"
Blue hurriedly covered the Pokedex's speaker. Team Rocket's eyes and ears were all over the Kanto Region. It was one thing to think such thoughts, but saying them out loud was just too audacious...
As a well-bred young lady, she never resorted to knives or guns. Even to kill a chicken, she would have to set up an altar and perform rites for three days to guide the chicken's soul before she could eat it.
After finishing the meat, she would even release the bones back into the wild, achieving true harmony between humanity and nature.
Next!
"Beep. Plan D: Participate in the League Tournament. Achieving a Top 8 result allows you to apply for the One-Flower rank. Winning the Champion title allows you to apply for the Two-Flower rank."
The Pokedex gave its third answer.
The League Tournament attracts the favor of countless Trainers. Putting other aspects aside, the qualification to apply for the One-Flower rank alone is enough to draw in innumerable people.
Even just becoming a member of the Pokémon League at the lowest One-Flower level meant you were part of the establishment, holding a golden rice bowl!
But reaching the Top 8 is no simple feat. The eight Gyms on the most basic circuit already weed out the vast majority of small fry, to say nothing of battling all the way to the top eight.
"Great idea! This plan is perfect for a beautiful young maiden like me who doesn't even have the strength to tie up a chicken!"
Blue's eyes instantly lit up. Although she disliked battle, both of her compatriots were participating in the League Tournament. If she just cheered for them from the sidelines, it would be too ordinary!
She decided to enter!
Right, and while I'm at it, I'll snipe that flea!!
But Blue, who had just been ecstatic, soon furrowed her lovely brows again, caught in a dilemma.
She didn't have any badges!
Not a single one!
The Indigo League Conference is in a month and a half. Collecting all eight badges in a month and a half would not be easy.
Take Ash and Gary for example. Even though they've been taking it easy, it still took them several months to barely collect eight badges. For someone like her, who wasn't skilled in battle, to gather them all in a month and a half...
Was she going to be drained dry again?!
Blue quickly shook her head, unable to stop a shudder, and looked at her Pokedex again.
"Hey, hey, hey, Pokedex, tell me, what's the fastest way for me to qualify for the Indigo League Conference?"
"Beep. Eight badges."
"Next. This young lady doesn't have time."
"Beep. A recommendation from Pokémon Noble Academy."
"Next. My family has been dirt-poor farmers for three generations."
"Beep. The Pokémon Appraisal Competition."
"Great idea!"
Blue's smile was as radiant as a blooming flower, the light in her beautiful eyes as dazzling as all the stars in the heavens.
(end of chapter)