After parting ways with Yozora, Professor Bill deliberately strutted down the main street in a conspicuous manner. As expected, he was quickly taken away by members of Team Rocket.
Inside one of Team Rocket's hidden bases in Celadon City, Bill came face to face with Giovanni.
On a raised platform, Giovanni sat imposingly in a boss's chair. One hand held a cigar, the other casually stroking the head of his Persian.
Giovanni was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in black from head to toe, with close-cropped jet-black hair. As befitting the Boss of Team Rocket, his presence radiated authority. He carried the aura of a man born to command, his gaze alone enough to make others shiver.
Even from down below, Bill felt a chill crawl across his body.
Suddenly, he thought to himself—perhaps he had been a bit too rash…
Sigh, Professor Oak truly is remarkable, Bill mused bitterly.
Oak had stepped into the academic world halfway through his life, and yet still rose to become an exceptional researcher. At the same time, he possessed the strength of a Champion-level Trainer.
Look at this: when Team Rocket needed a Pokémon Professor, they either approached Blaine or Bill himself—but never dared to go after Professor Oak.
Why?
Because no matter how many people they sent, Oak would crush them all.
"Not just Oak," Bill muttered in his heart, "even that old man Blaine wields the power of an Elite Four member…"
Why had he, in his youth, never thought to pursue both paths—Trainer and researcher—like Oak had?
Now, nearly thirty years of age, it was far too late to suddenly shift careers into training.
"Professor Bill, if you left us because of dissatisfaction with your pay, that is unnecessary," Giovanni's low, raspy voice suddenly cut in, shaking Bill from his thoughts. "Compensation is always negotiable."
"Pay? Do I look like a man who needs money?" Bill spread his hands casually.
Giovanni chuckled. "Then what is it you desire? Power? Fame? Women? As long as you stand with us, as long as you offer us your genius, I can grant you whatever you want."
"What I want… is recognition," Bill's eyes gleamed with ambition. "As an academic, I want to surpass Professor Oak's reputation! Oak? He was nothing but a latecomer. He's old now, without a future!"
His gaze burned with hunger, but after glancing at Giovanni and then the gathered Rocket executives, he sneered: "But I, Professor Bill, am a man of integrity. I would never demean myself by crawling with vermin like Team Rocket."
He had deliberately shown his "flaws," crafting the persona of an arrogant but manipulable man.
Otherwise, if he had been completely unyielding, Team Rocket would find him difficult to use. Even if they did, they would never trust him fully, constantly checking his work.
He was confident in his programming—if he embedded two hidden routines into Porygon, nobody but him would detect them. But still… caution above all.
"You dare!" one of the Rocket executives roared furiously.
But Giovanni only smiled with calm poise. "Professor Oak's name resounds across Kanto. Professor Bill, if you truly wish to surpass him, then all the more reason to cooperate with us. We have the funds. We have the most advanced technology."
He leaned forward. "And besides, if you don't say anything, who would know you work with Team Rocket? Do the people know that I, Giovanni, am their Boss?"
He spread his hands. "It's simple—we each get what we want. We profit from your science. You gain resources and equipment to elevate your career."
Bill fell silent, his thoughts churning. After a long pause, he finally said, "Very well. Let me think about it."
Giovanni nodded, waving a hand for men to escort him out.
No sooner had Bill left than the furious executive stepped forward. "Boss, do you really trust him?"
This man's name was Proton, with close-cropped green hair and a sharp, cruel expression.
Team Rocket's power stretched far. Beneath Giovanni stood three supreme commanders: Koga, Lt. Surge, and Sabrina. Their strength rivaled even the Elite Four. Koga, in fact, would later claim a place among them.
Below the three commanders were the Three Beasts and Four Generals, seven top officers wielding immense power. Proton was one of these Four Generals—Giovanni's most trusted confidants.
Giovanni shook his head, his eyes dark. "The Porygon project cannot be delayed. For now, let him cover for us. Once Blaine finishes the Mewtwo experiment, Blaine will take over."
"Boss, your wisdom shines!" Proton broke into a grin.
Bill's guess had been right. After he was "taken" back to Team Rocket, the police launched their operation. Every captured Rocket member was thrown into prison.
Meanwhile, Yozora handed over the seized Porygon to Officer Jenny.
"Thirty-five? That many?" Officer Jenny blinked in surprise. "Yozora, you've done very well. How about joining our police system? With a successful examination, you could become a semi-professional investigator. It won't interfere with your Trainer career—you can still travel, challenge Gyms. At each city, you'd simply assist the local police when needed. And yes, there's a salary."
Joining the police would likely grant him authorization to carry additional Justice Balls—though probably only two at the start.
But Yozora only smiled and shook his head.
Even as a part-time investigator, he would still be bound by the League's system. Trainers and researchers lived far freer lives, and Yozora valued his freedom above all else.
"Oh, that's a shame. Still, thank you for your help today." Officer Jenny smiled. "With thirty-five Porygon seized, that's a 3.5 million Pokédollar reward. Leave your account card—we'll apply, and you should receive payment within a week."
"Thank you, Officer Jenny." Yozora politely handed over his card.
"And Yozora—do your best. I'll be at the Indigo Plateau Conference this year. I hope to see you shine."
"Of course. Thank you, Erika."
After parting ways with the others, Yozora set out alone once again.
Three days later, while camping in the wilderness, he released his Beedrill, Golduck, Aegislash, Pidgeot, Machop, and Graveler.
At dawn, after half an hour of meditation, Yozora and his partners sat down to breakfast.
Once they had eaten and rested, he began a full day of one-on-one training.
Pidgeot and Graveler were paired first.
Yozora had Graveler grip Pidgeot's talons while Pidgeot attempted to carry it aloft, building Pidgeot's strength.
At first, it was nearly impossible—every time Pidgeot managed to lift Graveler a few feet, it would drop him, stirring up clouds of dust.
But gradually, Pidgeot managed to fly steadily, carrying Graveler higher and farther.
Next came Beedrill and Golduck.
Beedrill was working to master Swords Dance. Unlike most uses of the move, Beedrill spun at blinding speed, transforming its entire body into a golden drill-like top. Ferocious winds roared around it.
This variant of Swords Dance carried not only the expected offensive boost, but defensive power as well.
When Beedrill finally stopped, a flash of silver light would rise beneath it, and its twin lances gleamed silver. Its attack power skyrocketed in an instant.
It was undeniably Swords Dance—but a form more powerful than normal. The spinning winds shielded it while the technique still boosted attack.
To further test its defenses, Yozora had Golduck unleash Hydro Pump.
The torrent blasted forth, but before it could strike, the fierce golden vortex around Beedrill dispersed it completely.
Finally, Machop trained with Aegislash.
Here, Yozora focused on developing Machop's ability to use Foresight.
True, Machop had already learned the "Farmer's Three Punches," a technique that allowed it to hit Ghost-types. That made it less dependent on using Brick Break against them.
But Foresight wasn't just about striking Ghost-types—it was about seeing them.
After all, Ghost-types like Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar could vanish at will.
If Machop mastered Foresight, no invisibility would matter. It could sense, track, and land a blow with sheer physical force.
Foresight, at its core, was the art of extending one's aura to perceive another's.
Normal-types and Fighting-types fought with aura—what Trainers called "qi." Aura itself was qi.
And as an Aura Guardian, Yozora's understanding of aura ran deep. To him, Foresight was something he could naturally grasp.
"Machop, close your eyes. Relax. Release your aura. Use it to sense Aegislash's presence," Yozora instructed calmly.
Machop quickly obeyed, exhaling slowly, extending its aura to search for its partner.
It seemed to find something—and was about to strike—when Yozora gestured for Aegislash to move.
Immediately, Machop froze, sweat trickling down its face.
Of course—just because the opponent was invisible didn't mean they had to stay still.
Gastly and Haunter were troublesome enough. Gengar, on the other hand, not only vanished but also possessed terrifying speed.
"Keep sensing," Yozora reminded. "But not just its outline—find its core. Only when your Brick Break lands on its core will this special training be complete."
(End of Chapter)