[Why is Gym Leader Giovanni so hyped today?]
[For real, I've met Giovanni offline—don't tell me a staffer is using the official account to watch?]
[Impossible. Viridian Gym has its own official account. This one's Giovanni's private account. But his mood does feel different today.]
[Wow, didn't expect Giovanni to be into the apprentice battle. Got something in mind?]
[Spread the word: Viridian Gym is taking apprentices. Everybody go sign up!]
[Spread the word: Giovanni's accepting a final personal disciple. Once-in-a-lifetime chance!]
[Spread the word: Giovanni wants a private apprentice with fair skin and long legs. Any interested ladies, act now!]
[?]
Inside Viridian Gym, Giovanni stared at the flood of bullet comments on his phone screen, his brows knitting on their own.
They were blocking his view of Silver.
"Silver…"
Giovanni murmured, raising a hand to touch the image of Silver on the screen.
It was a little blurry, but he would never mistake his own child.
The new apprentice at the Fighting Dojo was definitely his long-lost son!
But how did his son end up leaving Johto for Kanto—and even join a Fighting Dojo?
Giovanni fell into thought, then opened a new window and called Proton.
"Boss, what's wrong?"
Proton stood in front of the camera, hands glued to his thighs, waiting for Giovanni's orders.
"Did you find him?"
Giovanni's tone sank back into its usual depth, authority cutting straight through the screen.
"Report, Boss: we lost the target, but we're tracking the traces he left behind. Very soon we'll—"
"Come back."
Giovanni cut off Proton's progress report.
"Huh?"
Proton hadn't caught up. Hearing Giovanni suddenly call him off left him tongue-tied.
"Boss, I failed in my duty. I should be punished—"
"It's not your fault. Return. That's all."
Giovanni kept it short.
After ending the call, he picked up the glass of red wine on his desk, unable to calm down.
So close, yet he couldn't go see him…
"Grey… Team Rocket's enemy… and Silver is apprenticed under Grey…"
Giovanni pressed a hand to his chest. The feeling was not a good one.
Grey had disrupted Team Rocket's operations many times and freed a lot of Pokémon.
With Grey's influence, Silver might end up hating Team Rocket's guts…
If Grey later takes Silver along to rescue Pokémon, what happens when father and son finally recognize each other?
No one knows better than Giovanni what kinds of things Team Rocket has done.
It's fortunate his identity isn't exposed yet—but how should he approach them afterward?
"Sigh…"
Giovanni let out a long breath and looked back at his phone.
The stream was still live.
On screen, Grey was coaching Silver.
He hesitated, then opened the top-up panel.
——
[Boss, no!]
[Giovanni, what are you doing! You're breaking character!]
[The stoic Giovanni I know—why is he sending such a big gift?!]
[Stop diverting Viridian Gym funds, Giovanni (doge)]
[???]
"Hey—Grey! Look at the stream—"
Green's shout came through.
Grey was still pointing out Silver's shortcomings, then turned toward the streaming setup.
"???"
Seeing the big "Governor" badge on screen and an animation of Gengar and Lapras singing "Perish Song" left him momentarily stumped.
Looking closer, he realized Giovanni had renewed a month of Governor status and sent a "Perish Song" gift worth a thousand.
"Thanks to 'Giovanni of the Earth' for the Governor sub and the 'Perish Song'! By the way, Giovanni—didn't you still need my private LINE?"
Grey, seeing Giovanni's coin dump, silently praised his own cleverness.
Then he remembered: when Giovanni first subbed as Governor, he'd posted his private account.
But Giovanni hadn't added him.
He hadn't even left a read receipt.
[No problem. Is the account in your group your private one? If so, I'll send a request in a bit.]
"Yeah, yeah—add me later. I'll approve after I end the stream."
Grey nodded and dropped a bit of in-group lingo only folks in the dojo chat would recognize.
[Got it. Thanks for the help, Gym Leader Grey.]
"Hey, Giovanni, don't be so polite with me. You're a big boss—speak with your chest."
Grey cracked a joke, then went back to correcting Silver's battle mistakes.
——
Meanwhile, at the Kanto League headquarters on Indigo Plateau.
In the League conference room, both sides of a square wooden table were packed.
They were the League's usual faces from TV.
League Chairman Damalanchi sat at the head, fingers steepled beneath his chin, stroking his graying beard in silence.
"Twice—two whole times! Team Rocket's officers were snatched away by their mastermind!"
"The second time, they even put an Officer Jenny in the hospital—she won't be up for at least half a month!"
A League councilor slammed a fist on the table, jabbing at the briefing with a shaking finger. "Not to mention the world-class cruise ship S.S. Anne was infiltrated by Team Rocket. Famous folks across regions were kidnapped for ransom, and an Electrode almost blew a hole in her hull!"
"Have the relevant departments investigated where the budget's going. We can't have public funds blown on wining and dining every day without knowing where the money goes."
The Elite Four seated nearest Damalanchi listened to the tirade in silence.
Team Rocket had gone too far this time.
They even showed up at a police station to snatch a prisoner!
"Next time, send me."
Lance spoke, and the room's noise died at once.
"You? What if you level half the city? Last time you purged Team Rocket, you had three Dragonite fire Hyper Beams together and made life miserable for the locals."
The councilor's words dripped with thorns, openly calling Lance's actions improper.
"I already wrote in my report that the area was compromised by Team Rocket. Don't make me say it a third time."
Brow furrowing at the gank, Lance's tone grew heavy.
In his view, a town that deep in Rocket hands was beyond saving. Better to sweep it clean with the fastest method.
"Lance, can't you consider the consequences when you do that!"
"What's the matter, are they greasing your palms? Why so prickly?"
Bruno suddenly cut in from Lance's side.
"Bruno! Don't you pin that on me!"
The councilor clutched his chest and jabbed a finger at Bruno.
"You know whether I'm pinning anything on you."
Bruno finished and went quiet again, eating the slice of watermelon in front of him.
Lorelei's gaze skimmed the room as she shifted the topic: "We should talk rewards instead. A certain Gym Leader contributed a lot this time. We can't afford to chill the heart of a meritorious ally."
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