"Team Rocket?"
Harmon Potter had never even heard of such an organization—much less its leader, a man called Giovanni.
But a man powerful enough to counter Voldemort's spell shouldn't be obscure, should he? As for thinking that the man was merely acting… Potter didn't dare entertain such a thought.
Who could possibly pretend alongside the Dark Lord himself?
Only…
That's a Pokémon, isn't it? he realized hazily, his eyes straining open to look at the creature crouched beside Giovanni—a catlike being with a ruby set into its forehead, resembling a sleek Siamese.
"Someone from Charles Gold's side?" Voldemort narrowed his eyes in the sky above.
"Charles Gold?" Giovanni repeated, puzzled for a moment before suddenly understanding. "Ah, you must mean that brat who's been giving Team Rocket trouble all this time? Don't get the wrong idea—I'm not on his side."
"He's ruined far too many of Team Rocket's plans. If I ever get the chance, I won't let him off so easily," Giovanni said coldly.
"In that case," Voldemort said, descending slightly from the air, "why don't we cooperate—to deal with Charles Gold together?"
Potter gripped his wand carefully, doing his best not to draw the attention of either enemy.
Only now did he fully realize—Giovanni had just openly declared that his ambition was world domination. If these two dangerous men joined forces, who could imagine the devastation they might bring?
If he could eliminate even one of them…
His resolve hardened. Magic began to surge at the tip of his wand as he prepared the Killing Curse. He dared not lift his gaze to aim, fearing discovery; instead, he judged the distance and direction by sound alone—something not too difficult for a trained Auror.
Voldemort's in the air—too risky to hit. But that Giovanni… no wand, and his back's half-turned to me. If I make him my target…
Voldemort had terrorized Britain for years—if a simple sneak attack could finish him, that would have happened long ago. But the other man was different. When Potter had first crawled up from the explosion's blast, he'd caught a glimpse: Giovanni stood sideways to him, his field of view narrow. There might just be a chance!
He didn't dare move recklessly. Cold sweat soaked his inner robes; his chest felt tighter than ever before, his heartbeat pounding like a drum—thump!thump!—so loud he feared the two might hear it. But their conversation continued, so they hadn't noticed.
"Work with you?" Giovanni chuckled as if he'd just heard a joke.
Someone mocking the Dark Lord? Inconceivable!
"I don't cooperate with stray dogs," Giovanni said sharply after a short laugh, his tone dripping with contempt. To him, Voldemort was beneath notice. No matter how powerful a single person became, there was always a limit. Even if Voldemort could battle the three Legendary Birds, so what?
What about Lugia? Mewtwo?
A wizard's power, in the end, was finite.
"Then I'll show you," Voldemort snarled, "the strength of the 'stray dog' you mock!"The air grew tense—the battle was about to erupt.
Potter realized instantly—this is my chance! If those two clashed, Giovanni wouldn't notice him at all. He raised his wand and took a deep breath.
"Avada—!"
Thunk!
A white, gleaming claw struck suddenly, slapping the wand from his hand. The sharp talons tore open his palm, blood spilling freely.
A sneak strike—swift and silent.
The Persian had already crept beside him without a sound. Now those cold, slit pupils fixed on his throat, like a predator sizing up its prey.
"Hmph. I noticed you long ago." Giovanni smirked, gesturing lazily. Persian released the helpless man and rubbed its head affectionately against Giovanni's palm.
"You probably don't know this, but Persian's body is extremely flexible—it can walk without making a sound. Of course, mine also happens to have the Technician ability," Giovanni said with a trace of pride.
He ignored Voldemort entirely, strolling casually to stand beside Harmon Potter. Persian still eyed its quarry with hunger—Pokémon like it were naturally vicious, their graceful movements concealing the instinct to tear prey apart for sport.
Yet the moment Giovanni's hand brushed its whiskers, the beast melted into a purring cat, eyes half-closed in contentment.
"Alright, Persian. We still need these people alive—to spread the word that Team Rocket has returned to this world and will soon rise again!" Giovanni said, then looked down at Potter thoughtfully. "Say, how about you join Team Rocket too?"
After all, though his true self had declared the rebirth of Team Rocket, aside from himself, he didn't have a single member yet.
The great leaders of evil teams could use duplicates to pose as stand-ins, sure—but he couldn't conjure thousands of identical grunts that way.
This new-era leader of Team Rocket needed followers—many of them!
Grindelwald had his Acolytes, Voldemort his Death Eaters… shouldn't Charles Gold have loyal followers of his own as well?
Potter hadn't expected Giovanni to extend an olive branch to him. For a moment, he was stunned. But as an Auror of the American Magical Congress, how could he possibly agree to follow an unknown man?
"Refusing?" Giovanni sighed theatrically. "That's unfortunate. Team Rocket has excellent benefits, you know. Signing bonus upon entry—though there's a small joining fee, and subordinates must pay monthly dues and annual tributes. Still, headquarters provides salary, equipment, and even Pokémon resources. Two days off per week, performance bonuses, paid vacations increasing each year, and a salary raise every four months… Not a bad deal, right?"
He said it offhandedly.
And yet—Potter found himself tempted.
The wizarding world wasn't exactly an eight-hour-workday society.
Even at the Ministry, if one didn't take bribes, the pay wasn't great. And now this man was offering Pokémon—something no amount of Galleons could buy.
For a fleeting moment, Harmon Potter genuinely wondered—
Was it really so bad… to let the evil Team Rocket rule the world?
(End of Chapter)