Ash Ketchum also sensed the strangeness of the atmosphere.
That chair facing away from them exerted an invisible pressure, as if what sat there was not a person, but a silent, imposing mountain.
This was the aura of a powerhouse.
He had felt something similar from Lt. Surge when the man got serious, but it wasn't this strong.
This person's power was far above that of a Gym Leader.
Was it an Elite Four member or a Champion?
The air in the room seemed to have solidified, and even the faint electronic sound effects coming from the games outside the window became distant and unreal.
Ash subconsciously took a half-step forward, standing slightly behind and to the side of Erika. This was a subconscious posture of alertness.
At this moment, Ash realized a problem... Could it be that Giovanni is really here?
But that would be too ridiculous.
Yet, besides Giovanni, did Team Rocket have such a strong person?
Giovanni was a busy man, and his identity was very sensitive; he couldn't possibly be squatting in Celadon City every day.
But maybe he just happened to be here today?
Could it be that I really am a jinx?
Is it 'Highest Difficulty' everywhere I run?
The Gym battles before were so easy to clear... turns out the difficulty was stacked here?
Ash felt the situation was far from good.
Just then, the high-backed chair slowly turned around.
A middle-aged man sat on the chair.
He wore a well-tailored dark suit. His features were resolute, and his eyes were profound like ancient wells, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
He merely sat there, making no movements, yet he naturally radiated a majestic field of authority, that of someone who has long occupied a high position and controls everything.
His hands rested casually on the armrests, his entire being appearing very relaxed.
When she saw that face clearly, Erika's pupils contracted abruptly, and her body went stiff for an instant.
Even though she had guessed it, the impact when the guess was confirmed was still massive.
Before coming—
Erika: It's merely Team Rocket.
Erika: Whether it's the Three Beasts, or the Four Generals, or even those few colleagues of mine, none of them can make me retreat... As for the Top Executive, the Iron-Masked Marauder... that one is actually the biggest waste.
After arriving—
Erika: Holy crap! Giovanni!!
Erika: I'm done for!
She almost gritted her teeth, squeezing that name out from between them:
"Giovanni..."
This name exploded in Ash's ears like a thunderclap.
Giovanni!
It really was Giovanni.
The Leader of Team Rocket!
The Gym Leader of the Viridian Gym!
That man who shrouded everything like a shadow in the underworld of the Kanto region!
It was Giovanni of the Earth!
How could he be here?
Moreover, it looked like he was specifically waiting for Erika?
Could Misdreavus's disappearance be related to him?
It couldn't possibly be for the sake of Misdreavus, right?
Impossible!
Never mind Misdreavus, even if the Thousand-Year Gastly came, it would have to behave itself in front of Giovanni.
Ash's heart began to beat violently, and his adrenaline started to soar.
What is worse than being blocked by the Demon King in the novice village?
It is leaving the novice village and suddenly encountering the Great Demon King.
If he met Giovanni in Pallet Town, there would still be Professor Oak to stand up to him.
But meeting Giovanni here at the Celadon Game Corner.
...Could Erika win against Giovanni?
Ash felt it was impossible.
It seemed this high-end peak match today was hanging by a thread.
He forced himself to calm down, his brain spinning rapidly.
He could feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.
The man before him was countless times more dangerous than any opponent he had encountered before.
This was not just a gap in strength, but an absolute crushing weight of presence and experience.
Giovanni's gaze calmly swept over Erika. That look seemed capable of piercing through all disguises, reaching straight to the heart.
But that was all.
Erika was not worth Giovanni's attention.
Then his line of sight fell upon Ash behind Erika, lingering for a moment.
There seemed to be a trace of scrutiny and a hint of curiosity in that gaze, but mostly it was a bottomless calm.
Indeed, he had thought well of this boy before.
But it was only 'thinking well of' him.
To truly make Giovanni attach importance to him, he would have to display more strength or potential.
"Erika... long time no see," Giovanni spoke.
His voice was deep and magnetic, his tone as steady as if chatting about domestic trivia, appearing very familiar.
And that was the fact; in Giovanni's eyes, Erika was just a junior.
He never specifically targeted juniors.
Eliminating potential threats?
That would be too boring.
And Giovanni's choice had always been—I will walk ahead; those who have the ability, come chase me.
Even within Team Rocket, it was the same.
If anyone could defeat Giovanni, they could snatch his position away.
"And this one... the Trainer from Pallet Town, Ash."
"No need to be nervous. I just happened to be here handling some affairs... Since you happened to come over, we might as well meet."
To Giovanni, today's situation was actually a bit unexpected as well.
Neither Ash nor Erika fell within the scope of what he needed to be responsible for.
Potential is only potential.
As long as potential has not been thoroughly converted into reality, it is not strength.
Giovanni paused, the corners of his mouth seeming to hook up into an extremely faint smile.
His gaze returned to Erika's face, as if seeing through all her worries and calculations.
"As for that Misdreavus you are looking for..."
Giovanni's voice was unhurried.
"It is very safe. It is currently downstairs... being a guest."
Giovanni hadn't expected his Beedrill to actually be quite friendly toward that Misdreavus... so he just let his old partner be.
As Giovanni's initial partner, and the other half that shared a connected mind with him,
Beedrill's status was very high.
It was just that this Beedrill's personality had always been relatively cold and indifferent.
The word "downstairs" was emphasized slightly by Giovanni. This was a typical rhetorical tactic, purely to stimulate the emotions of the two people opposite him.
As for the purpose?
There was no purpose.
This was simply a habit of his as a superior.
Erika's face instantly became incredibly unsightly.
The thing she worried about most had happened after all.
Misdreavus had indeed fallen into Team Rocket's hands, and they had run directly into Giovanni himself.
This meant the matter was no longer under her control.
In the entire Kanto League, there were few people qualified to speak with Giovanni on equal terms.
And among those few people, she, Erika, was not one of them.
Erika's brain frantically thought of countermeasures: how to ensure the safety of Ash and Misdreavus without enraging the other party.
"..." Ash, meanwhile, clenched his fists.
Abandoning a companion was impossible.
And there was already no way to retreat... Since that was the case, he had to at least show the care that he was capable of.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger and worry in his heart.
Ash took a step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Erika. His gaze looked straight at Giovanni. Although his heart was still beating wildly, his eyes did not flinch:
"Mr. Giovanni, may I ask where Misdreavus is right now? We want to take it away immediately."
The boy's voice was clearly audible in the terribly quiet room, carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling, but even more so, an unyielding determination.
If the path of life is filled with danger, what then?
Then face it!
A true powerhouse will face a bleak life directly... and then either live or die.
This was something Ash had decided from the very beginning when he came to this world.
This world holds far, far too many dangers.
There are only two options—either live, or die.
"..." Giovanni looked at this boy who dared to look him in the eye, the interest in his eyes seeming to grow a bit denser.
He did not answer Ash's question directly. Instead, he lightly tapped the armrest, as if pondering something.
Tap—
Tap—
Tap...
The pressure in the room grew increasingly heavy with his silence.
The air seemed to solidify into a physical substance; the passing of every second appeared exceptionally long.
The slightly chubby manager was almost collapsing to the ground.
Erika was tense all over, considering various possible plans and consequences.
Ash held his breath, waiting for Giovanni's next sentence, which would decide where things were heading.
"Answer me one question..." Giovanni said with interest. "What gives you the daring to speak to me like this? Samuel Oak?"
This was a question Giovanni found very interesting.
His status was very special.
Special enough that he was almost given free rein by the entire League.
The vast majority of people in the League needed to consider Samuel Oak's face.
But he, Giovanni, did not need to.
Giovanni felt that with Ash's identity and the wisdom he had displayed, he surely could have guessed this.
At any rate, from Giovanni's perspective, it was so.
"This world is very dangerous, Mr. Giovanni." Ash raised his head to look into Giovanni's eyes.
Looking straight into that powerhouse's gaze without any retreat.
"Those who fear death will stagnate."
"Forget that fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. Retreat and you will age. Cowardice will bring death."
This was a line from Bleach that Ash had always liked.
____
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