As Damian put it: if you're going to live in this world, a life without a grand journey is fundamentally incomplete.
Giovanni, who doted on Damian, found no fault in that logic. He believed that staying cooped up in one place had its limits.
Thus, he personally saw Damian off as he left Viridian City to begin his travels.
And then...
About five months into Damian's journey, an incident occurred at the Viridian Gym.
"Damian sent you here?"
Giovanni looked at the young girl standing before him with a subtle, guarded gaze.
She looked harmless—jet-black hair, an innocent face. Of course, her looks weren't the point. The point was that she claimed Damian had recommended she seek out Giovanni personally.
"Yes. Hello, Uncle Giovanni. My name is Selene," the girl said shyly.
"Since I haven't gotten my Trainer License yet, Damian said I should stay by your side and learn for a while."
Giovanni's brow twitched imperceptibly.
Why is she blushing while she talks?
He observed her more closely. Was Damian asking him to train this girl as a Gym apprentice? What was that kid thinking?
Taking on an apprentice wasn't difficult, but Giovanni wasn't thrilled about having a stranger following him around. His true identity was, after all, shrouded in secrecy. One slip-up could be fatal.
"What exactly is your relationship with Dam—"
Giovanni started to ask, his voice low and even, but he was interrupted.
"Oh! Damian also said..."
Selene's voice grew even softer, her ears turning a bright shade of red.
"He said that if I end up getting pregnant with his baby, I should come here to give birth."
Total silence.
The Boss of Team Rocket, the Godfather of the Kanto Underworld, felt as if the tectonic plates beneath him had just shifted.
He stood frozen, his pupils dilated in pure, unadulterated shock.
After a long, agonizing pause, Giovanni could only manage one word:
"…Huh?"
Back to the Present
The memory faded.
Giovanni looked at his precious son, who currently had his legs kicked up on the coffee table while Matori massaged his shoulders.
Seeing Damian's rebellious, unbridled attitude, Giovanni felt a headache coming on and rubbed his temples.
The cute, angelic version of "Little Damian" was officially gone. This new version was a handful.
"Damian, what are your plans now?" Giovanni asked.
He had never hidden the true nature of his business from Damian, nor had he ever forced a specific path upon him.
He respected his son's autonomy, especially after "that incident" ten years ago.
"I have plenty of plans! In fact, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, Dad."
Damian signaled Matori to stop. He sat up and leaned toward Giovanni.
"Dad, how would you describe the current state of Team Rocket in Kanto?" Damian asked with a slow, sharp grin.
"Speak freely," Giovanni replied, taking a sip of tea.
"Let me rephrase: Does Team Rocket actually have any room left to grow in Kanto?"
At that, Giovanni stopped mid-sip. Even Matori's gaze sharpened.
They both understood immediately. As the absolute kings of the Kanto underworld, Team Rocket had already hit the ceiling.
There was nowhere left to climb.
"Are you suggesting we expand into other regions, Damian?" Matori asked, pushing up her glasses.
Giovanni remained silent, waiting for his son to continue.
"The Boss has already dispatched the Three Beasts and Vicious to the Johto region," Matori reminded him.
Technically, Kanto and Johto were still linked, and Johto was massive.
There were even rumors that the League intended to grant Johto independence soon to make management easier.
"No organization in Johto can stand against our top execs. Taking it over is only a matter of time."
"It's useless," Damian said, shaking his head dismissively.
"Even with Johto's resources, we still wouldn't be able to crush the Kanto League head-on."
"And what is your idea then?" Giovanni asked, his tone neutral.
"Dad, there's no reason to waste our lives grinding against the Kanto League in this tiny corner of the world. In Kanto, we just need to maintain the status quo," Damian said, his eyes gleaming.
"Lance and his 'Dragon-type' dragon legion are a pain. Then you've got that old hag Agatha, plus Bruno and Lorelei. Four Champion-level monsters. We don't need to commit suicide by fighting them all at once right now."
Damian knew the Kanto Elite Four were a different breed—true monsters.
He had seen Lorelei fight last year; that Blizzard wasn't something a mere "Elite Four level" Pokémon could produce.
Without a doubt, these Elite Four were the terrifying kind you only hear about—far stronger than the norm.
"So, we expand! We don't just enter other regions—we conquer their underworlds!"
"But—" Matori started, her brow furrowed. "Other regions have their own criminal organizations. Picking a fight with them isn't exactly a wise choice."
"Other regions' organizations?"
Damian let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
"Listen, Matori. From the very beginning, I've known that Team Rocket is the only true superpower in the underworld. The others? They're just bottom-feeders."
He began counting them off with total contempt:
"In Hoenn, you have Team Magma and Team Aqua. Two groups of idiots led by two bigger idiots, fighting over whether there should be more dirt or more water. It's a joke."
"Team Galactic in Sinnoh actually has some muscle, but their goal is to destroy the universe and remake it? They've clearly lost their minds."
"Team Plasma in Unova is a bit annoying, but they have zero vision. They're just hypocrites with no sense of scale."
"Team Flare in Kalos is the same brand of crazy as Galactic. And Team Skull in Alola? They're just a bunch of low-stakes thugs."
"As for Galar and Paldea? Those places don't even have a dark organization worth naming. Going there would be like a shark entering a pond."
Damian tore through every major organization in the world with absolute disdain.
Giovanni listened with growing fascination. He wondered where Damian had gathered such detailed intelligence.
Kanto was isolated by vast oceans, and between dealing with the League and internal affairs, Giovanni rarely had the energy to scout "competitors" on the other side of the planet.
"So, Damian," Giovanni said with a faint smile.
"Since you know them so well... where do you want to start?"