Chapter 88: What is Mamon's Main Force Lineup!

In a villa under Mamon's name in Withered Leaf City.

Liza was arranged to cook, while Mamon and Caitlin went to the second floor.

"Mamon, how did it go?"

On the video call, Giovanni's face appeared; judging by the background, he should be in the office of the Pewter Gym.

"Not very satisfying. Koga and Bruno's strength was still a bit weak for me, and Lance didn't show up either."

Mamon shook his head; he actually really hoped Lance would appear, but Lance didn't come.

"Hehehe~ As long as you're safe, that's good. What about Gladion and the others?"

Giovanni chuckled; ordinary members and executives were one thing, but losing even one Elite Executive was a significant loss for Team Rocket.

"They were captured by Bruno, but I've already sent Mewtwo to rescue them. Calculating the time, they should be back very soon."

"That's good. When do you plan to leave Kanto?"

Giovanni thought it would be better for Mamon to go wreak havoc in other regions sooner; he had only just returned and already clashed head-on with the Kanto League.

"Stay for about another week. I still have one thing I want to try."

Mamon thought for a moment and replied thus.

"Alright, hehe~ Chancellor Blaine contacted me again; looks like I have to go chat again."

Giovanni glanced at another phone; it was indeed a call from Chancellor Blaine.

"Then Dad, you better perform well. I'm hanging up."

After speaking, Mamon hung up the phone, and just at that moment, Athena and Gladion also appeared at the villa entrance.

The two rang the doorbell.

"Coming, coming, wait a moment."

A somewhat hurried female voice came; when she saw the person opening the door, Athena's brain simply froze.

Gladion's expression was also very strange.

The short-haired, delicate-looking girl who opened the door saw Athena and the two of them and smiled awkwardly, wiping her hands twice on the apron in front of her, while her left hand hid the spatula she was holding behind her back.

"Um... is Mamon my lord here?"

Seeing the Ecruteak City Gym Leader dressed as a housewife, Athena spoke dazedly.

"Mr. Mamon is here; please come in quickly."

Liza came to her senses and hurriedly stepped aside to let Athena and Gladion enter.

"By the way, you haven't eaten yet, have you? It will be ready very soon. Will you stay and eat with us? I made a bit too much."

Liza greeted the two to come in and added a polite remark.

"Thank you, sorry to trouble you."

Athena instinctively replied.

"No need to be polite; let me pour you some water. Wait! Ah!! My cooking!"

Liza suddenly remembered, her face changed, and she rushed into the kitchen; after a frantic flurry of activity, the sound of the girl's relaxed breathing came from the kitchen.

"This..."

Athena and Gladion looked at each other, their eyes becoming strangely odd.

"You're back; sit down and rest for a while first."

Mamon walked down the stairs and said to the two with a smile.

"Mamon my lord, your subordinate is ashamed."

Athena and Gladion hurriedly apologized; this was truly too shameful.

Although Caitlin had blocked Koga for them, they were still captured by the League in the end, and actually needed Mamon's Pokémon to rescue them.

"It's fine; encountering someone like Bruno is inevitable." Mamon offered a word of comfort.

"Work even harder from now on; strive to take revenge on him next time."

"Yes!"

Athena was a bit awkward; how could she take revenge on Bruno with her head? But Gladion's eyes were resolute.

He had recorded this grudge!

Next time he must defeat Bruno! Put handcuffs on him and lock him in the basement!

"By the way, Mamon my lord, what about Liza?"

"Oh, you mean her? Now she is the maid responsible for taking care of my daily life."

"Truly worthy of Mamon my lord."

Athena sighed in admiration; Liza was an official Gym Leader with a bright future, yet she became Mamon's maid.

Mamon my lord is truly too strong!

At the Shi Ying Plateau, Giovanni came here again.

It was still that familiar conference room; after entering, Giovanni briefly glanced around.

He discovered not only Chancellor Blaine, Lorelei, and the Chief Officer of the Police, but also Bruno and Koga.

"Giovanni, you're here; sit down first."

Chancellor Blaine showed a kind smile to Giovanni.

"Chairman."

Giovanni greeted Chancellor Blaine and then sat down.

"The reason I called you here, Giovanni, is that we discovered a Team Rocket base in Ecruteak City this afternoon, and then Koga and the others encountered Mamon."

Chancellor Blaine's tone was not aggressive; instead, it was as gentle as always.

Hearing the voice, Giovanni's expression shifted slightly.

"However, Mamon's strength is formidable; we did not capture him."

Drake sighed regretfully.

"I am deeply sorry; this is a failure on my part as a father." Giovanni stood up and spoke with shame.

"President, please allow me to make up for my failure. I will go personally to bring Mamon back."

"Sigh, there is no need for that. Giovanni, do not rush. Sit down first; this is not your fault."

Drake comforted Giovanni, though he actually believed that Giovanni, as the father, could not be absolved of responsibility for Mamon becoming this way.

But such words could naturally not be spoken, after all, this was not Giovanni's intention.

"Gym Leader Giovanni, I wish to ask you, do you know exactly how strong Mamon is?"

Koga leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and asked Giovanni in a cold voice.

"I know roughly." Giovanni sat down again and said in a deep voice.

"Since childhood, Mamon wanted to become an excellent Trainer, so I devoted myself to cultivating him when he was young."

"Until last year, when Mamon came of age and set out on his journey, he returned to the Gym around mid-year. At that time, he was actually already a Champion-level Trainer."

Giovanni said in a deep voice.

"Became Champion-level in just half a year?" Officer Jenny, the Chief, exclaimed in shock.

"Hehehe... truly a terrifying monster."

Even Agatha could not help but emit a low chuckle.

Drake sighed silently again. Such a genius Trainer actually joined Team Rocket...

"As of now, given Mamon's talent, I fear Mamon's strength has already surpassed mine." Giovanni said in a low voice.

Hearing this, everyone present had varying expressions. Koga frowned; did Giovanni's words mean that at mid-year last year, Mamon was still not Giovanni's match?

Is that true?

If so, is Giovanni also a Champion-level Trainer?

Drake and the others clearly thought of this point as well. They knew Giovanni's strength should be considerable, after all, Giovanni has long been called the 'Strongest Gym Leader of Kanto'.

But regarding exactly how strong Giovanni is, outsiders actually never knew, after all, Giovanni himself is still very low-key.

"Then Gym Leader Giovanni, you should also know which Pokémon are Mamon's main ones, correct?"

"... That is correct." Giovanni paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Could you please tell us? This is very important intelligence." Agatha's cloudy eyes stared at Giovanni.

"Mamon's initial Pokémon was a shiny Gastly. He likes Gengar very much, so I found him a shiny Gastly."

Giovanni's demeanor was solemn, his deep tone very complex.

"Later, when he set out on his journey and returned to the Viridian Gym, his main lineup consisted of Gengar, Mismagius, Infernape, and a Tyranitar."

"Only four?"

"That is correct. At that time, Mamon's main lineup was not yet fully supplemented. As for what came later, I am not clear."

Giovanni shook his head. After all, at the Shi Ying Conference, Mamon cleared the stage using only an Infernape, so indeed no one could force his other main Pokémon to appear.

"A Trainer proficient in Ghost-type and Dark-type." Agatha fell into deep thought.

Without that terrifying Psychic-type armored black Pokémon, does that mean this is one Mamon caught later?

Koga frowned tightly. She wanted to understand even more about that Pokémon Mamon called 'Mewtwo', because she felt this armored Mewtwo was simply too overwhelmingly strong.

"According to intelligence from Alola, Mamon also caught Tapu Fini. Truly an extraordinary young man." Drake said softly.

"President, this year I wish to apply for the Elite Four Challenge."

Giovanni's deep voice rang out.

"Giovanni, are you serious?" Drake looked at Giovanni with some surprise. As a Gym Leader of an official Gym, every official Gym Leader has the opportunity to participate in the Elite Four Challenge annually.

Although there is only one chance a year, and only one Gym Leader can challenge.

In previous years, Giovanni always gave up, although other Gym Leaders gave up as well.

"That is correct. I want to become an Elite Four member. I will defeat him with my own hands and bring him back to the League!" Giovanni said in a deep voice.

"Excellent! I agree. However, Giovanni, you must first secure this challenge slot."

Drake felt gratified. He had a premonition that perhaps stopping Mamon would still rely on Giovanni.

After all, only the one who tied the knot can untie it, right?

"Hehe... I look forward to you becoming one of us, Giovanni." Agatha's hoarse laugh was very eerie.

Siebold's eyes were eager and excited. He had just lost to Mamon today, but it didn't matter; he could fight Mamon's father!

Siebold did not believe that Giovanni was as strong as Mamon!

And Koga was scrutinizing Giovanni. Could this guy really become their colleague?

And...

Koga's eyes showed a slight oddity. She subconsciously turned her head away, not looking at Giovanni. She suddenly thought of her conversation with Mamon today.

If she really married Mamon, wouldn't she have to call Giovanni 'Dad' along with Mamon? Emmm...

Although Koga knew she did not like Mamon, she couldn't stop her thoughts from drifting like this. It was too eerie.

Time arrived at eight o'clock in the evening.

"Is Gladion still in special training?"

Mamon, holding pajamas, came to the bathroom door and saw Caitlin returning just then.

Hmm, after dinner, Caitlin and Gladion went to the backyard for special training.

"Yes, very hardworking." Caitlin nodded.

"Today's defeat must have hit him pretty hard — after all, that guy's got a very proud temperament." Mammon smiled — but then again, this was a good thing.

After watching Gadellia head back to her room, Mammon looked down at Rika, who was watching TV downstairs.

"Hall Master Rika."

"I'm here, Mr. Mammon. What is it?"

"I'm going to take a bath. Come help me scrub my back."

"Eh?!!" Rika's eyes went wide, her face instantly flushing bright red, and she shook her head rapidly, stammering.

"B-bathing together?! Dame dame dame! Not yet — there'd be babies! I don't want to have ten, I'd break!"

"What on earth are you thinking? I want you to scrub my back, not take a lovers' bath with me." Mammon was taken aback — what kind of nonsense is this young lady spouting?

"Scrub your back? Oh… alright then." Rika came to her senses and answered, blushing.

But by the time she walked into the bathroom, the flower-arranging-loving young lady suddenly realized something and stared blankly at the bath towel in her hands.

Wait! That's not right!

Why did I agree to scrub a man's back?!!

Is something wrong with my head?

(End of Chapter)