Chapter 2: Aren't the Dark Organizations in the Other Regions All Trash?

In Mamon's own words, since he'd come to this world for a visit, a life without at least one journey was incomplete.

Doting on Mamon, Giovanni saw nothing wrong with it either. Working behind closed doors had its limits after all, so he personally saw Mamon off out of Viridian City.

And then...

About five months after Mamon set out on his journey, one day at the Viridian Gym.

"Mamon told you to come?"

Giovanni studied the black-haired, pure-looking girl before him with a subtle, appraising gaze.

The girl was quite cute and fair-skinned — of course that wasn't the point. The point was that, by her own account, Mamon had recommended she come find him at the Viridian Gym.

"Yes, hello Uncle Giovanni. My name is Mizuki. Because I'm still not old enough to set out on a journey, Mamon said I should stay by your side and learn for a while." The girl spoke shyly.

If you're going to talk, then talk — why are you blushing? And besides...

Giovanni's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he observed the girl more closely.

Did this mean he was supposed to teach and train this girl? What was Mamon thinking?

It wasn't really a difficult matter — just taking on one more gym apprentice, that was all.

But Giovanni wasn't keen on having an unfamiliar person at his side, since his true identity couldn't be exposed.

What if something went wrong?

"What's your relationship with Ma—"

After a moment's thought, Giovanni's magnetic voice began to inquire about the girl's relationship with Mamon.

"Oh, and Mamon also said that if I got pregnant, I should have the baby here at your place."

The girl named Mizuki spoke even more softly, her ears flushing red with shyness.

But upon hearing Mizuki's words, the boss of Team Rocket, the dark source of Kanto — Giovanni — felt his pupils quake.

He was utterly stunned, truly frozen on the spot.

A long while later.

Giovanni: "Huh?"

End of the flashback. Giovanni looked at his precious son, who had his legs propped on the coffee table, enjoying Musashi's service, wild and unrestrained, and could not help but rub his temples with a headache.

The little Mamon of his childhood — fair and clean like a porcelain doll, so cute and well-behaved — had, after all, drifted far away...

"Mamon, what are you thinking of doing next?" Giovanni asked.

He had never hidden anything from Mamon, nor had he ever mapped out any path for him.

He respected Mamon — this was his most beloved son, and especially after that incident ten years ago, even more so.

"Of course I do! And that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, Dad."

Hearing this, Mamon raised a hand to stop Musashi, got up, and sat down across from Giovanni.

"Dad, what do you think Team Rocket in Kanto is like right now?" Mamon asked, the corners of his mouth slowly curling up.

"You can speak plainly."

Giovanni poured himself a cup of tea, raised it, and took a sip.

"Then let me put it another way — does Team Rocket still have room to grow in the Kanto region?"

Hearing Mamon's words, Giovanni immediately understood what Mamon meant — and not only Giovanni, but Musashi as well.

As the strongest evil organization in Kanto's underworld, Team Rocket had essentially grown to its limit on this land.

"Young Master, you mean the organization should expand into other regions?" Musashi pushed her glasses up and asked, frowning.

As Giovanni's secretary, although Musashi had no talent as a trainer, she was very sharp — otherwise Giovanni wouldn't have kept her by his side all this time.

Giovanni sipped his tea in silence.

"Boss has already sent the Three Beasts and Xia Si to the Johto region." Musashi reminded him.

Kanto and Johto hadn't formally split yet. Strictly speaking, the Johto region was still part of the Kanto region, but the Johto region was also very large in territory.

Rumor had it the League was already planning to let Johto become independent, for easier management.

"There's no force in Johto that can stand against the Three Beasts and the others. Taking it is only a matter of time."

The Three Beasts and Xia Si were all high-ranking executives of Team Rocket, and trainers in Johto who could match them were few and far between.

"It's pointless. Even with the added resources from Johto, we're still no match for the Kanto League."

Mamon shook his head.

"Then what's your idea, Mamon?" Giovanni said noncommittally.

"Dad, we really don't need to butt heads with the Kanto League over this little plot of land. Keeping things as they are in Kanto is fine."

Mamon said with a smile.

"Lance's Flying-type army is genuinely powerful, and there's that undying old hag Agatha, plus Bruno and Lorelei — four Champion-level trainers. There's no need for us to fight them right now."

The strength of Kanto's Elite Four was indeed overwhelming, especially Lance the Dragon User, hailed as invincible.

Of course Lance wasn't truly invincible — Mamon figured his old man Giovanni was certainly no weaker than Lance.

But the Kanto Elite Four were absolutely the strongest Elite Four in the world!

Mamon had seen Lorelei in action with his own eyes last year — that terrifying Blizzard was definitely not something an Elite-level Pokémon could produce.

Without a doubt, this Kanto Elite Four was probably the special-chapter version.

"So we can keep expanding! Take over the underworlds of the other regions!"

"But Young Master, the other regions have dark organizations of their own. Making enemies of them isn't a wise choice."

Musashi's frown deepened. She felt Mamon's idea was a bit too aggressive.

"Dark organizations in the other regions? Ha?"

Mamon burst out laughing at that, his laughter full of mockery.

"You know what, Truth-Bird, I've always believed that our Team Rocket is the strongest dark organization in the world, and all the rest are just a bunch of stinky fish and rotten shrimp?"

"Team Magma and Team Aqua of the Hoenn region—two useless things leading useless organizations, spending all day thinking about expanding the land and the sea. Hilarious."

"Team Galactic of the Sinnoh region is even more of a treasure—strength's not bad, but their organizational philosophy is actually destroying the world and then creating it. Did they get water in their brains?"

"Team Plasma of Unova is a bit of a hassle, but only to that extent—a thing with no vision whatsoever."

"Team Flare of Kalos is cut from the same cloth as Team Galactic—all brain-sick, and Team Skull of Alola is just a thug organization."

"As for Galar and Paldea, these two regions don't even have a dark organization worth naming. For us to go over there would be like a fish entering the sea."

Mammon sneered as he reviewed every region's dark organization one by one, his tone carrying undisguised mockery and contempt.

Giovanni listened with great interest; he was curious where Mammon had gotten all this intelligence from, to know things so thoroughly.

Although Team Rocket was the hegemon of the dark world in the Kanto region, the various regions were separated by a vast ocean. Besides, the local region's League could barely be dealt with—where would they find the energy to pay attention to the 'colleagues' of other regions?

"Then Mammon, since you understand so well, which region do you want to start with?" Giovanni asked with a faint smile.

(End of this chapter)