Chapter 44: Giovanni: Impossible! Absolutely Impossible!

"Mammon, didn't you say you wouldn't make things too serious?"

Giovanni felt helpless; he felt utterly exhausted.

How long has Mammon been in Alola? Less than two months, and now look?

He actually provoked the Island Kings of the Alola region, and even a Champion from the Sinnoh region.

Giovanni couldn't understand how Mammon got into a fight with her, given that the Sinnoh Champion and the Alola region are worlds apart.

"Right, I didn't tie them up and throw them into a mine shaft, which is already giving them face; they were the ones looking for trouble with me," Mammon clicked his tongue.

He felt he had already been restrained, but he should have been restrained even more; otherwise, the Pokémon League certainly wouldn't stand idly by while Team Rocket 'harmed' the Alola region.

"Fine, I will handle the Kanto League. Mammon, are you sure you want to do this?"

Giovanni pondered for a moment and asked Mammon.

Mammon had mentioned this plan to him two days ago, but Giovanni was still a bit worried, after all, in his view, Mammon's personality was somewhat vicious and flamboyant.

"Even if my identity is exposed, it doesn't matter; besides, Sabrina and the others are also hiding."

Although it was a pity to give up the identity of the Pewter City Gym Leader, Giovanni was capable of making the decision.

Compared to this Gym Leader identity, Giovanni cared more about Team Rocket.

Sabrina?

Hearing Giovanni's words, Caitlin's eyes flickered slightly; if she remembered correctly, wasn't Sabrina the Gym Leader of Saffron City in Kanto?

Is Sabrina also a member of Team Rocket?

To be honest, Caitlin was a bit shocked; both the Saffron Gym and the Pewter Gym are official Gyms of the Kanto region.

Official Gyms!

Are these two Gym Leaders both infiltrated by Team Rocket?

No wonder Team Rocket could develop under the Kanto League's nose; they are truly formidable.

"Dad, your identity being exposed is meaningless," Mammon didn't think it was a good thing for Giovanni's identity to be revealed.

"What about your identity? If your identity isn't exposed, there are many points you can exploit; I told you to do some disguising."

Giovanni rubbed the center of his brow and replied with a wry smile.

"How can that be the same?!" Mammon stood with righteous dignity.

"Hiding one's head and tail, being evasive—how can that be what a true man does? I don't care for such flashy tricks; I just want to tell the world clearly: this era is mine, Mammon's! It is Team Rocket's!"

"No matter who it is, as long as they stand in my way, I will crush them with absolute power!"

Mammon's words were extremely heroic and domineering, and his voice was very loud.

Hearing this, Caitlin's eyes sparkled; truly worthy of Mammon!

"Hehehe..."

Giovanni's eyelid twitched; he chuckled softly. Regarding Mammon's words, he summarized them: Mammon's meaning could actually be summarized in a few characters.

'Nothing else, just a love for showing off.'

"Anyway, Dad, just focus on developing within the League from now on; strive to become a Champion or President."

"Rest assured, I will take good care of Team Rocket for you."

Mammon patted his chest and promised; he would inherit this Team Rocket Boss position well!

"..." Giovanni couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Something felt off; didn't this give the feeling of those ancient kings forced to abdicate by their heirs?

"Forget it, you have One's Own Thoughts. I'll hang up first; the League people have already arrived."

Giovanni hung up the phone because a call had already come in on his work phone.

"Gym Leader Giovanni, are you currently at the Gym?"

"Of course, Miss Officer Jenny, is there something you need?"

Giovanni replied in his usual mature, magnetic tone.

"Yes, there are some matters I wish to discuss with you; could you please come to the Shi Ying Plateau?"

"Now?"

"Correct, the matter is of great importance."

"Very well, I will come immediately."

Giovanni couldn't help but marvel that the Kanto League's actions were indeed fast enough; he hung up the phone, stood up, and walked out of the office.

"Mewtwo, if any League members come to investigate, act according to the situation; do not obstruct them excessively."

Giovanni gave an order to Mewtwo, who had just arrived; he never left many traces.

Although the Pewter Gym did have a secret room, that was normal; he had checked every computer device one by one, so there would be no evidence.

Giovanni believed that after he went to the Shi Ying Plateau, the League would definitely send people to search the Gym; this was inevitable.

"Yes," Mewtwo nodded respectfully.

Giovanni walked out of the Gym, got into a car, and headed toward the Shi Ying Plateau; the distance between Pewter City and the Shi Ying Plateau was not far; it could be said to be the city closest to the Shi Ying Plateau.

About half an hour later, Giovanni arrived at the Shi Ying Plateau.

Getting out of the car and adjusting his suit, Giovanni put one hand in his pocket and walked into the League building; led by a League staff member who had been waiting in advance, he arrived at a conference room.

"Gym Leader Giovanni."

"President Damaranqi, long time no see."

Giovanni smiled faintly at the elderly man with a short stature and white beard and hair sitting at the front of the conference table.

This person was none other than the President of the Kanto League, Damaranqi, who was also the Grand President of the Pokémon League; in the anime, he was called by Brock as 'the greatest person in the Pokémon League'.

The Pokémon League has actually existed for only over a hundred years since its establishment, and now that the Pokémon League holds the position of world hegemon, Damaranqi's contribution is indispensable.

"Sit, sit, sit; asking you to come suddenly today was indeed abrupt."

Damaranchi smiled with a kindly expression, gesturing for Sakaki to sit, and to his left sat a middle-aged Officer Jenny with a solemn expression — she was the Officer Jenny Commander-in-Chief of the Kanto region.

To Damaranchi's right sat an old woman in a Western dress, none other than Agatha.

This lineup was a bit much.

"The Chairman is too kind. Today my Gym doesn't have any challengers either; I was just preparing to head out for training."

Sakaki's expression didn't change; still wearing a faint smile, he opened his mouth, nodded to the three of them, and then sat down.

"As expected of you, Sakaki. If all the Gym Leaders of my Kanto region were like Gym Leader Sakaki, this old man could rest a lot easier." Damaranchi beamed.

"Actually, the reason I've invited Gym Leader Sakaki here today is to discuss the matter of Mamen. Gym Leader Sakaki, that child of yours is truly remarkable — in his very first year of traveling, he swept through the Shi Ying Conference."

Damaranchi sighed with feeling. Actually, last year he had still been quite hoping Mamen would challenge the Kanto Elite Four, but Mamen had not chosen to do so.

"The Chairman is too generous with his praise. This child still needs to work much harder." Sakaki's smile seemed to deepen a little further, and a hint of pride inevitably crept into his words.

"Hehehe~ Gym Leader Sakaki is being too modest. In Alola, Mamen led Team Rocket, and even went so far as to subdue the Alola region's Island Guardian deity, Tapu Fini."

Agatha laughed in a low, hoarse voice as she spoke slowly, her cloudy eyes fixed intently on Sakaki.

"What?" Sakaki's brows knit instantly, as though he could not believe what he had just heard.

"Gym Leader Sakaki, your child Mamen has now joined Team Rocket and become a high-ranking executive — he is also the person in overall charge of Team Rocket in Alola." Officer Jenny said sternly.

"This…"

Sakaki instinctively fell dumb, his brows tightly furrowed as he stared at the three of them, his expression shifting constantly.

In his eyes there were three parts astonishment, three parts bewilderment, three parts loss of composure, and one part blank confusion.

"Officer Jenny, could you possibly have gotten it wrong? Mamen is not that kind of person. He's been well-behaved and sensible since he was little, and I've always taught him the League's creed properly. How could he possibly join an evil organization like Team Rocket?"

"That's impossible — absolutely impossible!"

After coming back to himself, Sakaki declared with absolute conviction, his tone extremely firm.

It was as if he were saying: a child I, Sakaki, personally raised — how could he possibly become a villain of Team Rocket?

(End of chapter)