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"But..."
Officer Jenny listened to Ash's words and turned to look at Giovanni and his men. She had recovered the Sacred Flame, but she still suspected that all of this had something to do with Giovanni.
If he was really behind it, why would he give it up so easily? Yet now that the Sacred Flame was in Ash's hands, she found herself in an awkward position.
"Just listen to Ash, Officer Jenny!"
At that moment, a voice rang out, and a figure walked into the room. Officer Jenny and the others stepped aside, while Giovanni's men outside didn't try to stop the newcomer.
"President!" Upon hearing the voice, Officer Jenny looked behind her with a nervous expression at the person who had just arrived.
"President, why are you here? It's very dangerous!"
"It doesn't matter. With a Trainer like Ash here, I have no concerns about my safety," the newcomer replied.
The person who had arrived was none other than President Charles. He waved his hand casually as he walked in, glancing at the Sacred Flame in Ash's hand. He gave Ash a slight nod, his eyes expressing gratitude, before turning his attention forward.
"Long time no see!"
When President Charles looked at Giovanni, there was a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. Giovanni, upon seeing President Charles's arrival, lowered his head slightly, closed his eyes, and let out a small laugh. With his hands in his pockets, he smiled softly.
"Old man, how much longer do you have left if you're still being so reckless at your age?"
When facing President Charles, Giovanni's expression remained unchanged as he spoke slowly.
Listening to the exchange between the two, everyone present was quite surprised. The person in charge of the Pokémon League and the leader of the criminal organization Team Rocket seemed to know each other very well.
"You bastard! How dare you disrespect the President!"
At that moment, after hearing Giovanni's words, one of President Charles's bodyguards shouted angrily.
Several bodyguards looked ready to fight, but Giovanni didn't seem to care. The men around Giovanni also tensed up, ready for conflict.
"Hahaha! Living a long life has its advantages—you get to witness how things change. The passionate boy from back then has changed too, hasn't he?"
President Charles squinted his eyes as he looked at Giovanni standing before him. Giovanni seemed momentarily stunned by President Charles's words, but he quickly regained his composure.
"You're still as sharp-tongued as ever. If you have nothing else to say, then state your business!"
"Officer Jenny, have your people withdraw!"
Seeing this, President Charles looked at Giovanni with a trace of pity in his eyes, then signaled to Officer Jenny to have everyone leave.
"But President..."
Officer Jenny hesitated at this request, but since the President had already spoken, she didn't dare to disobey. She quickly signaled everyone to exit.
Then President Charles also took a long look at Giovanni before signaling his own people to retreat. Ash noticed this and glanced at Giovanni.
"Farewell!"
Giovanni didn't say much and signaled his men to clear the way. Soon, Ash and his group took the Sacred Flame and left the backyard of Viridian Gym along with President Charles and the others.
President Charles stood outside, letting out a deep sigh, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.
Looking back several decades ago, not long after the Pokémon League competition had started, many young Trainers actively participated.
Although they were all excellent Trainers, very few made him feel particularly impressed. However, there were three Trainers he would never forget.
One was the current Pokémon Professor—Professor Oak's son, who was also Gary's father.
Another was the leader of Team Rocket, now the Gym Leader of Viridian Gym—Giovanni.
The last one... he could see that person's shadow in Ash.
Back then, Giovanni was just like Ash now—traveling around with Pokémon, participating in competitions with passion and dreams. But he never expected what would happen later.
The three people who originally shared the same goal ended up taking completely different paths.
At that time, Giovanni had also spoken to him arrogantly and rudely, just like he had done moments ago, but President Charles back then didn't mind at all. Instead, he admired and thought highly of that young man.
"President!" President Charles was still lost in his memories when Ash stepped forward and handed him the Sacred Flame in its container.
"Thank you. This must have been really difficult for you, Ash!" President Charles accepted the Sacred Flame, then handed it to the bodyguard beside him before looking at Ash seriously.
"It was nothing! It didn't take much effort. Then... I'll say goodbye now!"
Ash didn't intend to stay. After returning the Sacred Flame, he prepared to leave with Misty and Brock.
"Alright then. I'll see you at Indigo Plateau—I wish you the best results!" President Charles responded with a smile, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"See you later!"
After saying that, the three of them turned and left. Watching their backs as they walked away, President Charles's eyes flashed with a trace of melancholy for a moment before he looked at the bodyguard beside him.
"Convey my message—remove all surveillance on Viridian Gym!" After pondering for a moment, President Charles gave the order.
"But... President, won't this..."
His subordinates were surprised by the command. If they stopped the surveillance, it would mean that if Giovanni did something harmful again, they would have no way of predicting it.
"Just do as I say! You too, Officer Jenny—withdraw all the police forces!"
But President Charles didn't elaborate. He simply ordered them to carry out his wishes. He also instructed Officer Jenny to remove the police force that Viridian City had sent to help with the monitoring.
"Yes, sir!"
On Ash's end, he knew nothing about President Charles's arrangements, and matters like these weren't his decision to make anyway.
The three of them returned to the Pokémon Center to rest, while the torch relay continued. President Charles returned to the original street and resumed the torch relay.
The next day, as the Sacred Flame left Viridian City, Ash also continued his journey toward Indigo Plateau.
After the episode in Viridian City, he finally set foot on the road known as Victory Road.
Walking along the path, they could already see many Trainers, and as they moved forward, they could feel the unusual atmosphere in the air growing stronger.