Hearing Aoki's question, Giovanni just laughed.
Aoki always understood the hidden meaning in his words, which made Giovanni appreciate him even more. Sometimes, being a leader was much easier when you had a subordinate who was very smart and could intuitively grasp your intentions.
"You completed your mission well last time. All the reward points have been credited to your ID card," Giovanni said.
Hearing this, Aoki felt a flicker of satisfaction. Since Giovanni specifically mentioned the last mission, it meant he was quite pleased with the outcome. The primary objective had been obtaining the genetic material of the Legendary Birds, but the near-destruction of the Jinchuan family was also a significant blow to an organization of their stature.
"Thank you, Chief," Aoki said respectfully.
"I called you here because I have a new mission for you," Giovanni said, slowly rising from his chair. He placed his hands behind his back and walked to the window, looking down at the Team Rocket operatives moving about the base below. Aoki followed him to the window. From this vantage point, the entire base seemed to sprawl out beneath them, creating a feeling of overseeing a vast domain.
"Aren't you curious about what the mission entails?" Giovanni asked, looking at Aoki with an amused smile, seeming very satisfied with his subordinate's attitude.
Aoki met Giovanni's gaze briefly—the first time he had dared to do so. Even that momentary contact made him feel an immense pressure. As expected of Giovanni, he thought.
"Curious," Aoki answered honestly.
"Hahahahaha——" Giovanni vlaughed heartily at his response. Still laughing, he reached out and clapped Aoki on the shoulder. "I like this straightforwardness. I've always been a good judge of character. I can see you have great ambitions—perhaps even grand ones—and I admire your restraint. You may not even be fully conscious of your own drive, but I find it commendable. As a man, especially in a world as vast and mysterious as the world of Pokemon, how can one not have ambition?! Without ambition, how can you grow stronger?! You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger..."
As Giovanni spoke, a hint of surprise flickered in Aoki's eyes. He hadn't realized his aspirations were so transparent. It was a reminder to never underestimate anyone, especially someone like Giovanni, a peerless figure who appeared only once in a century. His ability to read people was terrifyingly accurate. Aoki had believed his own motives were well-hidden, yet they hadn't escaped Giovanni's notice.
"It doesn't matter," Giovanni continued. "I never worry about whether my subordinates have ambition. To a certain extent, I believe only those with ambition are truly worth cultivating. It isn't just you. I can sense the ambition in Shadow, Dark, and the others. That is precisely why they hold the positions they do!" Giovanni exuded powerful confidence, his smile indicating he saw Aoki as a rare find. In this world, perhaps only Giovanni possessed such breadth of vision and self-assurance. In his mind, as long as he remained the strongest, no one would dare betray him. To others, this might seem like arrogance, but to the members of Team Rocket, especially to Aoki, this was part of Giovanni's immense personal charisma. Men like him only met one of two ends: a tragic downfall or world-shaking success.
Aoki admitted to himself that he had significant ambitions, but they were primarily focused on his own growth. He aspired to become a presence in the Pokemon world that nobody could surpass or contain. Compared to Giovanni's own world-spanning ambitions, it was nothing. Yet, Giovanni still valued subordinates like him precisely because they had greater potential for growth.
Aoki lowered his head slightly, saying nothing. Giovanni did not press the point further. His words were simply meant to convey to Aoki that as long as he demonstrated sufficient value, even if his ultimate goal was to lead Team Rocket itself, Giovanni would not move against him for that reason alone. This was fundamentally different from the way a traditional family like the Jinchuan operated.
"Alright, come with me. I will show you something," Giovanni said, waving a hand. He walked to his desk and pressed a button almost imperceptibly. A low mechanical sound followed.
Click, click, click——
The sound of grinding gears echoed as the large bookshelf behind the desk began to slide apart, revealing a hidden passageway.
The Persian beside Giovanni padded gracefully to his side and followed him into the passage. Aoki did not hesitate and followed closely behind. After they entered, the bookshelf slid shut again, sealing seamlessly.
Aoki followed Giovanni, his eyes occasionally drifting to the Persian walking alongside him. Given its evident strength and conditioning, this Persian could likely hold its own against Drake's Dragonite. The outcome of such a battle would be uncertain, but it was a testament to Giovanni's own power. This Persian was essentially a companion Pokemon, not even one of Giovanni's main battle partners.
The passage was brightly lit, the walls and ceiling constructed from a smooth, incredibly hard-looking metal alloy. It wasn't very long; after walking for about a minute behind Giovanni, they reached the end.
They stepped out into a massive laboratory. A large number of researchers in white coats and surgical masks moved about with purpose, entirely absorbed in their work. Giovanni's arrival had no visible impact on them; they were completely immersed in their tasks. The scale of this laboratory was the largest Aoki had ever seen, dwarfing the facilities of both Professor Oak and Professor Syncamore, and even surpassing the main League research headquarters in Hoenn.
"Is this... the Mew Gene Research Laboratory?" Aoki murmured, taking in the staggering sight before him.
"Correct!" Giovanni replied, a clear note of satisfaction in his voice. He was evidently very pleased with the progress of the Mew gene research. "All of Team Rocket's Doctors of Pokemon research are gathered here. Every single piece of equipment is the most advanced in the world." A hint of pride was audible in his declaration.
None of the researchers paid them any mind as they walked through the bustling lab. Giovanni didn't seem angered by this in the slightest; on the contrary, he appeared satisfied by their total focus.
After they had walked for a short while, a man finally detached himself from his work and came to greet them. He was a thin, middle-aged man with a strikingly bald head, dressed in the standard white lab coat and mask.