"Ding—"
As the elevator reached the top floor, Ryuuske stepped into the chairman's office of the world-renowned Silph Co.
A luxurious office spanning hundreds of square meters, with thick, plush carpets underfoot. The walls were adorned with decorations that exuded both opulence and solemn authority. One entire wall was a massive floor-to-ceiling window, offering a panoramic view of Saffron City—like an emperor surveying his domain.
The office was exquisitely decorated, blending grandeur with a profound sense of history, radiating understated extravagance from every corner.
"You're here, Ryuuske! A bit slower than I expected."
At the center of the room, behind a solid wood desk, sat a middle-aged man. As Ryuuske entered, the executive chair swiveled halfway, revealing Giovanni's cold, stern face.
"Ran into some delays along the way, Giovanni."
Ryuuske narrowed his eyes, watching Giovanni closely. Seeing no immediate signs of hostility, he relaxed slightly.
"Take a seat and rest for a bit."
Giovanni spoke as if he were the host here, gesturing for Ryuuske to sit on the nearby sofa. He didn't press for details about the delay. Ryuuske didn't stand on ceremony either, walking across the soft carpet to the sofa and pouring himself a drink from the table.
Giovanni admired Ryuuske's audacity—how casually he carried himself even in enemy territory.
At that moment, Ryuuske noticed a bound figure on the floor beside Giovanni—an elderly man, likely in his sixties or seventies. Though slightly frail, he appeared healthy, dressed in an expensive suit. Gagged, the man let out muffled noises upon seeing Ryuuske, his eyes pleading.
"This is Mr. Silph, chairman and founder of Silph Co."
Giovanni introduced him amiably, though Ryuuske had already guessed as much.
"Seems Mr. Silph has something to say to you."
Still seated in what should have been Silph's chair, Giovanni watched the old man with amusement before yanking off the gag, utterly indifferent to what he might say.
"Young Trainer, this man is Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket! He's been secretly orchestrating all of Rocket's crimes across Kanto! I'm the chairman of Silph Co.—help me, save me! If you rescue me, Silph Co. will grant you anything you want!"
Though Ryuuske seemed young, Silph was desperate. Facing death, he'd clutch at any straw.
To his credit, Silph was smart. He didn't start with bribes, which might backfire. Instead, he first cemented Giovanni's villainy, appealing to a young Trainer's sense of justice, then dangled the carrot of reward.
Giovanni remained unfazed, simply observing Ryuuske's reaction.
"This really is top-shelf stuff from the chairman's office. This drink's made from some kind of Pokémon extract, isn't it?"
Ryuuske smacked his lips after a sip, setting the glass down with a satisfied sigh.
"Mr. Chairman, there's really nothing I want from Silph Co. If you're offering money, forget it. On my way here, I happened to pass your finance department and ran into some very generous Rocket members. I tried to refuse, but they insisted on transferring 700 billion into my account. Sure, that's only a tenth of Silph Co.'s liquid assets, but honestly? It's more than enough for me."
Ryuuske's tone was earnest. The old man's jaw dropped, his hopes crumbling instantly.
"Hah—HAHAHAHA!! I like you more and more, Ryuuske!"
Giovanni burst into laughter. Of course, he knew Ryuuske had stolen that money from Rocket—but he didn't care. After all, Rocket had stolen it from Silph first.
"Do you know how Team Rocket was founded?"
Giovanni abruptly shifted the topic to Rocket's origins.
"The Silph family wasn't always powerful. They had some wealth, but nothing compared to the great clans. This old man was talented in his youth. About fifty years ago, just as the League was forming, he founded Silph Co. But back then, the company was weak—no match for its competitors. To grow, he turned to underhanded methods."
"...That's right. When fair competition failed, he resorted to sabotage. With Silph Co.'s funding, my mother established the original Team Rocket—smuggling Pokémon, stealing trade secrets, even assassinations. Silph Co. grew through this mix of light and dark, reaching its current scale."
Giovanni's voice dripped with disdain.
"...He got addicted to the power. Pumped more money into Rocket, thinking wealth alone could control it. Success blinded him—he forgot the strength of Trainers. When I took over from my mother, he still believed he could manipulate me. Little did he know, I was using his money for my goals."
"...Now, Rocket no longer needs Silph Co. Nor do we need to hide."
Gagging Silph again, Giovanni steepled his fingers, locking eyes with Ryuuske.
"...I admire you, Ryuuske. You have a Trainer's strength, a worldview beyond naive morality, and clear ambitions. You don't shackle yourself to pointless ethics or laws. You're strong, intelligent—exactly the kind of person I need!"
"How about it? Join Team Rocket. I'll be frank—I have an incurable illness. No existing technology can save me. I have only a few years left. Help me fulfill one last wish, and I'll hand all of Rocket to you."
"Massive funds. Cutting-edge technology. A loyal army. Gym Leaders at your command—even Sabrina will obey you. With your talent, you could lead Rocket to conquer Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh—even distant Unova! You could build a new League, answering only to you!"
Giovanni's smile was icy. He pressed a button on the desk, triggering a mechanical transformation. From within, two Poké Balls emerged.
"You've seen these before. The Master Ball—or 'Champion Ball.' You took one from my lab. Due to material and technical limits, even Silph Co.'s vast resources could produce fewer than five."
"But understand this, Ryuuske—against truly powerful Trainers, even Legendary Pokémon can be defeated. The reason humans can't capture them lies in their immortality and rapid recovery. Even if you beat one, it can always flee."
"...The Master Ball was created for this. Once caught, even a Legendary can't escape easily. Even if it refuses to obey, the Trainer has all the time in the world to break its will."
Giovanni tossed one Master Ball to Ryuuske.
"This one's yours."
Catching it, Ryuuske suppressed a smirk.
How generous—giving away something that wasn't even yours to begin with.
To be continued…