Chapter 151: Aftermath
Stepping out of Madame Boss's office, Matt spoke to Giovanni, his voice low and direct. "Time is a luxury we do not have. As soon as your Pokémon have recovered, we set off.
Everyone I am bringing is loyal to me. You can rest assured of that." He added, "It would be best if you only give your own confidants a heads-up about our departure."
"Understood," Giovanni nodded. Matt, despite his cold demeanor, was meticulous. To reach the rank of Captain, one had to be.
"Your own injuries also need time to heal," Matt continued. "Go back to the infirmary. I will claim your resource allotment on your behalf."
Giovanni bid a temporary farewell to the captain and walked slowly back toward the medical bay.
Ank and his men were still waiting for him. Captain Price and his group had already departed. It made sense; they had their recording. They had their leverage. The body of the traitor, Nick, had long since been cleared away.
Ank and Archer rushed forward the moment they saw him. "Lord Giovanni, how did it go? What did the Boss say?"
Giovanni shook his head. "She said nothing specific. We merely discussed the attack." It was unrealistic to expect Petrel to be overthrown because of this single incident. Ank knew this.
"What about the traitor?" Ank pressed.
Giovanni glanced at him. "He has not been mentioned— but it is unlikely his actions will be overlooked."
Anxiety immediately gripped Ank. He was tied to Giovanni's fate. "This will not do. I will go and explain everything to the Boss. What does it matter if Price has a recording? It is nothing compared to the traitor selling you out."
"Yes," Archer added anxiously. "I was Nick's captain. My statement will be useful. I will go as well."
Giovanni held up a hand, silencing them. "There is no need. What do you think my mother's informants are for? How could she not know what happened here?"
The two men fell silent. Of course. In this organization, nothing was hidden from Madame Boss's eyes. She would have known about the confrontation long before she summoned Giovanni.
The fact that he had returned meant the situation was under control.
"You are right, you are right," Ank said, patting his chest, showing none of the decorum expected of a Captain. It was this lack of composure that made Petrel so eager to replace him.
There were some things Giovanni could only reveal to his most trusted followers. "Do not crowd around here. Go about your business. Archer, Mars, you stay."
Karle and the other recruits were not yet qualified to be in his inner circle. They nodded and took their leave. Ank, giving an awkward smile, also departed. "I wish you a speedy recovery. I will take my leave now."
Giovanni gestured for his two followers to accompany him. "Let us go back to my room."
Archer and Mars, sensing Giovanni's mood, kept their silence.
Once back in the room, Giovanni informed them that he would be leaving for a period of time. He did not say where or when. It was not that he didn't trust them, but this was the safest way.
His brush with death had made him far more cautious.
Both Archer and Mars immediately volunteered to go with him, but Giovanni refused. He explained that they would likely be undergoing supervision and assessment soon, and that it would be best if they could give Proton and the others some guidance.
If it was too risky, they were not to do it.
It was an unfair advantage, but this was Team Rocket. Even if Giovanni didn't bend the rules, others would. It was simply a matter of who was more meticulous, who hid their tracks the deepest, and who didn't get caught.
"Yes, my lord," they replied in unison. "We understand."
Giovanni packed a few changes of clothes and walked with them back to the infirmary.
Dr. Mueller saw him return. "You were gone for quite some time."
"A small incident," Giovanni replied with a humorless smile.
"It is time for your IV," the doctor said, gesturing to two nurses. "Go and lie down."
The IV drip took several hours. Only then did Giovanni have time to see his Pokémon. Dr. Mueller led him to a separate room. "They are all in here," he said, pushing the door open.
"Persian and Beedrill are still in a coma. Their injuries were too severe. It will take some time for them to wake." He added, "Only you are permitted entry."
"Thank you," Giovanni said, then stepped inside.
In several large, humming treatment pods lay his Pokémon. Nidorino, Machoke, and Rhyhorn's injuries were relatively light. The gruesome wounds had been sealed, and while it would take time for them to fully recover, they were no longer in critical condition.
The medical technology of this world, though not as advanced as it would one day become, was still powerful.
The three Pokémon opened their eyes upon hearing him enter. Seeing it was Giovanni, their anxious energy finally settled.
He placed a hand on each of their pods. "All of you, rest well and recover quickly. Later, we will have our revenge."
They nodded vigorously before closing their eyes again.
Then, Giovanni walked to the last two pods. He looked at Beedrill and Persian.
Even after treatment, their injuries were still terrifying to behold. He gently placed his hand on the thick glass.
"You two worked hard this time. If not for you, we would not have survived. You must get well soon."
The treatment pod was too thick for his power to penetrate. And even if it could, his own injuries were too severe. He needed to recover as well.
He wasn't sure if his emotions had reached them, or if they simply sensed his presence, but both Pokémon stirred slightly, as if to tell him they were alright.
Giovanni removed his hand. He felt the bandages wrapped tightly around his own body, the sharp pain still radiating from within.
His eyes glinted with a cold, merciless light, and his killing intent surged anew.