Chapter 152: Ready to Go
After two days in the infirmary, Giovanni returned to his own quarters. He needed privacy.
The constant presence of others in the medical bay forced him to conceal the power of Viridian, preventing him from using the Calm Mind meditation and slowing his recovery.
In the solitude of his room, the healing accelerated. In just two weeks, his injuries had almost completely vanished. He sat in meditation, feeling the power of Viridian continuously strengthening within him.
He opened his eyes, a faint light glowing within them. With a single motion, he tore off the last of the bandages, revealing a body covered in a new tapestry of scars, each one a testament to his survival.
The near-death experience had changed him. He could feel it. The power of Viridian, and his own physical form, had been tempered in the crucible of battle.
So long as he survived, he grew stronger.
He slowly got up. Persian was in the room with him. He beckoned it over. In the past two weeks, Nidorino and Machoke, with their abnormal Pokémon physiques, had already mostly recovered and returned to his side. Only Beedrill and Persian's grievous wounds had not yet fully healed.
But with his own power now restored, Giovanni no longer had to worry. He could use the power of Viridian to mend their remaining injuries and purge any lingering damage from the ambush.
Persian limped to his side. Giovanni placed a hand on its head, and a wave of green energy flowed into it. The Pokémon purred, its eyes narrowing in comfort as its injuries began to knit themselves back together.
Because his own power had been strengthened, the healing was significantly faster. Even after mending Persian's wounds, he still had enough energy to do the same for Beedrill.
The next day, he found Matt.
Due to the protests from Captain Price and his faction, Madame Boss had already announced Giovanni's "punishment," though the specifics remained unknown. The perceived demotion had caused a ripple effect; Raven's influence had grown, with many Chiefs and even some of Captain Ank's own subordinates flocking to his side.
Ank was furious but could do nothing but keep his head down.
The base was buzzing with activity; the next assessment was only days away. It was the perfect time for them to depart unnoticed.
Matt scanned Giovanni up and down, a flicker of surprise in his eyes at the speed of his recovery. "You are here. How are your injuries?"
"They are fine," Giovanni nodded.
"Good," Matt said. "Then we prepare to act." He had already made most of the preparations, but Giovanni's recuperation had caused a slight delay.
"Understood." Giovanni had no objections. He had already packed what little he needed.
An hour later, on the Viridian Base's tarmac, a medium-sized transport plane sat with its rear hatch open— a squad of Team Rocket grunts loaded boxes of supplies.
Nearly two hundred personnel, including four Chiefs, were being deployed for this mission.
It seemed the new base was a significant undertaking. In the Pokémon world, with the help of their Pokémon, a hundred people could achieve the work of a thousand.
Under Matt's direction, the personnel boarded the plane. As the hatch began to close, he led Giovanni, now wearing his Meowth mask, to a graceful woman overseeing the final manifest.
It was not Miyamoto, but Hera.
With Giovanni ambushed and nearly killed, Madame Boss had sent Miyamoto to "assist" Petrel, a euphemism for keeping a very close watch on him.
Petrel, having already received news of the failed ambush, would now find it much more difficult to make a move, especially with Miyamoto's... attentive presence.
"Lady Hera," Matt said respectfully. "Thank you for your hard work."
Hera closed her datapad. "It is my duty. These initial resources are ready. A second shipment will be sent in three months." She looked at Matt. "Allocate them reasonably. If they run out, you will have to survive on your own."
"We will," Matt replied. "Surviving in the wild is nothing new to us."
Hera shook her head, then her beautiful eyes landed on the masked Giovanni. "Oh, and if it isn't the Young Master who courts death."
A few black lines might as well have appeared on Giovanni's forehead. "Lady Hera, please do not tease."
"How would I dare?" she purred, her red lips forming a smirk. "Otherwise, the Young Master might decide to kill me as well."
Giovanni took a half-step back. "You jest, my lady. I would not dare."
"Who knows?" she said, rolling her eyes with a flirtatious charm. "You have stood me up a few times, after all."
A single drop of cold sweat trickled down Giovanni's forehead. "There were reasons. Well, we should be going, correct, Captain Matt?"
Though Matt's face was stern, Giovanni could see a fire burning in his eyes. At Giovanni's repeated urging, however, the captain finally led him away. "We really must be leaving," Matt whispered to Hera. "Please do not be angry, my lady."
Giovanni bid his own farewell and quickly boarded the plane.
Hera watched him go and smiled. "Interesting. It seems I am truly getting old."
On the plane, Giovanni and Matt sat in the premium cabin at the front. A few of the mission's Chiefs were also there. They immediately guessed the masked boy's identity.
Only someone of his stature could make them wait so long, and require a personal escort from Captain Matt. The recent rumors spreading through the base only confirmed it.
Still, since Giovanni had not revealed himself and Matt had said nothing, they kept their mouths shut. Their gazes, however, were wary.
Giovanni's fierce reputation preceded him—the previous incident where he had single-handedly eliminated a Chief and several Captains, and now this, his resistance against four Senior-level assassins.
It was said that by the time Matt had arrived, Giovanni had already killed them all.
Such strength had long surpassed that of a mere Chief.
He was truly worthy of being the future leader.