One week passed.
Giovanni stayed in Pewter City for a full week, and only then did all four of his Pokémon completely master the Rock Tomb move.
Furthermore, Nidoking and Rhydon also thoroughly mastered the Mega Punch move along the way.
His skill slots were a bit fuller.
During this week, other Trainers also came to challenge the Gym, except for those who won battles against Takeo's second team of Pokémon.
Those who, like Giovanni, directly challenged Takeo's first team—well, now it was a battle against Flint.
But without exception, they all failed, as Trainers with Gym Leader Level strength are very rare.
Although his relationship with Flint wasn't particularly close, Giovanni didn't dislike him due to Flint's straightforward nature.
The two could already be considered friends.
Of course, in Flint's heart, he already considered Giovanni the godfather of his future children.
So, when Rhydon and the others learned the Rock Tomb move and Giovanni prepared to leave, he was a bit reluctant.
It's worth mentioning that during this week, according to Giovanni's plan, Matt continued to distribute Fire Stones.
Giovanni didn't have a computer at the Rock Gym, which completely dispelled Flint and Lola's suspicions.
The Researcher who was happiest about the Fire Stones being distributed was naturally Blaine.
The others were those Trainers who specialized in Fire-type Pokémon; Researcher Giovanni's identity was like a rising supernova.
It had already been imprinted in the hearts of Kanto region Trainers.
For ordinary people, if they couldn't come into contact with Pokémon, that impression would naturally be less.
However, for them, Giovanni's other identity became useful.
With a large amount of funding, Team Rocket began to cultivate new members; although Giovanni's true face would not be exposed to the lower-level Team Rocket members.
However, Madame Boss's back and Giovanni's figure wearing a mask and a black robe would be imprinted in the hearts of these Team Rocket members by Ashin, who transformed into a viper instructor, and Hanzo of the shadows.
It was Madame Boss and Giovanni who gave them a new opportunity, who gave them a new life!
In the eyes of these people, this kind of salvation, coupled with Team Rocket' brainwashing, would make them give everything for Team Rocket.
Outside the Pewter City Gym, Flint reluctantly asked Giovanni, "Are you really not staying a few more days?"
Giovanni gently patted Flint's shoulder, "Time is a bit tight. Let's meet at the Indigo Plateau Conference. You all will be attending then, won't you?"
Seeing Giovanni's resolute attitude, Flint could only agree, "Okay, then I'll see you then. I truly hope that one day, I will prove myself just like you."
Giovanni turned and left, heading from Pewter City towards Cerulean City. "Then I'll see you around."
Not long after he left, he saw two little kids standing outside Pewter City, asking Flint, who had just come out:
"Uncle, we want to challenge the Gym!"
Flint looked at the two little kids in front of him and yelled at them, "What uncle?! I just turned eighteen!"
The rather thick-skinned kid mumbled twice, "Then why do you look like you're in your thirties?"
"Red, don't talk nonsense."
The other kid quickly covered his companion's mouth, then smiled apologetically at Flint, "Big brother, I'm really sorry. We're here to challenge the Gym."
Flint looked at the two kids suspiciously, clearly not believing them, "Challenge the Gym? Where are your Trainer ID cards?"
The two kids exchanged glances, "Trainer ID cards? What are those?"
Flint looked at the two kids and explained to them, "Sure enough, you don't look like that age. Trainers must be registered with the League; just a Pokémon adoption certificate from a guarantor isn't enough."
He looked at the two kids, stroking his chin, "You two didn't run away from home, did you?"
The two kids exchanged glances, immediately turned tail, and ran away.
"No, we're leaving first. We won't challenge the Gym."
Flint looked at the backs of the two kids, scratching his head, "Two strange kids."
...
Leaving Pewter City, on the way to Cerulean City, one would inevitably pass through Mt. Moon, unless they took a large detour.
And now Mt. Moon was Team Rocket' private territory; normal Trainers would need to detour or pay a toll, only able to go from the foot of the mountain.
As for Giovanni, kidding, half of this mountain was his; did he still need to detour?
After another week's walk from Pewter City, Giovanni also saw the towering Mt. Moon.
When night fell, the moon reflected on the mountaintop, giving a feeling of being within reach.
Looking up, you see the moon—that's Mt. Moon.
It was already dusk when Giovanni arrived. He stood at the foot of the mountain, looking at the camouflaged pavilion, then glanced at the nearby bushes, feeling the energy fluctuations nearby, and a slight smile played on his lips.
He stepped forward, slowly reaching the pavilion, and gently knocked on the window, but after a minute.
A scruffy-looking old man yawned and opened the window. "Who is it?"
Giovanni narrowed his eyes and replied, "A passerby."
The old man didn't even lift his eyelids, just placed a money box on the window, "That'll be one hundred Poké dollars, then hurry up and pass."
Giovanni pulled out a hundred Poké dollars, but didn't put it directly into the money box. Instead, he waved it twice and said, "You just sleep like that, aren't you afraid I'll just pass by or go up the mountain?"
Only then did the old man glance at Giovanni, but after seeing how young Giovanni was, he sneered, "Sneak past? There are quite a few wild Pokémon on this Mt. Moon. If you die up there, it'll be hard to say."
Giovanni raised an eyebrow slightly. This guy was threatening, but it wasn't an overt threat. Thinking of the Pokémon watching nearby, it was indeed Team Rocket' style. "Interesting."
The old man yawned, and Giovanni put the Poké dollars in.
"If you're going to pass, hurry up and pass, don't waste words. Quite a few people have passed by recently, making this old body suffer. And lately, I keep hearing that demonic sound at night..."
He glanced at Giovanni and said irritably, "Why aren't you leaving yet? If you don't leave, take a detour."
Giovanni's lips curved upwards, "Leaving, I'm leaving now."
Under the old man's gaze, he slowly followed the path at the foot of the mountain and went around to the front.
When he was halfway, the moon had already hung in the sky.
And from above, a faint, almost imperceptible singing sound seemed to drift down, lulling one to sleep.
Giovanni gently stomped his foot, and the shadow beneath him slowly emerged, transforming into Haunter. Haunter held a meowth mask in its claws and presented it to Giovanni.
Giovanni took the mask and put it on his face, changed into a Team Rocket uniform, pointed upwards, "Let's go, take me up to see what's going on."
Actually, Giovanni had some idea about the demonic sound, but seeing was believing.
Under Giovanni's command, Haunter immediately enveloped Giovanni and swiftly moved upwards along the mountain wall, as if flying close to the mountain!