"I appreciate the thought, Giovanni, but you should take the black card back. It's really too valuable."
Grey and Sabrina appeared out of nowhere.
After seeing the message Green had sent him, they'd come straight here.
And the moment they arrived, they happened to hear the conversation between Giovanni and Silver.
So you were using me as the entry point, huh?
Giovanni, you really went all-out just to get a conversation going with Silver.
You were even willing to offer me a black card—seriously generous!
Grey couldn't help laughing. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Giovanni with an amused expression.
Giovanni didn't look embarrassed at all. He smoothly withdrew the black card. "In that case, I won't insist."
"Yep. There's a meeting tomorrow, so make sure you go back and rest, Giovanni. I'm taking the dojo staff back with me now."
After Grey spoke, Sabrina used Teleport, bringing everyone back to the Fighting Dojo.
"Hah…"
Once Grey and the others were completely gone, Giovanni slowly let out a breath and stared at the spot where Silver had been standing. His eyes dimmed.
Silver was clearly his son, yet even getting a single meeting like this was unbelievably difficult.
But now wasn't the time for sentimental father-and-son reunions.
The gloom in Giovanni's face vanished.
In its place was cold resolve.
Kanto League… sooner or later, I, Giovanni, will tear you out by the roots!
Team Rocket will replace you—completely!
…
…
Saffron City, Fighting Dojo.
"Grey… do you think Giovanni was trying to poach someone?"
Back at the dojo, Green looked unsettled.
It was too weird.
Why would Giovanni treat Silver that well?
Silver hadn't even done much yet, and he'd only been an apprentice for a short time.
But Giovanni acted like he was unusually interested in him—he even pulled out a black card.
It was just… suspicious.
It gave off this strong feeling of "Giovanni is being way too good to Silver."
No Indigo League challenge required, no daily check-in evaluations, nothing like that.
He said it was an investment, but did it really need to go that far?
Green honestly couldn't wrap her head around it.
"Relax, relax. Giovanni doesn't have bad intentions. Even if he did want to poach someone, he'd definitely just smash them with money directly."
Grey shook his head, signaling Green not to overthink it.
Still… Giovanni had started reaching out to Silver on his own now.
But for their first real contact, Silver's reaction had been overly cautious.
That would probably make Giovanni less aggressive afterward.
"Alright, fine. Just be more careful from now on. Don't let Silver get stolen away~"
Green checked the time. After a quick reminder, she headed back to her room to plan tomorrow's schedule.
The dojo would still be closed tomorrow. She and Bumiao had already agreed to go wandering around again.
As for Silver…
He could stay behind and watch the dojo.
"I know. Tomorrow's a good chance to let Silver see the world a bit."
Grey thought about it. He needed to go to Silph Co. tomorrow anyway. With the dojo empty, he might as well bring Silver along.
"Then you better not take Silver to that kind of place."
"? In your eyes, am I that kind of sleazy person?"
Green's sudden "reminder" made Grey's eyelid twitch. He genuinely couldn't hold it together.
Every day it was nothing but trash talk!
Green, your brain is pure filthy thoughts.
"I'm not saying."
Green sized him up a few times, then remembered that stream tag that had gotten taken down before and sighed. "No idea whose stream tags and titles keep getting flagged by mods~"
"Wouldn't be—mmph… Grey, don't pinch my face!"
Her voice stretched out, her cheeks turning red again.
Grey was the worst!
"Alright, I'll stop messing with you. I've got to go pick someone up later tonight."
After letting go, Grey patted the top of Green's head.
"Pick someone up? You're picking up that rich boss lady? The one called Sleeping Beauty? You just had a date today and now tonight you've got—ugh! I'm sorry!"
Halfway through, Green saw Grey's hand coming again and hurriedly backed up.
"It's not Caitlin. It's Steven Stone—the Hoenn Champion next door. He's coming, and tomorrow he'll attend a meeting Silph Co. invited us to."
Grey explained.
And somehow, after that explanation, Green's look became even weirder.
"Grey… so you're going to pick up a guy you barely know?"
Green swallowed and started backing away faster.
"…"
Grey fully snapped, grabbed Green, and pinched her cheeks hard—like kneading dough—shaking her left and right.
"Wuuuhhh…"
Afterward, Green rubbed her bright red cheeks, tears dripping down.
She stomped her foot, but couldn't find any words.
Forget it.
Grey is the worst!
…
…
It was close to midnight, and Saffron City's sky grew darker and darker.
But in this sleepless city, nightlife was only just beginning.
Skyscrapers blazed with light, everything dazzlingly bright.
Grey arrived at Saffron City Airport.
The plane had already parked.
By the timing, Steven should've already disembarked.
Grey stood in the arrivals hall. The electronic board showed the flight from Hoenn had landed long ago.
He scanned the moving crowd, eyes sweeping every corner.
Finally, he spotted a young man who looked neat and put-together, with silver-blue hair.
Handsome, masked, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit—he looked like a genuine rich heir.
Even the casual motion of brushing his bangs carried an effortless elegance.
This was Hoenn's Champion—Steven.
Or rather, former Champion.
Not long ago, Steven had stepped down and handed the Champion title to his close friend, Wallace.
Even though Wallace got teased the moment he took over as the "weakest Champion,"
and even got lumped together with Alder as the "old and weak duo,"
Wallace's strength was still undeniably Champion level.
Just… a so-called "Champion gatekeeper," that was all.
[Dojo Annihilape: Mr. Steven, I can see you. pic.jpg]
[Former Hoenn Champion Steven: Let me see… alright. I'm coming over.]
Steven checked his phone. After confirming Grey's location, he headed over without delay.
They met.
"I've heard a lot about you, Gym Leader Grey."
Steven offered his hand. His grip was firm but perfectly measured.
"Capturing Zapdos and Articuno, and taking down a Team Rocket base… it's a record people can't help admiring."
"Not at all. You're flattering me, Mr. Steven. I just got lucky, that's all."
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