Boom!
Giovanni closed the book he had been reading and glanced at the people in the room, nodding slightly without showing any emotion.
This place gathered most of the current high-ranking members of Team Rocket, and it was also part of the organization's core leadership.
Among them, only Cain was attending for the first time; the others were figures whose loyalty and reputation had already been well proven.
Many of the various internal factions within Team Rocket originated precisely from this group of people.
"Alright, everyone is here. There are some matters and several missions I need to talk about," Giovanni said seriously.
With his words, those present temporarily set aside their prejudices.
Although each had formed their own factions, their respect and loyalty toward Giovanni were absolutely genuine.
With his strength, methods, and charisma, Giovanni had earned the absolute loyalty of most of those present.
"I assume you all already know this: the Kanto region is preparing to split into Kanto and Johto. This is a trap set by the League, but it can also be seen as an opportunity. A dangerous opportunity, yes, but nevertheless an excellent moment for us to infiltrate the League's Elite Four," Giovanni said as he stroked the Persian at his side.
He then directed his gaze toward Koga, Sabrina, and Surge.
First, he dismissed the volatile Sabrina, then Surge, who was at least formidable in individual strength, and finally his gaze settled on Koga.
Giovanni knew that Koga had always desired to become one of the Elite Four, and he was already very close to achieving it; only certain reasons had prevented his promotion.
In terms of individual strength, Koga was among the most outstanding in the room.
"Koga, you have the greatest opportunity. Originally, you were supposed to become the fourth member of Kanto's Elite Four, but Lorelei displaced you. The League will have to give you an explanation; when the time comes, there will be a place for you among the Johto Elite Four," Giovanni said.
Koga maintained his firm expression and nodded. "Yes."
The League had already hinted at this to him through envoys, albeit indirectly.
Although he still felt dissatisfied, he had no alternative.
As a resident of Kanto, being sent to Johto as part of the Elite Four was not exactly good news; moreover, he would no longer be able to remain the Gym Leader of Fuchsia City.
But Koga was not the only one who felt uncomfortable. Among the Four Generals sitting together on the sofa, their expressions were also far from pleasant.
They had always been responsible for the Johto region, but with Koga entering as an Elite Four member, what would become of them now that they would have a superior over their heads?
As if reading their thoughts, Giovanni spoke directly: "You four will continue with your duties as usual. Koga going to Johto will not affect you. But Koga, the Team Rocket headquarters in Fuchsia City must be properly handed over before your departure."
At these words, the Four Generals finally let out a sigh of relief.
They did not fear confronting Koga directly, but his assassination skills were so refined that practically no one in the room did not fear him.
The three principal commanders were no simple figures either: Sabrina's psychic powers, Surge's army, and Koga's assassination techniques were exactly what allowed the three of them to slightly surpass the Four Generals.
To the side, the Three Beasts watched in silence. They answered directly to Giovanni and did not get along well with almost anyone, especially because they carried out special missions directly under his command, which inflated their pride.
Amid all of them, Cain's presence seemed somewhat conspicuous and out of place.
"But Archer, you four must also prepare yourselves. At the beginning there will be turmoil; according to the current situation, if you can let go of something, let it go for now. The old men of the League are not targeting us," Giovanni warned.
Hearing this, everyone showed thoughtful expressions.
If it wasn't against Team Rocket, then against whom?
Each already had an answer in their heart.
Moreover, recently Team Rocket had reduced its presence for strategic reasons, so it did not frequently appear on the League's radar.
"And... lately, I suppose several of you have been contacted by those who call themselves the Sacred Church, correct?" Giovanni abruptly changed the topic.
The room suddenly fell silent. No one spoke, but the silence said everything.
Suddenly, Giovanni smiled. "There must also be people under your command who have been contacted. Make sure to warn them."
At this, everyone grew serious. Even they had been tempted by the offers of the Sacred Church. If not for their knowledge of Giovanni's power, methods, and personality, they might have already given in.
If they, the high-ranking members, had been tempted, then it was more than certain that there were already infiltrators in the lower ranks.
"Yes!" they responded in unison.
Giovanni trusted those present; otherwise, he would never have kept them at his side.
"The final matter is also the most important. The modification of Mew's gene is already in its final stage. I hope that both you and your subordinates remain calm."
"At this crucial point, I don't want anyone doing something that forces me to clean up their messes. If anyone screws up, they will bear it alone. I believe you understand what I mean." His tone was stern and solemn.
Everyone knew what the Mew gene project meant to Giovanni: it was not only the fulfillment of a personal obsession, but the entire future of Team Rocket.
The losses caused by years of strategic retreat, their recovery, and the possibility of standing toe to toe with the League all depended on this final moment.
"By the way, we must thank the battle of the Three Legendary Pokémon in Hoenn. Thanks to that, we were able to collect part of their genes and integrate them into Mew's genes, greatly accelerating the progress of the research." As he said this, Giovanni glanced sideways at Cain, who remained unperturbed.
Sabrina and Koga, who had deduced Cain's identity, also glanced at him briefly. But the psychic fog prevented them from seeing his expression.
Cain, however, was astonished. Even he did not know when Giovanni had obtained the genes of the three ancient legendaries, much less that he had fused them with Mew's.
Would the Pokémon created by that process... still be Mewtwo?
"So keep your people in check. We only need to remain hidden a little longer. Very soon, our reappearance will come, and by then, whether it is the League or the Sacred Church, everyone will have to bow before Team Rocket!" Giovanni declared, spreading his arms with enthusiasm. He could feel that he was about to reach the peak of his life.
"Yes!!" everyone in the room responded, and on their faces one could see a growing fervor.
(End of chapter)