No one knew what was going on with Giovanni today; he told Cain so many things, even revealing his final plan to him.
Perhaps it was because Cain was the most talented member of Team Rocket he had ever seen, or perhaps... because Cain resembled his past self a little.
"I've talked too much. Actually, I called you this time because there's something I want you to do." Giovanni sat back down in his boss's chair.
Cain raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead, Boss."
He didn't know why, but Cain thought he saw a trace of discomfort on Giovanni's face.
Discomfort?
"Ahem, ahem... It's like this. You're someone who came out of Trial Island, so you should know its situation well. The new round of trial missions has already begun, and a group of newly selected members will enter Trial Island. Everything will follow the rules, but..."
As Giovanni said this, the discomfort on his face increased, though it vanished in an instant. Even so, Cain felt an extremely bad premonition.
"But among them, there are two people. Their names are Jessie and James. I want you to look after them a bit."
"..."
Cain stared at Giovanni in a daze, as if his ears had malfunctioned. Who was he supposed to look after?
"Jessie? James?" Cain repeated in a low voice.
"That's right, Jessie and James. She is the daughter of one of my former right-hand men, and he is the son of an old friend of mine. Although asking this of you really wastes your talent, I believe only you can keep them under control."
"If possible, let them complete the entire trial mission. If not, simply end it for them and take them to the Hoenn region. Kanto isn't peaceful right now, and with... their level of intelligence, they probably wouldn't survive the changes that are coming."
Cain felt as if his worldview had been completely shattered today.
Had he met three different Giovannis today?
The first was the leader of Team Rocket, calm and imposing before the high command, a figure respected by all.
The second was a man with ideals, discussing plans to change the world of Pokémon and overthrow the League.
And the third... the one that shocked Cain the most: a Giovanni in parent mode!?
Boss, do you have multiple personalities or something?
And on top of that, he brings up such an absurd topic: having him look after Jessie and James?
If fans of Poké... of the old world heard this, they would die laughing. Do Jessie and James need someone to look after them? With the luck they have, aside from dying of old age, there's no other way for them to die.
And that's just the two of them. Once they complete the trio... then they'll really be fully formed. Basically immortal.
Even if the Pokémon world were destroyed, at most they would shout: "Team Rocket has been defeated again!"
And end of the episode.
Although the matter stirred Cain's mocking spirit, it wasn't anything too important. Besides, he had been wanting to go to Trial Island again anyway.
And Jessie and James... didn't Giovanni say he could end the trial whenever he wanted? When the time came, he would take them to Hoenn, throw them into Team Heaven, and let the subordinates take care of them.
"When do I leave?" Cain asked.
Hearing this, Giovanni knew that Cain had accepted.
"Tomorrow at eight in the morning."
In fact, Giovanni had no alternative. Kanto was truly unstable, while Hoenn, after the destruction of Team Magma and Team Aqua, was the safest region.
And Cain was not only the leader of Team Heaven, but also one of the Hoenn Elite Four. There was no more suitable place for them.
This was the last request of Jessie's mother, and Giovanni, as a man of his word, was fulfilling his promise.
As for James, Jessie had dragged him into Team Rocket, so he would leave with her. Besides, Giovanni did know his father; doing him this favor cost nothing. Looking after one or two was the same.
"Then there's still time. May I see the progress of the Mew gene research? After all, I also participated in it." Cain requested.
"Go see it yourself. Blaine has been talking about you a lot lately." Giovanni waved his hand.
Cain then left the office.
Looking after Jessie and James... that really was a "difficult" task.
Cain went straight to the secret laboratory in the deepest part of the base, where he once again saw Blaine in his white lab coat.
As the chief scientist of Team Rocket, Blaine held high status, and he was also not weak in combat. Cain had never become enemies with him; although he tried to size him up last time, he did not succeed.
And Blaine was surprised by the speed at which Cain's strength had increased. At this point, he could no longer manipulate him so easily.
Thus, both of them wore polite and cordial smiles... rather tacitly complicit.
"Mr. Blaine, when do you think the Mew gene will be successfully replicated to create a true Pokémon?" Cain asked as they walked through the laboratory, observing the jars on the walls, each containing strange-looking creatures, though without life.
"The genes are already fully integrated. What we need to do is combine them in a certain order and proportion. The energy contained within them is extremely great; a small mistake could destroy the cognitive ability of the created Pokémon," Blaine replied with the typical obsessive expression of mad scientists.
After so many nights of research, the result was finally close. How could he not be excited?
"Then, Mr. Blaine, what level of power and potential will this new Pokémon have?" Cain asked.
"Unparalleled potential, and power that will surpass all Pokémon in the world. I hope—and believe—that no Pokémon will be able to defeat it." He presented the project as if describing a work of art.
Then Cain visited the genetic integration room with him. There were many culture plates, and already several active embryos inside them.
It seemed that Mewtwo could appear at any moment.
With this, the Kanto region would become more and more interesting: the sudden appearance of the Sacred Church, the division of the Kanto League, and the birth of Team Rocket's secret weapon—Mewtwo!
No one knew what other things were hidden, nor what unpredictable changes would suddenly emerge.
It seemed that the storm belonging to this world had finally begun to swirl.
(End of chapter)