It was nightfall by the time Eric left Bill's place and returned to Cerulean.
This proved to be a very fruitful trip.
Firstly, Bill confirmed that Haunter's core was perfectly stable and had no side effects. If anything, it was stronger. This wasn't something new, as Eric's system also gave the same assessment.
Secondly, and most important, he had gotten access to Bill's computer for five hours.
Bill thought Eric would only look for specific data, as he had only 5 hours. He
didn't know about Eric's cheat code called the system. In these five hours, Eric's system had absorbed all the data in Bill's computer!
It even took in some of the confidential data, leaving only the bit that was too heavily protected.
The amount of data it absorbed was so vast, that the System immediately went down, starting an update process that would last 24 hours.
Well, not that Eric needed it because he was planning to spend the next 2 days relaxing in Cerulean City.
He returned to his room and rented a place in the Aquatic Resort for the next 2 days...
---
There existed a secret, underground floor beneath the Viridian City Gym that not even the league was aware of.
This floor did not resemble the hideout of a criminal enterprise. There were no damp walls, no flickering lights, and no overt displays of malice. It looked no different than a luxurious workspace.
On this floor, a man in a black suit sat alone in a spacious office.
Giovanni.
His posture was relaxed, one hand resting on the desk, the other holding a glass of red wine. His Persian lay curled beside him, purring softly.
A black device sitting on his desk buzzed, signalling an incoming, highly encrypted transmission.
His hand, clad in a pristine, tailored black sleeve reached out and pressed the receiver. Instantly, a holographic audio wave stabilized on the screen.
"Report" Giovanni spoke, his voice sounding pleasant, but also powerful. A sort of charisma rarely found.
From the speaker, Kai's voice transmitted clearly, devoid of any of the polite, cheerful cadence he used when interacting with his fellow officers in the League Police.
"The Mt. Moon cleanup is fully underway, Boss," Kai reported smoothly. "Without Team Rocket's support, Viper's faction has been completely dismantled by Officer Jenny's tactical division. As you anticipated, his actions showed signs of betrayal. He managed to escape, but his assets in the region have been entirely seized or destroyed."
Giovanni took a second to respond.
"Viper was a man of small ambitions..." Giovanni murmured, his tone philosophical.
"He viewed power through the narrow lens of chemical enhancements and brute force. He failed to realize that true power lies in structural absolute control. A building that is rotting from its very foundation cannot be saved by reinforcing a single pillar. The entire structure must be allowed to collapse so that something pure can be built in its place."
Kai understood the underlying meaning behind Giovanni's words. He wasn't just talking about Viper, but about something much bigger.
"I understand, Sir."
Kai paused, then continued.
"As a result of playing a key role in Viper's downfall, my position in the league has solidified much more than before."
"Excellent. You are allowed to operate as you please from here on. Right now, all our resources are focused on Project Mewtwo. We will continue to lay low and not interfere much with the league. In the meantime, you can see what the league is like and judge for yourself."
Project Mewtwo. Team Rocket at this point had already acquired Mew's DNA. They had faced many losses to accomplish this. Their initial goal was to clone Mew, but that proved to be impossible. It was as if something divine was preventing them from doing so.
Having no choice, they opted on creating a new, different Pokémon.
Mewtwo.
Most of their resources are being spent on this creation, making them reduce their presence across the world, focusing only on Kanto -- that barely.
"I will not fail you, Sir," Kai said. He paused for a moment before continuing. "There is one more development. This morning, I received an invitation to the Williams Estate next month. The family is hosting an event to showcase the 'rising stars' of the new generation. All the top tier Rookies of Kanto seems to have been invited."
Giovanni tapped his fingers on the desk. That William brat, huh.
"You are free to do as you please with it. Is that all?"
"Yes Sir!"
"Then you are dismissed."
Giovanni pressed the disconnect button. The holographic audio wave vanished, plunging the room back into silent darkness. He sat alone in the shadows, looking at the city maps projected on his wall, his mind already moving chess pieces months into the future.
"Samuel... you better hurry up and change the league. Because if you fail...there won't be a league left to change."
"Purr"
The Persian beside his desk stood up and approached Giovanni. Giovanni patted its head as he finalised his plans.
----------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading. Giovanni has finally made an appearance!
Leave a review if you are enjoying it till now!
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