I am Giovanni

Chapter 26: Unwanted Invitation

Thud.

The Spearow, struck by the poison barb, stiffened and plummeted from mid-air, crashing to the floor.

"Spearow!" its trainer cried out, rushing to its side— a grunt quickly administered an antidote, saving the Pokémon's life. The boy wouldn't be held responsible for the loss, but the scene was undeniably awkward. Logically, the Spearow should have dominated the Weedle.

The instructor glanced at the impassive Giovanni and his Weedle, which showed no pride in its victory. He concluded that the problem must lie with this specific human and Pokémon. These recruits certainly know how to cause trouble.

"Impressive!" Katsu's booming voice cut through the silence. "You even won with a type disadvantage!"

Giovanni just scratched his head.

"Ahem." Under the resentful glare of the Spearow's trainer, the instructor cleared his throat. "This is primarily a level issue," he explained awkwardly. "This Weedle is at a higher level than that Spearow, which explains the outcome." He turned to Giovanni. "You can go back now."

Giovanni didn't mind. He recalled Weedle and returned to his seat. Unwilling to give up, the instructor forced two more recruits, one with a Caterpie and one with a Pidgey, to battle.

This time, there were no surprises. The Caterpie trembled with fear and was defeated in seconds. The onlookers relaxed, accepting the instructor's explanation. They once again underestimated Giovanni, believing his victory was a fluke of levels.

However, if they tried to use a Flying-type to counter him in the future, they would suffer an even greater humiliation.

Time flew by. Twenty days had passed since the second stage ended.

During this time, Giovanni was like a sponge, constantly absorbing knowledge and growing stronger. His lean body became more robust, and he even started to grow taller.

Weedle's level also continued to increase, now reaching a respectable level 8. He knew this rapid growth wouldn't last forever. Once it broke past level 10, the process would slow considerably. Its innate potential was also nearly restored.

Giovanni had been the strongest among the recruits, but recently, that had begun to change. Many of the others' Pokémon were suddenly breaking through, their levels increasing at an alarming rate with some had even evolved.

This anomaly did not escape Giovanni's notice. The higher-ups of Team Rocket had started to get involved. Unlike Archer, who had pledged loyalty to him, others were making their own bets, grooming their chosen candidates, hoping to control the future leader of Team Rocket from the shadows.

They acted as if Madame Boss didn't exist, as if she were blind to their machinations.

As one of the most prominent survivors, Giovanni naturally caught their eye.

That day, just as he had seen Archer out of his room, an uninvited guest arrived. It was a squad leader. The moment Archer saw him, he bowed his head respectfully.

When he saw the squad leader walk directly to Giovanni's door, he knew something was wrong— as a mere grunt, he couldn't stand up to a veteran-level squad leader, but he remembered Giovanni's strong personality. He quickly turned and ran in a specific direction.

Inside, Giovanni heard the doorbell and thought Archer had returned. When he saw the unfamiliar face, he frowned. "Who are you?"

"My name is Mondo," the man said, looking down his nose at Giovanni. "Team Rocket squad leader. You're Giovanni, right?"

Giovanni wasn't afraid. He knew that even a captain wouldn't dare to openly harm a candidate. "This is my room," he stated calmly. "Do you see anyone else here named Giovanni?"

Mondo's eyes widened. A powerful, intimidating aura, honed over years of battle, pressed down on Giovanni. "You've got a lot of nerve, kid!"

The pressure was immense, and Giovanni was slightly affected— but he was Giovanni.

He would not bow to anyone. He gritted his teeth, a faint trace of his own power pushing back, and stubbornly raised his head. "Bullying a child? Does that make you feel powerful, Squad Leader?"

In a flash, Mondo grabbed Giovanni by the neck, lifting him clean off the floor. "The rules are the only thing protecting you right now, kid. If we were outside, you'd already be dead!"

The Poké Ball at Giovanni's waist shook violently. Weedle wanted out. Giovanni pressed his hand down on it, keeping it inside. He stared coldly at Mondo, his face turning red from lack of air, but there was no fear in his eyes.

"Hmph." Realizing Giovanni was a tough nut to crack, Mondo snorted and threw him to the ground. "You're lucky. One of the executives wants to see you. If you don't want to die, you'd better show some proper respect."

Giovanni climbed to his feet, his gaze chilling. This man is already dead. It's just a matter of when I'll be strong enough to kill him.

"Let's go," Mondo sneered, grabbing his arm. "Don't make me use force again."

Giovanni didn't resist. If a squad leader was sent as a messenger, then the person who wanted to see him was at least a captain.

Or, more likely, it was him—one of Madame Boss's top two lieutenants. It couldn't be Miyamoto; she would have come herself. That left only one person. Petrel.

Giovanni could refuse a squad leader, but he had no right to refuse an executive. He obediently followed Mondo.

Given the recent surge in power among the other recruits, it was clear Petrel had recognized Giovanni's potential and wanted to make his own claim.

However, Giovanni had learned from Archer that Petrel was against the selection process and coveted the leader's position for himself. Was he now settling for second best? Did he want to be the power behind the throne, to make Giovanni his puppet?

Giovanni smiled, a cold, predatory glint in his eyes. Even a puppet's broken arm could be used as a weapon.

And Giovanni was no one's puppet. When the opportunity presented itself, he would not hesitate to betray them all.