I am Giovanni

Chapter 36: Truce

Only after the Nidoran submitted did Giovanni release it. The small Pokémon frantically scrambled away, its body wracked with pain. At the same time, it kept a wary eye on Giovanni. If the human dies from my poison, then I can wait it out. It took a grim satisfaction in seeing Giovanni's hands and body already turning a dark, bruised purple.

Nidoran will never be a slave!

But then it watched in disbelief as Giovanni pulled a small bottle from his pocket, drank the contents, and the purple discoloration on his skin instantly began to fade— the Antidote.

Nidoran was so stunned it almost passed out. Its own injuries, by contrast, were still bleeding freely.

Giovanni touched the blood on his own body, which had already returned to its normal red color, then looked at the Nidoran. "I know you haven't truly submitted," he said coldly. "But if you don't want to die, you will listen to me."

He pointed a hand at the Kakuna nearby. "Do you see it? When it evolves, you will battle it. If you win, I will let you go. If you lose, you will serve me without question."

Although the Nidoran still felt the immense pressure from the two, it would never admit defeat, not when freedom was on the line. It let out a low, affirmative growl— a deal had been struck.

Only then did Giovanni relax his guard, though his dagger remained unsheathed. "Can you still stand?" he asked. "If not, then forget it."

The Nidoran struggled to its feet with a defiant bark. It was a stubborn little creature. Giovanni didn't use the power of Viridian to heal it; he still didn't trust it. This would have to be a gradual process. He had it follow a few simple commands, then knocked on the door.

The grunt outside opened it, a look of surprise on his face. So soon? He couldn't handle it?

When he saw Giovanni covered in blood, he became even more convinced. "You came out early. I will judge this as a failure. You know the consequences." He reached for his Poké Ball.

"Who said I failed?" Giovanni interrupted. "I have already tamed the new Pokémon."

The grunt refused to believe it. "Impossible. Wild Pokémon are not easy to tame. How long has it been? Even we would need more time. Most of you recruits probably haven't even dared to open your Poké Balls yet."

He was right. Most of the others were still hesitating, terrified of what lay inside. Giovanni's speed was hard to believe.

"If you don't believe me," Giovanni said, pointing back into the room, "see for yourself."

Seeing his confidence, the grunt was swayed. He went inside to check. He was responsible for this section of rooms and knew that the Kakuna was Giovanni's original partner. That meant the new Pokémon could only be the battered Nidoran on the floor.

"This...?"

"Nidoran, sit!" Giovanni commanded.

Though reluctant, the Nidoran saw the dagger still in Giovanni's hand and obeyed.

"Get up," Giovanni continued. "Use Poison Sting on the wall."

The Nidoran reluctantly complied, spitting a series of needles that embedded themselves in the metal wall. The sound shattered the last of the grunt's doubts.

"Come back, Nidoran, Kakuna." Giovanni recalled both Pokémon. "Well?" he asked the grunt.

The man was convinced. He checked a box on his form. "Impressive kid. Alright, you can go."

"Thank you," Giovanni nodded, turning to leave. Drops of blood dripped from his sleeve, but his expression remained unchanged.

The grunt behind him clicked his tongue in admiration. "That kid... he's a ruthless one."

Given his relationship with Dr. Ryoki, getting his wounds treated was no problem. The doctor even took the initiative to help treat the Nidoran. Giovanni also asked for another bottle of Antidote, just in case. He had learned his lesson.

"This little one was caught wild, wasn't it?" Dr. Ryoki observed while he worked. "The Boss really makes it tough on you all."

"Mm," Giovanni said, indifferent. He wasn't the only one taking risks— but he had been lucky.

What about the others? What if they encountered a fully evolved Pokémon? For them, the trial would be nothing more than a death sentence, their bodies becoming food for a creature they had no hope of taming. It was a brutal, but effective, way of weeding out the unlucky.

By the time Giovanni was finished, he headed to the commissary. Since he had captured a second Pokémon, its food also needed to be claimed.

When Hera saw him, she was surprised. "Oh, kid. You're here so soon?" Since all resources passed through her, she knew the progress of every stage of the selection. She was just surprised he had succeeded so quickly.

"Luck," Giovanni said with a faint smile. He knew she would have already been notified.

Hera looked deeply at him. "You truly are a special child." She checked the data on her computer and was even more surprised. "Your Kakuna hasn't evolved yet. How did you capture that Nidoran?" From its data, she could see it was a high-level, aggressive specimen.

Giovanni slowly pulled the dagger from his belt. "This," he said simply. "In the end, I have you to thank for it."

Hera raised an eyebrow, then let out a hearty laugh. "You're an interesting kid!"