I am Giovanni

Chapter 37: Provocation

Ultimately, Giovanni claimed the Nidoran's food, taking two extra Berries for himself as well. He had no intention of letting his disobedient new Pokémon eat them. They were for his partner, for after his Kakuna evolved, to properly supplement its nutrition.

Back in his room, he released the Nidoran. It immediately hid in a corner, watching him warily. It still didn't trust him; it had only been subdued by force. Likewise, Giovanni didn't trust it.

Every time he returned it to its Poké Ball, he locked the release mechanism. He couldn't risk it getting out and attacking him in his sleep.

One must be wary of others, and the same applied to Pokémon.

Giovanni placed a new food bowl on the ground, poured in the Nidoran's portion, added a little water, and gently pushed it over. "Eat. This is for you."

The Nidoran glanced at him but didn't move. Giovanni turned and went into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He appeared calm, but his hand never strayed far from his dagger— the Nidoran was afraid of him, and he was afraid of it.

He sat on his bed and released his Kakuna, its silent presence a comfort.

Outside, the sound of chewing slowly began to echo. The Nidoran was hungry. An hour later, Giovanni cautiously emerged. The Nidoran, at the very least, was not so ungrateful as to attack the one who fed it.

He said nothing, simply recalling it to its Poké Ball. Raising a Pokémon was like taming a wild animal; it had to be done slowly, a relationship built on cautious trust— but for now, the lock on its Poké Ball was a necessary precaution.

— — —

The next day, in the training ground, Giovanni was training the Nidoran with a cold, demanding expression. After just two days of eating proper Pokémon food, its level had already jumped by two, just as Weedle's had.

Processed food was far superior to what it could find in the wild. During their sessions, the little creature had tried to attack Giovanni several times, but he had dodged every attempt and disciplined it severely. The two days of interaction had at least taught the Nidoran one thing: following this human meant getting food.

But its heart still yearned for freedom. Its eyes were firm, and in them, Giovanni could see the reflection of a dense jungle. If it saw a chance to escape, it would take it without hesitation.

Nidoran are not slaves! Nidoran secretly thought.

"Hurry up!" Giovanni stomped his foot. "What are you standing there for? Use Poison Sting!"

The Nidoran shivered and reluctantly fired a volley of needles at the target in front of it. Only a few of them hit.

"Your accuracy is terrible," Giovanni said, covering his face with his hand. It couldn't even hit a stationary target 50% of the time. "Are you really this bad?" he asked thoughtfully.

The Nidoran snorted, clearly insulted. Its aura flared, and its body seemed to swell slightly. It then charged the target it had just missed and slammed into it with a powerful Tackle.

Bang!

The target was knocked to the ground. The Nidoran turned and shook its head at Giovanni, puffing out its chest with pride.

Giovanni only smiled mockingly. The target he had knocked down was on a weighted spring. It quickly flipped back up and slammed heavily onto the Nidoran, sending it flying. It landed on its back, looking dazed.

"Is that Nidoran of yours an idiot?"

Before Giovanni could speak, a familiar voice sounded from behind him. He turned slightly. It was Arina, the girl with the Ivysaur with a cute Eevee trotting at her feet. She looked at Giovanni with a disdainful expression.

The Nidoran on the ground, hearing someone insult it, immediately jumped up. It stared at Arina with killing intent, ready to attack— but it was still Giovanni's Pokémon. He had to wait for his command. He should at least defend me, right?

"Whether it's an idiot or not," Giovanni said coldly, "is none of your business."

The Nidoran looked at Giovanni with disbelief. What does that mean?

Arina sneered. "Heh, you're still so arrogant. I don't know where you get your courage from. Is it this brain-damaged Nidoran? Or your Kakuna that's been in its shell for so long?" She struck at his biggest weakness.

"The end of the month is almost here. Even if it evolves now, what level will it be? Eleven? What will you do then?!"

Giovanni glanced at the Ivysaur at her feet. He could sense that it had been pushed to evolve too quickly, its potential overdrawn to boost its power. It seemed Petrel, for all his talk, ensured his chosen candidates had an edge.

"Heh," Giovanni said with a look of pity aimed at her. "A fool who's being used and doesn't even know it." He turned away from her and shouted at the resentful Nidoran. "Continue! What are you standing there for? Keep training. You like to Tackle, don't you? Then keep at it."

Urged on by Giovanni, the Nidoran charged the target again, hitting it with its head over and over. It didn't understand why, but when Giovanni gave an order, it found itself complying.

"What did you say?!" Arina shouted, enraged. "I'll kill you!" She was about to command her Pokémon to attack.

Before she could, Archer stepped between them, his expression stern. "What are you doing? I've already said that fighting is strictly prohibited in the training grounds!"

Arina stomped her foot in anger. "You bastard, Giovanni!" she seethed. "You'd better hope you don't run into me in the duels, or I'll have my Ivysaur use Leech Seed and drain you into a mummy!" She then glared at Archer. "And you! When I become the successor, I'll get rid of you, too!" With that, she turned and stormed out with her two Pokémon.

Archer watched her go, his eyes filled with a cold, killing intent.

"Don't bother," Giovanni's voice sounded in his ear. "You can't touch her— but don't worry. If she continues like this, she won't live much longer. When she meets me, I'll kill her myself."

Archer nodded. "I believe you."

"How many died this time?" Giovanni asked.

"Another fifteen," Archer replied. "There are less than forty of us left now."

Giovanni sneered. "Heh. If I'm not mistaken, the rules are about to change again."