I am Giovanni

Chapter 43: A Mother's Counsel

Silence.

Only the two video monitors behind them flickered with grayscale images. No one dared to speak until Madame Boss broke the silence. After a long while, when only one person remained on each screen, she addressed Miyamoto and Petrel.

"It's finished. The two of you can go and bring the remaining children to me."

Miyamoto stood up, exchanged a look with Petrel, then bowed. "Yes, Boss." They walked out together.

The room was now left with only Giovanni, Madame Boss, and her meditating Alakazam. Giovanni found his eyes subtly drawn to the powerful Psychic-type.

"Boy," Madame Boss said, tapping the sofa beside her. "What are you thinking about?"

Giovanni looked up. "Mother, I was wondering... Alakazam is a Psychic-type Pokémon. Is it not true that they cannot be tamed by non-psychics?"

Madame Boss looked deeply at him. "Oh? You noticed? Is that your ability?"

Giovanni had guessed that his power of Viridian couldn't be hidden from her, so he wasn't surprised. "Yes. I can sense that you don't have psychic energy."

Madame Boss crossed her legs. "This is a special case," she said casually. "Alakazam watched me grow up— we are family."

"I see," Giovanni said, understanding.

"Your ability is very special," she continued. "Self-healing, enhancing your own physique... and you can enhance a Pokémon's as well, can't you? Otherwise, your Beedrill's would not have recovered so quickly." Dr. Ryoki wouldn't dare hide anything from her.

Since she already knew, Giovanni had no reason to lie. "Yes. That's right."

"If you want to continue developing your power," she mused, " you will need a cultivation method for psychics. Although your ability is different, you can still learn from their principles."

"I've had the same thought," Giovanni replied. In their every word, it seemed to be a given that he would be the sole victor. Only then would she help him find a way. It made sense. From his performance to his mindset, his special abilities, and his ruthlessness, everything indicated that he was the best candidate to be her successor.

"As one of the final three," she said, "you have passed the selection halfway. By rights, you should receive a reward. What do you want?"

Giovanni thought for a moment, then touched his Nidoran's Poké Ball. "If possible, I would like a Poison-type treasure to help my Nidoran improve its potential."

"Alright," she agreed with a hum. "I'll have someone prepare it for you." The Poké Ball on Giovanni's belt swayed gently, as if the Nidoran inside had heard.

"If you become the next leader of Team Rocket, what will you do?" she asked. "Overthrow the Alliance?"

Giovanni was silent for a moment. "If I were to think about it now... I would do nothing, at first. Overthrowing the Alliance is unrealistic. Team Rocket is not yet strong enough. We need to continue accumulating strength, gathering wealth and resources, recruiting more talent... and then, we infiltrate the Alliance from the bottom to the top."

It was a rough idea, but it was a start.

Madame Boss gently stroked her chin. "Infiltrate the Alliance... that would certainly give the organization more opportunities. However, Lance is very clever. To infiltrate now, we would need to cultivate young people with clean backgrounds and let them climb the ladder, little by little."

Giovanni simply nodded.

"Your idea is good," she said with a smile. "It's given me a fun idea of my own." She brushed a strand of hair back. "Truthfully, I want you to become the successor. However, you need whetstones to sharpen you. And more importantly, you need shields. The other two will give you more time to grow."

"But do not be careless," she warned. "If they kill you, then the next leader will be one of them."

"I understand," Giovanni replied. "And I won't lose."

"It seems you don't even consider them your opponents."

"No," Giovanni said, shaking his head. "I just believe that I will always be victorious."

"Heh heh, confident boy," she said. "If anyone can threaten your chances of victory, it is only Petrel."

Giovanni did not deny it. As an executive with two captains loyal to him, Petrel held considerable power.

"I will have Miyamoto restrain him," Madame Boss continued. "After that, everything will depend on your own abilities. This next stage will be very long, enough for you to improve your strength. But you must still be careful."

"From today on, you are truly a member of the organization. You will be expected to make significant contributions."

"Yes," Giovanni nodded. "I remember. I will."

"Go," she said, waving a hand at him. "Someone will inform you of what to do next."

Giovanni stood and respectfully walked out.

Returning the way he came, he encountered Miyamoto and Petrel, who had returned with the other two survivors. Following them were Arui... and Koga. As he had guessed, the ambitious Arina had died at the hands of the quiet ninja.

They were stunned to see Giovanni, and their eyes immediately filled with intense hostility. Giovanni, however, remained unfazed, his own killing intent buried deep inside.

Miyamoto reached him and gently patted his shoulder. "Brat, you guessed quite accurately."

"You as well," Giovanni replied with a small smile.

He brushed past Miyamoto and Koga, then arrived in front of Petrel and Arui.

"Kid," Petrel said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'll be seeing you around. I'm sure we'll find some time to have a good chat."

"The pleasure will be all mine," Giovanni murmured in response.

Once again, they went their separate ways. One rushed towards the old era, while the other walked towards a new future. Giovanni knew from the histories of his old world that the conservatives of a previous dynasty would always be replaced. The new emperor's true confidants were those who rose with him.

Outside his room, Archer was waiting, Katsu's Poké Ball held in his hands.

"Boss," he said, a look of relief on his face. "You're back."