I am Giovanni

Chapter 53: Captain Matt

To say Giovanni wasn't afraid would be a lie. He wasn't completely confident. He wasn't sure if the person he sensed would actually make a move— but he knew they were from Team Rocket; he had felt their presence following them all the way from the Viridian Base.

And since they had followed, it meant there was a high probability they would intervene. Otherwise, what was the point? On this cold night, a thin layer of sweat covered Giovanni's forehead.

Fortunately, he had gambled correctly.

Madame Boss had indeed sent someone to follow them. It was their first mission, and it was inevitable that someone might harbor ill intentions. This public execution would serve as a permanent warning.

In fact, Giovanni wasn't the only one who had encountered such a situation; Arui and Koga had experienced similar "accidents." It was just unknown who was pulling their strings.

And that person did, indeed, make a move.

A voice rang out from the darkness. "Pidgeot, use Brave Bird!"

A dazzling, flame-like light bloomed in the night sky— a swift Pidgeot, enveloped in this light, transformed into a fiery bird as it flew rapidly towards them. It was a Gym Leader-level Pokémon.

Aye's expression changed; he hadn't expected the hidden person to be so strong. "Crobat, use Quick Guard!" he shouted immediately.

The Crobat, which had been flying towards Giovanni and Archer, quickly folded its wings, a faint light forming a solid energy shield around it.

BOOM!

A powerful gust of wind and violent energy fluctuations spread wildly, blowing Giovanni and Archer back uncontrollably. The Pidgeot slammed into the energy shield, which shattered on impact. The Crobat was sent flying backward, only stabilizing itself by frantically flapping its wings.

The newcomer didn't stop the attack. "Wing Attack!" he commanded.

Pidgeot spread its wings, a dazzling white light appearing on their broad surface. It swooped down.

"Crobat, we'll use Wing Attack too!" Aye snorted, equally ruthless. Light appeared on his own Pokémon's wings, and the two bird Pokémon collided in mid-air. He then took the opportunity to command his other Pokémon. "Venomoth, use Disable!"

As the Venomoth's eyes began to glow, the same move interrupted it again, but this time from a different, more powerful Pokémon.

"Weezing, use Taunt." A Gym Leader-level Weezing flew over from a distance, cheekily cursing at the Venomoth. Enraged, the proud Pokémon immediately turned its attention to the Weezing, ready to fight it to the death.

BANG!

Up in the sky, with a muffled thud, Aye's Crobat was overpowered and knocked from the air.

A masked man walked out from the trees. "Pidgeot, full power Twister!" he commanded.

The Pidgeot vigorously flapped its wings, creating two powerful twisters that tore towards the Crobat, the Venomoth, and even Aye and his companions. Before Aye could recover, the man's voice rang out again.

"Weezing, Haze!"

The Weezing chuckled, and a large amount of dense, black smog sprayed from its body. Carried by the strong winds of the twister, the Haze rapidly enveloped the entire area.

"Crobat, clear this fog!" Aye shouted.

The violent winds did disperse the Haze, but by then, the spot where Giovanni and Archer had been was already empty.

"Where did they go?" Aki coldly asked Baoba. The ranger looked at his Slowpoke, which pointed to the sky. They had escaped from above. And because of the Twister, the Crobat hadn't had time to use Mean Look. It was very awkward. A dignified Gym Leader had let three poachers slip away. His son's Pokémon had been killed, and he had been publicly humiliated.

Aye's face was incredibly grim. "I remember that symbol... an organization called Team Rocket!"

"Father, that Beedrill..." Aki began, still unwilling to let it go.

"Shut up!" Aye raised his hand as if to strike him. "You useless thing! You've completely disgraced me!" Aki cowered, hugging his head. Baoba turned away, not wanting to meddle in their family affairs. Ryū looked at the spot where Giovanni had just been, his eyes flickering with what looked like admiration before he quickly suppressed it.

— — —

Under the bright moon, a robust Pidgeot carried the man who had just saved them. Behind it, a Weezing carried Giovanni and Archer. Giovanni looked down at the vast Safari Zone. "One day," he said quietly, "I will make this place Team Rocket's territory." With this reserve for raising Pokémon, it would provide the best foundation for his future empire.

They flew out of the Safari Zone before the man had his Pokémon land.

"Thank you," Giovanni said to their rescuer.

The man removed his mask, revealing a face full of scars. "No need," he replied, his voice expressionless. "I'm just obeying the Boss's orders."

Archer, as an official member, recognized the newcomer. "You are... Captain Matt?"

Matt just nodded. "Mm." He was a man of few words, caring about nothing but his loyalty to Madame Boss. He didn't ask how Giovanni had known he was there, nor did he explain why he had followed.

Giovanni, in turn, now knew Matt's identity but didn't ask him to investigate who had instigated Mondo. He wasn't qualified yet.

Matt glanced at a communication device in his hand, then walked aside to make a report. After a few responses, he returned. "Per the Boss's orders, your mission has been changed. You are now to capture one high-level Pokémon. I will supervise."

Compared to the time and effort of catching a hundred Tauros, this was a simpler, though riskier, task.

Giovanni and Archer exchanged a look, then immediately nodded. "Yes, sir. We guarantee to complete the mission."