I am Giovanni

Chapter 57: The Viper

Two more days passed, and a new mission arrived.

An official Team Rocket member approached Giovanni. "Lord Giovanni, per the new assignment, you are to accompany the Vipers on a mission. Please follow me."

Giovanni frowned. "Vipers?" The last one, Mondo's squad, had been wiped out, leaving only Archer. Now, it was another squad operation. This was the second time.

Captain Matt likely wouldn't be intervening again. If something happened this time, Giovanni would have to resolve it himself. A captain was not his nanny; as a pillar of Team Rocket, Matt had his own heavy burdens.

In the past month, Giovanni's own strength had transformed— as long as his opponents weren't seasoned, high-level trainers, he now had the power to fight back. And despite the risks, acting with a squad also had its benefits.

"Let's go," he said, closing his door.

The grunt handed him a Meowth-themed mask. "Please put on your mask. This is a covert operation."

Giovanni frowned but put on the mask. So, Matt really won't be coming this time.

They arrived at an assembly point where five unfamiliar Team Rocket members were already waiting. They looked puzzled when they saw Giovanni; it seemed they hadn't been informed of his presence.

"Are you the Captain?" one of them asked.

"No," Giovanni replied casually, looking at the grunt who had led him there.

The grunt leaned in and explained quietly, "The Vipers is newly established. Their Captain was just recently promoted. These members are also meeting for the first time."

"Understood," Giovanni nodded. The grunt then took his leave.

The five members of the Vipers looked at Giovanni with wary eyes. Though they didn't know his identity, they could sense his status was not low. Perhaps he's the son of some executive? They collectively thought.

Otherwise, why would he be assigned to their squad under such mysterious circumstances? Of course, everything depended on what their Captain would say.

After waiting for about half an hour, the Captain of the Vipers finally arrived. Giovanni looked closely and realized it was a familiar face. It was Archer. Thanks to the two resources—the item from Giovanni and the official supplies he now received—his Arbok had successfully reached an advanced level of strength, and he had been promoted.

He was late because he had gone to Giovanni's room first, only to find it empty. He had their mission data, so he knew Giovanni would be acting with them. Thinking he might have arrived early, Archer had rushed over.

Even with the Meowth mask, he recognized Giovanni at a glance— but after Giovanni gave him a subtle wave of his hand, Archer showed no sign of recognition.

He walked over and looked at his five new subordinates. Seeing him, they immediately understood this was their new leader. They quickly saluted.

"Captain!"

"At ease," Archer said, his voice now carrying a new authority. "My name is Archer, Captain of the Vipers, codename: Viper. When on missions, you will only refer to me by my codename.

Remember this." He had a military background, and his new rank brought out an iron-willed demeanor. His powerful aura made the five members immediately nod.

"Yes, Captain Viper!"

Viper? Giovanni's eyes flickered with interest.

One of the grunts, wanting to make a good impression, stepped forward. "Captain, my name is—"

"Karl, right?" Archer cut him off. "No need. I have all your information. Your names, your strengths... I know them like the back of my hand."

Karl's face stiffened, and he silently retreated.

"This mission is short," Archer continued. "No need to prepare extra food. We aim to go today and return today." He distributed several data slates. "This is the mission data. Read it on the way."

He handed one to Giovanni. The others watched, trying to gauge their new Captain's attitude towards the mysterious masked boy, but they couldn't make anything out.

Giovanni quickly glanced at the slate and understood. The mission was simple, just one word: "Kill."

Besides accumulating wealth by selling Pokémon, how could a dark organization like Team Rocket not be stained with blood? The assassination business was even more lucrative.

This time, the target was a businessman whose company was competing with a Team Rocket subsidiary. After failing to acquire his company, the problem had to be solved at its root.

The target himself had no strength, and the bodyguards he could afford were no match for a trained Team Rocket squad.

They were to go today and return today because the man was in Viridian City. Daring to cause trouble under Team Rocket's nose was a death sentence. Such small matters were handled by individual squads; executives and captains wouldn't take action unless absolutely necessary, as exposing their strength would attract the unwanted attention of the Alliance.

Team Rocket was still biding its time.

Archer took out an Arbok-themed mask and put it on. "Is everyone clear?"

The five grunts put on their own masks and nodded.

"Depart," Archer commanded.

The group of seven quickly left the Viridian Base. As the saying goes, a dark and windy night is for murder— by the time they reached the outskirts of Viridian City, it was already evening.

The time for action would be when the night was at its deepest. The Alliance was not yet the powerhouse it would become. The Officers who would one day plague Team Rocket were still few and far in between.

There was no need to fear being discovered.