Giovanni's Wife?

After taking Farfetch'd into Viridian Forest and finding the leek Farfetch'd needed, Heath planned to head back to the dorm with him. It was getting late, after all, and Heath could already tell that the light around them had dimmed considerably.

Still, looking at the lush Viridian Forest, Heath couldn't help wondering whether Evergreen Fruit grew there. He still remembered that miraculous ingredient he'd heard about, the one that might grant the viridian force to anyone who ate it.

But Heath wasn't a botanist in this world. Faced with the fruits around him, some familiar and others completely unknown, he was at a loss.

"Come to think of it, that ingredient identification device I got earlier is pretty useful. One identification a day is way too little, though. I wonder if I can shorten its cooldown in the future." Heath had discovered another handy use for his ingredient identification glasses.

By the time Heath left Viridian Forest, he still hadn't seen Zorua. The little fellow was probably still wary of him and had no intention of showing up.

Heath didn't mind too much. This wasn't something he could rush, after all. He planned to take his time building a bond with Zorua, just like feeding a stray cat. Feed one long enough, and it would naturally warm up to people.

"But foxes belong to the dog family, don't they?" Heath mused. He'd forgotten almost everything he'd learned about biology, and all he could remember now were scattered fragments.

When Sister Feng saw Heath, she let out a long sigh of relief, then sternly told him to take Farfetch'd back. Heath didn't mind. That was just how she was. If she ever stopped caring what he did and even cheerfully encouraged him to wander around more, that would be a sign something was wrong.

"Heath, is your stall still open?" Not long after returning to Viridian City, Heath ran into a familiar man: Giovanni.

There was another woman beside Giovanni, a very pretty woman with black hair. Her face was expressionless, though, and she radiated an air that kept everyone at arm's length. Heath gave her a curious look. Could she be Mr. Giovanni's wife?

"It's closed right now, but if you'd like something to eat, Mr. Giovanni, I could go to your house and make you a meal." Heath scratched his head sheepishly. The icy beauty's expression didn't change at all; she didn't even glance at him.

"Really? That would be wonderful. I've invited you before, but you've never come." A hint of delight appeared on Giovanni's face. Smiling, he patted Heath on the shoulder like an elder greeting a younger relative.

Heath smiled. Back then, he'd only just met Giovanni. When Giovanni invited him over to cook at his house, how could Heath possibly have dared to go? He'd been so frightened that he'd wondered whether his identity as someone from another world had been exposed. Luckily, he'd later realized he must have misunderstood.

Seeing Giovanni's delight, the icy beauty beside him couldn't help glancing at Heath. She seemed curious about why someone so ordinary could elicit such a strong emotional response from Giovanni.

"Oh, right, I forgot to introduce her. This is Sabrina, the new Gym Leader in Saffron City. She's here to discuss things like our experience training Gym Leaders. She might seem a little cold, but she's actually a very nice person." Noticing Heath's strange look, Giovanni introduced her with a smile.

Heath froze for a moment, then gave them a harmless smile and followed Mr. Giovanni toward his house.

Still, Heath was rather surprised. He really hadn't expected the beautiful young woman beside Giovanni to be Sabrina, the Saffron Gym's Leader. If that was the case, she should be one of Team Rocket's executives, and Lt. Surge should be a member of Team Rocket too.

Come to think of it, the Indigo League really had it rough. Of the eight Gyms under its jurisdiction, four had traitors as their Gym Leaders. How were they supposed to fight that?

Heath even suspected that the League had later discovered Giovanni's identity as Team Rocket's boss, but by then, Giovanni and Team Rocket had become too deeply entrenched within the League to remove. Unable to do anything about him directly, they could only investigate slowly and gather evidence of his crimes before finally bringing him down.

Giovanni's home was right behind the Viridian City Gym. It was a small detached house that looked much like a villa from Heath's previous life. After following Giovanni inside, Heath found himself looking at an exceptionally luxurious kitchen.

There were all kinds of utensils and seasonings. Heath even spotted plenty of ingredients he'd never seen before, which surprised him. He really hadn't expected Giovanni's kitchen to be so well stocked.

Had Giovanni known he was coming and ordered his subordinates to prepare everything, or did he simply enjoy making himself something to eat in his spare time?

"Well, I am the Viridian City Gym Leader, after all. Cooking is a hobby of mine, though your skills are far better than mine, young Heath. Feel free to use whatever ingredients you need today. Sorry for the trouble." Giovanni spoke with a smile, then took Sabrina to the living room.

Heath had no intention of sneaking over to eavesdrop. He just wanted to keep his head down and cook. Giovanni's strength was not to be underestimated, and with a psychic like Sabrina beside him, trying to listen in would be practically asking for death.

"All these ingredients... I never expected Mr. Giovanni to have this side to him." Heath wore a peculiar expression. This kitchen was simply fantastic, spotlessly clean and tidy. The arrangement of the knives, bowls, and chopsticks made it clear that its owner cooked often.

It was hard to imagine that Giovanni, Team Rocket's boss, had a side like this. Was this what people meant by a thug in a suit? But Heath felt he'd gone off track. Who said bad people couldn't have hobbies of their own?

Even though Heath knew Giovanni was Team Rocket's boss, from the perspective of an ordinary person, Giovanni was actually quite remarkable. He frequently visited the orphanages and nursing homes around Viridian City, volunteering and donating his salary.

And he did it all without the media tagging along. No wonder the people of Viridian City hadn't complained when Giovanni later left and the Viridian City Gym stayed closed for so long. In their eyes, Giovanni was simply a good man.

"Forget it. Let's see what ingredients we have..." Heath shook his head, then looked through the ingredients in the refrigerator and cupboards. Before long, he'd figured out what to make.

"Farfetch'd! Come out and give me a hand." Heath let Farfetch'd out.

Thanks to the snail traveling alone for the tip of 2,000 Qidian coins.