Meeting Giovanni Rika

A short while later.

Miyamoto appeared again. Standing high above, she looked at Giovanni amid the dismembered corpses, without much surprise in her eyes.

As an Elite Four-level Trainer, and the person second only to Team Rocket's leader,

nothing Giovanni had done could be hidden from her.

The so-called "Bug King" plan had also proceeded with her and Giovanni Rika's tacit approval.

As an Elite Four-level Trainer, she knew full well the potential and strength of a Pokémon that could stand out and survive a free-for-all among a hundred Bug-type Pokémon.

"You've raised this Beedrill well. It's really shaping up."

"Unlike those two youngsters. Aidos toyed with them, and they ruined perfectly good starter Pokémon."

Giovanni patted Beedrill's hard, sharp stinger. "It's all right. Still a long way behind your Pokémon."

Miyamoto chuckled. "How long have you even been raising Pokémon? Raising a Beedrill like this is already impressive. You'll surpass me before long."

She glanced at the Poké Ball containing Machop at Giovanni's waist. "This Pokémon..."

Giovanni took the Poké Ball off and answered Miyamoto:

"You can hold on to it for now. Once I'm strong enough, I'll trade you for it."

Miyamoto gave Giovanni a long look, then flicked her hand lightly, releasing her powerful Houndoom.

After jumping down, Houndoom took the Poké Ball from Giovanni's hand in its mouth, then leaped back to Miyamoto's side.

Miyamoto took the Poké Ball and said meaningfully to Giovanni:

"I remember a fairly promising Official Member named Axin. This Pokémon will make a perfect reward for him."

Sure enough, this hadn't escaped Miyamoto either.

But since Miyamoto hadn't spelled it out, Giovanni naturally wouldn't say it either. He simply nodded.

Miyamoto paid no heed to whether this Pokémon might turn on Giovanni. She merely instructed Houndoom beside her:

"Go on, good boy. Clean up all these human corpses."

Houndoom gave Miyamoto a somewhat aggrieved look, as though asking why she hadn't said everything at once.

Still, what needed doing had to be done.

It opened its mouth and spewed fire, and roaring flames filled the entire training ground.

Giovanni's expression remained unchanged. It would have been strange if an Elite Four-level Pokémon couldn't even control its own flames.

Beedrill, however, stared intently at Houndoom, a trace of fighting spirit in its eyes.

The Bug King's suppression naturally amounted to nothing before an Elite Four-level Pokémon.

Houndoom gave Beedrill a disdainful glance. Even if Beedrill was strong enough to kill more than twenty Pokémon,

it was still no match for Houndoom. A single blast of flame would settle it.

The flames burned, instantly reducing the surrounding human corpses to ashes that scattered into the air, leaving only some Pokémon corpses.

Giovanni and Beedrill were completely unharmed.

Once Houndoom finished, it went straight back into its Poké Ball on its own, seemingly to keep Miyamoto from ordering it around again.

Giovanni tapped Beedrill's stinger and told it:

"Don't rush. One day, you'll surpass it, and that day won't be too far off."

"Bzz." Beedrill nodded, its eyes brimming with confidence!

The doors slowly opened, and Team Rocket members ran in from outside to collect the corpses.

Axin was among them. When he saw that Giovanni was the winner, a trace of excitement crept into his eyes, but he didn't dare show it.

Above him, Miyamoto extended a hand toward Giovanni. "Come with me. As the winner, you'll be meeting the boss along with the other two."

Giovanni nodded. "Beedrill."

Beedrill then held Giovanni and slowly flew up to Miyamoto's side.

Only then did Giovanni recall Beedrill.

With Miyamoto leading the way, Giovanni officially finished the third stage of the selection.

Walking ahead, Miyamoto said to Giovanni:

"Aren't you curious who the other two brats are?"

Giovanni shook his head. "No. Whoever they are, it makes no difference to me."

Miyamoto raised an eyebrow and slapped Giovanni hard on the shoulder. "You really are an arrogant brat. But I like it. After all, only someone with strength can say something like that!"

"I'll tell you. You're the first. The other two aren't out yet. Not every Pokémon is like that Beedrill of yours, after all."

Giovanni nodded and sucked in a sharp breath. She was far too strong. That really hurt.

As though she hadn't noticed, Miyamoto continued speaking to Giovanni:

"Who do you think the other two brats will be? Yalan and A Rui?"

Giovanni shook his head, the image of that scrawny boy flashing through his mind. "I think Yadu will win."

Miyamoto slapped her forehead and smiled. "That brat who knows a little ninjutsu? If you hadn't mentioned him, I really would have forgotten him."

With Miyamoto leading the way, they descended several floors in succession and finally reached the door to Giovanni Rika's room.

But someone had already been waiting there for quite a while.

Miyamoto frowned and asked coldly:

"Why are you here?"

Aidos smiled gently. "Why can't I be here? I'm an executive too, after all. Isn't coming to see the boss perfectly normal?"

Miyamoto snorted coldly, clearly not pleased to see him.

Aidos glanced at Giovanni, seemingly somewhat surprised. "Oh, you really won, kid. That's quite unexpected."

Giovanni answered:

"Greetings, Lord Aidos. It was only luck."

Aidos narrowed his eyes slightly and took two steps toward Giovanni. "Haha, luck? I might believe that from another brat, but not necessarily from you."

Frowning, Miyamoto stepped in front of Giovanni with a cold look. "Aidos, what are you trying to do?"

Aidos stopped in his tracks and went no farther. "Don't get worked up. What could I possibly do? I wouldn't lay a hand on our future young master."

"You'd better not!" Miyamoto's hand was already resting on the Poké Ball at her waist.

Just as the tension mounted, Giovanni Rika's voice came from inside. "Come in, all of you. What's all this arguing?"

"Yes!" Aidos answered first, smiled at Miyamoto, and walked in.

"Annoying bastard." Miyamoto gave two cold snorts, then led Giovanni inside as well.

Inside the lavish-looking room, filled with red decorations,

Giovanni Rika sat on the sofa in the very center, her slight figure exuding an intense air of dominance.

Not far behind her, the Alakazam from before floated in midair, its eyes closed in meditation.

Miyamoto and Aidos both bowed respectfully to Giovanni Rika in greeting. "Boss!"

Giovanni simply looked at Giovanni Rika, because it wasn't just what Giovanni Rika had said before; Aidos had also warned him once earlier.

Giovanni slowly opened his mouth and called:

"Mother."

Giovanni Rika nodded as a matter of course and pointed to the sofa beside her.

"Everyone, sit."