Pig Squad

With Beedrill there to keep things under control, Giovanni no longer had to fear Nidoran♂ turning on him.

So he also began trying to use Viridian Force to improve Nidoran♂'s and Machop's potential.

The main reason was that Beedrill's potential had already risen to blue, and Giovanni's Viridian Force was no longer quite enough.

He would probably have to wait a long time, until his Viridian Force underwent another transformation, before he could continue improving Beedrill's potential.

Still, his own darling boy had to be cherished, so all the Berries prepared for it became extra meals.

A few more days passed, and Giovanni, who seemed to have been forgotten, was finally remembered.

The doorbell rang, and a Team Rocket member stood properly outside.

Upon seeing Giovanni, a trace of envy flashed through his eyes before he said:

"Lord Giovanni, according to the boss's instructions, in one week, you will need to join a squad led by a squad leader to carry out a mission."

Giovanni frowned. "All right, understood."

Then the man took a box from behind his back and handed it to Giovanni. "This is the Poison-type resource you requested. It's a venomous stinger from a Gym-level Pokémon."

Giovanni took it. It seemed fairly heavy.

Finally, the man told Giovanni:

"Someone will come to notify you in a week. By the boss's orders, after completing this mission, you will receive the resources allotted to a platoon leader. The other two, like you, also need to complete a mission."

Giovanni nodded and replied:

"All right, understood."

After delivering the notice, the man turned and left.

Giovanni closed the door and slowly opened the box. Inside, a venomous needle about the size of his palm gave off a faint glow.

It also gave off a pungent smell.

But it certainly contained a considerable amount of energy. As for how to use it, Giovanni did not have to worry about that.

As Pokémon, they naturally knew how to use it.

For Beedrill, this Gym-level venomous stinger could provide some energy and help it gain a few levels, but it would do little for its potential.

So Giovanni promptly released Nidoran♂.

At first, Nidoran♂ was a little puzzled about why Giovanni had let it out.

When it caught the scent of that Poison-type stinger, its eyes became fixed on it.

It was not just the smell, but also the powerful attraction that Poison-type stinger held for it. The energy contained within left it utterly entranced.

Its drool pooled on the floor, but Giovanni had disciplined it rather often lately.

Without Giovanni's permission, it really did not dare approach now, so it could only look up at him, seeking his approval.

And it was not just Nidoran♂. Beedrill, standing to one side like a bodyguard, also gazed at the venomous stinger with greed in its eyes.

Only Giovanni's presence and its status as Bug King kept it from acting like Nidoran♂.

Even Machop, who was furiously doing squats in the room, was drawn to this treasure of a different type.

Resources like this held far too much appeal for Pokémon.

Although it could not improve their potential, it could provide them with a great deal of energy.

Nidoran♂ only stayed put because it was afraid of Giovanni.

Satisfied with its behavior, Giovanni said, "Go ahead. It was prepared for you in the first place."

Only then did Nidoran♂ step forward, open its mouth, and swallow the venomous stinger.

Powerful Poison-type energy continually flooded Nidoran♂'s body. It gave a series of comfortable, low growls, and the venomous spines on its body grew blacker and shinier.

It lowered its body slightly, white light flashed, and it gained another level.

Then it closed its eyes, seemingly a little tired.

Giovanni bent down and asked it, "Is swallowing it directly all right? Won't that be too much energy?"

Nidoran♂ shook its head, indicating that this amount was just right.

Giovanni did not insist and let Nidoran♂ have its way. "Then do as you like."

Still, he used Viridian Force to help Nidoran♂ absorb that energy more quickly.

Over the next few days, Nidoran♂ looked very tired, but the energy within its body increased substantially.

Within two or three days, it jumped another level and also learned Fury Attack.

Its potential improved somewhat as well, rising from yellow to deep yellow.

Beedrill was in a similar situation, gaining another level on top of its previous progress.

It successfully broke through to the intermediate level.

With its strength as Bug King, Beedrill could put up a fight against advanced-level Pokémon despite having only just entered the intermediate level, and it had no equal at the intermediate level.

It also learned Focus Energy.

Although Machop did not receive resources as good as theirs, with Giovanni helping it through Viridian Force, along with the resources the company commander had previously provided Max, it gained another level too.

Axin delivered Machop's food, so it had food and drink.

A week was not long to begin with, and now it passed in the blink of an eye.

An unfamiliar squad leader appeared outside Giovanni's room.

He introduced himself. "Lord Giovanni, my name is Johnny. My code name as squad leader is Little Pig. You can call me Johnny or Little Pig, whichever you prefer."

Giovanni nodded and casually said:

"All right, Little Pig Johnny."

Although Johnny found it a little strange, he thought nothing of it.

As he led Giovanni along, he explained the mission, his tone sounding somewhat ingratiating.

"Our objective this time is to capture a hundred Tauros. It'll be a little troublesome, but rest assured, my squad members are all elite. You can just watch from the sidelines."

Giovanni rubbed his chin. "A hundred Tauros? Understood."

Although Team Rocket had not yet fully become a criminal organization, its poaching and Pokémon trafficking began here and continued into the future.

After all, the profits were very high. If they wanted to accumulate a great deal of wealth quickly, this was something they had to get involved in.

Relatively speaking, however, it also made them more likely to be discovered and pursued by Pokémon League police officers and rangers.

The risks were actually far from low.

Under Little Pig Johnny's lead, Giovanni soon met his five squad members.

Interestingly, Axin was among them.

However, he showed no excitement. Like the others beside him, he simply looked at Giovanni calmly.

Naturally, they would not underestimate Giovanni. After all, young as he was, he had crawled out from among the corpses of a thousand people. Even they could not compare to that.

So rather than worrying that Giovanni would be hopelessly useless, they were more concerned that he might be too arrogant and overbearing when the time came and refuse to follow orders.

They were also somewhat envious. After all, Giovanni had a chance to become their future leader.

Although they already knew beforehand, Johnny still introduced him to them. "Let me introduce Lord Giovanni. He'll be joining us on this operation. Besides completing our mission, we must also ensure Lord Giovanni's safety as much as possible."

Hearing this, they immediately looked perfunctory and answered in a ragged chorus:

"Yes..."

Behind Johnny, a trace of coldness flashed through Giovanni's eyes, but it vanished without a trace a moment later.

Johnny handed out masks one by one. "Move out."

Team Rocket was not yet as brazen as it would become in the future, so some concealment was still necessary.

Just in case.

Giovanni also took a mask and gently fitted it over his face.

Together with his uniform, it kept anyone from seeing what he truly looked like.

But before leaving, he glanced in one direction out of the corner of his eye, his gaze flickering.