The private room was loud and garish. Bright, colored lights swept across the space, illuminating a row of heavily made-up women in revealing outfits who stood posed along the walls.
Edwin, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, took a long drag from an imported cigar. The moment he spotted Giovanni stepping through the doorway, he quickly rose to his feet. "Boss, welcome! Please, come in."
At the sound of Edwin's greeting, the women along the walls chimed in together, their voices soft and sweet. "Welcome, Boss!"
Jacob's eyebrow twitched. He glanced sideways at Edwin, thinking to himself that this man truly had a taste for excess and self-indulgence.
Still, Jacob had no interest in any of that at the moment. If anything, the sight of it all gave him a headache.
"Have them leave," Jacob said flatly, giving a slow wave of his hand.
"You heard him. Out, all of you," Edwin echoed, shooing the group away with a flick of his wrist.
Once the room had emptied, Edwin walked to the door and locked it. He switched off the thumping music, and the lights brightened to a calm, steady glow.
To be honest, Edwin was still a little on edge with Giovanni in the room. The gap in their strength was impossible to ignore, and it kept him careful with every word.
Jacob settled into the soft sofa, his gaze resting on the slightly stiff Edwin. There was something almost poetic about it, he thought. Power had a way of commanding respect all on its own. Even someone as notorious as Edwin became cautious in the face of absolute strength.
Jacob rested one arm along the back of the sofa and began, his voice calm and unhurried. "Now that you've joined Team Rocket, you're one of us. No need for all this formality. There are a few things I couldn't go over the phone, and since I'm passing through on my way to the southern sea region, I thought it best to stop by and clear things up in person."
He let a brief pause settle before continuing.
"First — I have information on the approximate location of an Eternal Gigantamax Pokémon. There's also a task I'll need you to carry out. Complete it well, and I'll hand over that information and support you in capturing the Pokémon."
For a man like Edwin, who never moved without seeing something solid on the table first, Jacob knew better than to arrive empty-handed.
An Eternal Gigantamax Pokémon.
Of course, the so-called intelligence Jacob referred to was really nothing more than his own rough speculation about the location of a northwest Secret Realm Gap. It wasn't confirmed. But Jacob was playing a long game — keeping Edwin steady for now. If the gap turned out to be in the wrong place, he could always chalk it up to bad intel and compensate Edwin with a different Gigantamax Pokémon later.
Edwin's expression shifted the moment the words landed. His heart beat a little faster before he could stop it. No trainer could hear "Eternal Gigantamax Pokémon" and feel nothing — especially not after witnessing the raw, overwhelming power of Giovanni's Gigantamax Lapras firsthand.
"The second matter," Jacob continued, "is the task itself. I can't explain it yet. You'll need to agree first, and then I'll walk you through the details."
Edwin's face grew thoughtful. The initial jolt of excitement faded quickly, replaced by something more measured. He wasn't a fool. Jacob had dangled a Gigantamax Pokémon in front of him without even explaining what he'd have to do in return. If the task was the kind that could get him killed, no reward would make it worth his while.
After a short silence, Edwin looked at Jacob and asked carefully, "How much risk does this task carry?"
"Follow my instructions, and your safety is guaranteed," Jacob replied.
It was a vague answer, and it only made Edwin's unease grow. He took a slow breath and pressed further. "What kind of Gigantamax Pokémon are we talking about?"
"I can't say for certain," Jacob said. "But I can tell you this — Gigantamax is not a form just any Pokémon can achieve. Those that do are always exceptionally powerful."
Edwin was quiet for a moment, turning it all over in his mind. Then, with a look of reluctant resolve, he met Jacob's eyes. "In that case, it would be rude of me to keep refusing."
"Glad we understand each other."
"Likewise."
A slight smile crossed Jacob's lips. He leaned forward a little and lowered his voice. "The task itself is simple. You'll need to be at a specific location at a specific time. In all likelihood, you won't have to do a thing — just show up and be seen. Think of it as a show of support. I'll send you the details within two days."
Despite the casual tone, the vagueness of Jacob's words only sharpened Edwin's alertness. He could feel it — this was not as simple as it was being made to sound.
Giovanni was not a charitable man. He didn't offer Eternal Gigantamax Pokémon out of goodwill. Whatever he stood to gain from this arrangement was clearly worth far more than what he was giving away. But what could Edwin do about it?
The temptation was too great. And with Giovanni here in person, even if there was danger lurking beneath the surface, all Edwin could really do was clench his jaw and step forward anyway.
There were no free lunches in this world. If he wasn't willing to take on some risk and put in the work, Giovanni would have no reason to offer him anything at all.
"Understood," Edwin said, giving a firm nod. "When the time comes, I'll follow your lead, Boss."
"Good." Jacob nodded once, then moved on without missing a beat. "There's a third matter. I mentioned before that only Team Rocket executives are permitted to possess Eternal Gigantamax Pokémon. Since I've already committed to sharing that intelligence with you, as of today, you are an executive of Team Rocket. And with that, your Paradise Group will need to be formally merged into Team Rocket — the sooner, the better."
Edwin's expression fell. His father had built Paradise Group from nothing, piece by piece over many years. For Jacob to ask him to hand it over in a single sentence — it stung in a way he hadn't expected.
But he had no ground to refuse from. None at all.
Jacob watched Edwin's face carefully, reading every flicker of emotion that passed across it. He knew Edwin wouldn't be happy. No one would be. He also knew he had the power to simply force the matter, but that wasn't his way. What separated a true leader from a common brute was the ability to use wisdom before force. Jacob had always treated force as a last resort — once you started leaning on it for everything, it stopped being a trump card and became a crutch.
"I know this doesn't sit entirely well with you," Jacob said, his eyes steady on Edwin's face. A bead of cold sweat ran down Edwin's back. "But there's no need to worry. I don't shortchange my own people. That has never been who I am."
There was a quiet authority in Jacob's voice — not boastful, just certain.
"Edwin, I promise you — when you look back on the decision you make today, you will be glad you made it."
He continued, measured and deliberate. "Your Paradise Group's medical side — Paradise Hospital — can stay. I have no interest in that. As for your other trades, the more dangerous ones, you'll need to pull back and be more careful about your targets. I'm realistic — I'm not asking you to walk away from all of it entirely. But I do have one condition that is not up for discussion: under normal circumstances, you are not to target anyone from within this region." Jacob held Edwin's gaze as he finished, his tone leaving absolutely no room for argument.