"You can rest assured about that. As long as nothing major happens at Silph Co., it won't attract outside attention."
Giovanni chuckled softly at Lucas's words, his calm confidence radiating from the faint smile curling his lips. Naturally, he had already considered that possibility.
Indeed—if he remained stationed at Silph Co. for too long and didn't return to the Viridian Gym, his long-term absence would definitely draw suspicion and discontent from the League.
To be absent from both ends would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble.
Yet, his identity as the Viridian Gym Leader brought with it plenty of privileges—an identity that he couldn't casually abandon.
Fortunately, Silph Co. was already a fully developed, mature enterprise. Even if he were to take control of it, the company's day-to-day operations would proceed smoothly without issue.
Only matters of strategic direction would require the personal decisions of the president.
"In that case, Boss, since you've already made your preparations, let me congratulate you in advance—for officially taking over Silph Co.," Lucas said with a light grin.
Everything was progressing exactly as planned.
After a night of rest, Lucas had Green disguise their group before following Giovanni toward the towering Silph Co. building.
After all, their faces were too easily recognizable. If the League found out that Lucas was traveling together with Giovanni… then Giovanni's name would immediately be dragged into the League's spotlight, and suspicion would inevitably follow.
Currently, Giovanni's public identity was that of the Viridian Gym Leader—a position that still held the League's trust.
Upon arrival at Silph Co., they briefly registered their visit at the front desk before stepping into the elevator.
At the top floor of Silph Co. Headquarters—
"Gym Leader Giovanni, it's been quite some time."
A smiling elderly man seated behind an ornate office desk stood to greet them warmly as they entered the luxurious office suite.
He was none other than Charles, the president of Silph Co.
"Yes, it truly has been a long time, President Charles. I'm very glad to see you again," Giovanni replied politely, giving a small nod. His voice carried that deep, magnetic composure unique to him—steady, mature, and perfectly calm.
"Though it might sound presumptuous of me," Charles said, still smiling, "I must ask—are you really not considering joining Silph Co., Gym Leader Giovanni? If you're willing, I could immediately appoint you as the manager of one of our major subsidiaries."
His eyes shone with genuine admiration as he looked at Giovanni.
As the head of a major corporation, Charles naturally valued talent above all else.
And Giovanni—who had built a thriving business from the ground up while simultaneously serving as the Viridian Gym Leader—was undoubtedly a man of immense ability.
"...Still trying to recruit that man? Really?"
At the side, Green couldn't help but cast a pitying look at the highly respected president of Silph Co.
He's here to steal your entire company, and you're trying to recruit him?
Charles wore a finely tailored brown suit. Although he appeared to be around sixty years old, his proper grooming and confident air gave him the bearing of a man much younger.
He looked like a true leader—a shame, really.
"I appreciate your kind offer, President Charles," Giovanni said with a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. "In fact, I am indeed interested in joining your company."
"Oh? Truly?"
Charles's eyes lit up with pleasant surprise.
Giovanni's capabilities were exceptional, and his official Gym Leader identity made him even more valuable. Having someone like that join Silph Co. would be beneficial to both their reputation and business—especially since Silph Co.'s main line of products catered directly to Pokémon Trainers.
"Yes," Giovanni continued smoothly, "however…"
"However what?" Charles asked, smiling encouragingly. "Please, speak freely, Mr. Giovanni."
"Well," Giovanni said lightly, his smile widening into something darker and colder, "I'm afraid it's you, President Charles, who'll soon have to endure some… discomfort. After all—from today onward, you'll be nothing more than a prisoner."
As he spoke, the warmth drained completely from his face. The calm, mature businessman's demeanor twisted into something far more sinister.
His expression grew darker and darker, and an aura of icy malice spread through the air.
"You—"
Charles froze in shock, his face paling.
A prisoner? What in the world was Giovanni talking about?!
But even before he could react further, something felt wrong.
He hadn't built Silph Co. into a global powerhouse by luck alone—his instincts were sharp.
"Gym Leader Giovanni, I don't quite understand your meaning," Charles said in a low, steady tone, though his eyes flicked toward his secretary, silently signaling her to act.
At the same time, his own hand inched toward the emergency alarm button hidden beneath the desk—
But before he could press it, his entire body went rigid.
A faint blue light shimmered across his skin, encasing him in a psychic barrier. His secretary, too, was frozen in the same pale-blue glow.
"Now, now—don't move, President Charles," Lucas said pleasantly, smiling at the panic that flashed across the older man's eyes. "If anyone notices us, that would be very troublesome."
Beside Lucas stood Gardevoir, its elegant eyes glowing faintly as it maintained its psychic hold on the two.
Indeed—Lucas had ordered Gardevoir to restrain both the president and his secretary with psychic energy.
At the moment, Charles couldn't even speak.
And since there were guards stationed right outside the office door, causing a disturbance was the last thing they needed.
With a graceful wave of Gardevoir's hand, Charles and his secretary were lifted helplessly into the air before being tossed unceremoniously into a corner of the room.
"…That was way too easy," Green muttered with a hint of exasperation.
So that was it? That's all it took to capture the president of Silph Co.?
"Don't worry," Giovanni said calmly, lowering himself into Charles's now-empty chair. "I won't harm you—for now. After all, I still need your name to maintain control over this company."
His tone was smooth and unhurried, but the faint curve of his lips was filled with menace.
Even the mighty president of Silph Co.—at this moment, he looked no different from a frightened, powerless man.
"As long as we keep this man under control," Lucas said, glancing at Charles, "then Silph Co. will be ours. Next, we just need him to transfer the company shares."
Indeed, unlike in the games, their reason for targeting Silph Co. here wasn't the Master Ball.
In the games, Team Rocket's invasion of Silph Co. was because of the Master Ball—a Poké Ball with a 100% capture rate, an item that was practically a cheat code.
But in this world, such an item couldn't possibly exist.
This wasn't a game.
Pokémon here weren't just strings of data—they were living, breathing beings with consciousness and will.
Especially the Legendary Pokémon—even among them, beings like the Three Legendary Birds or the Three Legendary Beasts wouldn't simply obey a human who hadn't earned their respect.
A Poké Ball?
What could a Poké Ball truly restrain?
In the most recent journeys, even Pokémon had shown they could break free from their own Poké Balls by choice!
"With Silph Co.'s financial resources supporting us," Giovanni said with a dark grin, "Team Rocket's funding problems will vanish overnight. Lucas, I must thank you for this brilliant suggestion."
The gleam in his eyes deepened. Controlling Silph Co. meant gaining an endless stream of wealth—an inexhaustible supply line.
For Team Rocket, this was a monumental victory.
"Team… Rocket?"
Charles's pupils contracted violently, his expression twisting with horror.
Giovanni—this calm, respectable businessman—was actually part of Team Rocket?!
And not just a member—he was clearly leading this organization!
He wanted to scream, to warn the guards outside, but Gardevoir's psychic power held him completely still.
Does Team Rocket even know what they're doing?! he thought frantically. I'm the president of Silph Co.! If the League learns about this, they'll annihilate them!
"But if Charles suddenly stops appearing in public, people will grow suspicious sooner or later," Lucas said thoughtfully, glancing at Giovanni. "You'll need to be careful, Boss—and keep the employees from noticing anything unusual."
Indeed, in the original timeline of the games, it was Silph Co.'s secretary who escaped and was rescued by Red and Blue—triggering the entire Silph Co. storyline.
Capturing the company wasn't the hard part. The real challenge lay in maintaining the illusion that nothing had changed.
Because once the Pokémon League caught wind of it—it would mean war.
"I'll gradually have Team Rocket members infiltrate Silph Co., embedding them into various departments," Giovanni replied, nodding. "When the time comes, we'll be ready."
He was confident.
After all, Charles rarely appeared publicly, and his status alone meant most decisions would go unquestioned.
As long as things were handled carefully, there was little risk of immediate discovery.
"Now then… President Charles," Giovanni said, turning his gaze back toward the trembling old man, "let's discuss a few more important matters."
His smile widened—a quiet, chilling curve that made the air in the room grow heavy and cold.
What followed, naturally, was a "negotiation" concerning Silph Co.'s ownership and financial accounts.
Meanwhile—far away, in another dimension—
A dark, boundless, and desolate space lay silent and still. Countless Unown floated aimlessly through the void, their cryptic symbols gleaming faintly amidst flashes of strange lightning that tore across the skies.
The Rift Between Time and Space.
Yes—this was the rift that separated time and space itself. It was a place of deathly stillness, devoid of life—save for the wandering Unown.
But at that very moment—
Two radiant glows—one brilliant blue, the other shimmering pinkish-purple—flared into existence within the darkness.
Two immense figures slowly faced each other.
"ROAR!!!"
A deafening bellow echoed through the void, shaking the very fabric of the realm and scattering the countless Unown.
In that instant, Dialga's draconic eyes blazed with fury as it glared across the rift.
Standing opposite him was a massive, lavender-hued Pokémon—Palkia, the master of space itself.
That damned Palkia—how dare it invade my domain?!
But Palkia, facing Dialga's wrath, roared right back, equally unyielding.
To it, Dialga was the intruder—the one who had trespassed upon its territory.
Yes—each of them believed the other was the invader.
For time and space were like two parallel lines—never meant to intersect.
And yet, somehow, just moments ago… time and space had collided violently.
There was no hesitation. No discussion.
As the respective rulers of time and space, both had arrived here to confront the one they deemed responsible.
Their relationship had always been strained—this incident only gave them a perfect excuse to unleash their animosity.
Tch!
Both dragons glared at one another, tension thick in the air, the oppressive pressure growing heavier by the second.
Dialga:What are you looking at?
Palkia:I'm looking at you. Got a problem?
Dialga:Say that again.
Palkia:I just did. What are you gonna do about it?
The light in Dialga's eyes grew dangerously sharp. This damned little brother!
"ROAR!!!"
With another earth-shaking bellow, Dialga's body erupted in a surge of blazing blue light.
But Palkia moved even faster, sensing the shift in its rival's aura.
Neither cared that they were, in a sense, siblings born from the same origin.
Their eyes blazed with mutual hostility—and in the next instant—
The Dragon of Time and the Dragon of Space charged straight at each other.
BOOM!!!
Their colossal bodies collided with a thunderous impact, sending shockwaves rippling outward like tidal waves of raw power.
The very rift trembled as the shockwave spread, rippling through the fabric of reality itself.
Both were forced backward by the sheer force of the clash.
Steadying itself midair, Palkia raised both arms, gathering a sphere of violet-red energy between its claws—an Aura Sphere of devastating intensity—and hurled it straight at Dialga.
The sphere struck Dialga head-on with a thunderous explosion, making the Dragon of Time roar in pain and rage before retaliating with a brilliant Dragon Pulse.
And so—
The collision of time and space began in full.
The rift quaked, lightning danced wildly, and the Unown scattered like leaves in a storm.
Reality itself seemed to distort at the center of their battle.
(End of Chapter)