Machoke and Heracross—those two pals—also said goodbye to Grey for now, led by the little Riolu.
"Giovanni, are you still coming to the dojo later?"
Standing at the restaurant entrance, Grey looked at Giovanni, who had just put down his phone, and asked curiously.
"Next time. I still have some business to handle."
Giovanni adjusted his suit collar, gave Grey a slight nod, then turned and headed toward the hotel.
Seeing that, Grey brought the other four back to the dojo.
…
…
In the most bustling district of Saffron City, the Rainbow Hotel's sign stood out under the afternoon sun.
This five-star hotel, secretly funded and built through Team Rocket's investments, looked on the surface like the top choice for business travelers—yet in truth, it was the largest intelligence hub in the entire Kanto region.
Giovanni's figure appeared before the revolving doors, the marble floor reflecting his polished shoes.
When the doorman bowed respectfully, no one noticed the faint "R" emblem half-hidden on his tie clip.
From the manager to the cleaners, everyone in this hotel was an elite Team Rocket plant.
"Mr. Giovanni, welcome back. Is there anything you need assistance with?"
A server in a crisp uniform approached, dipping into a slight bow. A silver tray rested in his hands, topped with a snow-white napkin.
And beneath that napkin, a sheet of white paper was just barely visible.
"No need."
Giovanni lifted a hand and loosened his tie, tilting his head back so his expression couldn't be read.
"Have dinner delivered to my door as usual."
The elevator doors opened right on cue.
Giovanni was about to step inside, but his stride paused for a fraction.
As he casually picked up the napkin, his voice turned sharply cold. "Today, I don't want to be disturbed by anyone."
"Understood. Wishing you a pleasant day."
The server maintained a perfect forty-five-degree bow until the elevator doors fully closed.
Giovanni stood alone as the elevator rose, the metal walls reflecting an unreadable, shadowed expression.
With a soft ding, the private penthouse suite was reached.
"You're back."
Mewtwo stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, its long purple tail leaving a faint trail across the carpet. Its voice was calm, without the slightest ripple.
"Someone tried to steal information, hoping to replicate a miracle."
It turned, a glint rising in its eyes. "And that idiot has already been delivered to the police station by you."
"Hm?"
Giovanni's hands stopped mid-motion as he undid his cufflinks. His brows knitted tightly. "You're saying… they're after Mew?"
"Not just that."
Mewtwo's tail slammed the floor, and the glow in its eyes faded back to normal. "They even want the data on that custom Poké Ball."
"No wonder the moment he saw me, he looked like a Rattata spotting a Persian."
Giovanni stopped what he was doing, Vicious's terrified expression flashing in his mind from the moment of arrest.
He remembered clearly: he had never extended an invitation to Team Plasma—yet they showed up uninvited anyway.
"Heh…"
Giovanni's cold chuckle echoed through the suite. His knuckles tapped the solid wood desk, producing a dull, heavy rhythm.
So that was it. From the very beginning, that had been their real calculation.
"Vicious, I treated you well, and this is how you repay me."
Giovanni lifted a hand and drew it across his throat. "Anyone who stabs Team Rocket in the back deserves to die."
"And the Seven Sages of Team Plasma?" Mewtwo asked.
"Let the line run long to hook the big fish. Since Team Plasma already knows what we're doing, that means they want this power too. So we watch and wait."
Giovanni stroked his chin, the tapping of his other hand gradually speeding up. "But since they came to us on their own… adding a little extra bait isn't out of the question…"
"What do you mean?"
When it came to schemes, Mewtwo felt it couldn't compete with Giovanni at all.
It really wanted to know what Giovanni was selling this time.
Giovanni smiled lightly, his hand curling into a fist. "I'm going to repay them in kind."
"Hm?"
Mewtwo didn't understand. It tilted its head, and its tail curled into the shape of a question mark behind it.
"You'll find out when the time comes."
Giovanni waved a hand and walked to the liquor cabinet. He took out a bottle, pouring it into a glass.
"In the end, a stemmed glass still feels better."
The amber liquid in the glass swayed like a small tide.
And all the words Giovanni didn't finish, he dissolved into the whiskey.
"I really don't get how humans think. You never say anything all the way through. What does the internet call that again? Something like… a riddle-speaker?"
Mewtwo didn't feel like dealing with it. Its tail slapped the carpet impatiently as it changed the subject. "How's the development of the new power coming along?"
"Kalos has already been fully deployed."
Giovanni swirled his glass and spoke slowly. "Now we're only missing the final key data."
"Don't disappoint me."
Mewtwo used Teleport, vanishing from the hotel and shooting up toward the clouds.
"Mew~" (There's a barbecue place here that's really good~ Eat as much as you want. Want to come with me? My treat~)
Just as Mewtwo brushed the cloud layer, Mew's voice suddenly rang out in its mind, startling it into a hard stop.
"Hm?"
Mewtwo frowned, scanning the surroundings—yet there was no sign of Mew.
"Mew~" (I'm at the barbecue shop down below. If you're coming, hurry up—no fighting today. If you're not coming, then forget it. I'd honestly rather not spend the money anyway.)
This time, Mew's voice came with a clear location.
Before Mewtwo could move, Mew added one more line—
"Mew~" (And remember to turn into a human~ If you don't, I'm not taking you to eat!)
Mew's tone left no room for negotiation.
Like if Mewtwo didn't turn human, it could forget about sharing a meal.
"…"
Mewtwo was a little speechless.
But it still did as Mew said—shifting into a purple-haired man wearing a baseball cap, then Teleporting behind a certain alley and walking out at an unhurried pace.
"Sorry, little cutie, but if you don't have a Trainer with you, you can't eat barbecue here~"
Not far away, a server bent down to explain to the Riolu.
As she spoke, the little one's eyes suddenly lit up. It grabbed the server's sleeve and pointed excitedly at the purple-haired man.
"Oh—did your Trainer arrive?"
The young server followed Riolu's pointing and looked up. When she saw the purple-haired man walking out from the alley entrance, her eyes brightened.
"Sir, are you this Riolu's Trainer?"
She jogged over, her name tag swaying lightly against her chest.
Mewtwo lowered the brim of his cap and let out a cool, indifferent sound through his nose. "Mm."
"Mew~" (See? I told you I have a Trainer! Now hurry up and take us inside~)
The little Riolu walked over, pulled out some cash, and handed it to the server.
"Alright, alright—come on, I'll get you seated right away."
The server smiled and led the way for the little Riolu and Mewtwo.
"So, what are you trying to do?" Mewtwo asked the little Riolu through telepathy.
"Why are you pulling that face? Do you seriously never feel happy? You're not as good as Grey—he's smiling every day."
"What's so great about that kid?" Mewtwo didn't understand why Mew insisted on sticking with Grey.
"When you've spent a long time around him, you'll know~"
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