Team Rocket's Secret Base – Underground, Viridian Gym
"Matori, any updates?"
Giovanni leaned back against the massive sofa, one hand resting on Persian's head, as he watched a short-haired woman in glasses step into the room.
The woman's name was Matori—Giovanni's secretary.
"Boss Giovanni, the mission involving Jessie, James, and Meowth has failed," Matori reported.
Giovanni's hand paused mid-pat on Persian's head. "Reason?"
Even though Jessie and James were incompetent, in Giovanni's eyes, the trainers at Viridian City Pokémon Center were even more useless. A simple task like this shouldn't have failed.
"They encountered a highly skilled trainer during the mission," Matori emphasized the words highly skilled.
"Highly skilled?"
Matori nodded. "Yes. The opponent's Pokémon is a Senior Level Metagross from Petalburg City in the Hoenn region."
Giovanni's brows furrowed at the name. "Metagross? Have we identified the trainer?"
The most famous users of Metagross were the Stone family from Rustboro City. They controlled most of Hoenn's Beldum, Metang, and Metagross, and their representative was the Hoenn Champion—Steven Stone.
Immediately, Giovanni thought of the Stone family.
"Could it be that the Stone family and Devon Manufacturing are planning to expand into Kanto?" Giovanni speculated.
Discernment and foresight were essential qualities of a capable mastermind, and Giovanni was no exception.
Matori continued, "Investigations have been made. The trainer's name is Nozomi. Formerly a League Pokémon Trainee Prosecutor, he was disciplined after a mistake during an operation. Afterward, he resigned voluntarily and has been traveling this year as a Rookie Level Trainer. No connection to the Stone family has been found."
"Disciplined… resigned… rookie trainer…"
Giovanni stroked Persian's head thoughtfully.
It made no sense.
A trainer with a Metagross—what kind of mistake warrants disciplinary action? And when did trainers who owned Metagross become relegated to mere trainee prosecutors? The idea of resigning to become a rookie trainer was even harder for Giovanni to comprehend.
Matori's report contained multiple inconsistencies.
"It seems the conflict was with a certain family within the League," she added, sharing the supposed reason for Nozomi's departure. She spoke cautiously, aware that the information might be unreliable.
"First, get those three from the police station," Giovanni said after some thought, decisively.
Regardless, Jessie, James, and Meowth had to be extracted.
Even if they were a little foolish, Giovanni couldn't easily abandon their potential value.
"As for that Nozomi… have someone probe him."
Giovanni trusted that a former Pokémon Trainee Prosecutor with a Metagross wouldn't resign and become a rookie trainer without a reason.
Considering Team Rocket's frequent recent activity, Giovanni suspected it might be a League strategy aimed at Team Rocket.
There were precedents. Sometimes the League would have prosecutors feign dissatisfaction, resign, and join Team Rocket as undercover operatives to gather intelligence. Giovanni intended to be cautious.
"Yes, Boss Giovanni!" Matori replied.
Nozomi didn't realize that abandoning his prosecutor position had drawn Giovanni's attention. By the time he left the police station, it was already evening.
In just two days, he was already 'back in the fray.' Did he have a special connection with the police—or with Officer Jenny?
As he pondered this, he suddenly felt someone watching him.
He instinctively glanced back, but the street behind him was empty.
"Hm?"
Nozomi frowned; his intuition was rarely wrong.
Turning forward again, the feeling of being watched returned.
He looked back once more—still nothing unusual.
"Something's off."
Nozomi's senses were sharp. He was being followed.
Maintaining a calm expression, he continued forward, weaving through the complex streets. After several twists and turns, he ended up in a small alleyway he didn't even recognize.
He stopped abruptly.
"No need to hide. Come out!" Nozomi said in a low, firm voice.
Only the whisper of the wind responded. It seemed no one was there.
But Nozomi's expression remained unchanged. "Team Rocket… do I need to invite you out?"
Judging by the mission updates he had received earlier, there was no doubt—those following him had to be Team Rocket.
Amid the sound of slow, deliberate claps, the air warped, and a figure appeared at the other end of the alley.
A woman emerged. Short-haired, wearing earrings, her curvaceous figure clad in a fitted gray skirt uniform with the iconic red "R" across her chest. Even in the night, her presence was striking.
Beside her floated a Sableye. Clearly, she had used it to conceal herself moments before.
"You actually tracked me down! As Boss Giovanni suspected… you really are no ordinary trainer."
From the moment she spoke, Nozomi's confusion deepened.
"I beg your pardon? What did Giovanni suspect? How am I 'no ordinary trainer'?"
Nozomi had no idea that Giovanni had imagined him as part of some League conspiracy. He was utterly perplexed.