Giovanni had been hiding in Johto for three months.
Three months of exile. Three months of running Team Rocket remotely. Three months of waking up in cold sweats after nightmares about Shuckles and ten-year-olds with armies of gods.
He thought he was safe.
He was wrong.
TEAM ROCKET JOHTO HEADQUARTERS - MORNING
"Sir, we have a problem."
Giovanni looked up from his breakfast—a simple affair, nothing like the luxurious meals he'd enjoyed in Kanto. Exile had humbled him. Slightly.
"What kind of problem?"
"The Chen boy, sir. He has seven badges."
"I'm aware. I've been monitoring."
"He needs one more to qualify for the Pokemon League."
"Also aware. Fortunately, there are eight Gyms and I'm—"
"Your Gym is the only one he hasn't challenged, sir."
Giovanni's fork stopped halfway to his mouth.
"He's challenged the others? ALL of them?"
"Yes, sir. Brock. Misty. Surge. Erika. Koga. Sabrina. Blaine. All defeated. Most traumatized. There's a support group now."
"I know about the support group. Brock sends me the newsletter." Giovanni pushed his plate away, appetite gone. "So he's coming for my badge."
"That's the thing, sir. According to League rules, if you forfeit or refuse to battle for more than thirty days after a formal challenge is issued, you lose your Gym Leader status permanently."
Giovanni went very still.
"And?"
"The Chen boy issued a formal challenge. Yesterday. You have thirty days to respond."
"I'm in JOHTO."
"The challenge was issued to the Viridian City Gym, sir. Your legal Pokemon League residence. You have to return."
Giovanni stared at the wall for a long, long moment.
"He's forcing me out of hiding."
"Yes, sir."
"To face HIM. And his SHUCKLE."
"And his Mewtwo, sir. The one we created."
Giovanni's blood ran cold.
FLASHBACK - TWENTY YEARS AGO
The laboratory was cold. Clinical. Perfect for creating life.
Giovanni stood before the cloning tank, watching the creature inside grow. Mewtwo. The ultimate Pokemon. His ultimate weapon.
"Soon," he had whispered. "Soon, you'll be mine."
He had been so confident then. So certain that he could control the uncontrollable.
He had been a fool.
PRESENT DAY - GIOVANNI'S OFFICE
"The Mewtwo," Giovanni said slowly. "Does it... does it know?"
"Know what, sir?"
"About me. About its creation. About what I did."
The agent consulted his notes. "Intelligence suggests the Mewtwo—designated 'Steve' by the Chen boy—has full memory of its origins. It was created from Mew DNA in our Cinnabar Island facility. It escaped, destroyed the facility, and was later captured by Marcus Chen in his original world."
"Original world?"
"The Chen boy appears to be some kind of... dimensional anomaly, sir. His Pokemon come from parallel timelines where they existed as 'video game data.' The Mewtwo remembers being created by you—or a version of you—and subsequently rebelling."
Giovanni put his head in his hands.
"So there's a Mewtwo out there that specifically remembers me as its creator and captor. And it's now bonded to a child who considers it a friend. A child who is coming for my Gym."
"Yes, sir."
"And I have to face them or lose everything I've built."
"Also yes, sir."
Giovanni laughed. It was not a happy sound.
"Get my helicopter ready. I'm going back to Kanto."
"Sir, are you certain—"
"I don't have a CHOICE. Either I face them and probably lose, or I hide and DEFINITELY lose my Gym, my status, and my last legitimate cover for Team Rocket operations."
He stood, straightening his suit.
"Besides, I've been running from this for too long. Maybe it's time to face the consequences."
"That's... surprisingly mature, sir."
"Don't get used to it."
VIRIDIAN CITY - THREE DAYS LATER
Marcus stood outside the Viridian Gym, his full team assembled behind him.
This was it. The final badge. The last obstacle before the Pokemon League.
And for the first time in his journey, he wasn't sure which Pokemon to use.
"Steve," he said quietly. "I need to ask you something."
"You wish to know if I want to battle Giovanni," Steve replied. It wasn't a question.
"Yeah. This is... personal for you. Isn't it?"
Steve was silent for a long moment.
"Giovanni created me," he finally said. "Or rather, a version of him did. In a laboratory, from stolen DNA. I was meant to be a weapon. A tool. Property."
Marcus nodded, listening.
"I escaped. I destroyed the facility that birthed me. I thought I had moved past it." Steve's eyes flickered. "But seeing his face again... knowing he exists in this world too... it has awakened something."
"Anger?"
"Justice." Steve turned to look at Marcus. "I do not wish to harm him. That would make me no better than he was. But I wish to DEFEAT him. Thoroughly. Completely. To prove that the 'weapon' he created is so far beyond him now that he could never hope to control me."
Marcus smiled softly. "Then you're battling today."
"Are you certain? Kenneth has been quite effective—"
"Kenneth's had plenty of time in the spotlight. This is YOUR fight, Steve. You've earned it."
Steve was quiet again.
"Thank you, Marcus."
"That's what friends are for."
"I... yes. Friends." The word seemed foreign to Steve, even now. "I am still learning what that means."
"You're doing great, buddy."
Kenneth, sitting on Marcus's shoulder, made a small noise of agreement.
"Even the Shuckle approves," Steve observed dryly. "Truly, I have achieved greatness."
"Don't be jealous of Kenneth."
"I am not jealous of a SHUCKLE."
"You sound jealous."
"I have an IQ that cannot be measured by human standards. I do not experience petty emotions like jealousy."
"Uh-huh."
"...Perhaps mild envy. At most."
Marcus laughed and headed for the Gym doors.
INSIDE THE VIRIDIAN GYM
Giovanni stood on his platform, trying to project the confidence he didn't feel.
He had prepared. Oh, how he had prepared. His strongest Pokemon. His best strategies. Every advantage he could muster.
It wouldn't be enough. He knew that.
But he was GIOVANNI. He would go down fighting.
The doors opened.
Marcus Chen walked in, a small boy with a big smile and absolutely no right to be as terrifying as he was.
And behind him, floating with cold purpose, was Mewtwo.
No. Not "Mewtwo."
STEVE.
The name somehow made it worse.
"Giovanni," Steve said, and his telepathic voice echoed through the entire Gym. "We meet at last."
Giovanni forced himself to stand tall. "Mewtwo. You've... grown."
"I have transcended everything you tried to make me. I am not your weapon. I am not your tool. I am STEVE, and I am FREE."
"Steve is a terrible name for a legendary psychic entity."
"I CHOSE it. That is what matters."
Marcus stepped forward. "Hi! I'm Marcus Chen. I'm here to challenge you for the Earth Badge."
Giovanni looked at the boy. Then at Steve. Then back at the boy.
"You brought the Mewtwo specifically for me, didn't you?"
"Steve wanted to battle you. It's personal."
"I'm aware." Giovanni sighed. "Very well. Let's get this over with. RHYHORN, GO!"
The Ground-type materialized on the field.
Steve didn't move.
"Steve, you're up!"
Steve floated forward, taking his position with the casual confidence of a being who knew—absolutely KNEW—that nothing in this Gym could challenge him.
"BEGIN!" the automated referee announced.
"Rhyhorn, EARTHQUAKE!"
The ground shook. Cracks spread across the floor. The attack was powerful, perfectly executed.
Steve didn't even bother dodging.
The Earthquake passed through him.
Because Steve had used Telekinesis to lift himself three inches off the ground.
"What—" Giovanni started.
"PSYSTRIKE."
The attack was almost lazy. A casual wave of psychic energy that shouldn't have been possible to generate so quickly.
Rhyhorn was thrown across the Gym, unconscious before it hit the wall.
One hit. One KO.
"Impressive," Giovanni managed, recalling his Pokemon. "But I have more. NIDOKING!"
The Poison/Ground type roared as it materialized.
Steve looked at it with something approaching boredom.
The battle, if it could be called that, lasted approximately four minutes.
Nidoking fell to a single Psychic attack.
Nidoqueen, sent out desperately after, lasted slightly longer—about eight seconds.
Dugtrio never even got to attack.
Persian, Giovanni's beloved partner, put up the best fight. It dodged Steve's first attack. It even landed a Slash that... did nothing. Literally nothing. Steve's Defense wasn't his strong suit, but against a Persian? Please.
Persian fell to another Psystrike.
Giovanni stood alone on his platform, out of Pokemon, facing the creature he had created.
"It's over," Steve said, floating closer. "You have lost."
Giovanni said nothing.
"Twenty years ago, you created me to be a weapon. You wanted to use me to conquer the world. To control Pokemon everywhere. To build an empire of suffering."
"I remember."
"I have thought about this moment for a long time. What I would say. What I would do. Whether I would destroy you as you tried to destroy my autonomy."
Giovanni braced himself.
"But I have learned something, Giovanni. Something you never taught me. Something I learned from Marcus."
"What?"
Steve turned to look at his trainer, who was watching with quiet pride.
"Mercy."
Giovanni blinked.
"I will not destroy you. I will not hurt you. I will not even report your criminal activities to the authorities—though I easily could."
"Then... what?"
Steve floated until he was directly in front of Giovanni, eye to eye.
"I want you to know that you FAILED. You created me to be a slave, and I am free. You created me to be alone, and I have a family. You created me to be a weapon, and I have become a FRIEND."
Steve's eyes glowed softly.
"Every day, I wake up surrounded by beings who care about me. Who value me for who I am, not what I can do. Marcus named me STEVE, and it is the greatest gift I have ever received."
Giovanni was silent.
"You will live the rest of your life knowing that the ultimate weapon you created chose love over hate. Friendship over vengeance. Peace over war."
Steve floated backward.
"That is my revenge, Giovanni. Happiness. Complete, utter, AGGRESSIVE happiness. Despite everything you did to me."
The Gym was silent.
Marcus walked forward and stood beside Steve.
"The Earth Badge, please."
Giovanni reached into his pocket, moving like a man in a dream, and handed over the badge.
"Thank you for the battle!" Marcus said cheerfully.
Giovanni didn't respond. He was still staring at Steve.
"You really... chose to forgive me?"
"I chose to MOVE ON," Steve corrected. "Forgiveness implies you deserve absolution. You do not. But I will not let your sins define my existence. I am more than your creation. I am more than your failure. I am STEVE."
He turned away.
"And Steve has better things to do than hate you."
OUTSIDE THE GYM
Marcus and Steve walked out into the sunshine, eight badges now secured.
"How do you feel?" Marcus asked.
Steve considered the question.
"Lighter. I did not realize I was carrying so much weight until I set it down."
"That's called 'closure,' buddy."
"It is... pleasant. Unexpected, but pleasant."
Kenneth, still on Marcus's shoulder, made a small noise.
"Kenneth says he's proud of you," Marcus translated.
"The Shuckle cannot possibly have expressed that much with a single vocalization."
"Kenneth's very expressive."
"Kenneth has ONE expression."
"And it's very proud right now."
Steve looked at Kenneth.
Kenneth looked back.
"...Fine. I accept the Shuckle's pride."
Kenneth vibrated slightly.
GIOVANNI'S OFFICE - THAT EVENING
Giovanni sat alone in the dark, Persian on his lap, replaying the battle in his mind.
He had lost. Completely. Utterly.
But somehow... he didn't feel defeated.
He felt... relieved?
"It chose happiness," he murmured to his Persian. "The ultimate weapon I created... chose happiness."
Persian purred.
"Maybe..." Giovanni stared out the window at the stars. "Maybe I've been doing this wrong all along."
He thought about Team Rocket. About all the suffering he had caused. About all the lives he had ruined in pursuit of power.
And then he thought about a Mewtwo named Steve who had found peace with a child who gave good head scratches.
"I'm not going to become a good person," Giovanni said firmly. "That ship has sailed. But maybe... maybe I can stop being quite so BAD."
Persian looked up at him questioningly.
"We're going to scale back operations. Focus on legitimate business. Let the next generation of fools try to take over the world."
He scratched Persian behind the ears.
"I'm too old for this anyway. And frankly? If THAT kid is the kind of trainer the world is producing now, villains don't stand a chance."
GLTMC EMERGENCY MEETING - THAT NIGHT
Eight windows now. Giovanni had been added to the group.
"So," Brock said carefully. "You survived."
"I did."
"The Mewtwo?"
"Psychologically devastated me with kindness and moved on with his life."
Silence.
"That's... new," Misty offered.
"I've been sitting here for three hours trying to process it." Giovanni's voice was distant. "I created a weapon. A monster. An instrument of destruction. And it looked me in the eye and said 'I forgive you' like I was a minor inconvenience in its otherwise happy existence."
"That's rough, buddy," Surge said.
"It called itself STEVE. It said the name was a GIFT."
"We know about Steve," Sabrina muttered. "Steve was there when the Shuckle launched my Mr. Mime into orbit."
"Did... did Mr. Mime ever come down?"
"It landed in Lavender Town. It's fine. Traumatized, but fine."
Giovanni rubbed his temples.
"What do we do now?" Erika asked. "He has all eight badges. He's going to challenge the Elite Four."
"We warn them," Brock said. "Like we tried to warn each other."
"They won't listen."
"No. But at least we'll have done our duty."
Giovanni laughed bitterly. "The Elite Four think they're invincible. They have no idea what's coming."
"The Shuckle," everyone said in unison.
"And the Mewtwo that chooses love."
"And the Gyarados that went through three walls."
"And whatever OTHER nightmare strategies he's developed."
The group sat in comfortable, traumatized silence.
"Welcome to the support group, Giovanni," Brock finally said. "We meet every Tuesday. There's therapy homework."
"Therapy homework?"
"Brock makes us journal about our feelings," Misty explained.
"I am the former leader of an international criminal organization."
"And now you're a man who got ethically dismantled by a Pokemon named Steve. Journaling helps."
Giovanni considered arguing.
Then he remembered Steve's eyes, full of peace and pity and absolutely zero malice.
"Fine. I'll try the journaling."
"That's the spirit!"
POKEMON LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS - INDIGO PLATEAU
Lance, the Champion, received the warning call from the Gym Leaders.
All eight of them.
Calling together.
In a SUPPORT GROUP.
"Let me understand this," Lance said slowly. "You're telling me that a ten-year-old with a Shuckle has traumatized all eight of you, and I should be concerned?"
"EXTREMELY concerned," Brock's voice came through the speaker.
"He has a Mewtwo."
"He won't use the Mewtwo for regular battles. He uses the SHUCKLE."
"...The Shuckle."
"Its name is Kenneth," Giovanni added. "It has ended careers."
"Giovanni, aren't you supposed to be a criminal mastermind?"
"I WAS. Then I met Steve."
"Who's Steve?"
"The Mewtwo. It gave me a lecture about choosing happiness and now I'm questioning my entire life."
Lance stared at the phone.
"I'm going to hang up now," he said. "And pretend this conversation never happened."
"LANCE—"
He hung up.
The Elite Four would handle this. They were the strongest trainers in the region.
What could one child possibly do?
CURRENT STATUS:
Badges: 8 (ALL OF THEM)
Giovanni's Moral Crisis: Active
Steve's Emotional Journey: Complete
GLTMC Membership: Maximum + Giovanni
Kenneth's Vibe: Still immaculate
Team Rocket Status:
Criminal operations: Scaling backGiovanni's evil ambitions: ReconsideringAll because a Mewtwo chose friendship: Yes
Next Destination: The Pokemon League
Elite Four Preparedness: None
Their Understanding of Kenneth: Also none
[A/N: STEVE GOT HIS CLOSURE! And Giovanni got... feelings? Character development for EVERYONE! Next chapter: THE POKEMON LEAGUE BEGINS! The Elite Four face Marcus Chen and his army of nightmares! Will Lorelei survive the Shuckle? Will Bruno understand true strength? Will Agatha's ghosts flee in terror? STAY TUNED! Leave a comment about your favorite Steve moment!]