Chapter 45: These Two Are Absolutely Playing Everyone
"Gym Leader Giovanni, I understand how you must feel, but please — try to stay calm."
Officer Jenny spoke in a soothing tone toward the seemingly "quite agitated" Giovanni.
His reaction didn't look explosive by most standards — but Giovanni was famously composed and level-headed. For him, this already qualified as "quite agitated."
Giovanni fell silent for a moment, his breathing gradually steadying.
Agatha and Goodshow exchanged a subtle glance. Goodshow gave a small shake of his head.
"Are you absolutely certain about this?" Giovanni's voice was low and heavy.
"Gym Leader Giovanni, I'm sorry, but it's been confirmed."
Goodshow said it with genuine regret.
"We don't know the reason, but Mammon has indeed joined Team Rocket. The Alolan Island Kahunas and Sinnoh Champion Cynthia can all attest to it."
Goodshow looked toward Officer Jenny. She nodded, picked up a remote, and pressed a button.
The display screen lit up, showing the image of a striking, dark-haired young man — Mammon.
"This was recorded at the scene."
"..."
Giovanni stared at the screen. His expression grew increasingly complicated. For a long while, he said nothing.
Then Giovanni took a deep breath and, right there in front of all three of them, pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
Ring… Ring… Ring…
The ringtone droned on. The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Finally, the call connected.
"Hm? Dad?"
The young man's voice came through the speaker — light and casual with an oddly languid undertone. Distinctive.
It was unmistakably Mammon. Goodshow was certain of that, because he'd been the one to present Mammon with the trophy at last year's Conference.
At the time, Goodshow had felt nothing but pride — convinced that Kanto was about to produce another generational talent.
"Mammon. What are you doing in Alola?" Giovanni's voice was leaden.
"Traveling, obviously." Mammon's breezy laugh drifted through the speaker.
"Tell me the truth. Did I raise you to be a liar?"
Giovanni's voice had become a dormant volcano — pressurized, barely contained, ready to blow at any moment.
Goodshow's bushy brows drew together at the shift.
After Giovanni's words landed, the voice on the other end of the line went quiet.
"So you found out. Figures." The young man's voice had gone cold.
"So it IS true — you joined Team Rocket! Mammon, do you have any idea what you're doing? Everything I taught you since you were a child, and you—"
Giovanni appeared to be maintaining his composure, but anyone could see the fury simmering beneath the surface. His tone was severe.
"You always say things like that."
The young man cut him off, his voice flat.
"What did you just say?" Giovanni went still.
"I've had enough, Giovanni. Sixteen years. Sixteen entire years."
Mammon's voice wasn't loud. No hysteria, no anguish — just even, measured calm.
"You've always demanded I follow the path you laid out. Have you ever — even once — considered how I felt? I was your puppet, executing your instructions step by step."
"I—" Something seemed to lodge in Giovanni's throat. All he could manage was a hoarse: "Everything I did was for your own good."
"Right. And all anyone ever says is, 'Look — that's Gym Leader Giovanni's son.' 'Of course he's impressive — he's Giovanni's son.' No matter how hard I worked, even after I won the Indigo Conference…"
"Your label was still stuck to me. As if everything I achieved only existed because of you."
Mammon's tone remained flat — or rather, cold.
The conference room had gone eerily still. Goodshow's brow was deeply furrowed. Agatha wore a faint, inscrutable smile, her gaze sliding over the silent Giovanni.
The Chief Commander's expression mirrored Goodshow's — a tight knot of concern.
"I'm not your toy. And I'll prove it — I don't need you to succeed!"
The line went dead.
Giovanni sat with his head bowed, shadows falling across his face, his expression hidden from the other three.
But they understood. Words like those from his own son — the blow had to be devastating.
"Ahh…"
Goodshow started to speak, thought better of it, and simply sighed.
A suffocating home environment. Constant public scrutiny. Working himself to the bone and never being recognized on his own merits. They'd driven a brilliant young man to the breaking point.
What was Goodshow supposed to say? Blame Giovanni? What good would that do?
"I'm sorry, President. This is my fault." Giovanni's rough, low voice broke the silence.
"Don't say that. No one could have predicted this. Gym Leader Giovanni, please don't be too hard on yourself." Goodshow offered what comfort he could.
What a complete mess.
Inwardly, Goodshow was in agony. He'd been planning to personally invite Mammon to join the Kanto Elite Four after this year's journey wrapped up.
Who could have foreseen that this prodigy — raised and trained by an official Gym Leader — would end up in Team Rocket?
Goodshow pressed a hand to his forehead. His heart was exhausted. Does anyone understand my suffering?
Meanwhile, in Alola—
Mammon hung up the phone feeling thoroughly refreshed. That hit the spot!
This clean break meant that going forward, nothing Mammon did would blow back on Giovanni.
There'd inevitably be some lingering chatter, but nothing Giovanni couldn't weather easily.
"Perfect! As soon as the right moment comes, I can officially assume the position of Team Rocket Boss!"
Mammon leaned back on the leather sofa, legs crossed, the picture of leisurely satisfaction.
He'd been waiting for this day for so long.
What was the point of being second-in-command? If you're going to do it, you go straight to the top!
"Lord Mammon, what's our next move?"
Lance had witnessed the entire performance. Privately, he had a great deal he wanted to say — these two father-and-son were absolutely playing everyone like a fiddle.
But as a model subordinate, he kept his thoughts to himself. Whether it was the soon-to-"retire" Boss Giovanni or the incoming Boss Mammon, he could work with either.
Setting aside the fact that he considered Mammon's abilities and combat strength perfectly up to standard — Boss Giovanni was only "retiring," not dying.
Frankly, whichever of them sat in the big chair was fine by him.
"Have our people keep a low profile for the next few days. We don't know what Kukui and the others are planning yet."
Mammon considered for a moment before giving the order.
"Understood."
"Cynthia showing up really is a headache. In that case…"
Mammon's eyes flickered. He hadn't wanted to move this quickly, but the timeline needed to accelerate.
No choice — Cynthia's sudden appearance had disrupted several of his plans.
Tch~ In a few days, I'll pay a visit to Aether Paradise. Time to secure Lusamine first.