"Sabrina, I'm just glad you're safe."
Seated comfortably in his private executive chair, Giovanni stroked the Persian curled up in his lap, speaking in a satisfied tone.
"And you, Matori—you did well on this mission."
Giovanni turned to praise the woman standing at his side.
He had always held Matori in high regard.
In a short time, she had risen from an ordinary Team Rocket recruit to someone whose rank stood just beneath the top executives. As his personal secretary, she now handled much of the internal management of Team Rocket.
To Giovanni, Matori was no less important than the likes of Sabrina—perhaps even more so.
While most top operatives were essentially just powerful enforcers, Matori brought structure, order, and efficiency, allowing the organization to grow stronger behind the scenes.
Most importantly, with her managing Rocket's operations, Giovanni had more time to focus on training his Pokémon and enhancing their strength.
"This is what I'm here for, Boss," Matori replied calmly, adjusting her glasses with composure.
She deeply respected Giovanni. He was the one who had given her a platform to fully realize her potential.
Born at the bottom of society, Matori had once believed her future was sealed. If not for joining Team Rocket, she would likely still be struggling to survive day by day.
That life may have been the fate of most people in this world—but Matori had refused to settle. Through relentless effort, she changed her path and became Giovanni's right hand.
"Giovanni, that bastard Chiba Rex tricked me. I want to go back and settle the score!"
Sabrina said angrily, her voice low and steely.
"Oh? With all your psychic power, someone managed to resist you?"
Giovanni had been curious about how Sabrina had gotten captured in the first place, and now he leaned forward with interest, eager to hear the account from her directly.
"A martial artist, huh? That's a rare profession… But if I recall correctly, Bruno of the Elite Four is one. His own strength rivals that of high-tier Pokémon—he's always been tough to deal with."
After hearing Sabrina's version of the events and reviewing the personal data on Chiba Rex that Matori had gathered, Giovanni rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Team Rocket, based mainly in Kanto and Johto, was no stranger to Bruno. He had foiled countless operations and captured many of their agents.
Only a handful of Team Rocket's top brass could go head-to-head with him.
Besides Giovanni himself, none of the executives—including Sabrina—could guarantee victory over someone like Bruno. At best, they could avoid losing outright.
But as Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni couldn't move around freely. The Pokémon League's reach far exceeded that of Team Rocket. If he showed himself too often, it would only be a matter of time before he was captured.
Still, Giovanni prided himself on one achievement: using Rocket's resources and Mew's DNA from a fossilized eyelash, he had successfully created a being stronger than Mew—Mewtwo.
At its peak, Mewtwo's overwhelming power had allowed Team Rocket to expand rapidly.
But such power wasn't meant to be tamed forever. After Mewtwo rebelled and vanished, the Pokémon League retaliated harshly, forcing Rocket to retreat into the shadows.
If Mewtwo were still under his control, Giovanni believed he could walk right up to the League's doorstep, and no one would dare lay a finger on him.
"According to the footage captured by our scouts near Rex Farm, there was also a mythical Pokémon—Diancie—residing there," Matori added.
She brought up the drone footage taken during the operation, zooming in on Diancie standing close to Rex.
Ever since experiencing Mewtwo's power firsthand, Giovanni had paid special attention to mythical Pokémon, eager to bring more under his control.
Thanks to their advanced tech, Rocket had managed to capture a few mythical Pokémon already, though these were kept under strict containment protocols.
Unlike Mewtwo, none of them could be trusted outright.
"This time, I'll go personally and invite this young man to join Team Rocket. If he refuses… we'll just take Diancie."
After some thought, Giovanni made his decision.
He was impressed that Rex could command a mythical Pokémon without any technological aid. Recruiting him could add another elite executive to Team Rocket's ranks.
While Diancie wasn't quite at Mewtwo's level, her obedience without external control was a rare and invaluable trait.
"For your sake, Boss, I'll let it go if he agrees to join. But if he dares say no, I won't be so merciful."
Sabrina had seen Rex's pride firsthand—he carried it in his eyes. She doubted he would ever bow to Rocket.
"Matori, you've just returned. Rest for a few days. Once I've settled things here, we'll depart."
Since Rex remained in Rex Farm, Giovanni wasn't in a rush. He wanted to tie up some loose ends in Rocket before setting out.
"Understood, Boss."
Though Matori didn't fully agree with Giovanni's approach, she didn't voice her objections.
She was well aware of Giovanni's power and worried that even someone like Rex couldn't hold his own against both Giovanni and Sabrina working together.
A few days later, a massive flying vessel lifted off from Team Rocket headquarters, streaking across oceans and mountains en route to the Hoenn region.
Back at the base, a grunt dressed in Rocket uniform watched the shrinking vessel with narrowed eyes. After a long pause, he pulled out a communicator and quietly reported the event.
He was, in fact, an undercover agent sent by the Pokémon League to monitor Giovanni's movements.
Seeing Rocket's boss depart the base, he knew it was time to alert his superiors.
"You little rat, so you finally slipped up."
A sultry voice suddenly rang out beside him.
The young man's face paled instantly—he recognized that voice. It belonged to none other than Ariana, one of Rocket's top executives.
Sure enough, when he turned, he saw the voluptuous woman standing nearby, a menacing Arbok slithering at her side.
As Giovanni's most trusted enforcer, Ariana's strength was without question. The moment he laid eyes on her, the agent knew there would be no escape.
But since his report had already been sent, he let out a faint sigh of relief.
(End of Chapter)