Caleb sat there all day...
While casually farming and keeping an eye on the shifting territories of other players on the map, he only realized it was already evening when Dragonite came over, stomach growling loudly, begging for dinner.
"What would you like for dinner?" Caleb asked, opening his panel to check the fruits of his day's labor. He was quite pleased with the results.
Dragonite thought seriously for a moment, his emerald-green eyes sparkling brightly, "Wuu?"
Caleb wasn't using the Viridian Power to connect with Dragonite's thoughts at the moment, so he had no idea what the chonky dragon meant, but he nodded anyway as if he understood and said, "Sure."
Then he walked to the tent and pulled cooking gear from his inventory.
With so many Pokémon to feed, he always kept a wide variety of food on hand; from Pokéblocks to warm milk, and even vegetable soup... Whatever they wanted, they could have.
After sitting in one spot all day without moving, Caleb felt a little dizzy. He had even completely forgotten about Giovanni who was still sleeping in the Lord's Hall.
It wasn't until after dinner, while cleaning up and heading back to sleep, that he suddenly remembered the many lying inside.
Caleb turned to Mewtwo. One glance between trainer and Pokémon, and they reached a silent agreement: 'Starving this villain boss for a full day is probably fine, right?'
So Caleb pretended not to notice, climbed onto Dragonite's back without a shred of guilt, and headed back to his quarters with his Pokémon entourage for a good night's rest...
...
The next morning, Giovanni finally woke up after having slept for close to a full twenty-four hours. As he sat up, a wave of dizziness hit him, and his stomach growled emptily.
"You're awake?" Caleb tossed him a sandwich, "You really slept a long time. I have no idea what you went through before, but eat something first. I'll send you back soon."
Giovanni took the sandwich in silence. He looked at Caleb and recalled yesterday's events... but deep down, a strange, uneasy feeling stirred within him. Perhaps it was ingrained instinct. Even without his memories, he didn't let his suspicion show. He simply ate the sandwich quietly, expression unreadable.
Mewtwo noticed this and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Caleb checked the timer on 'Friend Out of Thin Air'. Only eight minutes remained.
With a calm expression, he used the Viridian Power to communicate telepathically with Mewtwo, "Did you completely erase his memories, or just suppress them? Has there ever been a case where someone recovered their memories mid-amnesia?"
Psychic-type abilities were notoriously chaotic. They encompassed flight, teleportation, hypnosis, and more. But aside from Mewtwo, Caleb had never seen another Psychic-type Pokémon capable of memory erasure.
He needed to know if the memories were erased, or simply suppressed. The former would be preferable, but if it was the latter, Caleb would have to consider keeping him here... permanently.
The thought flickered through his mind like a shadow.
Mewtwo thought for a moment, then replied: >..They were completely erased. There are no prior cases of recovery..<
"Good." Caleb wasn't a killer by nature. He didn't get thrills from bloodshed.
So since Mewtwo confirmed the memories were gone for good, he saw no reason to act further.
Mewtwo had already extracted all of Team Rocket's secrets. A memory-wiped Giovanni was no longer useful, and he was no longer a threat...
Unaware that he had just narrowly escaped death, Giovanni finished his breakfast in a few quick bites, stood up, and politely thanked Caleb.
With only one minute left on the summoning timer, Caleb said, "I'll send you back now. Remember to call that number as soon as possible. I've arranged for someone to meet you and handle your leave."
Giovanni nodded, "Understood."
He glanced toward Mewtwo as if wanting to say something more, but before he could speak, the world around him abruptly shifted...
....
Giovanni stood frozen for a long moment, slowly taking in his surroundings.
He was in a small room with metallic walls. A single bed stood against one wall, and a brown leather sofa sat nearby.
*Click*
The door opened from the outside.
Giovanni looked up just in time to see a sleek, glossy-furred Persian squeeze through the gap.
Recognizing its master, Persian's eyes lit up. It dashed over and rubbed its fluffy head against Giovanni's leg.
Giovanni looked down silently.
Confused by the lack of response, Persian paused and tilted its head upward: "Meow?"
"Are you… my Pokémon?" Giovanni asked.
Persian looked even more puzzled, but still nodded gently.
Giovanni didn't reply. He sat down, stroked Persian's head, then pulled the note with the phone number from his pocket. He stared at it blankly, lost in thought.
After a moment, he picked up the room's phone, dialed the number, and waited.
Soon, a sharp, no-nonsense female voice answered: <..Hello?..>
Giovanni hesitated for a bit, then spoke, "This is Giovanni."
On the other end, Lorelei nearly dropped her glass of juice in shock. But she quickly composed herself and asked in a neutral tone: <..What is it? Did something happen?..>
Lance, who had rushed over after hearing Lorelei had vanished for a day, noticed her shift in tone and looked over with concern.
Lorelei had already sat down. She mouthed 'Giovanni' to Lance just as the voice on the other end continued:
"I–"
*Click*
Another unfamiliar voice interrupted: "Giovanni? Where were you yesterday?"
Giovanni turned to the newcomer and replied calmly, "I had business to attend to."
Team Flare's boss, Lysandre, eyed him suspiciously, saying, "The security cameras didn't record you leaving the premises."
Giovanni set the phone down but didn't hang up, "Do I need to report my movements to you now?"
Lysandre arched an eyebrow, his tone laced with warning, "Of course not. But don't forget this is my territory. And right now, you're the one who needs my help."
Giovanni remained silent.
Lysandre scoffed, "You're not the head of Team Rocket anymore."
News of Team Rocket's total collapse in Kanto and Johto at the hands of a single League investigator had spread worldwide. Giovanni had become a laughingstock among villainous circles… though no one dared say it to his face.
After all, even a fallen lion was still a lion.
Still, Giovanni said nothing.
Lysandre gave him a long, piercing look, then turned to leave...
"Since you're back," he said over his shoulder, "Get ready. Archie and Maxie will be arriving soon."