"Ding—"
With the sound of the elevator reaching the top floor, Logan stepped into the office of the chairman of one of the world's most renowned corporations.
The office sprawled across hundreds of square meters, covered with soft, lush carpet underfoot. The decorations along the walls radiated luxury and solemn majesty, while an entire wall was made of glass—giant floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the whole of Saffron City. Standing here felt like an emperor surveying his dominion.
The office's carved beams and ornate panels gave off a deep sense of history, exuding understated opulence.
"You finally arrived, Logan! A little slower than I expected."
From the center of the office, a middle-aged man sat behind a massive oak desk. When Logan entered, the man's executive chair spun half a turn, revealing Giovanni's stern, cold face.
"Some unexpected things came up along the way, Giovanni."
Logan narrowed his eyes at him. Seeing that Giovanni had no intent to attack immediately, he relaxed slightly.
"Sit. Take a moment to rest."
Giovanni gestured toward the leather sofa, playing host as though this was his own home. He didn't ask about what Logan had been up to.
Logan didn't hesitate. Walking across the thick carpet, he sat on the sofa and casually poured himself a drink from the table.
Giovanni, watching Logan so composed and unbothered despite being deep in enemy territory, couldn't help but admire his demeanor.
That was when Logan noticed the man tied up on the floor beside Giovanni. An elderly gentleman, perhaps seventy, still healthy despite his frail frame. He wore an expensive suit but was bound tightly with ropes. His mouth gagged, his eyes widened the moment Logan entered, muffled cries of "Mmmph! Mmmph!" spilling from him—his gaze pleading.
"This is the chairman of Silph Company, the founder himself—Mr. Silph."
Giovanni introduced casually, as if it were nothing. Logan, of course, had already guessed.
"Seems Mr. Silph has something he'd like to tell you, Logan."
With a smirk, Giovanni tore the tape off Silph's mouth, clearly indifferent to whatever he might say.
"Young man, listen to me! This man is Giovanni—the boss of Team Rocket. For years he has secretly manipulated the organization, spreading evil across Kanto! I am the chairman of Silph. Please, help me! Save me! Whatever you desire, Silph Company can grant it!"
Though Logan looked young, Silph was desperate. Caught in Giovanni's hands, survival was all he cared about. Any straw of hope was worth grasping.
And he was clever. He didn't begin with a bribe—that could breed suspicion. Instead, he exposed Giovanni's crimes, stoking the sense of justice in a youth, and only afterward dangled the promise of reward.
But Giovanni wasn't rattled. He just looked at Logan, waiting for his answer.
"This drink isn't bad," Logan said, smacking his lips, setting the glass back down. "It's made from some Pokémon extract, right?"
Then he turned toward Silph with a calm smile. "Mr. Silph, I don't want anything from your company. If you're thinking of offering me money, that's unnecessary. Just on my way here, I passed by your financial division. Some overly generous Rocket members 'accidentally' transferred seventy billion into my account. I refused at first, but they insisted. That may only be one-tenth of Silph's liquid assets, but for me… it's plenty."
Silph's face went pale, his last hope extinguished.
"Ha… hahahahaha!! The more I see, the more I like you, Logan!"
Giovanni froze for a second, then burst out laughing. He knew well the money Logan had was taken from Team Rocket, but he didn't care—it was originally stolen from Silph anyway.
"Do you know how Team Rocket was born?"
His voice suddenly grew deeper, serious. He began recounting the past.
"The Silph family wasn't powerful in the beginning. They had some money, but far from the great clans. This old man was talented in his youth. About fifty years ago, shortly after the League was founded, he built Silph Company. But back then, Silph was weak. In competition, it had no advantage. So, to grow stronger, he turned to the shadows."
"Exactly. When he couldn't win openly, he plotted in secret. With Silph money, my mother founded the earliest form of Team Rocket. Smuggling Pokémon, stealing corporate secrets, even assassination—all under his orders. Silph grew under this dirty foundation, reaching the power it holds today."
Giovanni's words dripped with disdain.
"He grew addicted to success, and poured even more into Rocket, thinking money alone could keep us chained. His arrogance blinded him to true strength—that of Trainers themselves. When I inherited Rocket from my mother, he still believed he could control me. But the truth? I was simply using his money to fuel my own ambition."
"And now, Rocket has outgrown Silph. We don't need them anymore. We don't need to hide anymore."
With that, Giovanni slapped tape back over Silph's mouth. Then he leaned forward, eyes fixed on Logan.
"…Logan, I admire you. You're strong as a Trainer. Unlike other youths, you don't cling to naïve morality or law—you know what you want, and you pursue it with clarity. Calm. Intelligent. You're exactly the kind of person I need."
He paused, voice low, carrying weight.
"How about it? Interested in joining Team Rocket? I'll be honest: my body suffers from an incurable disease. With current human science, there is no cure. I don't have many years left. But if you help me fulfill one last regret, I'll hand over Rocket to you!"
"Think of it—endless wealth, cutting-edge technology, loyal manpower. Gym Leaders who will obey your command. Even Sabrina will answer to you! With your talent and power, you could lead Rocket to make not only Kanto, not only Johto, but Hoenn, Sinnoh, and even Unova bow before you. You could forge a new League—one that answers only to you!"
Giovanni's smile was cold, yet full of fervor.
He pressed a button on his desk. With a mechanical hiss, the desk shifted, opening compartments to reveal two Poké Balls.
"You've seen them before. These are Master Balls, also called Apex Balls. You even stole one from my lab once. Because of resource and technical limitations, even with all of Silph's might, fewer than five have ever been made."
"But you must understand, Logan—in front of a truly powerful Trainer, even Legendary Pokémon can be defeated. The reason humans cannot capture them lies in their immortality, their rapid regeneration. Even if you win, if they choose to flee, you cannot stop them."
"That's why the Master Ball was created. Once a Legendary is caught by it, escape becomes nearly impossible. Even if it never submits to its Trainer, you'll have all the time in the world to find a way to bend it to your will."
Giovanni picked up one of the balls and tossed it to Logan.
"Take it. A gift."
Logan caught the gleaming Master Ball, raising a brow. "A gift, huh? You're generous with things that don't even belong to you."
--------------------
T/N:
Check out my Patreon
[email protected]/FictionalRealms784 - (Replace '@' with 'a')
for 5 Advanced Chapters absolutely FREE—or unlock 35 Advanced Chapters
--------------------