March 30th. Monday.
Aiden had originally planned to spend a day after the tournament exploring Goldenrod City with Cynthia.
Unfortunately, workday obligations and month-end deadlines demanded Cynthia's immediate return to the Sinnoh League to handle accumulated responsibilities.
As Champion, Cynthia did enjoy considerable free time—even vanishing for a month to join archaeological expeditions.
But this flexibility stemmed largely from having an exceptionally reliable new Elite Four member: the workaholic Lucian.
This time, however, Lucian had competed in the Psychic Master Tournament. By month's end, his own workload had piled up—leaving him no extra capacity to cover for the Champion.
During Lucian's week-long absence, the Sinnoh League had been entrusted to the chaotic duo of Flint and Aaron. Even with the veteran Elite Four Bertha overseeing them, who knew what trouble they might brew?
Having experienced their unprofessional antics firsthand, Lucian insisted Cynthia depart immediately after the finals.
Her final words as she boarded the ferry with Caitlin still echoed:
"I keep feeling Lucian would make a better Champion than me…"
Aiden wholeheartedly agreed.
Cynthia was undoubtedly a powerful Champion who could turn tides in critical moments. But in terms of responsibility and dedication? Lucian surpassed her.
Perhaps when Cynthia eventually retired, Lucian would inherit the Champion mantle.
With plans disrupted, Aiden found staying in Goldenrod pointless.
As he prepared to ride a Dragonite back to Paldea, Lance suddenly called.
"Hello, Teacher Aiden…"
"Do you have time today? Giovanni wishes to see you again."
…
Approximately one hour later, Aiden and Lance arrived via Dragonite at a peculiar building near Viridian Forest.
Elite Officers and Jennys stationed as guards confirmed this was Giovanni's detention facility.
Dismounting, Aiden observed his surroundings—only to notice the guards' eyes burning with unusual intensity upon spotting him.
"Look—it's actually Teacher Aiden!"
"Never thought I'd see him in person. Wish I could get a photo with him."
"Hehe… Teacher Aiden, hehe…"
The forest's silence amplified their whispers into blatant scheming—overheard clearly by Aiden and Lance.
'If not for duty, they'd already be swarming me!' Aiden thought, 'What's wrong with Johto?!
Ahem—
Noticing Aiden's complex expression, Lance coughed sternly.
The reminded guards snapped to attention. After opening the door for Lance, they maintained rigid professionalism as the pair entered.
"Due to your 'Rampage Team' and 'Sunny Day Team' videos, many League staff—including numerous Nurses and Officers—are your fans, Teacher Aiden. I'm sure you know this?"
Lance explained in the silent corridor, justifying their unprofessional behavior.
(Though inwardly, he thought: These brats grew too lax after Team Rocket's fall. Other executives must discipline them properly… Extra drills—harsh ones!)
"Ah… right," Aiden recalled belatedly.
'Truly me—Giovanni personally requests a meeting, League officers are my fans…'
'What's it called again? Being the undisputed mentor of both righteous and underworld circles!' (hands on hips)
Of course, he'd never say this aloud to Lance—only silently smirking.
"We're here."
Lance halted before a heavily secured cipher-locked door.
"After our last operation, Giovanni—already admitting defeat—was secretly transferred here. All external information about him vanished."
"Though I hate to admit it… currently, Giovanni must stay alive. Keeping him living is the optimal choice."
"Had he not requested to discuss Mewtwo with you, Teacher Aiden, I wouldn't have revealed this. But as a key participant, you deserve to know."
"I understand," Aiden nodded.
Giovanni's reason for summoning him was clear. Based on his Johto experiences, it likely concerned either Silver or Mewtwo.
Coincidentally, Aiden had matters to confirm with this old man too—prompting his swift acceptance of Lance's invitation.
After inputting the password, Lance stepped aside.
"I won't enter."
He waved off. "If I joined you, I might uncontrollably punch that bastard twice."
For Lance—the man whose life creed was absolute justice—allowing Giovanni to live was undoubtedly difficult.
Aiden entered alone.
Inside lay a spartan single room containing only a desk, TV, and bed.
Giovanni himself reclined against the headboard, leisurely reading a book.
The door's sound drew the former Team Rocket leader's attention. Upon seeing Aiden, he set aside his book with a smile.
"Long time no see, Aiden."
Rather than a prison visit, Aiden felt like a guest at a friend's home—if ignoring the iron bars between them.
Aiden was perplexed by Giovanni's unnerving calm.
After all, it was Aiden—alongside Mew—who had dismantled Team Rocket and imprisoned this crime boss. Their history was, quite literally, life-or-death.
Even with deep reserves, shouldn't Giovanni at least sneer a few veiled insults?
As Aiden hesitated how to respond, Giovanni seemingly read his thoughts:
"Don't overthink it, Aiden."
"Don't lump me with cheap villains. My heart isn't so narrow."
Giovanni approached the bars, smoothing his creased black suit.
"To me, victory or defeat is merely an outcome to accept. I'd long prepared for eventual failure."
"Even if Team Rocket collapsed—bound as I am to the League—the worst outcome would be early retirement under restrictions, like now."
"Frankly, if I truly cared about gain or loss, I'd never have entrusted Mewtwo to you, would I?"
Giovanni spoke with measured elegance. To the uninformed, he might even appear gentlemanly.
Hearing this, Aiden relaxed slightly—though inwardly scoffed:
''Entrusted' Mewtwo?'
'I defeated you head-on and liberated Mewtwo from evil Team Rocket!'
And why wear a perfectly pressed suit in prison?! Such severe occupational habits?'
"Let's skip pleasantries and get to the point, Boss Giovanni."
"I heard you wish to discuss Mewtwo?"
Aiden cut straight to the chase. Giovanni nodded.
"Precisely. Though confined here, I fortunately didn't miss 'Teacher Aiden's' brilliance at this Master Tournament. Congratulations on sweeping to victory."
"So you know what I seek, don't you?"
"…"
Aiden paused, then smiled calmly.
"If I'm not mistaken… it's about Mewtwo's Mega Evolution phenomenon?"
The tournament's most unforgettable moment required no thought. Mewtwo was already unfamiliar to most viewers—even Paldean students who'd battled it had no grasp of its true power.
And this already formidable Pokémon had evolved further—releasing its psychic potential to transform into a more agile, powerful form.
Giovanni—who'd spent years researching Mew's genome to create this artificial Pokémon—surely never anticipated such terrifying potential.
"Exactly," Giovanni nodded again.
"As the one who raised Mewtwo, I should theoretically understand it best."
"But it seems my perspective was too narrow. I never imagined an artificial Pokémon fused from Mew's and human genes could develop a second Mega Evolution form beyond my comprehension."
"So I'm curious—how did you achieve this, Aiden?"
He added with a smile:
"Of course, I'm merely indulging scholarly curiosity. If you prefer not to share, I won't press further."
"…"
Aiden remained silent, analyzing Giovanni's underlying meaning.
Seemingly humble, Giovanni had subtly revealed something crucial:
'He already knew Mewtwo could Mega Evolve.'
This stunned Aiden. Based on his previous life's memories, Giovanni shouldn't have known about Mega Evolution—it originated in the XY generation. Unless this was the "Super Giovanni" from the Rainbow Rocket Team who conquered multiverses, the current Giovanni shouldn't even comprehend Mega Evolution.
But realistically, all regions developed synchronously. Mega evolution intelligence was semi-public—accessible to anyone determined enough. Giovanni knowing about it wasn't strange.
"You knew Mewtwo possessed Mega Evolution potential from the start?" Aiden pressed, his gaze sharpening.
Giovanni shrugged unfazed, continuing calmly:
"Aiden, you never witnessed Rocket Team at its peak—you likely don't grasp the weight this name once held…"
"From its inception, Team Rocket was a scientific collective dedicated to Mew research. Our accumulated technological prowess surpassed the entire world."
"By my era, numerous families secretly sought alliances with us. Nothing I desired faced obstacles."
"Under such conditions, our team spent nearly a decade to create Mewtwo—a near-perfect being achieving a feat rivaling the Creator itself."
"And Mewtwo's very existence came from fusing Mew's genome with my human DNA, optimized through countless simulations by top scientists."
"So—do you truly believe I don't understand Mewtwo?"
His rhetorical question left Aiden stunned.
'Indeed—Giovanni knows everything…'
"Then, Boss Giovanni—if you understand Mewtwo so well, why did you resort to special methods to forcibly control its power?"
Aiden's sarcasm thinly veiled his anger—perhaps advocating for Mewtwo's sake.
After all, understanding Mewtwo so deeply—why control it that way?
Surely it backfired?
"An intriguing question."
Giovanni's smile held no offense. "I must admit—this was my miscalculation."
"So, to show goodwill, I'll share what I know first."
"According to Rocket Team's top scientists, during Mewtwo's embryonic stage, the dominant genes were my 'Giovanni genes.'"
"In other words, we concluded the child would resemble me more than Mew."
"Thus, Mewtwo should theoretically adapt better to human combat styles than Mew's psychic abilities."
"I believed that with my training methods, Mewtwo would one day discover its true potential and embrace power surpassing any human or Pokémon."
"Only… no one anticipated that Mew—the Progenitor of Pokémon—harbored further power within its genome."
Aiden listened, nodding slowly.
Giovanni referred to the Mewtwo Y form showcased at the tournament.
Aiden also knew the other potential evolution path:
'Mewtwo X—the infamous "shame of god battles," ranked dead last among Mega Pokémon!'
Giovanni's words suddenly clarified why Mewtwo had two radically different evolution paths.
In the original timeline, Mewtwo—suppressed by Giovanni's armor, forced to enhance physical strength—would indeed favor brutal tactics.
But the Mewtwo Aiden raised—freely nurtured without Giovanni's interference—naturally resembled Mew more.
'Put simply: If given a choice, Mewtwo would never evolve into Mewtwo X—not once in a hundred tries…' Aiden sighed inwardly.
"Look, Boss Giovanni…"
"As a criminal leader, you possess charisma and loyalty-inspiring authority. But as a parent…"
"You're truly not a good father."
The words froze Giovanni's smile mid-thought.
When he spoke again, his expression turned grave—a palpable pressure radiating from him.
"Aiden… what do you know?"
As a ruthless criminal mastermind, Giovanni was undoubtedly formidable.
But even the fiercest wolves have soft underbellies.
Giovanni's vulnerability…
Was clearly his family.
Or rather—his son, Silver.
Unfazed by Giovanni's thinly veiled threat, Aiden avoided direct answers.
"You see, Boss Giovanni…"
"During my Master Tournament journey, I encountered a rather obsessive youth outside the venue."
"He asked me deeply philosophical questions."
"Oh—and his name was Silver."
Before Aiden finished, he caught Giovanni's fleeting loss of composure.
The name "Silver" had shattered this ever-composed man's mask. His once-imposing face now swirled with complex emotions Aiden could only partially decipher:
Guilt. Relief. Pride. Conflict…
Enough to fill an entire lecture on facial expressions.
Giovanni soon regained his calm—but his smile had vanished.
"Aiden. We're both intelligent people. Let's be direct."
"What price must I pay to learn everything about Silver?"
Giovanni's reaction surprised Aiden.
But analyzing his attitude, Aiden deduced useful intelligence:
First—Giovanni had been disconnected from Silver for years. His urgency revealed this.
Second—and crucially—this world had no "Masked Man" capable of controlling Ho-Oh and Lugia.
The manga plot where Silver was kidnapped could not occur here.
So… what happened to Silver?
After brief consideration, Aiden chose honesty.
His meeting with Giovanni served dual purposes: confirming Mewtwo's origins and resolving another critical matter.
"Truthfully… I hardly know anything about Silver. Only a hunch after meeting him."
"But from your reaction, Boss Giovanni…"
"My suspicion was correct."
"Silver… has a close connection to you, doesn't he?"
(It wasn't truly a guess. But saying Silver resembled Giovanni felt unscientific.
Silver's crimson hair and defiant eyes… reminded him more of Lance.
This cannot be said aloud! Risking offense to two people is unwise!)
Aiden couldn't confess being a transmigrator—so he probed indirectly.
"…"
Giovanni fell silent—then slowly nodded.
"Truly the renowned Teacher Aiden… even Silver couldn't hide from you."
"Unless another trainer shares his name—yes, Silver is my son."
"But… due to past events, Silver he—"
Mentioning his long-lost child, Giovanni's expression turned wistful, drifting toward "the past."
Aiden interrupted:
"Stop! That irrelevant backstory can wait."
(T/N: Nah bro outta pocket for that lol)
Crossing his arms, he cut off the nostalgia.
"I came here with only one question."
"Giovanni… surely you don't want Silver—chasing power—to stray down your path and become an irredeemable villain, do you?"
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)