[Giovanni of the Earth: This Inspector… is quite interesting.]
[Celadon Bellossom: O. M. G.! It's Gym Leader Giovanni! (Petal Dance.jpg)]
[Unova Retired Colonel: What wind blew you in here? @Giovanni of the Earth]
[Giovanni of the Earth: I've just finished a period of seclusion and happened to see you discussing the Inspector—gave me some ideas. In a few days, I'll publish an article; please look forward to it. (smiles)]
Giovanni's appearance set the group ablaze.
He'd won the gym bracket championship multiple times, a powerhouse on par with an Elite. If he wanted it, he could probably replace Agatha.
Grey lurked and watched, saying nothing.
Then…
[Giovanni of the Earth: Gym Leader Grey, when might you be free? I'd like to invite you to visit Viridian Gym. @Dojo Annihilape]
"…"
Grey fell silent. He couldn't just ignore an @ from Giovanni. After a moment's thought, he typed:
[Dojo Annihilape: Hard to say. I probably won't have time the next two or three days—let's look again in half a month.]
[Dojo Annihilape: Of course, I'd also like to invite Gym Leader Giovanni to the dojo to chat about raising and training. Sharing tea at the dojo would be perfect.]
[Giovanni of the Earth: Hahaha, didn't expect a young Gym Leader like you to be so refined. When I'm free I'll definitely call on you—please take care of me then.]
They left it at that—no further chatter.
Even that brief exchange left many ordinary Gym Leaders green with envy.
It was Giovanni.
To the public, Giovanni was the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto—first under the Elite Four!
If he wished, he'd become an Elite without question!
Why did Giovanni rate Grey so highly when others in the same job didn't?
Weaker Gym Leaders didn't get it; all they could do was envy.
"Got his eye on me, huh…"
Grey muttered inwardly. If he really went to Viridian Gym, odds were eight or nine out of ten Giovanni wanted to "bring him into the fold."
He just hoped that if he refused, Giovanni wouldn't send out the Comeback Guy to strong-arm him.
Hiss…
Speaking of which—had the Comeback Guy been made yet?
Grey rubbed his chin, thinking hard.
He joked a lot about the Comeback Guy always "coming back," but its strength really could stand beside regional legends.
Maybe not the best win rate, but bullying the three Legendary Birds—who aren't "divine-class"—wasn't a problem.
Legend to legend—Articuno, could you please pull your weight?
Grey tapped the Great Ball, a little "hate the steel for not becoming iron" creeping in.
"???"
Pinged inside the ball, Articuno nearly burst out to stare him down face-to-face.
This brat definitely wasn't thinking anything good!
Cold mist spread. A film of frost coated the Great Ball—Articuno's way of voicing its displeasure.
A legend is not to be insulted!
"Grey, why did your Poké Ball suddenly freeze?"
Daisy covered her mouth, surprised.
There aren't many Pokémon that can affect a Poké Ball itself. What big shot had Grey brought home this time?
"It's fine. Just a little chick throwing a tantrum."
Grey waved it off.
Seeing that, Daisy let it go.
Strong trainers have little quirks. Sabrina used to turn people into dolls with psychic power!
By comparison, Grey's ball just iced over. That looks normal, okay!
Kanto sure is full of talent!
Daisy promised herself she'd learn to put on a show too.
——
Viridian City, beneath Viridian Gym.
A crew-cut man in a black suit held a wine glass, leather shoes ticking on the firm floor.
Researchers crowded around a massive nutrient tank, their precise instrument screens flashing numbers with steady beeps.
Giovanni stood at the doorway, quietly watching the purple, humanoid Pokémon in the pod.
"Fighting Dojo, Grey… A dojo apprentice who popped up two months ago; a week ago, a brand-new Gym Leader; he's thwarted Team Rocket's perfect plans over and over…"
Giovanni's purple-haired secretary, Matori, walked up with a tablet and rattled off every detail without missing a beat.
"Boss, I think we should try to buy him out."
"Shut it!"
Giovanni didn't speak—Petrel did, wrapped in bandages, baring his teeth as he snapped:
"That guy doesn't budge for oil or salt! I told him I'd hand over speaking rights in Saffron on a silver platter, and what happened? Grey was more insidious than me—he's the real Poison-type here!"
"Hmph. You've got some nerve saying that. If Boss hadn't staged a timely ambush when your escort team was weak, you'd be eating prison rations at Indigo Plateau."
Matori shot Petrel a scornful look. "Besides, you must've said it wrong and pissed him off. If it were me, I'm confident I could land him."
With Petrel, every extra word felt like a waste of breath.
"Heh."
Knowing he was in the wrong, Petrel shuffled out to find the other three Admins.
"Boss, I'll continue."
Once Petrel left, Matori read through the plan on the tablet in detail:
"Judging by the way Grey made money at the club, he's strapped for cash. There are subsidies for a newly appointed Gym Leader, but because of Saffron Gym, his won't be much.
Before the gym bracket, this window is when he'll be the most short on funds. So I think we need real cash to move him—not the empty promises Petrel tried."
She could guess exactly how Petrel had "pitched" him.
Big talk, nothing offered.
Pure vapor.
Anyone would refuse that!
"Mhm. A newly seated Gym Leader is still a prodigy without development."
Giovanni tossed his wine glass into the trash; his eyes never left the pod. "If he specializes in Fighting-types, then find a chance to show him what true power is."
————
Saffron City, Fighting Dojo.
"Achoo! Who's talking about me?"
Grey sneezed out of nowhere, joked, then looked forward.
Ten minutes after getting back to the dojo, he'd run into Gary—who'd come to challenge Sabrina.
Now the battle was at a boil.
Each side had one Pokémon left, both at the limit.
Gary stayed cool and picked the safest attack. "Scyther—final blow, Fury Cutter!"
"…"
Sabrina said nothing; she used psychic power to command the Exeggutor in front of her.
Scyther vs. Exeggutor!
Bzzzz…
Wings thrummed through the dojo. Scyther's twin scythes blazed emerald; Bug-type energy fanned out, savage and sharp!
With a sweep of its wings it blurred from sight, leaving only green light rippling—Exeggutor's eyes watered, its vision thrown off!
Scyther flashed to Exeggutor's flank—blade rose, blade fell!
With four-times effectiveness, it was a clean one-shot!
Gary felt unstoppable.
He'd beaten even Sabrina—fighting Grey would be no problem!
I'll win!
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