Ethan Cross pondered for a moment. "So, the masked man doesn't actually care who leads Team Rocket, as long as it doesn't interfere with his plans?"
"Exactly," Carl replied. "The masked man needs a compliant Team Rocket. When Giovanni showed signs of taking full control, the masked man couldn't sit still."
At the peak of Giovanni's influence, the masked man personally intervened and defeated him. This forced Giovanni to retreat to the Kanto region with his loyal followers. Though Giovanni remained the nominal leader of Team Rocket, in the Johto region, it was the masked man who truly held power.
Team Rocket's situation is complex. They appear united on the surface, but are divided within. Giovanni only truly controls Kanto, yet through the masked man's plans, he can issue orders throughout the region.
Carl paused to take a sip of water. Serena's mom, Grace, kindly handed him a bottle, catching him by surprise. Caitlin, growing impatient, urged, "Get to the point."
"Power!" Carl declared firmly. "Money is just a numbers game. True strength is about controlling everything. From that day on, Giovanni's goal shifted from making money to conquering the world."
He elaborated, explaining Giovanni's three-fold strategy: nurturing four generals, recruiting powerful figures like Bruno, and creating Mewtwo as the ultimate weapon. Chairman Whitaker wasn't wrong; Team Rocket indeed has the power to overthrow the Kanto League.
"If it weren't for the masked man's interference, the entire Kanto region might already be under Team Rocket's control," Carl concluded.
This revelation left everyone deep in thought, struggling to remain calm.
The stability of the Kanto League, stemming from a division within Team Rocket? It sounded absurd!
In the past, no one would have believed such a tale. But after Carl's analysis, they had to acknowledge its truth.
On the League's side, there's Chairman Whitaker with Professor Oak and Lance aiding him. Team Rocket boasts its own talents, with veteran members like the Viper Instructor holding sway. Among the League's Elite Four, three in Johto are Team Rocket spies, and the strongest Gym Leaders in Kanto have secretly defected. As for the influential families, they're often the first to switch sides when profit is involved.
"We must seize this opportunity to deliver a heavy blow to Team Rocket," Chairman Whitaker said gravely. Professor Oak and Lance nodded in agreement.
Cynthia, who had been observing quietly, suddenly spoke up. "I have a question."
"Go ahead," Carl responded with a smile.
"If Giovanni were to entice the masked man by offering to help complete his mysterious plan, would the masked man agree?" Cynthia's probing question caught everyone off guard.
Based on Carl's earlier analysis, the masked man might indeed be swayed by such an offer. If that were the case, the internal conflict within Team Rocket would cease. Once the masked man's plan succeeded, Giovanni could fully control the organization, and even if others were dissatisfied, they would be powerless to change it.
At that point, wouldn't the Kanto region be in grave danger? Even with foreknowledge, facing such a stark power imbalance would be futile.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Carl's response, only to see him shake his head with a grin. "Playing word games with me? That's not very friendly."
"Just a reasonable hypothesis," Cynthia admitted, "You can choose not to answer."
"No need," Carl shook his head. "There was a possibility before, but now it's off the table."
Cynthia's eyes lit up, contemplating his words. "So the masked man's actions don't actually threaten Giovanni's position?"
Carl simply smiled, saying nothing.
Chairman Whitaker immediately understood. Cynthia was trying to gauge the masked man's true intentions through Carl's reactions.
To be honest, after listening to Carl's account, everyone was most curious about the masked man's ambitions. For someone to co-found Team Rocket with Giovanni's mother, yet hold no interest in power, was highly unusual.
But judging by Carl's demeanor, he clearly wasn't inclined to share more.
"Can you at least explain why it was possible before, but not now?" Cynthia tried a different approach.
All eyes turned to Carl.
"Some things are best left unknown," Carl politely declined.
The reason was simple: the masked man had kidnapped Giovanni's son. If this news got out, Team Rocket would surely fall into chaos, plunging the entire Kanto region into turmoil.
Just as the atmosphere grew tense, an unexpected voice rang out, "What if I ask?"
Everyone turned to see a holographic projection suddenly appearing behind Koga.
The sight of the figure in the projection made Chairman Whitaker and the others' faces change drastically.
"Giovanni!"
The sudden appearance caught everyone off guard. Even more unsettling was not knowing how long he'd been eavesdropping.
"It wasn't me!" Koga hastily explained. The projection had indeed appeared on his end, but he was utterly unaware. If he were mistaken for an insider, he might not make it out of the room today.
"Relax, we're not that foolish," Professor Oak reassured. Koga would have to be mad to bring Giovanni here to eavesdrop, and Giovanni wouldn't expose himself so easily.
Koga let out a deep breath, then angrily questioned Giovanni, "Did you have someone monitoring me?"
"If you hadn't betrayed me, this wouldn't be necessary," Giovanni replied coldly. "Did you think I'd help you reach the Elite Four level without safeguards?"
"Traitors are prone to betray again, aren't they?"
"Shut up!" Koga's face darkened. He understood that Giovanni's words would deepen the League's suspicions of him, affecting his future prospects.
While it's true that he collaborated with Team Rocket, it was due to the pressure of breaking through his limits. Now that he's an Elite Four member, with a secure position, his main concern is not dragging his sister down with him.
Ignoring Koga, Giovanni turned to Carl. "Why did you say I can't negotiate with the masked man?"
Originally, he could have used this opportunity to glean the League's plans, but Carl's words unsettled him. He initially thought the game was just a coincidence but realized Carl knew far more than he let on. Carl's understanding of Team Rocket surpassed even Giovanni, the second-generation leader. He knew not only the current leader's identity and style but also the secrets of Mew and Mewtwo, and even the masked man, which Giovanni was clueless about.
When Carl mentioned the masked man's willingness to cooperate, Giovanni believed it and felt a pang of regret. Had he known earlier that helping the masked man complete his plan could grant him full control of Team Rocket, he wouldn't have wasted so much time on minor schemes in Kanto.
This wasn't about backing down; it was about knowing that if he could have taken over Team Rocket's full structure sooner, he could have easily conquered the undivided Kanto League a decade ago, becoming the most powerful force globally. Getting ahead is the key to staying ahead, fueling his ambition to dominate the world.
While it's not too late to act now, fully controlling Team Rocket would allow him to dismantle the Kanto and Johto Leagues one by one, establishing a new regime as a base for world conquest. With Team Rocket's influence in other regions, this isn't impossible.
But Carl decisively said it was too late, convinced that Giovanni couldn't collaborate with the masked man. Giovanni couldn't fathom why and couldn't help but stand up to question.
"Huh?" Carl mocked, cleaning his ear with a finger. "Just because you ask, I have to answer? Ruling Kanto for too long has really gone to your head, hasn't it?"
------------------------
Patreon Advance Chapters: p@treon .com / kirekky