Lorelei, on her way to Cerulean City to find Ash, also notified another member of the Elite Four, Agatha, to stay in Viridian City and keep an eye on when Giovanni would return.
After she returned, Agatha didn't leave but chose to stay here with Lorelei to continue monitoring Giovanni.
Because with Ash's arrival, Giovanni's hidden conspiracy might soon be revealed, and at that time, it would be unlikely for Lorelei alone to protect Ash.
Giovanni's public strength is that of a Champion, but no one knows how strong he truly is.
After all, he is actually the leader of Team Rocket, so how could he possibly expose his true strength?
There is a gap even between Champion Trainers. A Champion Peak can easily take on six Champion-level trainers. A powerful Champion Trainer will have multiple Champion Peak Pokémon. Such a person can be said to be the Champion among Champions, with Leon being the most typical example...
Therefore, to prevent Giovanni from acting out, Agatha chose not to leave after Lorelei returned, but instead remained to monitor Giovanni together.
Through the camera, Agatha concluded from Giovanni's statements that he wanted to recruit Ash.
He knew Giovanni too well. How could that guy possibly be so polite to a kid unless Ash had outstanding talent? He harbored that almost impossible hope, thus he acted so calmly and appreciatively towards Ash.
"Giovanni wants to recruit Ash? Ash would never join Team Rocket. Unless Team Rocket changes its name to the Charity Squad and starts doing charity work every day, then he might consider joining that organization," Lorelei sneered at Giovanni's idea.
After spending a week with Ash, she understood what a strong sense of justice that boy had. Just the despicable things Team Rocket had done ensured that Ash would never join that organization. Giovanni was completely delusional.
"Heh, Giovanni doesn't know that little guy as well as we do... But you, from these past few days spent with that boy, seem to have taken a strong interest in him," Agatha said, glancing slightly towards Lorelei.
Lorelei said noncommittally, "If you spent some time with him, you'd also change your view of him. Outsiders might think he has exceptional talent, and while there may be some truth to that, I think it's more because of his hard work."
"Every morning around 6:30, he trains with his Pokémon together. When the Pokémon train, he's right there doing the same exercises. This not only boosts the Pokémon's enthusiasm but also significantly strengthens the bond between him and the Pokémon."
"A lot of people may know this is a basic thing, but few can stick to it, especially getting up early. Just this one small act is enough for me to sense his dedication to the profession of a Trainer. Such a person will be successful no matter what."
Lorelei's words were full of admiration for Ash, clearly indicating that the time spent traveling with Ash had truly impressed her.
Perhaps Ash's current strength was still far from top-tier Trainers, but his training methods and attitude towards Pokémon would enable him to grow rapidly in a short period of time. Becoming a top Trainer was only a matter of time.
"Oh? What you've said has piqued my interest. If there's a chance, I'd like to meet him and see if he really is as you say—able to resist Giovanni's temptations," Agatha said, her slightly cloudy eyes fixed tightly on the monitor screen. At this moment, both sides were already on the battlefield...
…
"What do you mean by half Gym Leader, half Team Rocket Leader?" Ash asked with a slightly serious expression.
"Exactly as it sounds. This time we will have a two-on-two match. You get to choose the level of one Pokémon, which is a privilege of challenging the Gym. The other Pokémon I decide on, which is a decision as the Team Rocket Leader. If you win, I will hand over the Green Leaf Badge and disband fifty percent of Team Rocket's members."
Everyone: !!!
The Green Leaf Badge is the badge from the Viridian Gym. When Giovanni said he would give up the Green Leaf Badge after losing, nobody thought much of it. As the Gym Leader, of course, you must give up the badge if you lose!
But when they heard Giovanni's second sentence, everyone couldn't help but be shocked. A thick expression of astonishment climbed onto everyone's faces, each showing disbelief.
A single match determining fifty percent of a cross-world organization's size—what a crazy bet!
"And what is the cost?" Gary quickly calmed down after the initial shock. No one present was as calm as he was. After all, he almost got a psychological shadow from nearly being beaten!
And the reason was merely because he had mouthed off, and the opponent suddenly released a Pokémon that was practically a monster during a match that was supposed to be of standard difficulty.
Gary knew very well how petty and vengeful that guy was. So when he proposed such generous terms, stating that he would dismiss half of his organizational power if he lost, regardless of whether this was true or not, Giovanni had to have some other conditions in mind when he made that statement.