Clap~ Clap~ Clap~
The sudden sound of applause made Elijah and Umbreon instinctively turn toward the source.
"Well said!"
A man dressed in a black cloak with a white scarf draped over his shoulders, looking like he'd stepped out of a God of Gamblers movie, approached with a smile.
He clapped as he walked toward them.
Elijah's expression shifted slightly.
He recognized the man.
After Nurse Joy helped him get an ID, Elijah gained access to various public areas, including the library.
There, he'd learned a lot, including information about the current Gym Leaders of each region.
Like the man before him—
The Gym Leader of Viridian City in the Kanto region, known as "Giovanni of the Earth" and "The Undefeated Gym Leader," Giovanni!
But what made Elijah frown inwardly was the man's hidden identity—leader of Team Rocket!
In no time, Giovanni stood before Elijah, smiling as he said, "Kings have the talents of kings, chefs have the talents of chefs, and Pokémon have no distinction of noble or lowly."
"Well said—truly well said!"
Giovanni rarely showed such excitement.
Back when Beedrill was his starter Pokémon, and he traveled the world with it, he'd faced plenty of scorn from League elites.
Later, he defeated them one by one, proving to the world that even a "weak" Pokémon could shine brilliantly!
Today, for the first time, someone had voiced the feelings of his youth.
Kings have the talents of kings, chefs have the talents of chefs!
You said it well, kid, you said it so well!
"So, it's the strongest Gym Leader from Kanto, Mr. Giovanni."
As a cunning veteran who'd lived three lifetimes, Elijah quickly hid the flicker of surprise in his eyes, his expression turning calm.
"What's a Kanto Gym Leader doing in Johto?"
The smile on Giovanni's face faded considerably, even turning a bit grim.
He was here to search for his missing son, of course.
But damn it, he'd found no leads whatsoever!
Mentioning it soured his mood again.
Yet, Giovanni was a seasoned schemer too. He quickly masked his gloom with a slight smile, saying, "Gym Leaders need breaks too, you know. I like to visit other regions from time to time."
"Oh, I see. So, Mr. Giovanni saw my battle just now? Ha, I must...Umbreon made quite a fool of myself."
Su Sheng feigned humility.
But he didn't buy for a second that Giovanni was just sightseeing in Johto.
He suspected the man was secretly expanding his influence here.
After all, Johto would become Team Rocket's second stronghold in the future.
"Your words got this old man's blood pumping. How about it? Want to have a battle?"
Giovanni asked with a sly grin.
On one hand, he wanted to use a battle to temporarily forget the pain of his son's disappearance.
On the other, he wanted to test this kid's potential firsthand.
"Huh? I'm not into Souls-like games."
"What?"
Giovanni didn't catch Elijah meaning.
"I mean, I don't like masochism."
Elijah shrugged.
Did he really think he could beat Giovanni? He wasn't that delusional.
"Haha! What's the big deal? It's just a friendly spar, win or lose doesn't matter. Whether you win or lose, Uncle's got your dinner covered!"
Giovanni put on the air of a kind, seasoned mentor.
"Jie jie~ Well, I won't hold back then."
Elijah figured there was no harm in a battle.
But he'd need to stay cautious.
This man's identity was no small matter.
Plus, Elijah still didn't know why Giovanni had come all the way to Johto.
Sigh, the downside of transmigrating too early—guessing the motives of canon characters wasn't so easy.
…
…
"Young man, is that new type of Eevee your starter Pokémon?"
The two stood facing each other on the sandy beach of Azalea Town. Giovanni spoke first.
"Yeah, her name's Umbreon. The League hasn't officially recognized her yet, so a lot of people don't know about the 'Dark' type."
"Oh? Dark type… sounds intriguing. Did you come up with the name?"
"Uh… let's just say I did. I'm pretty good at this sort of thing."
Then, Giovanni slipped his left hand into his pocket and pulled out a Poké Ball with his right.
"In that case, out of respect, I'll bring out an old partner who's been with me for a long time."
Hearing the words "old partner," Su Sheng froze for a moment.
Could it be…
Sure enough, Giovanni flicked the Poké Ball from his palm.
The ball popped open, and a white light flashed.
A burly, rugged Nidoking landed heavily on the sand.
"This guy's been with me since I started my journey in Kanto," Giovanni said, a slight smirk on his lips. "He's pretty strong, you know~"
"So, go ahead and make the first move, kid."
Giovanni opened his palm, gesturing with a "please."
"I've never been great at fighting myself, but I'm decent at commanding others in battle."
"Let's see how I stack up against a top-tier expert in this field."
Elijah said with a smile, his eyes narrowing sharply.
"Go, Umbreon."
Umbreon darted forward like a shadowy blur, charging straight at Nidoking.
Giovanni's eyes flickered, and he thought to himself, Oh? He's only had this Eevee from that old lady for less than ten days, and he's already made such progress. This kid's got a knack for training.
In an instant, Umbreon closed in on Nidoking.
"A close-range move?"
Giovanni raised an eyebrow, lightly waving his fingers.
"My Nidoking's quite skilled in this area."
Despite its massive size, Nidoking moved with surprising agility.
It clenched its fist, electricity crackling as it swung, the air practically booming with the force.
Thunder Punch!
Boom—
The sound of the punch landing was like muffled thunder.
The size difference was stark—like a tiger landing a blow on a ragdoll cat.
"Now, Foul Play."
At Elijah's command, Umbreon, still reeling from the punch and pinned under Nidoking's fist, suddenly opened its eyes, baring its fangs with a sly grin.
A look of gotcha.
The next moment, veins bulged on Umbreon's dark skin, and its small frame slammed back with ferocious force.
Like a diamond Barbie, it knocked Nidoking's head to the side.
The big guy was stunned!
"Hm!?"
A trace of surprise flashed in Giovanni's eyes.
He'd just exchanged a glance with Nidoking, signaling to go easy.
The move was also a non-STAB one.
Even so, that Umbreon not only took the hit but countered immediately?
"Did you use a defense-boosting move, kid?"
As Kanto's strongest Gym Leader, Giovanni saw through it instantly.
"At the last moment, Umbreon's dash slowed slightly… I see, you used Curse, didn't you?"
When non-Ghost-type Pokémon use Curse, it lowers their Speed in exchange for boosting Attack and Defense.
"Normally, Pokémon stand still while using stat-boosting moves, but yours can reinforce itself while moving. You've put in a lot of effort, haven't you?"
The surprise in Giovanni's eyes turned to admiration.
"I haven't had Little Black for long, so I've only taught her a little bit."
Su Sheng smiled.
"That's hardly 'a little bit'…"
Giovanni's grin widened.
Damn it, I want this kid more and more!
(End of Chapter)