A few days later.
"Don't move, little kitty, just a bit more…"
In the seaside cabin, Elijah was drawing blood from Giovanni's Persian.
Normally spoiled rotten by Giovanni, Persian nearly wanted to "Slash" this jerk to death.
As Team Rocket's pampered mascot, it usually strutted around the base like royalty—coddled to the point of being untouchable.
Yet, in just a few short days, this kid had nearly drained it dry with all these blood draws!
"Don't be mad, don't be mad. Barring any surprises, this should be the last time today."
Elijah soothed.
"Any progress with your research, Sheng?"
Giovanni, sipping coffee, glanced over.
"It'll take some time. I've hit a bit of a bottleneck."
Elijah placed Persian's blood into a test tube, diluting it for the next round of experiments, and continued, "Blood can only get you so far in research. The real goal is to move to practical application, but…"
He trailed off, glancing at the tourists strolling along the beach, accompanied by all sorts of Pokémon.
Hearing the word "practical," Giovanni knew what Elijah was hesitating about.
"There's plenty in the suburbs, you know. Want me to have someone catch some for you? Or you could buy from a pet store—those cost more, but they're less aggressive."
Live test subjects!
Giovanni might not be a scientist himself, but he was all too familiar with the concept.
The hoard of scientists he kept at his base did exactly that.
The best among them were two named Blaine and Fuji.
He wondered how Su Sheng stacked up against those two.
"Or… you could buy from certain places."
Giovanni added.
He was referring to the black market!
It sold plenty of things you couldn't find in regular stores—like the delectable meat of Farfetch'd, prized by the wealthy; Gengar skull crafts; Slowpoke tails; and more!
Naturally, it also included all sorts of Pokémon.
Unlike pet stores, though, getting high-quality Pokémon from the black market was nearly impossible.
Most were half-dead from abuse.
But they were cheap, perfect for use as lab rats.
"Peli~ Peli~"
At that moment, a Pelipper flew to the cabin's windowsill and tapped the glass.
Elijah walked over, opened the window, and the Pelipper rummaged through its satchel, pulling out a small package and a pen.
It then presented a delivery receipt, pointing to the signature line.
The meaning was clear—please sign here.
Yup, this was something Elijah had ordered online.
Seeing Elijah fall silent, Giovanni smirked.
"Still just a ten-year-old kid, huh? Getting soft?"
After signing, Elijah patted the Pelipper's fluffy head and scratched its chin.
The delivery bird let out a happy "Peli~ Peli~," its eyes squinting with delight.
"I'm not some saint, but I'm at least human."
Elijah calmly returned to the lab, unpacking the delivery.
Inside were three evolution stones currently recognized by the Pokémon academic community—
Fire Stone, Water Stone, and Thunder Stone!
"That's surprising. You told me you've been doing scientific research for a long time. Never experimented on something like a Rattata before?"
In Giovanni's worldview, Rattata was basically the equivalent of a "lab rat."
"I usually used scum for experiments."
The topic brought back fond memories of Elijah's past life.
The One Piece world had an endless supply of "lab rats."
Big-time pirates with bounties over a hundred million? They were his playthings.
His favorite, though, were the Celestial Dragons.
Seeing those self-entitled pigs, normally so high and mighty, lying on his lab table, watching their precious "balls" get sliced off and placed on a tray nearby—
Their expressions… Sai-ko-neeto, yatta-dah!!!
Sigh, what a shame he never got to dissect Momonosuke.
The original plan was to use an Ivankov-style Seraphim to turn him into a woman, then toss him into Impel Down and broadcast it worldwide.
Here's hoping there's still a chance in the future.
Oh, and he also wanted to study whether the Kozuki family had some kind of succubus-like charm.
They were utterly useless, yet somehow, like human aphrodisiacs, they had the people of Wano swooning over them.
"Scum, huh…"
Giovanni blinked.
Why did it feel like this kid was throwing shade at him?
"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt with breaking news."
At that moment, the TV screen cut to a female anchor holding a script.
"Recently, the League's A-class wanted criminal, Pokémon Hunter Anders, was sighted near New Bark Town. Residents of the Johto region, please remain vigilant. If you spot this individual, contact the authorities immediately…"
Next to the anchor, a wanted poster appeared.
It showed a man around 40, with a scruffy beard.
Giovanni's eyes flickered, but his tone remained as calm as ever.
"Anders, a B-class wanted criminal by the League. He often lurks in the outskirts of small towns, preying on rookie Trainers who've just received their starter Pokémon, robbing them as soon as they leave home to start their journey…"
"Ho, this guy's got quite the business brain."
Elijah couldn't help but laugh.
Gotta say, judging by the photo, the guy looked like a shady sewer rat.
But he was surprisingly clever.
If he targeted big cities like Goldenrod or Azalea, even if he went after kids, he might end up kicking a steel plate.
What if the kid he robbed was some Elite Four member's nephew or a tycoon's daughter? He'd be done for.
But small towns like New Bark or Cherrygrove? Much safer.
Those places rarely had second-generation elites or rich kids, right?
Huh, come to think of it, this guy's rise to infamy was kinda like Elijah's own.
When he first transmigrated, didn't he bully kids for their snacks to get by?
Uh… okay, he wasn't that shameless.
Snacks and Pokémon aren't even in the same league value-wise.
"This guy's been active in Johto for years, and they're only now picking up his trail. The League's been growing these past few years, but their efficiency hasn't improved much."
Giovanni sneered.
He seemed to forget he was, on paper, a Gym Leader under the League's banner.
"Heh, isn't this the perfect lab rat?"
Elijah suddenly grinned.
Giovanni paused. "Oh~ You mean…"
"What's up, Uncle? Got a problem?"
Elijah countered.
A flicker of hesitation—barely half a second—passed through Giovanni's eyes before he smiled again.
"Of course not. I'm just a bit worried about your safety. Facing a vicious criminal like this is nothing like a friendly Trainer battle."
(End of Chapter)