I am Giovanni

Chapter 116: A Path of No Return

The butler looked at Giovanni on the Rhyhorn's back and couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"

Boom!

After struggling for a while, the exhausted Rhyhorn suddenly collapsed, closed its eyes, and fainted. Giovanni flipped over and stood on its fallen body, glancing indifferently at the butler.

He then saw Surge, whose eyes finally held a spark of light. The boy had resigned himself to his fate, but unexpectedly, he had encountered Giovanni again.

"Giovanni!" he shouted excitedly.

"Do you hear that now?" Giovanni said to the butler.

The butler looked at Giovanni warily, his gaze constantly sweeping over the Poké Balls at his waist. "So this young man is your subordinate," he said with a fawning smile. "My apologies, my deepest apologies!"

While the butler was observing him, Giovanni was also observing the butler. The emblem on his clothes was the same one Serena Star had. It seems this fellow is her butler, but his strength seems to be not that great? It was just one senior-level Mightyena and one senior-level Parasect. That was all.

"Giovanni!" Surge cried. "This scoundrel killed Speedwagon!"

Upon hearing this, the butler regretted not having killed Surge as well. He continued to fawn over Giovanni. "He's just a brat. I don't think someone of your stature like you would care, would you? Once we escape, our Star family can compensate you with dozens of such youths." His words made it sound as if people were commodities.

"Bastard!" Surge gritted his teeth and cursed.

"Since you've done it," Giovanni said, looking at the butler, his eyes cold, "then pay with your life."

The butler was somewhat confused. He was wary of Giovanni mainly because he looked young and had an extraordinary demeanor, possibly an heir from some family— but for him to be so arrogant...

He stopped pretending. "You," he said coldly, "he's just a servant. Is it really necessary? Besides, with just a fainted Rhyhorn, do you dare to speak such big words?"

"Coward." Giovanni curled his lip in disdain.

"I think you're tired of living," the butler said, furious. He waved his hand, and his Mightyena and Parasect immediately walked over, their eyes filled with intense killing intent. "Even if I kill you now, no one will know it was me. I'll gladly take this Rhyhorn of yours!"

"Coincidentally," Giovanni said, jumping off the Rhyhorn's back and recalling it, "I was thinking the same thing."

"Hmph, big words," the butler snorted. "Be careful not to bite your tongue."

"Is that so?" Giovanni just clapped his hands lightly. "Kill him. And those two Pokémon too."

Buzz, buzz!

Above, his Beedrill vibrated its wings and flew swiftly. On the branches, the Persian moved constantly. On the ground, the Nidorino charged like a wild boar. The Machoke put down its food, its muscles bulging wildly.

The butler's pupils constricted.

A moment later, three more corpses lay on the ground. The Persian expertly searched the butler's body but found nothing. The few cards it did find were unusable. It was so angry that it dug up a handful of dirt and threw it onto the corpse.

"You're quite unlucky," Giovanni said, looking at the somewhat fearful Surge. "Where are the Pokémon I gave you?"

"They ran away," Surge said, a bit embarrassed, his mood becoming even more dejected.

"You should understand the value of Pokémon," Giovanni said impolitely.

"I'll pay you back in the future," Surge replied hastily. "Don't worry."

"Just you?" Giovanni's words were disdainful. "You can talk about that when you can help yourself."

Surge hung his head in shame. Without Matisse's protection, whether he could even have a hot meal was a question. Not only that, he hadn't protected Speedwagon. Now he was the only one left.

His eyes reddened, and large tears fell. He didn't understand why, in just a few days, everything had changed.

Everyone around him was dead.

Seeing him like this, Giovanni did not continue speaking, but merely watched him indifferently, allowing him to slowly ponder. After a good while, Surge finally raised his head. He wiped the tears from his face, and though his eyes were red, they were now filled with a new determination.

He knelt on the ground with a thud.

"Giovanni," he said, "I understand now. I want to become a trainer. I want to become stronger. I want revenge! I want to have my own ship and sail on the sea! I don't want to rely on the Alliance's charity anymore. I want to gain everything with my own hands! I am willing to give everything, even my life! I pledge my loyalty to you!"

Giovanni gently placed his hand on his shoulder, and a smile finally appeared on his indifferent face. "One day, you will be honored by the choice you made today." He pointed to the corpse on the ground. "As long as you have enough strength, a fellow like this has no right to harm you at all."

"I understand!" Surge gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. Although there had been a significant interlude, he had ultimately knelt at Giovanni's feet. How can you see a rainbow without experiencing wind and rain?

"Get up," Giovanni said, pulling him from the ground.

"Yes, Giovanni," Surge replied respectfully. This time, it was not only respect, but also submission.

Giovanni patted the dust off his legs. "From now on, when no one else is around, call me Boss."

"Yes... Boss!" Surge was startled for a moment but did not hesitate.

"Hmm, very good," Giovanni smiled and nodded. "Do you know the direction Archer and the others went?"

"It should be in that direction," Surge said, thinking for a moment. "But if they've landed on the island, with the commotion you just made, they'll definitely come here, just like us."

"Then let's wait for them," Giovanni said.

"But in that case," Surge said, considering his well-being, "won't we also encounter other people? Although you are strong, what if we encounter someone even stronger?"

"Don't worry," Giovanni said, pointing to his head. "I have it handled."

"Yes," Surge dared not ask further, but then he mentioned, "By the way, Boss, that fellow just now said he was looking for his young lady or something..."

"Don't worry," Giovanni said, turning his head to look at the jungle behind him and smiling meaningfully. "He won't find her. Or rather, he already has."

Surge's heart trembled upon hearing this. He looked at the butler's mangled corpse on the ground and knew without a doubt what Giovanni meant.

He had embarked on a path of no return.