I am Giovanni

Chapter 94: Whispers of a Monster

Inside the Viridian Base, Captain Ank's face changed several times as Charlie recounted everything he had seen. He knew Giovanni was a genius, given the reports from the Marauder and Rocco, but he hadn't expected this.

To challenge those above his level and achieve a one-sided slaughter... every aspect of it made one's scalp tingle. That was a Senior Trainer and several Squad Leaders; they weren't just common grunts.

If Giovanni were given more time, even he might not be his opponent. 

Although there was a feeling of being unable to escape the fate of being ruled by Giovanni, this also meant he had bet on the right person. Only Giovanni could deal with Petrel, right?

Thinking of this, he cursed at Charlie. "Look at the good deed you've done!"

"Didn't you instruct me to?" Charlie felt a bit wronged.

"You still dare to talk back?" Ank reprimanded him. "Did he find out?"

"Don't worry," Charlie hastily replied. "I took the blame and even got his forgiveness. It just cost me a bit." He was hoping Ank might reimburse him.

"If it's gone, it's gone," Ank said. "He's too smart; he'll definitely have guessed a little. I still need to prepare something of my own to apologize to him." Charlie's face drooped. Sure enough, I still have to follow Giovanni. He's generous and trusts his subordinates.

Ank suddenly thought of something. "Oh, right. Suppress the news. Don't let Captain Price and Petrel know, so he can have more room to grow."

"Ah..." Charlie exclaimed. The sudden sound startled Ank.

"What's wrong?" he asked grumpily.

"It's a bit late," Charlie stammered. "I know my subordinates' mouths. It might have already spread throughout the organization."

"You... you!" Ank stood up with a whoosh, then sat back down helplessly. "Forget it. As long as the Captains don't make a move, unless several Senior Trainers act together, it's useless."

"Keep a closer eye on Captain Price's people," Ank instructed. "They've already tried this once. Don't leave a bad impression again."

"Yes, sir," Charlie quickly assured him.

Just as Charlie had said, the feat of Giovanni single-handedly slaughtering a Senior Trainer, four or five Squad Leaders, and twenty or thirty official members spread like wildfire within Team Rocket.

And as it spread, the story was exaggerated. It was said that his Beedrill was a terrifying monster, capable of temporarily reaching the quasi-Elite Four level, and that it enjoyed picking out human eyeballs with its stingers.

It was also said that his Persian appeared and disappeared like a ghost, loved to bite off people's necks, and gnawed on their heads like a Raticate.

Especially Giovanni himself—it was said he was so powerful because he was possessed by a thousand-year-old Ninetales, or that he was actually a monster with three souls. In short, it became more and more mythical.

— — —

Inside Captain Price's room, he crushed the iron cup in his hand, slamming it heavily onto the ground. "Useless! All useless!" he roared like an erupting volcano. "A Senior Trainer, a few Squad Leaders, dozens of people couldn't even kill a brat! Am I raising useless people?"

Several of his own Senior Trainers were drenched in sweat. One of them said fearfully, "Sir, that brat is too strange. He's a monster!"

Slap!

Price's hand struck the man so hard it almost knocked him out. "Are you a pig?" he said with a gloomy face. "A monster? Where are there monsters in this world? Do you really think he killed Tyson and the others?"

"You mean..." another began, sweating, "there's something fishy behind this?"

"Hmph," Price snorted. "Otherwise? I put so much effort in, and that Raven brat only has the level of a senior-level trainer. How could a brat who just got Ank's support reach that level? It must be that Ank guy's doing.

After his subordinates killed Tyson, they pushed all the blame onto that brat. Once it spreads, people will flock to him. And it will also let people know that I organized an attack on the next leader candidate, so that the Boss will punish me!"

"Then, Sir, what should we do?" one of them asked.

"What can we do?" Price snorted coldly. "It's like you all went to assassinate that brat. What does it have to do with me? Petrel did the same thing, and it's just a minor punishment." The men looked at each other, their eyes full of disappointment.

So if we die, we die, and it has nothing to do with him? They thought about how strict Price usually was, then compared it to the rumors of how generous Giovanni was to his own subordinates.

"You guys, prepare yourselves," Price said, murderous intent in his eyes. "When the time comes, you'll need to go and kill that brat. I don't believe it. If one isn't enough, then a group of you still won't be!"

"Yes, sir," they had no choice but to nod.

— — —

Inside Madame Boss's room, she listened to a report from an official member who had been present at the scene. "This brat," she smiled slightly. "I underestimated him." She turned to Miyamoto. "I heard he made a bet with you. Don't actually lose to him then."

"Isn't it normal if he can win against me?" Miyamoto said, unconcerned. "Otherwise, how could he have the ability to take on the organization?"

"Heh heh, you're right," Madame Boss laughed.

— — —

Far away, somewhere unknown, Petrel wiped the blood from his hands after receiving his subordinate's report and smiled coldly. "He reached the senior level so quickly. Interesting. A monster? Aren't monsters everywhere here? Heh... hehehe"

Following his gaze, nearby were several terrifyingly large Pokémon, standing upon a sea of corpses made up of hundreds, thousands of people, and countless Pokémon remains.