Giovanni closed his eyes, settling into a cross-legged ditative posture. It was a position designed to align the body's energy centers with the flow of the world.
He centered his focus inward—eyes to nose, nose to mouth, mouth to heart—and began to draw upon the ambient energy around him.
A potent surge of power flowed into his body, a torrent that accelerated his cultivation speed by a factor of ten. The sensation was intoxicating. After only thirty minutes, however, he was forced to open his eyes, a dizzying pressure building behind them.
He couldn't absorb energy endlessly; his body needed ti to accumulate and process the power. Even so, at this rate, he would soon be able to further enhance the potential of Beedrill and his other Pokémon.
Naru, anwhile, could only watch with wide, envious eyes. He had been trying to replicate the posture, but the state Giovanni entered so easily remained elusive. The palpable energy fluctuating around Giovanni was a testant to a power he desperately wanted.
Having already gained what he needed from the boy, Giovanni saw no harm in a small gesture of reciprocity. Once his own mind had cleared, he guided Naru, correcting his posture and focus.
Soon, Naru entered the state. He only managed to sustain it for five minutes, but when he opened his eyes, his face was alight with pure joy. "This is incredible! At this rate, my psychic abilities will soon rival those of a Senior-level Pokémon!"
He was effusive in his gratitude. "Thank you, Giovanni! You've discovered a true path forward for our kind!"
Giovanni shook his head, maintaining his humble facade. "You've already had it in you. I rely added a few improvents from my own experiences."
"My thod is nothing compared to your Calm Mind ditation," Naru insisted.
"Then let us say the thod was our joint creation," Giovanni offered, not wishing to argue the point. It was irrelevant to him.
Naru, however, refused to claim the credit. He felt he had already profited enough from their brief encounter. "No. The breakthrough is yours. When I spread this technique, I will ensure every Psychic knows your na and what you have done for us!"
Seeing the boy's stubborn insistence, Giovanni replied with a casual shrug. "As you wish."
"I will," Naru affird. He then looked at Giovanni, his eyes fervent with an idea he had clearly been hesitant to voice. "Giovanni, we connect on a level I've never experienced with anyone. Perhaps we should..."
Giovanni's brow furrowed. The phrasing sounded uncomfortably familiar. Fearing what might co next, he cut the boy off with a sharp, decisive wave of his hand. "I refuse."
The abrupt rejection stunned Naru, and his expression fell. "I... I was rely going to ask if you were interested in starting here, with , in Saffron City. To build the very academy you envisioned."
Giovanni, who had been planning his exit strategy, paused. He sat back down. Remaining here was out of the question, but the boy's ambition was sothing he could still use. He glanced around at the dilapidated surroundings before speaking to the dejected Naru.
"While I cannot stay, I can provide assistance," he said, pulling out a bank card. "Resources are not an issue. Here is two hundred thousand Pokémon dollars."
He placed the card on the table. It was a paltry sum to him now, but as an investnt, it could yield limitless returns in the future.
Naru, who was constantly harassed and financially strained, stared at the card. "I can't accept this. My idea is nothing but a dream, and you're already..."
Giovanni gently patted his shoulder, his voice a reassuring balm. "I believe in your dream. Consider it my small contribution to our cause."
"This..." Naru gritted his teeth, his pride warring with his desperation. He finally took the card. "Thank you."
"If you truly feel indebted," Giovanni said coolly, "when you build the Academy, use the na I ca up with."
Naru quickly grabbed his notebook. "Tell ."
A slight curve touched Giovanni's lips. "How about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Or perhaps sothing simpler, like the Mount Hua Sect?"
Naru scribbled them down. "Do they have a special aning?"
Seeing that the boy had actually taken him seriously, Giovanni felt a pang of amusent. "No. Just ideas. Pay them no mind."
But Naru was resolute. "I will consider them. And when the academy is established, you will be its honorary Headmaster."
"As you wish," Giovanni said again, seeing the boy's stubborn nature was not easily swayed.
To Giovanni's surprise, Naru then offered him the very notebook he'd been transcribing his life's work into. "Here. This is for you."
Fearing Giovanni would refuse, he quickly explained, "This is actually another favor to ask of you. I know you are a traveling Trainer. If you should encounter others of our kind, you can show them this. Let them know what we are building here.
Ask them if they are interested in coming to Saffron City."
The logic was sound. Giovanni accepted the journal. "Very well. I will."
"Thank you for your trouble," Naru said, despite having just given away his most valuable possession.
Giovanni almost felt a flicker of guilt, which he quickly repurposed into a more practical idea. "Naru, do you use a computer?"
Naru thought of his ancient, dusty machine in the corner. "Not often. Only to look up information occasionally."
"You can recruit online," Giovanni explained. "Post on forums. You will gather our kin much faster that way. Even if you attract charlatans, it will be a sign of your growing influence. Computers will beco ubiquitous. This is the most efficient thod."
A new fire lit in Naru's eyes. Though he knew little of technology, his faith in Giovanni was now absolute. "Okay. I will!"
After discussing a few more strategies, Giovanni finally steered the conversation toward his true purpose. "By the way," he asked casually, "do you know the location of the Fighting Dojo?"
Naru's expression shifted to one of alarm, thinking Giovanni ant to seek a challenge. "Don't be a fool! The Master of that dojo is a true Gym-Leader-level expert. To challenge him is suicide!"
"Relax," Giovanni reassured him. "I am rely looking for soone— a friend entrusted with a task that I must complete."
"Is that so? But gaining entry to the Dojo is notoriously difficult." Naru thought for a mont. "Unless... unless you enter as a challenger for a badge. They cannot refuse an official challenger."
Giovanni stroked his chin. "Challenge the Gym... A sound idea."
Attempting to sneak into the heart of a Gym Leader's territory was an unnecessary risk— a formal challenge, however, was a legitimate channel they were obligated to honor.
He offered Naru a faint, predatory smile. "Interesting. In that case, I will give it a try."
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