As the door slowly opened, the scene inside beca imdiately clear.
In the vast and empty space, a bustling crowd of over a thousand people had already gathered.
Most were boys and girls like Giovanni, though a few official Team Rocket mbers stood among them, accompanied by various Pokémon.
The boys and girls looked confused and fearful, so fidgeting nervously.
However, under the watchful eyes of the Rocket mbers and their Pokémon, they had no choice but to stand obediently in place.
After closing the door, Miyamoto gently patted Giovanni's back."Go on. Here's a little tip: it's best to stand at the very front or the very back."
Giovanni frowned at her words, then watched as Miyamoto left without looking back.
The Houndoom glanced at him one last ti, but said nothing. Giovanni swallowed whatever protest he had.
Looking at the dense crowd, getting to the front was clearly impossible.
So he settled for the next best thing—quietly standing at the very back.
His arrival didn't stir much reaction.
After all, they had all arrived the sa way. Giovanni was even thinner than most of his peers. He didn't look threatening, nor did he have the presence to attract attention.
Everyone's eyes were fixed in one direction: a giant "R" logo mounted on the far wall.
Standing beneath it was Mada Boss—the current leader of Team Rocket.
To these thousand boys and girls, she was their "mother." A self-proclaid deity offering them a new life.
Giovanni recognized her, of course. But more than that, he was trying to grasp the situation he was now caught in.
Team Rocket's actions had always been extre. Combined with Miyamoto's cryptic advice and Dr. Ryoki's odd behavior, Giovanni felt a deep unease.
It was as if he had been swept into a vortex where a single misstep might cost him his life.
Above the glowing "R", Miyamoto had already reached Mada Bosss side, whispered sothing in her ear, then stepped back.
Mada Boss smiled warmly at the crowd below."My children, welco officially into the embrace of Team Rocket. I am Mada Boss—your mother, and the leader of this organization."
"You may not have heard of Team Rocket before, but all you need to know is this: we are the top organization in the Kanto region. And I, your mother, lead it."
"Just as I promised you—starting today, your lives will change drastically. You will gain Pokémon, wealth, and status!"
The crowd of boys and girls erupted with excitent, as if they truly believed they were now the young heirs of Team Rocket.
Giovanni scoffed quietly at their reaction.Having watched Naruto, he found her Talk no Jutsu simply bland to be manipulative.
Still, she seed pleased by their excitent and hopeful expressions.
Then she dropped a bombshell:"In fact, the next boss of Team Rocket will be chosen from among you! But rember—there can only be one boss."
Giovanni's eyes widened. Isn't this too sudden?
He quickly glanced around. Sure enough, the others were already starting to size each other up—so eyes filled with hostility, others with wariness.
The atmosphere was tense.
If Mada Boss hadn't continued speaking, a riot might have already broken out.
Because he was small and at the very back, he wasn't yet a target. But that wouldn't last.
Mada Boss continued. "To choose the most capable successor, we will conduct a series of eliminations. The one who remains at the end will beco the next boss of Team Rocket."
"You are candidates, brothers and sisters—but also competitors."
With a wave of her hand, dozens of tables rose from the floor, surrounding the crowd. Each was lined with Pokémon egg incubators.
They bore type symbols, and so even featured pictures or nas of the Pokémon inside and had all been captured from places like Viridian Forest and Pewter Forest.
After all, even in this world, most people knew at least the basics about Pokémon.
Starter Pokémon were far superior to the average wild Pokémon. Pseudo-legendaries were even stronger—exponentially so.
A good starter could be worth millions of PokéDollars. A pseudo-legendary? Tens or even hundreds of millions.
It was a powerful temptation.
Nearly every boy's gaze locked onto the platforms holding starter eggs.
Even Giovanni couldn't help but take a second glance.
But just two glances. Any more, and he might've lost control.
Between Mada Boss' speech and Miyamoto's earlier advice, Giovanni had already guessed what was coming.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
A thousand people… If they start fighting over these eggs, casualties will be inevitable.
Mada Boss clapped her hands gently. The restless crowd imdiately fell silent. "There are five hundred incubators containing Pokémon eggs here. Their potential ranges from common to exceptional—so are even starter Pokémon."
To reduce the risk of mass violence, she added:
"Which egg you get depends entirely on your own ability. However, let be clear: if you fail to hatch your egg within fourteen days, you'll be disqualified."
"Pokémon eggs are special. Higher-quality ones take longer to hatch—but their developnt also speeds up based on the bearer's activity."
At that, over half the candidates who had been fixated on the starter eggs pulled their gazes away.
Giovanni hadn't planned to fight for a starter to begin with. Now, he was even more convinced.
He didn't know what "disqualification" ant here—but it couldn't be good.
It might even an death.
He wiped his forehead, scanning the platforms for the most strategic choice.
His gaze landed on a Bug-type egg near the back—largely ignored by others.
If you're looking for sothing with a short hatch and growth cycle, Bug-types are the best option.
However, the drawback was obvious: most Bug-types had low long-term potential. After their second evolution, their usefulness often plateaued.
Still, if the selection trials started soon, Bug-types might offer a short-term advantage.
Once evolved, they could temporarily outclass others in the sa stage.
But over ti, their early lead would shrink—and they'd eventually be overtaken.
His eyes drifted toward his second option: Ground-types.
For so reason, he'd always had an affinity for Ground Pokémon. Maybe it was connected to his na—Giovanni.
He briefly considered going for a Beedrill egg, but dismissed it.
Beedrills were notoriously hard to control after evolving. Without a strong enough trainer to keep them in check, the risk of backlash was too high.
Just like Ash and his Charizard—although Ash eventually tad him, not everyone had that kind of resilience or luck.
If a regular person were attacked by a Charizard… the result would be fatal.
Furthermore, not everyone can raise a Beedrill strong enough to rival a Legendary.
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