Clap, clap, clap—
The sudden sound of applause made Stephen and Umbreon instinctively turn toward the source.
"Well said—"
A man in a black cloak with a white scarf draped over his shoulders—looking like he had just stepped off the set of God of Gamblers—approached with a smile, clapping his hands.
Stephen's expression shifted slightly. He recognized the man.
Since Nurse Joy Saori had helped him obtain an ID card, Stephen had been able to access many public areas, including the library. There, he had learned a great deal—among other things, about the current Gym Leaders across the various Pokémon Leagues.
And the man standing before him was no ordinary person.
The Gym Leader of Viridian City in the Kanto Region, known as "Giovanni of the Earth" and "The Undefeated Gym Leader"—Giovanni himself!
But what caused Stephen to frown inwardly was Giovanni's secret identity: the leader of Team Rocket.
Before long, Giovanni stopped in front of Stephen, still smiling.
"Kings have their strengths, chefs have their strengths, and Pokémon have no inherent superiority or inferiority. Well said, very well said!"
It was rare for Giovanni to show such enthusiasm.
Back when his Beedrill had been his starter Pokémon, he'd traveled the world with it, enduring plenty of insults from League elites. Later, he defeated them all, proving to the world that even seemingly weak Pokémon could shine brilliantly.
And today, for the first ti, soone had articulated the very sentint he had as a youth.
"Kings have their strengths, chefs have their strengths! Well said, boy. Well said!"
"Ah, so it's the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto, Mr. Giovanni," Stephen said calmly, quickly composing himself. Despite his initial shock, his expression turned neutral—a skill honed over three lifetis.
"What brings a Kanto Gym Leader here?"
Giovanni's smile faltered slightly, replaced by a hint of gloom.
Of course, he was here searching for his missing son. But after searching everywhere, there wasn't a single clue! ntioning it only soured his mood further.
Still, Giovanni was no rookie. He swiftly masked his frustration with a polite smile.
"Even Gym Leaders need a break from ti to ti. Occasionally, I like to visit other regions for a little sightseeing."
"Oh? Then did Mr. Giovanni happen to see my battle earlier? Haha, it was nothing impressive," Stephen said, feigning humility.
Of course, he didn't believe for a second that Giovanni was in here for tourism. Most likely, he was secretly expanding Team Rocket's influence here. After all, Johto would eventually beco Team Rocket's second stronghold.
"Your words stirred even an old man like . How about it? Care for a battle?"
Giovanni asked with a smile.
On one hand, he wanted to distract himself from the pain of losing his son. On the other, he wanted to test this boy's potential.
"Huh? I don't like gas that are too hardcore," Stephen replied.
"What?"
Giovanni looked montarily confused.
"I an, I don't enjoy getting beaten up," Stephen shrugged. He didn't need to think too hard to know he'd lose against Giovanni.
"Haha! What's the harm? Just a friendly match, win or lose. No matter the outco, dinner's on !"
Giovanni said, adopting the deanor of a kind ntor.
"Keheh—then I won't hold back," Stephen replied with a grin. Still, he remained cautious. This man wasn't ordinary, and Stephen didn't yet know why he had traveled all the way to Johto.
Sigh, the downside of being reincarnated too early is not knowing the motives of characters from the original story...
"Boy, is that new breed of Eevee your starter Pokémon?"
Giovanni asked as the two stood facing each other on the beach.
"Yeah, she's called Umbreon. But the League hasn't officially recognized her yet, so most people don't even know about the 'Dark' type."
"Oh? Dark type... That sounds intriguing. Did you co up with the na yourself?"
"Uh... Let's just say I did. I'm pretty good at naming things," Stephen replied.
Giovanni slid his left hand into his pocket and retrieved a Poké Ball with his right.
"Then, as a sign of respect, I'll use one of my longti companions for this battle."
Hearing the words "longti companion," Stephen froze slightly.
Could it be...?
Giovanni flicked the Poké Ball with practiced ease. The ball snapped open, releasing a burst of white light.
A massive, imposing Nidoking landed heavily on the sand.
"This guy has been by my side since I began my journey through Kanto," Giovanni said with a faint smirk.
"He's strong, you know."
"Now then, you may make the first move, boy," Giovanni said, spreading his hands in a gesture of invitation.
"I've never been good at battling personally, but I'm decent at commanding others. Let's see how I asure up against the best," Stephen said with a smile, though his eyes narrowed sharply.
"Go, Umbreon!"
Umbreon darted forward like a streak of black lightning, charging straight at Nidoking.
Giovanni's eyes flickered as he thought.
Oh?
He's only had that Eevee for less than ten days, yet it's progressed this much?
This boy has a talent for training Pokémon.
In a flash, Umbreon reached Nidoking.
"Going for a close-range move?"
Giovanni raised an eyebrow and casually flicked a finger.
"My Nidoking is quite skilled in that area."
Despite its massive size, Nidoking moved with surprising agility. Its fist crackled with electricity, and the air seed to explode as it punched downward.
Thunder Punch!
Boom—
The sound of impact was like rolling thunder. The sheer size difference made it look like a tiger punching a ragdoll.
"Use Pursuit!"
Stephen ordered.
Even as Umbreon took the punch squarely to the stomach, she suddenly opened her eyes and bared her fangs in a sinister grin.
As if her plan had worked all along.
Umbreon's black fur rippled with tension, and her compact body unleashed a powerful counterattack. Like a tiny powerhouse, she struck Nidoking's head hard enough to make it tilt to the side.
Nidoking was stunned.
"Hm!?"
A trace of surprise appeared in Giovanni's eyes. Though he had signaled Nidoking to hold back with a non-STAB move, he hadn't expected Umbreon to withstand the attack—and counter so effectively.
"Did you use a defensive buffing move, boy?"
Giovanni asked, his sharp eyes imdiately catching the detail.
"At the last mont, Umbreon's running slowed down a bit... I see. You used Curse, didn't you?"
Curse—when used by non-Ghost Pokémon, it sacrifices speed to boost both attack and defense.
"Normally, setup moves leave Pokémon stationary. But yours managed to keep moving while buffing itself. You've trained it well," Giovanni said, his surprise giving way to admiration.
"Umbreon hasn't been with long. It's just a small trick I managed to teach her," Stephen replied with a laugh.
"This isn't 'just a small trick,'..."
Giovanni's smile deepened.
Damn it, I want this kid more and more!
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