Giovanni took it in for a moment. Sure, he was content with operating in the shadows to expand his grand design, but when it all came together and broke out to the surface, he couldnât help but relish in the satisfaction. He grinned, stepping forward and stepping out the last glowing ember of his cigarette into the dirt.
âI suppose since you wish to be treated like a businesswoman, I will not skip the pleasantry of an introduction. This is Red, Executive to Team Rocket, and Kantoâs symbol of my defeat. The âcollapse of Team Rocketâ. As I am our Alpha, he is undoubtedly our Omega.â
Of course he wasnât seriousâwas he? By his jovial tone and venomous smirk, he clearly did not believe the things he was saying, yet he spoke of them as he truly was invested in them. He was like a teacher telling his students of an incredible tale of lies and betrayal, relishing in the wide eyes and sharp intakes of air that souls enraptured often provide.Â
And this was his story to tell. He clearly referred to their first meeting, where Giovanni mentioned Red and the âfallâ of Team Rocket. Now Kotone knew why he spoke of it like a heartfelt and very long running joke. This story was just thatâa story, but a story carefully extracted from the truth to give the people of Kanto and Johto a hero. In some ways, this was a pay off to Giovanniâs martyrdom. While he had to bear the disrespect of others for letting them believe they had been crushed by a child, it was going to be paying off painfully soon.Â
But itâd have to wait. He had patience in abundance, but the anticipation of the end was undoubtedly intoxicating. Still, he pushed it aside and turned to Red.
âI thought you would find it to your benefit to oversee who will be supplying the Pokemon for your grunts when we retake Kanto. Feel free to forward any requests or changes to Archer.â
Her jaw tightened with the way Giovanni explained the truth that had been hidden from her all along. It was pathetic, she realized looking back, how much of a shock this came as. Sheâd been part of the same mass cover-up story in her own time. When Team Rocket vanished from Goldenrod and, for all intents and purposes, disbanded a second time, it had all been a very clever ruse. Although her story did not get quite as much attention as the former Champion of Kanto because her journey had stopped just after completing the Johto gym circuit, sheâd still been heralded as a hero for helping to stop Team Rocket from rising a second time.
A hero had clout and pull with society, even though hers didnât extend beyond the small islands she considered home. Redâs name was known everywhere for his accomplishments and the doors it must have opened for himâ her stomach lurched at the thought of what doors it had opened for Team Rocket as wellâ were plentiful. The fingers braced against the wall of the daycare slipped down with the force of her pressing into it, as though she might somehow disappear into the structure at her back.
The stark contrast of the two âheroesâ was jarring, now that she managed to force herself to look at the person she once called friend. Like him, sheâd been made part of Team Rocket, but if ever he had been the struggling, unwilling grunt that she had, there was no trace of it now. He owned his position like it was more natural than breathing and suddenly she found it hard to do so herself. It was all she could do to keep from throwing up on the ground in front of her as she listened to her new employer map out exactly what her work would be going towards.
The need to protest, to deny or refuse her part in all this rose with the bile in the throat, but she swallowed them back. The fight seemed so useless now, so frivolous and without end. Sheâd been fighting her whole life, it felt like, and yet it had only amounted to a list of red zeroes and the door of her cageâ the one sheâd been so certain sheâd flown far enough away fromâ being closed once more. With her head hung low and her gaze stuck to the asphalt beneath their feet, the brunette shifted from the wall to stand on her own with fists curled tightly at her sides.
âIf theââ Her stomach fluttered dangerously and she paused to swallow. ââthereâs anything you ne-need, Sir⌠Iâll do my best to fulfill it.â
He is blind to all but Giovanni when the elder man addresses him. He waits until he he is sure that his leader is done speaking before nodding firmly, arms by his sides. âOf course, sir. Though if I may say so,â he motions to Kotone, allowing the faintest of smiles to grace his lips. âIt seems that sheâs the one that the meeting has impacted more.â
He turns from Giovanni, although he makes sure do so slowly, bowing slightly as he shifts his vision from him, to Kotone. âMerely your strongest Pokemon. As well as your knowledge of this region. Any direct, easy to navigate ways between between Kanto and Johto. They are to be destroyed so that it will be more difficult to travel between the two regions, for both those looking to flee, and those who might rush in to try and help. âAm I understood? And then thereâs the radio tower. You would be able use your reputation as a âheroâ to gain access, wouldnât you?â He crosses his arms momentarily, before grinning down at her. He leans over her, eyes locked on her face, as if her fear was somehow feeding him.Â
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