https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-670-Team-Rocket-s-New-Business-and-the-Meaning-of-Punishment/13464033/
Chapter 671: Giovanni Reveals His Hand and Hoopa Returns!
Chapter 671: Giovanni Reveals His Hand and Hoopa Returns!
"Ne mimi~ (≧▽≦)"
"So fun, lao lao~ It’s so much fun, lao lao~"
"So high, Rotom~"
Beartic, Rotom, and Hoopa were bouncing up and down in the field, as if they were being tossed like balls.
And that was exactly what was happening.
Ice Ninetales lounged lazily on the soft grass, its three fluffy tails moving up and down, catching and tossing Beartic and Hoopa into the air. Rotom joined in, playing with them enthusiastically.
The scene had the rhythm of a circus clown juggling balls.
"Ne mimi~"
Beartic was tossed into the air, flipping over and waving to Snivy, who was sitting on the field edge.
Come play with us~
"Hiss!"
Snivy put her hands on her hips and bared her teeth.
Who wants to play with you? That’s so childish!
But seeing their happy faces, she couldn’t help but feel a bit curious.
Ice Ninetales smiled gently.
"Ao wu~"
Whoosh—
A soft, white tail suddenly wrapped around Snivy, lifting her up and tossing her into the air like the others.
Feeling the sensation of weightlessness and the dizzying spin, Snivy couldn’t help but smile, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Hiss!"
Fine, I’ll play with you, just this once!
Thus, the four little Pokémon took turns flying through the air in the fields of Genesis Valley.
"Bark."
Blastoise watched the scene longingly from the side, its eyes filled with desire, then looked at Ice Ninetales.
Noticing Blastoise’s gaze, Ice Ninetales’s smile faltered. It extended a tail and gently nudged Blastoise’s head, turning it to look at Jinghe.
"Bark."
Blastoise scratched its head.
Can Jinghe lift me up too?
Its eyes sparkled with hope.
However, Jinghe didn’t notice Blastoise’s gaze, or if he did, he pretended not to.
Ha.
It was manageable with Silver, but Blastoise? Even a genius like Jinghe couldn’t lift a Blastoise, let alone one that was twice as heavy as a regular one.
During Silver’s time, Jinghe could toss him around, but after evolving into Blastoise, the best he could do was a little support.
And right now, Jinghe had something more important to attend to.
"I didn’t expect you to actually come, Giovanni."
Looking at the middle-aged man in a neatly pressed black suit, with his hair combed perfectly, Jinghe was genuinely surprised.
Although Giovanni had said he would come two days ago, he hadn’t expected him to arrive so quickly.
"Cough, cough."
Giovanni cleared his throat, then smiled.
"You said it was a ‘big project,’ so I came to see if it’s really feasible. It’s only natural."
Jinghe shrugged.
"I assume you’ve seen enough?"
Coming from the sky, Giovanni must have already surveyed the environment around Genesis Valley and even the surroundings of Desert City.
Giovanni nodded seriously.
"Indeed."
Giovanni, known as "Giovanni of the Earth", might not be the best at many things, but when it came to understanding the land, he was undoubtedly in the top three in the Pokémon world.
What others saw as deserts and wastelands, Giovanni saw as potential construction sites.
The "Dangerous Infrastructure" project did have some feasibility.
However,
"My people will continue to survey the area to gather final data and develop a viable plan."
While the primary business of Team Rocket wasn’t infrastructure, they had a wide range of skills.
Don’t underestimate them. Given enough funding, the trio could cover Desert City with infrastructure in no time.
Giovanni was already working on a plan, and Jinghe was impressed by his confidence.
But there was no denying that Team Rocket worked efficiently.
"Cough, cough."
Giovanni cleared his throat again.
Jinghe frowned, "Giovanni, are you—"
"I’m fine." Giovanni adjusted his tie, still looking calm and confident.
Jinghe couldn’t help but think of Giovanni’s illness from the special episodes and said:
"In fact, I not only excel in understanding Pokémon psychology but also have some knowledge of medicine."
Giovanni gave him a slightly surprised look.
You seem to have a little bit of knowledge about everything, don't you?
But Giovanni smiled and shook his head, saying, "No need. I am well aware of my own condition, and you are not the only one with special abilities."
As the favored one of the Viridian Forest, endowed with the Viridian Power, Giovanni was very clear about his current state.
"So it seems the rumors are true", Jinghe mused.
Giovanni suddenly changed the subject:
"I've met the boy."
The boy?
Silver?
And then?
Before Jinghe could ask, Giovanni continued:
"The boy has a deep-seated prejudice against fire and against me now."
Jinghe remained silent.
But Giovanni stared into his eyes and said in a serious tone:
"Jinghe, I have a favor to ask of you."
Upon hearing this, Jinghe's expression changed slightly.
"I originally planned to pass some of my ‘things’ on to him, but... I'll just come out with it. You know I'm the leader of Team Rocket, right?"
Jinghe: "!!!"
Boss, this isn't the right way to speak!
What about our unspoken understanding?
What about our tacit understanding?
Why did you just lay it all out there?
And...
What’s with this look like you’re about to pass on your legacy because you don’t have much time left?
Seeing that Jinghe was surprised but not horrified, Giovanni smiled slightly.
I knew it.
It feels great to be upfront.
Silence.
The two fell into a long, heavy silence.
After a while, Giovanni broke the silence, "When did you find out?"
Jinghe replied softly, "Quite early."
"How early?"
"The second time you added me."
"Really that early?"
Giovanni was genuinely surprised.
He had tried to add Jinghe as a friend the first time but was rejected, only succeeding the second time.
So, Jinghe had known he was the leader of Team Rocket from then?
Jinghe shrugged, "Mewtwo's situation made me guess it was a man-made Pokémon, and at that time, only someone with the resources to create Pokémon could be..."
"I see." Giovanni nodded.
After a pause, he added, "You don't seem afraid?"
Jinghe rolled his eyes, "Not afraid? I was terrified at first."
"Then why—"
"But after getting to know you, I realized it wasn't hopeless. There are some innocent and good people in Team Rocket, and if we could—"
Giovanni interrupted, "So, you suggested and even guided me to reform Team Rocket, providing many plans and support."
"Boss, can we go back to our previous way of communicating?" Jinghe rubbed his temples.
My head hurts.
Hearing the word "Boss", Giovanni laughed.
Jinghe had known he was the leader of Team Rocket for a long time, yet he didn't react like other League trainers who either called for his arrest or avoided him completely. Instead, he tried to engage and guide him, which made Giovanni realize Jinghe was different from the average League trainer.
Jinghe: Definitely not for the so-called salary.
Giovanni said directly, "I originally planned to have Silver take over Team Rocket, but he seems not only uninterested but also quite averse to it."
That's inevitable.
As Dehua said, if I had a choice, I would rather be a good person.
Of course, Giovanni had already anticipated this, which was why he had been working on transforming Team Rocket. But...
He quickly regained his composure and said:
"Starting today, you are granted the highest authority in Team Rocket, second only to me. This includes the power to command, appoint, and manage all personnel except for a few top-ranking officers."
"Wait—"
Before Jinghe could finish, Giovanni interrupted again.
"You don't have to show your face. You can continue to be ‘Teacher Jinghe’ and issue most commands through Z2."
He coughed again and continued solemnly:
"Team Rocket's transformation must continue. Any opposition, whether from you or me, can be dealt with directly!"
"If Silver is willing to take over, you can give it to him. If he's not—"
Giovanni stopped speaking, just looking at Jinghe seriously.
Jinghe was somewhat taken aback.
At first, it just felt like someone was entrusting their child to him, but now—aren’t you literally doing that?
And you’re even asking if Silver is willing. Why don’t you just say, “If he refuses, take him by force”?
Jinghe wanted to say more, but Giovanni had already put aside his previous demeanor and resumed his confident self.
“Let’s go. If this is about infrastructure, we should pay a visit to the mayor of Desert City.”
Sealed Land.
A group of Blaziken Squad members, dressed in orange suits and wearing orange sunglasses, arrived here in a specialized helicopter.
“It should be around here.”
Kuzeloski, an officer of the Blaziken Squad, held a small laptop in one hand and a dark box in the other, and said this.
Soon, a red light flashed, and several Excadrill appeared on the rugged cliffs.
In the next moment, rocks and debris began to fly.
However, the Sealed Land wasn’t easy to find, even with a relatively accurate location. The mountain walls were riddled with complex tunnels.
But the Blaziken Squad possessed the most advanced imaging technology in the Pokémon world. Using this technology, they quickly obtained detailed images of the area.
Still, nothing.
“Sir Kuzeloski, there’s an unknown energy fluctuation in this area!”
Sometimes, technology can be remarkably effective.
“We can’t get close.”
“This must be the Sealed Land,” Kuzeloski said confidently, waving his hand. “Breach it by force!”
“Yes, sir!”
Boom!!
In the deep cave, a dull sound echoed, and ripples spread across the transparent Sealed barrier.
“It’s indeed the Sealed Land,” Kuzeloski adjusted his sunglasses. “Continue the assault!”
Boom! Boom! Boom—
To be fair, the Sealed barrier left by Balzar’s great-grandfather was incredibly powerful, which was why it could contain Hoopa. Despite the Blaziken Squad’s efforts, they couldn’t break through the barrier.
However, the intense vibrations and the destruction of the surrounding environment eventually caused the barrier to weaken.
At this moment,
“Sir Kuzeloski! Someone is approaching us!” a subordinate reported.
“Who is it? Just capture them,” Kuzeloski said dismissively, waving his hand.
“W-We can’t capture them.”
“Can’t capture them?” Kuzeloski raised an eyebrow.
The Blaziken Squad member, drenched in sweat, said, “The opponent is extremely skilled in wilderness combat and is very powerful.”
Kuzeloski frowned.
Is this the guardian of the Sealed Land? Or...
He had come in a hurry and didn’t bring many people, considering his own safety.
Kuzeloski glanced deeply into the cave and decisively said:
“Retreat!”
Since they couldn’t break through in a short time, neither could anyone else, whether it was the guardian or someone else.
A temporary tactical retreat!
“They ran so fast!”
As the Blaziken Squad retreated, several elite Rocket Team fighters, each with their Pokémon, appeared here, grumbling.
They were part of Giovanni’s entourage, tasked with inspecting the valley. Hearing the commotion, they rushed over.
“Those guys were from the Blaziken Squad, right?”
“Who cares, as long as they don’t know who we are.”
“But what were they doing here?”
“Captain Ken?”
The team members suddenly noticed that their captain, Ken, was standing in front of a broken rock wall.
Crack—
A faint sound came from the rock wall.
In the next moment, a peculiar pot appeared before them. If Jinghe were here, he would recognize it as the Punishment Vase!
On the pot, there was a tiny crack, as if it had been hit by a piece of debris.
Snap!
Captain Ken suddenly reached out and grabbed the Punishment Vase. A strange red light emerged from the pot and quickly vanished within him.
At that moment,
A thought suddenly arose in Captain Ken’s mind.
I need to go to Desert City. I need to find Boss Giovanni. I need to find that damn Gengar!
“The Sealed Land was destroyed from the inside?”
The Blaziken Squad and Kuzeloski detected abnormal “desire” fluctuations and returned.
Kuzeloski looked in the direction of Desert City, his expression changing.
“Sir Kuzeloski—”
Kuzeloski let out a light sigh and said solemnly, “First, collect the residual ‘desire’ here. These things can help us control Z2. Then—”
We need to inform the Flarov representative immediately and let them make the decision!
"Achoo—"
Gengar sneezed uncontrollably, rubbing its nose and looking puzzled.
A cold?
It had only taken Hoopa to the forest in Genesis Valley last night. Though the valley was cool at night, it shouldn't have been enough to catch a cold, right?
Just to be safe.
Gengar took out its small teapot and Yuanqi Root Tea, leisurely brewing a cup in the tea room.
"Gengar!"
Right!
A light bulb seemed to appear above Gengar's head.
It raised its hand, and a spatial rift suddenly appeared at its side. Gengar’s hand disappeared halfway into the rift.
Ever since it "ate" the thing that floated out of the Punishment Vase, though it hadn't fully digested it, Gengar could clearly feel its spatial abilities growing stronger.
But to be honest,
That thing tasted awful. Not only was it hard to eat, but it was also hard to digest. If it weren't for Gengar's strong stomach, other Pokémon would have probably gotten diarrhea.
"Gengar."
Better eat some good stuff to counteract it!
Gengar rummaged for a while, then its eyes lit up. It pulled out half a "Dark Stone" from the rift, crushed it, and sprinkled it into the Yuanqi Root Tea. It sipped the tea contentedly.
Phew—
"Gengar~"
So satisfying~
Suddenly.
Gengar sensed something, its ears perking up, and it stood up, a serious look in its eyes. Without hesitation, it gulped down the hot tea and quickly flew in the direction of Jinghe.
Meanwhile.
"Ha-ha, that's settled then!" The mayor of Desert City, a chubby middle-aged man, seemed to be in a great mood.
He had just finalized a series of cooperation projects with Teacher Jinghe and Mr. Giovanni.
Under his "leadership", Desert City would surely become even more prosperous!
"Hu, Huopa!"
Hoopa, who was playing with Beartic, suddenly shuddered, as if sensing something terrifying.
Huh?
Jinghe and Giovanni also shifted their gaze from the mayor to the sky.
The sky was clear and sunny, with not a cloud in sight. A dark shadow, aided by a swarm of Zubats, quickly approached them.
"Ken?" Giovanni was surprised.
"Gengar!"
Gengar suddenly appeared in front of Jinghe.
"Is it him?" Jinghe's heart skipped a beat, and he asked.
"Gengar!"
Gengar nodded.
Jinghe's expression turned serious.
Though he didn't know what had happened to the Sealed Land, he could sense something was wrong now.
"Hoopa, come here!" Jinghe called out.
"Coming!"
Hoopa, who was scared, found some reassurance in Jinghe's voice and immediately came over with Beartic, standing behind Jinghe.
Thud—
Ken, the leader of the Elite Rocket Squad, landed on the open ground.
Before Giovanni could speak, Jinghe took decisive action.
"Gengar, Dark Hole!"
"Gengar!"
Gengar licked its tongue, grinning wickedly, and quickly formed a black hole, which enveloped Ken.
Bang—
Ken fell to the ground with little resistance.
However,
The Punishment Vase he had been holding was now floating in the air, enveloped in a dark red mist.
"Teacher Jinghe, it's the Punishment Vase!" Mayari, who had been playing with Hoopa, exclaimed upon seeing it.
"Punishment Vase?" Giovanni looked puzzled.
"I see..." Jinghe rubbed his temples.
Was this something he had always expected, or had something completely unforeseen happened?
Boom!!
A thick, evil black-red mist suddenly surged out of the Punishment Vase, spreading negative energy throughout the open ground almost instantly.
"Hoopa—has returned!!"
A fierce and angry roar echoed across the open ground.
"Hoopa, Hoopa, don't disappear, please!"
Little Hoopa, terrified, cowered behind Jinghe.
However, to Hoopa's surprise, the "dark shadow" didn't immediately attack it but instead—
"Ha! You, Gengar, prepare to die!!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
