Now, the strongest Gym Leader, known as "Giovanni" sat on a luxurious sofa in an underground secret base. The base itself wasn't large—it served merely as a temporary resting place for Giovanni—but its interior was lavishly decorated, resembling a grand palace.
Several screens flickered to life in front of Giovanni as he sat shrouded in darkness, listening to reports from his subordinates.
"BOSS, the Mewtwo Project has completely failed. When our support team arrived at the research facility, all that remained were traces of destruction. The entire island, along with the lab, was obliterated and sank into the sea."
One of the screens displayed a Team Rocket captain delivering the report. Beads of sweat rolled down his face. Even though he wasn't standing before Giovanni in person—merely communicating through a screen—he couldn't suppress his fear. With Team Rocket's twenty-year ambition and plan collapsing overnight, he had braced himself for his leader's furious outburst.
Contrary to the expectations of both this Rocket member and even Blaine, however, Giovanni showed no signs of rage. Instead, he remained eerily calm, speaking with deliberate composure and an unmistakable air of authority—unchanged from his usual demeanor.
"No, the Mewtwo Project was a success. It proved its power to us. The only issue is that our achievement was stolen by someone else."
Giovanni's gaze fixed on a corner of the screen, where footage from the support team's arrival played. The vast ocean was littered with floating debris from buildings and human artifacts, while the island that once stood there had vanished completely from the map.
After briefly studying the footage, Giovanni shifted his attention to another screen, which showed Blaine battling inside the research facility. But what truly captured Giovanni's interest was a young man in the video—one who had commanded Mewtwo to annihilate the entire Team Rocket research base.
"Were any records preserved?" Giovanni asked.
"Apologies, BOSS. All data has been lost. However, Blaine, the project's lead researcher, is still alive. If we can locate him, we can reclaim what we need. If Mewtwo could be created once, it can be done again. I've already dispatched agents to track him down! As for Professor Oak and that boy, they've returned to Pallet Town. Should we…?"
The Team Rocket captain spoke hastily, keeping his head bowed, not daring to meet Giovanni's eyes even through the screen.
Giovanni neither confirmed nor denied the suggestion. He had been closely monitoring the Mewtwo Project and understood better than any of his subordinates the sheer improbability and miracle of Mewtwo's creation. He doubted a second one could be made. Yet, abandoning a twenty-year plan so abruptly would weigh on even his mind. After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke:
"...Sending agents after Blaine is non-negotiable. Even if it's not for the data, betrayal of Team Rocket must be punished. Additionally, allocate more personnel to continue tracking Mew's movements. If we are to restart the Mewtwo Project, we'll need more of Mew's DNA. As for that boy and Professor Oak..."
He lowered his head in thought before continuing slowly,
"...For now, just keep them under surveillance. Professor Oak's expertise does not lie in genetics—his knowledge holds little value for our plans. His status is also sensitive, so we must proceed with caution. As for the boy, now that he possesses Mewtwo, ordinary trainers stand no chance against him.
Sending men recklessly would only result in unnecessary losses. Our manpower is already stretched thin. Maintain observation of his movements. When the time comes, I may dispatch the three executives—or even intervene personally. A rookie trainer, even one wielding Mewtwo, is nothing to fear."
Hearing his leader's decisive orders, the Team Rocket captain relaxed slightly. After offering a respectful farewell, he cut the transmission.
Silence returned to the room. After a pause, Giovanni activated another communication line.
"How are things progressing?"
"Boss, we've located Zapdos in an abandoned power plant!"
"Articuno's traces have been spotted near the Seafoam Islands..."
"Moltres in the Indigo Plateau is the easiest to track—we've been keeping a close eye on it!"
Three different voices came from three separate screens. Unconsciously, a faint smile crept onto Giovanni's lips, hidden in the shadows. He replied with his usual composure:
"...Seize the moment to capture them when the opportunity arises. With your abilities, those three birds should pose no challenge. Our other research has already borne fruit."
"Yes, Boss Giovanni!"
Once the orders were issued, Giovanni took a deep breath to steady himself. For the first time, a hint of hesitation flickered across his stern face. Still, he activated one final communication.
"...Any updates from the Johto region?"
"Reporting—we're still searching for Lugia and Ho-Oh. No new leads yet."
"Keep searching. Don't give up. If you're short on manpower, I'll transfer personnel from Kanto. Any progress from our Space Observation Research Institute in Johto?"
"Since discovering the unidentified meteor, we've been monitoring it closely. Our calculations suggest a high probability it will eventually land in the Hoenn region. We'll notify you immediately if there are any developments, BOSS!"
"..."
After listening to all the reports, the lights in the room finally brightened, revealing Giovanni's face. He trusted very few people, and maintaining an air of mystery was a necessary precaution. Too many in Kanto were searching for him. No matter how confident he was, he had no intention of carelessly walking into danger.
Never putting all his eggs in one basket was Giovanni's principle. Though the Mewtwo Project was the earliest and most crucial of his plans, it was merely one of many. To fulfill his ambitions, he had placed heavy bets in numerous arenas.
The base fell silent again, leaving Giovanni alone once more. He exhaled quietly. In this moment, a trace of human emotion surfaced in the eyes of this ruthless man—as if he were reminiscing about something unforgettable from his past.
This was a man who, even in his villainy, possessed undeniable charisma.
To be continued…