Chapter 164: Inheritance and Use

The secretary informed Ash that the passage to the eleventh floor was located at the end of the corridor on the left side of the tenth floor. From there, he would need to turn left again and continue to the very end, where an elevator would take them up to the eleventh floor.

"I have a plan, but I need you to endure this for a little longer," Ash said after learning the route.

"It's okay..." The secretary gave him a wary look, unsure of what he had in mind.

"This is what we'll do," Ash began, explaining the plan that had just formed in his mind while pressing the button for the tenth floor. By the time the elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, he had relayed every detail to the secretary.

The woman nodded, albeit nervously. In her eyes, the plan seemed overly simplistic and easy to see through, but given the circumstances, she had no other choice. She could only hope it would work.

As the two stepped out of the elevator, a nearby Team Rocket grunt, stationed at the staircase, took notice. His gaze flickered with suspicion as he approached them.

He recognized the secretary immediately—after all, he had seen her being taken away earlier. But something didn't add up. Why was she back? And why wasn't Master Archer the one bringing her, but instead this lower-ranking member?

Ash met his stare with a calm, indifferent expression. "Master Archer ordered me to take her to the president's office on the eleventh floor. She's agreed to persuade the president to cooperate."

The secretary kept her head lowered, ensuring her expression remained hidden. From the perspective of the Team Rocket grunt, this only reinforced Ash's claim—if she had betrayed Silph Co., it made sense that she wouldn't want to meet anyone's eyes.

The grunt hesitated for only a moment before nodding. After all, no one could take away a prisoner Archer had captured without his explicit orders. If Ash was escorting her, then it had to be by Archer's command.

"Understood," the grunt said, stepping back to his post.

Without another word, Ash led the secretary toward the elevator at the end of the hall, following the directions she had given him earlier.

As they walked, a new thought struck Ash.

"I didn't have much time earlier, so I forgot to ask… How many people are stationed on the eleventh floor?" He pursed his lips slightly, realizing there were still gaps in his plan. He had overlooked the number of guards that might be waiting for them.

"There are five guards..." the secretary whispered. She hesitated for a moment before adding, her voice tinged with fear, "I heard Archer contact one of them earlier. It was their leader..."

Ash's eyes narrowed. "The leader... You mean the leader of Team Rocket?!"

The only person Archer would refer to as leader could be none other than Giovanni.

"It should be..." The secretary nodded.

At that moment, the elevator doors slid open. The secretary stepped inside, but when she turned back, she saw that Ash had not followed.

"If Giovanni is really up there... then my plan… won't work."

A self-deprecating smile crossed Ash's face. He had been too naive.

Reality is Not a Game

This wasn't some turn-based battle where he could save his progress and reload if things went south. The enemy wouldn't fight him one-on-one like in a game, nor would they adhere to any pre-determined battle mechanics.

And Giovanni…

The Giovanni in the games was limited by the constraints of the story, his strength capped by the player's progress. But this was not a game.

This was reality.

In this world, Giovanni had maintained his position as Team Rocket's leader for years, commanding the absolute loyalty of his subordinates. He was respected, even feared, by those who followed him.

More importantly, he commanded the Four Rocket Executives—each of whom could rival the Elite Four in strength.

For Giovanni to lead them all, his power had to be at least at the Champion level.

Ash exhaled sharply. He had been planning under the assumption that Team Rocket would only have standard grunts on the eleventh floor, but if Giovanni himself was there…

He clenched his fists. He couldn't afford to make mistakes.

Decision Time

"Ash?" The secretary's voice was cautious as she watched him standing motionless outside the elevator.

Ash took a deep breath. No matter what, he had already started down this path. There was no turning back now.

"Let's go."

He stepped inside the elevator, and the doors slid shut behind them.

As they ascended, Ash reviewed every possible option left to him. He needed an alternative plan—one that could account for Giovanni's presence.

His first instinct was to avoid confrontation entirely. There was no way he could take on Giovanni directly and hope to win. The best strategy was to get what he needed and escape.

But how?

"What kind of security is outside the president's office?" he asked the secretary.

"There are cameras in the hallway, but not inside the office itself," she replied. "There's only one way in and out… unless…"

"Unless?"

The secretary hesitated before speaking. "There's a ventilation shaft inside the office that leads to a maintenance corridor. It's small, but someone your size might be able to squeeze through."

Ash's mind started piecing together a new plan.

He wouldn't fight Giovanni. That was suicide.

Instead, he needed to deceive him.

A New Plan Takes Shape

"Alright," Ash said finally. "Here's what we're going to do..."

He quickly outlined his revised strategy to the secretary, this time focusing on diversion and escape rather than direct confrontation.

The woman listened carefully, nodding at key points. This plan made more sense than the first one. It was still risky, but if they played their roles correctly, it just might work.

As the elevator slowed to a stop, Ash braced himself. The doors slid open, revealing the hallway leading to the president's office.

Five figures stood at the far end. Four of them were Rocket grunts.

The fifth man, standing in front of the office doors, was someone Ash had only ever seen from a distance.

A tall man in a sleek black suit. His posture radiated absolute confidence, as if nothing in the world could shake him.

His piercing gaze fell upon Ash.

It was him.

Giovanni.

A smirk played at the Rocket boss's lips as he looked them over. "Well, well… what do we have here?"

Ash kept his expression neutral.

Everything depended on what he did next.

And whether Giovanni would see through the lie before it was too late.