Chapter 16: Giovanni

The weather in Old Shore Wharf was far from ideal. Due to the stormy conditions, Klein's flight was delayed by an hour. As he gazed at the dark storm clouds and flickering lightning above the city, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something important.

After landing, Klein and a few League staff members discreetly made their way to the new Pokémon Center.

Unlike the southern Pokémon Center near the port, this one was located in the northern mountainous region, catering primarily to trainers traveling overland.

From a distance, lush green fields stretched across the landscape, irrigated and well-maintained. The Pokémon Center itself was massive, nearly encompassing an entire mountainous valley. Of course, the reason for its vast land area was its primary function as a sanctuary for released Pokémon.

Bringing up the topic of abandoned Pokémon, Nurse Joy's expression darkened. "Lately, we've had an increasing number of Pokémon abandoned by their trainers wandering into our ecological preserve. Some of them… even had their legs broken by their own trainers."

Older trainers, especially those who had been competing in regional tournaments for years without success, often had volatile tempers. Some of them took out their frustrations on their Pokémon, particularly on young or weak ones that failed to meet expectations.

"Don't worry," Klein assured her. "I've already submitted a blacklist request to the Kanto League. From now on, if a trainer is caught abusing or abandoning their Pokémon, they can lose their right to compete. If they're a local Kanto trainer, we can even revoke their Trainer License altogether."

Losing a Trainer License was devastating—many trainers had left home at the age of ten, relying entirely on League-sponsored stipends to sustain their lifestyles. If their license was revoked, they would lose all financial support and be forced to find a completely new way to survive.

As Klein and Nurse Joy walked together, chatting, a thought crossed his mind. "By the way, abandoned Pokémon that are taken in—Pokémon Centers only hold them for two years, right?"

Typically, when a Pokémon was abandoned or found as a stray, the Pokémon Center temporarily sheltered it. If the original trainer didn't reclaim it within a certain period, the Pokémon would be offered to new trainers.

However, if a Pokémon remained unadopted beyond two years, or if its upkeep became too costly, it would be transferred to Professor Oak's Research Lab in Pallet Town, which housed a large-scale medical facility for Pokémon.

Professor Oak would evaluate the Pokémon—if it was deemed interesting for research, it would be placed in the Pokémon Reserve at his lab. If not, the Pokémon would be humanely euthanized after a few months.

Although Nurse Joy was compassionate and tried to prevent such outcomes, major cities like Celadon and Saffron only had one Pokémon Center each, meaning they couldn't afford to care for too many abandoned Pokémon. In those cases, sending them to Pallet Town was often the only option.

Nurse Joy gave a small smile. "Yes, but since this new Pokémon Center has more space and better facilities, we can extend care for an additional year. If resources allow, we might be able to provide shelter for four to five years."

Nurse Joy understood the importance of these new Pokémon Centers. Although the Joy family strongly opposed Lorelei's stance on Pokémon being farmed for food, they were fully supportive of this rescue initiative.

Aside from the sanctuary for abandoned Pokémon, the mountainous area also contained recreational centers, partially funded by Silph Co..

The key contributor? None other than Giovanni, the Old Shore Wharf Gym Leader and one of Silph Co.'s board members.

Giovanni arrived half an hour after Klein. As a high-ranking executive in Silph Co., his schedule was packed. However, both the League and Silph Co.'s leadership were well aware of his true identity—the leader of Team Rocket.

Klein hadn't expected someone of Giovanni's stature to take such an interest in the opening of a new Pokémon Center.

Unlike Klein's low-key arrival, Giovanni's entrance was grand—dozens of uniformed staff lined up to escort him, making him look like a royal figure from ancient times as he strode toward the Pokémon Center.

As he approached, his gaze briefly met Klein's—just for an instant—but that was enough for Klein to sense his overwhelming presence.

This Giovanni… is stronger than he looks.

Just as Klein was about to analyze him further, Giovanni casually broke eye contact, flashing an effortless smile.

"Haha, you must be Elite Four Klein! I'm Giovanni—a Silph Co. board member and Old Shore Wharf's Gym Leader. Unfortunately, my Gym is currently under renovation due to some equipment failures. I've sent a team to repair it, but the Gym will be closed for a while."

Klein smirked. "Didn't your Gym just undergo renovations last year? Looks like the company you hired isn't very reliable."

"Ahaha… yeah, you might be right." Giovanni laughed it off, though in reality, he was still furious about what had happened.

Those three Rocket Admins battled Ash and wrecked the entire Gym.

Of course, Giovanni wasn't about to admit that to Klein. Instead, he used "facility malfunctions" as an excuse.

After exchanging pleasantries, Giovanni remained slightly on edge.

Rumors described Klein as a reckless hothead, and if Klein somehow discovered his true identity as Team Rocket's boss, it could cause a massive headache.

Fortunately, Klein seemed more interested in Pokémon training than investigating him.

As they conversed, the topic naturally shifted to Pokémon breeding and battle strategies. Klein shared his expertise in Sandstorm-based teams, discussing Pokémon selection, training techniques, and battle tactics—all of which piqued Giovanni's curiosity.

So this is the guy who wrecked our operations in Mt. Moon… Giovanni thought. His battle insight is impressive.

During their discussion, Klein suddenly asked, "By the way, have you ever read a book called 'Secrets of the Earth'?"

Giovanni paused for a moment, caught off guard by the question. "No… But judging by the title, it sounds like a book about Ground-type Pokémon training."

The opening ceremony went smoothly. Despite the high number of trainers in Old Shore Wharf, most of them were gathered near the southern port, showing little interest in the northern Pokémon Center.

That, however, concerned Klein.

"If the southern Pokémon Center is still operational despite Nurse Joy's disappearance, then why are so many trainers gathered there?"

Something felt off about Old Shore Wharf's atmosphere. After completing the ceremony, Klein chose to stay rather than leave immediately. Giovanni, too, remained observing the city with interest.

Eventually, Giovanni broke the silence.

"Rumor has it that a 'Strongest Trainer' has appeared," he said. "Apparently, he's hosting a private tournament on New Island, offering incredibly generous rewards. That's why so many trainers have been drawn to Old Shore Wharf."

With the Indigo League approaching, hundreds of trainers were gathering in nearby cities, leading to countless smaller competitions and battle events.

However, the so-called 'Strongest Trainer' of New Island stood out—mainly because of the large sum of money behind the event.

"New Island?"

"Strongest Trainer?"

Klein's expression darkened as a memory surfaced.

Could this be…

…the plot of Mewtwo Strikes Back?

Giovanni observed Klein's reaction closely and smirked. "Hearing about the 'Strongest Trainer'… does it interest you, Klein?"

(End of Chapter)