Chapter 321 - The Smile on Giovanni’s Face Gradually Fades

Chapter 321 - The Smile on Giovanni's Face Gradually Fades

The light of evolution radiated from Abra.

The onlookers never expected that just after eating this so-called "Pokéblock," Abra would evolve instantly.

Stunned, they all turned their eyes toward Asahi, filled with eagerness.

This effect was even more amazing than what had been advertised!

Meeting their fervent gazes, Asahi smiled and announced, "Today is the founding day of our Origin Rocket Team! We're here to bring benefits to all the families of Jubilife Village! The first 20 trainers willing to join will receive Pokéblocks made by me personally. Limited supply, first come, first served."

"What's a trainer?" someone asked.

To the people of Hisui, this was a new term.

"Good question. A Pokémon Trainer is what you'd call a 'Pokémon tamer.' But instead of saying 'tamer,' we use 'trainer' because our Origin Rocket Team believes in a world where people and Pokémon can truly understand each other!"

In the Hisui region, where Pokémon were still widely seen as threats to humans, Asahi's words were nothing short of revolutionary.

The crowd below immediately burst into discussion.

Some still believed Pokémon were just tools or dangers. However, others—especially those who had interacted with Pokémon—were intrigued by Asahi's philosophy and began to seriously consider joining the Rocket Team.

Thus, the first day of the Origin Rocket Team ended on a fairly successful note.

Moon glanced at her newly evolved Kadabra, then at Asahi, now surrounded by trainers. In the end, she decided to return to headquarters and report the situation to her leader.

...

Team Galactic Headquarters

As Cyllene listened to Moon's report and examined the Kadabra beside her, she fell deep into thought.

There was no doubt—this man named Asahi, a descendant of the Celestica people, was a destabilizing element.

On just the second day of his arrival in Jubilife Village, he had already formed an organization and stirred up so much...

Under normal circumstances, Cyllene would've had this troublemaker driven out immediately. But...

Taking the sample Pokéblock from Moon, she asked, "Are you sure this works on wild Pokémon?"

"Yes, Commander. Before coming back, I left the village and sought out a group of wild Pokémon."

"Wild Pokémon are usually aggressive."

"But once I took out the Pokéblock, their attitude toward me changed immediately."

Moon recounted what had happened. Her expression remained calm, but in her heart, she was still shocked by what she had seen.

She had specifically chosen a particularly aggressive Skuntank for the test. Yet as soon as it saw the Pokéblock, it immediately gave up attacking her.

Even more surprising—after she offered it the Pokéblock, Skuntank actually expressed affection toward her in a way she had never seen before.

It was far more effective than the smoke bombs or bait Team Galactic's survey teams had used in the past.

Cyllene pinched the Pokéblock in her fingers, realizing that this might be a crucial tool for their exploration of the Hisui region.

Maybe... they could negotiate to purchase these Pokéblocks in bulk from Asahi and his Rocket Team.

As Moon observed her commander deep in thought, she recalled Asahi's words about creating a world where people and Pokémon could coexist in harmony.

At the time, she'd dismissed it as naive. But now—if such Pokéblocks really existed—perhaps that dream wasn't entirely out of reach.

...

Alola Region

Giovanni lay back in a beach chair, dressed in loose vacation clothes and wearing sunglasses, fully embracing the Alolan lifestyle. A relaxed Persian lay at his feet.

Sipping fruit juice and gazing at the endless ocean, Giovanni felt at peace.

The Deoxys Project had finally succeeded yesterday.

Two Deoxys, dubbed Specimen One and Specimen Two, had been successfully created.

No mishaps, no surprises... and best of all—no Asahi!

As their creator and a capable trainer, Giovanni had completely subdued the two Deoxys.

They now rested quietly in their Poké Balls.

"Next up... the Ultra Beasts... and the Aether Foundation," Giovanni muttered with a smirk.

Though they claimed to protect the environment and injured Pokémon, Giovanni, through Rocket's intelligence network, knew the truth. That was just a front. Behind the scenes, the Aether Foundation was conducting Ultra Beast research.

As an outsider, Giovanni never intended to start from scratch.

Instead, he planned to take over their research. He had already contacted a high-ranking Aether Foundation officer who was dissatisfied with President Lusamine...

Now all he needed to do was wait.

Just as Giovanni picked up his juice for another sip, his phone buzzed with a news alert.

[Shocking! Photos unearthed by Sinnoh archaeologists reveal that the Rocket Team actually originated a thousand years ago as an organization called the 'Rocket Team Origins'!]

Cough cough...

Giovanni nearly choked on his drink.

After a long fit of coughing, he grabbed his phone to see the details.

The Rocket Team originated centuries ago? As its leader, how had he never heard of this?

He had to see which clown dared to fabricate such nonsense.

Then he saw an ancient photo.

In it, a group of people squatted in front of a building labeled "Rocket Team Origins- Jubilife Village Branch," an "R" emblem painted on the wall behind them. Every face in the picture was smiling.

And at the very center of the group stood one person...

Though the upper half of the figure's face was obscured, Giovanni would recognize that man anywhere—even if he turned to ashes.

"Asahi!"

Giovanni was done. He had come all the way to Alola, yet Asahi still haunted his vision like a ghost.

Was this payback after Asahi got played by the Seven Island guy, Chakra, and couldn't find him?

Was this childish stunt supposed to be some kind of taunt?

The idea that Asahi had "founded" the Rocket Team... Ridiculous.

Laughing inwardly at Asahi's desperate theatrics, Giovanni continued scrolling through the article.

[Experts have verified the photo dates back a full millennium and added it to the League's Rocket Team archive for further study.]

[Verification report: jpg]

The smile on Giovanni's face slowly faded.

...

At the same time, over in the Kanto Branch, members who were busy tracking Asahi's whereabouts also received the news.

Gathered around a conference table, everyone stared silently at the photo.

Finally, Ethan couldn't take the awkward silence anymore. "This has to be Boss Asahi in the photo, right?"

"Maybe... probably... I guess...?" said Courtney, uncertain.

Gary muttered, "Who else would come up with something this absurd? Just hearing 'Rocket Team Origins' screams Asahi."

The room went silent again.

Everyone gave Gary a strange look. Asahi might not be around right now, but was it really wise to tempt fate like that?

Gary just chuckled.

Was he nervous?

Not even a little.

After the last meeting, he'd already made up his mind—so what if Asahi returned? Gary Oak could take the heat.

He was gonna enjoy the moment first.

Ethan subtly gave him a thumbs-up.

Respect.

With everyone watching, Gary felt fearless.

"The real issue is… how do we find Asahi and bring him back?" Green asked.

Hearing that, Mew and Eevee both nodded eagerly.

They were bored out of their minds without Asahi. Especially Eevee—since the moment Asahi left, it had felt restless and listless.

Ideas began flying.

Silver suggested asking Celebi...

Diamond and Pearl wanted to consult Dialga and Palkia...

As they brainstormed, Sabrina brushed her hair back and suddenly asked a key question:

"This might be a bit untimely... but are we sure Asahi actually wants to come back right now?"

Silence fell over the room.

"Uh..."

Everyone looked at each other, then down at the photo—Asahi, half his face hidden, the other half still smiling brightly.

They all fell into thought.

Yeah...

Did Asahi really want to come back?

...

Of course, Asahi had no intention of returning right now. Sure, he'd grumbled before about how unbearable Hisui was, but now that he was here, he couldn't just bounce immediately—he had to do something, right?

Like...

"You want to leave the village to train?" Zinnia stared at Asahi, who had changed into traditional Hisuian garb, her face full of surprise.

"I heard there are powerful noble Pokémon in the surrounding areas..."

"What? You think you can't handle it?" Asahi shot back.

"Of course not! Take me with you!" Zinnia quickly latched onto his arm and said in a voice that gave Asahi goosebumps.

He looked at her, suspicious. "What's your angle...?"

This was the first time he'd seen Zinnia so passionate about something not related to Rayquaza.

"I'm just... curious! Just curious!"

Under Zinnia's eager gaze, Asahi pondered for a moment before nodding.

"Alright…"

Bringing Zinnia along to explore Hisui might actually be a good idea.

The moment she got his confirmation, Zinnia's face lit up with joy, so much so that Asahi couldn't help but feel a little speechless.

Just as he was about to set out, a knock sounded at the door.