Pokemon: I Transmigrated Twice [31]

A few days later, Stephen and Will returned to Cianwood City.

"What a pity. Bishas' bounty was pretty high," Will muttered on their way back, still grumbling.

He mainly regretted that they couldn't turn Bishas into Officer Jenny to claim the reward. But there was nothing they could do about it. After all, by the time they calmed down, Bishas had been left in such a state that even his pants were shredded beyond recognition.

If Officer Jenny were to ask what happened, how could they admit it was the two of them who kicked him into such a mess? Who knew who would end up getting arrested then?

"Let's head back," Stephen said, quickening his pace. Not only was he eager to begin his research on the Leaf Stone, but he also wanted to focus on the newly obtained Pokémon egg.

Based on his analysis, the chances of the bird Pokémon inside the egg surviving were slim. Yet, he still wanted to give it a try.

...

"Oh, Stephen-kun, you're back? Huh? That egg…"

In the beachside house, Giovanni noticed the egg Stephen was carrying as soon as he walked in.

"I'll explain later," Stephen replied quickly, hurrying into the medical room. He needed to carefully examine the egg first.

"Hey, kid. Got a moment to chat?"

Giovanni turned his attention to Will, seeing Stephen's urgency. Judging by Stephen's expression, it wasn't something he stumbled upon by chance.

"Uh, well…"

Will hesitated. Although kicking Bishas had been immensely satisfying at the time, thinking back on it now made him a bit nervous. After all, didn't they technically kill someone? And Giovanni was a renowned Gym Leader within the League. If he found out, would he turn them in?

Will's eyes darted around as he decided to probe Giovanni's stance. If only these two were father and son… Surely no parent would turn in their kid, right?

"Uh… Gym Leader Giovanni, hypothetically speaking—I mean, if… if Stephen—uh, no, not him—if my friend accidentally, uh, killed someone… What would you do?"

Giovanni paused before breaking into a relieved smile. He thought it was going to be something serious, but this? If he didn't need to maintain the kindly image of a League Gym Leader, he might've burst out laughing, saying, "It's just killing someone, no big deal."

"Stephen is practically my half-apprentice," Giovanni reassured him.

"I trust him—or rather, your 'friend'—wasn't acting out of malice. Don't worry, I won't say a word. I support you! Good job!"

He grinned warmly, eagerly inquiring about the victim's identity. If it turned out to be a League councilman or a high-ranking trainer, even better! That would push Stephen closer to joining Team Rocket.

Seeing Giovanni's attitude, Will relaxed and laughed.

"It was some pervert named Bishas. Before he died, he even claimed to be with Team Rocket. Gym Leader Giovanni, you should've seen the state he was in when he went out—pathetic! But man, was it satisfying, haha!"

Giovanni's smile froze. Even someone as experienced as him needed a full two seconds to recover.

"Gio-Giovanni, sir? Is… is there a problem?"

Will asked cautiously, noticing the shift in his expression.

"N-no, not at all," Giovanni replied, his benevolent smile returning. He patted Will's shoulder and said, "Well done. You two did a great job! Come, tell me every detail of your glorious adventure!"

Giovanni guided Will to sit, eager to hear the story.

Will, now completely trusting Giovanni, excitedly recounted the events. For a full ten minutes, he animatedly described everything, including how they fought Bishas.

"By the end, that fat slob didn't have an inch of good skin left! Such a shame my phone's resolution wasn't high enough to capture the details properly. Otherwise, I'd have taken a picture for keepsakes."

"Good job! Scum like that deserves to be torn limb from limb!"

Giovanni growled through clenched teeth as Will finished, thoroughly earning the young man's admiration.

"Wow, no wonder you're the strongest Gym Leader in the League! So righteous!"

But Will didn't realize Giovanni's anger was for entirely different reasons. Giovanni had never liked Bishas. Even though he'd accepted his application to join Team Rocket, he always found the man disposable.

If Stephen killed him, so be it. But Bishas' final words claiming to be with Team Rocket? That was a disaster! It would tarnish Team Rocket's image in Stephen's eyes and jeopardize Giovanni's plans to recruit this promising talent.

"Damn it," Giovanni muttered inwardly, gritting his teeth. He had planned to take things slow, providing sponsorship to nudge Stephen toward his side out of gratitude. But now, Bishas' stupidity has complicated everything.

"I should dig up his corpse just to beat it again," Giovanni thought bitterly.

"Will-kun, why don't you rest? I'll go get some food to celebrate your success," Giovanni said, excusing himself to cool off and strategize.

A few minutes later, Giovanni pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Archer, I need you to investigate…"

...

Two hours later, Stephen emerged from the medical room. Will and Giovanni were already in the living room, surrounded by an array of delicious food.

"How did it go, Stephen?"

Will asked, swallowing a bite of doughnut.

"I managed to stabilize its condition for now, but whether it can hatch—and survive after hatching—is up to fate," Stephen replied, sitting down and grabbing a burger.

"I heard about Bishas from Will," Giovanni said with a warm smile, handing Stephen a soda.

"You worked hard dealing with that scum."

"It was nothing. I've faced worse," Stephen said with a light chuckle.

"After we eat, I want to show you two something," Giovanni said, his tone growing serious.

"It might be a bit intense for your age, but I'll soon be returning to Kanto. Before I go, there's something you should understand: the League isn't as virtuous as it seems."

Stephen raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Will was stunned.

"Huh? Wait, aren't you… a League Gym Leader?"

Wasn't this outright defiance of the system?