The mont Giovanni's fiery gaze locked onto Elias, Kirlia's body stiffened, and she instantly beca alert.
She suddenly realized that it wasn't just those lovestruck females she had to guard against—males needed to be watched just as closely.
Like this black-suited man in front of her…
Unlike Kirlia, Elias wasn't particularly nervous about Giovanni's stare. Instead, it reminded him that years ago, the man had given his Ralts a similarly aningful look.
At the ti, Elias had rely found it odd and brushed it aside. But thinking back on it now…
"You knew all along?" He narrowed his eyes and asked.
Giovanni imdiately understood that Elias was testing him. Without missing a beat, he responded in a deep voice,
"I've seen plenty of Pokémon in my ti."
"If a Pokémon has sothing unusual about it, I can naturally tell."
"It's just a pity that back then, Mr. Elias didn't seem interested in joining Team Rocket. Otherwise, you might have already caught the Pokémon you're looking for."
As he spoke, Giovanni leaned back into his chair, though the interest in his eyes remained undiminished.
At this point, Elias was certain—Giovanni had noticed Kirlia's condition long ago.
Not only that, but he had also already deduced the general reason for Elias's visit.
As expected, dealing with the leaders of criminal organizations required extre caution—especially soone like Giovanni, who had both brains and power.
In Elias's arms, Kirlia processed the conversation and gradually regained her composure.
She finally understood why Elias wanted to cooperate with Team Rocket.
The reason… was probably her.
She still rembered the night she collapsed. Elias, thinking she was asleep, had made a promise—to find a legendary Pokémon.
At the ti, she had thought it was just sothing he said in the heat of the mont.
But now… he was actually searching.
He was even willing to betray the League and work with Team Rocket for it.
A warm feeling spread through Kirlia's heart, and the corners of her lips lifted involuntarily.
Just then, Elias gently patted her arm.
"Kirlia, you and Gengar wait outside. I'll be out soon."
He didn't want Kirlia to know about her own illness, so he wasn't going to let her stay and hear the details of the negotiation.
Kirlia seed to understand this, and her small smile quietly disappeared. Without a word, she obediently teleported into the adjacent office.
However, just before she left, she secretly linked her psychic connection to Elias's mind.
Now, whatever he said, she could hear from next door.
Gengar, who had teleported along with her, glanced at Kirlia—who was now in full eavesdropping mode—and hesitated before speaking.
"Gha-ha… (If you do this, Elias will get mad!)"
"Kirlu~ (Elias never gets mad at .)"
One sentence was enough to leave Gengar speechless. Giving up, he slumped into a corner and started drawing circles on the ground in frustration.
Kirlia, anwhile, continued listening in without a shred of guilt.
There was no way she was leaving Elias alone with that Team Rocket boss.
...
Back in the room, Giovanni retrieved a stack of docunts from his safe, spreading them out before Elias.
"These are the legendary Pokémon with the highest calculated probability of curing your Kirlia. Take a look and choose one."
Elias skimd through the docunts, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
Team Rocket's research was impressively thorough—so of the details were even more comprehensive than what he had managed to gather on his own. The effort put into collecting this information was evident.
"You're really that short on Psychic-type talents?" Elias asked, puzzled.
Psychic users were rare, but not that rare.
Plenty of trainers from Psychic-type gyms could wield psychic powers. If Team Rocket was willing to invest enough resources, recruiting them wouldn't be impossible.
So why was Giovanni so fixated on him?
For the first ti, even Elias found himself looking at Giovanni with a hint of suspicion.
The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it beca.
Seemingly sensing Elias's thoughts, Giovanni's expression darkened. Even with the mask, the frustration in his gaze was palpable.
Without a word, he pulled out another docunt from his drawer and slid it across the table.
"I need you to capture this Pokémon as well. You're the only one capable of completing this mission."
Elias took the file.
When he saw the na on it, he froze.
"w?"
He wasn't unfamiliar with this Pokémon, which was rumored to be the ancestor of all Pokémon.
He just hadn't expected Giovanni to set his sights on it.
"w is adept at hiding. It's said to possess the ability to turn invisible and evade detection. That's why I need you—your psychic abilities can help locate it."
The mont Giovanni spoke about w, his tone beca noticeably more excited.
Now, Elias understood why Giovanni had been so insistent on recruiting him.
"I see."
Elias tucked the file away and then, from the pile of docunts, pulled out the one detailing Celebi and placed it on top.
"Celebi is the Pokémon I've chosen. I need information on how to capture it."
A League investigator and the leader of a criminal organization sat together, negotiating with serious expressions.
The whole scene was starting to feel increasingly illegal.
But for Elias, as long as he could cure Kirlia, his position as a League investigator didn't matter.
Besides, with all the contributions he had made to the League, what was the big deal about catching a Celebi?
It wasn't like he was hunting Arceus.
As for Giovanni—being the head of Team Rocket, he obviously had no reason to care.
"Elias, there's sothing I'm curious about."
"Hmm?"
"There are so many Pokémon in this world. Even Shiny Pokémon aren't that rare. Have you never considered just… letting go of that Kirlia and capturing a new one?"
After finalizing their agreent, Giovanni leaned back in his chair, studying Elias with interest.
He wasn't asking because he didn't understand.
On the contrary, Giovanni himself had raised a Beedrill from childhood and knew just how deep the bond between a Pokémon and its trainer could be.
That was why he wanted to see if Elias was the sa kind of trainer as him—one who truly loved his Pokémon.
But that brief mont of camaraderie vanished the instant Elias handed him his Pokédex.
"Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon. Its cry sounds like 'Lonely~ Lonely~'"
Hearing the Pokédex's automated voice, Giovanni's expression darkened instantly.
Then, he saw Elias—his face plastered with a smug, punchable grin—lean in closer and say with a smirk,
"You don't understand… because you've never had one."
Giovanni: …
For the first ti, he regretted this partnership.
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