A Hoothoot perched on a lamppost, its shadow flickering under the streetlight.
Natsume stepped out of the phone booth, noticing his palms were slightly sweaty.
Looking back, persuading a leader who could be called a "godfather" was undoubtedly a risky move.
But judging by Giovanni's reaction... it seemed like the Bluff had worked?
The core of Natsume-sensei's persuasion was to restructure Team Rocket in order to bring Silver back.
And this was a condition Giovanni couldn't refuse.
In the Special Editions, Giovanni had captured Deoxys, hoping to use its power to find Silver's whereabouts.
Just based on this sense of responsibility toward his family, Giovanni could truly be called a real man...
But the whole "regent minister" vibe made Natsume a bit nervous.
Just a few days ago, I was in contact with the International Police...
And now, not only is everything fine, but I even got a promotion and a raise?
"Whatever... if Team Rocket can successfully clean up its image, it won't matter much if my connections are exposed."
Natsume rubbed his chin.
From Giovanni's words, it seemed his current authority was equivalent to that of a high-ranking Executive in Team Rocket.
Similar to the status of the original Three Executives, like Sabrina and the others.
Additionally, aside from reporting directly to Giovanni, he could also issue commands to Matori...
Natsume's heart stirred, and he made another call to Matori. "You there?"
"Can you transfer a few million Pokémon Coins into my account?"
Matori was stunned, her expression complicated. "Sorry... the treasury can only be accessed by Lord Giovanni himself."
"Is that so? Just asking," Natsume said, his tone full of regret.
You clearly wanted to embezzle right in front of me!
Matori's temple twitched as she tried to calm herself. "Is there anything else, Natsume-sensei?"
"Nothing else," Natsume said, his dismissive tone deeply wounding Matori.
Rubbing her throbbing temples, Matori sighed. "You'll still get a bonus at the end of the year. It'll be transferred to you then, so don't worry."
"Oh?" Natsume's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "Then I have no other questions."
"Get some rest, Matori."
The unexpected concern from her superior left Matori momentarily stunned, then flattered.
Whether it was Boss Giovanni or the other high-ranking Executives, they were all very strict people.
But Natsume, aside from being handsome, also had such high emotional intelligence...
"You too," Matori said, her cheeks slightly red.
Giovanni's execution was truly impressive.
The preparations for Team Rainbow Rocket were already underway, with undercurrents of activity.
But this had little to do with Natsume, the hands-off manager.
As for the hard work... Boss Giovanni was handling it. Natsume didn't need to worry.
Natsume's main goal was still to find a few free long-term workers...
After hanging up, Natsume returned to Gold's house.
A full moon hung in the night sky.
A red-haired young man lay on the roof of the second floor, his arms behind his head, gazing at the moon, lost in thought.
Gold pushed open the window and nimbly climbed onto the roof, waving at Natsume. "Natsume-sensei! Come play cards!"
The atmosphere reminded Natsume of sleepovers at friends' houses.
A group of people gathered around a kotatsu, playing cards, with a particularly irritable Togekiss mixed in.
In the end, the Togekiss got so frustrated it flipped the table with its short wings.
Togekiss: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
"Such bad sportsmanship, Togebo!" Gold shouted.
"Just like you," Silver said.
Gold's expression turned odd, and for once, he didn't retort.
Damn it, I can't argue with that!
Just then, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it!" Gold dashed off.
The visitor was Professor Elm from the nearby research institute.
A middle-aged man with glasses and an oval-shaped head.
"Oh, it seems you're having a gathering... I won't disturb you," Professor Elm said.
"It's fine, Professor! Join us!"
"No, no, I still have Egg Hatching data to record..." Professor Elm scratched his head. "The Pokémon I bred for you last time are in the backyard, right?"
"Oh, right! I'll go get them!"
Natsume and Silver went downstairs and greeted Professor Elm.
Professor Elm knew Silver.
He had once stolen a Totodile from his research institute, but later, it was entrusted to Silver.
But this young man, with his striking looks and extraordinary aura...
Professor Elm adjusted his glasses, curious. "Have we... met before?"
"We met at a research conference," Natsume said with a smile. "I'm Natsume. I attended with Professor Rowan."
This Professor Elm was a beloved student of Professor Samuel Oak.
His expertise was in "Hatching," and he was the first to propose the Egg Group theory.
Recording the egg groups of over 700 Pokémon was undoubtedly a long and arduous task, which was why Professor Samuel Oak held him in such high regard.
Natsume was also a seasoned Egg Hatching enthusiast and was quite interested in Hatching and egg groups.
"You're Professor Rowan's assistant!" Professor Elm realized. "And you know Gold too?"
Gold laughed heartily. "Natsume-sensei is a famous Trainer! Even Mr. Lance isn't his opponent!"
Natsume's expression turned complex.
I'm not, I don't, stop making things up!
Lance is in the group chat! What if he decides to come challenge me again someday!
Professor Elm looked at Natsume, slightly surprised.
So young, yet already achieving so much in both training and research...
Suddenly, he remembered the Pokémon egg in the backyard of the research institute.
Professor Elm's eyes lit up.
Compared to Gold, this seemed like a more suitable Trainer to entrust it to!
But he still needed to get the other party's consent first...
Adjusting his glasses, Professor Elm cautiously asked.
"Mr. Natsume, may I ask... are you interested in Egg Hatching?"
"Of course!" Natsume nodded without hesitation.
Natsume-sensei, as a seasoned Egg Hatching enthusiast.
Back in the games, he would hatch hundreds of boxes of eggs.
If he wasn't interested in Egg Hatching, no one could have kept it up for so long!
Seeing the sincerity in Natsume's eyes, Professor Elm felt moved.
My judgment was right after all!
Entrusting this Trainer with the hatching Pokémon would surely result in a lively companion!
But... he still needed to be careful.
Professor Elm thought to himself: I can't repeat the same mistakes I made with Gold!
Although Gold's talent lies in "Hatching," the little Pokémon's personality tends to mirror his own—mastering eating, drinking, and gambling all too well.
Professor Elm couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of dread.
That's why he had considered entrusting the Pokémon egg to another Trainer to raise.
And now, it seemed like the perfect candidate was right in front of him...
"Well, I'll head back to the research institute for now!" Professor Elm said thoughtfully.
"Take care! And don't forget to transfer the boarding fee to me!"
As he walked back to the research institute, Professor Elm fell into deep thought.
Although Natsume seemed suitable in every way, character was still the most important factor...
He couldn't let this little Pokémon pick up bad habits again!
"I'll call Professor Rowan and ask for more details!"
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