Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Meeting
As long as morality was concerned, Team Rocket had none. They would do everything from stealing people's Pokémon to robbery, murder and whatnot.
It was a band of criminals that ate the peace of both Kanto and Johto Region.
Did the League not know of them? Of course, they did. Could the League get rid of them? Of course, they could. However, it was just that, 'could,' but they never 'would.'
At first, they were a small organization ignored by both Kanto and Johto Leagues as something they could nip out any day. But now, it had become a headache for both Leagues.
With the Champion, the Elite Four, the Elite Squad and the Gym Leaders under them, they could get rid of Team Rocket any day they wanted, but the organization had grown to the point where if they did attack them, they could cause massive damage. Not to the League but to the general public.
That was something the League would never want.
"But we cannot overlook the young trainers' predicament. Are we going to ignore all the trainers kidnapped by Team Rocket and let their fates be decided by those fucking criminals?"
Within a room that was filled with people, a man with long messy hair and a thick beard spoke to the others representing the council.
His name was Atlas Derlick, an Ace trainer (A-Rank Trainer) of the Kanto Region, whose authority was only below the Gym Leaders. He was almost fifty years old man, but the muscles on his body begged to differ. He stood with his back straight and bore his eyes at the ones sitting at the very front of the meeting hall.
Everyone within the room agreed with Atlas Derlick. Although the League had done a blind eye to Team Rockets' many crimes, kidnapping and killing young trainers was something that could not be ignored.
At the very front of the meeting hall sat twelve people, followed by four more and then at the very front, a man whom everyone in the region and beyond would recognize.
The seventeen were none other than The Twelve Gym Leaders of the Kanto Region, followed by the Elite Four and the Chairman of the Kanto Region himself, Charles Goodshow.
No, there were not twelve Gym Leaders but eleven that were present.
"He is late."
Oda Shingen, the Fighting-type Gym Leader, spoke while furrowing his brows. He had a bald head that shone like a star. He had strong muscles that threatened to jump out of his kimono.
No one replied to his inquiry, but everyone except a few was just as pissed off as him. When everyone started to lose patience, a man wearing a yellow three-piece suit entered the room.
Under the hateful gazes of everyone, the man sat on one of the twelve chairs representing the Gym Leaders of the Kanto Region.
The man was a Ground-type specialist and Gym Leader of Viridian City Gym Giovanni.
The eyes of everyone in the room were focused on one man, but he did not seem scared or pressured. Though everyone questioned why he was late, no one spoke about it now that he was here.
Even Atlas Derlick did not say anything. The presence of the man named Giovanni was just that big. The only people who could see him eye to eye were either the Clan Heads of the major clans, the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four or the Chairman.
"Giovanni, we need an explanation." Oda Shingen looked Giovanni in the eye with a blaze burning in his eyes. "Your Team Rocket has been kidnapping young trainers for a month now, hiding in Viridian Forest, taking them as hostages."
"Give us one reason why I should not smash your head to oblivion."
Giovanni looked at Oda Shingen and then at the rest of the council. He was a man of few words, but he knew things would get troublesome if he did not explain appropriately. So, he broke the silence, and his response was not what everyone expected, not even the Elite four or the Chairman.
"Team Rocket is not behind the recent events. We are being framed."
"WHAT?"
Every person in the room was in disbelief at his words. Some of the more experienced ones could control their shock, but internally they were surprised.
*Bang*
Oda Shingen slammed his hands on the table as he stood looking at Giovanni with controllable rage. "You expect us to believe that?"
The only response he got from the Boss of Team Rocket was a shrug.
"You…"
"Oda."
Everyone knew of Oda Shingen's short temper, and Bruno decided to speak when things were about to go out of hand. Bruno, the Fighting-type Elite Four of Kanto, was the only man Oda Shingen admired in the whole Kanto Region and would possibly listen to during his rageful moments.
With his predator-like eyes, Bruno looked at Giovanni. He, of all people, knew what kind of man the Boss of Kanto and Johto's most prominent criminal organization was. Therefore, he wanted to listen to what Giovanni had to say before jumping to conclusions. The same could be said for the rest of the Elite Four and the Chairman.
"Explain."
"I created Team Rocket three decades ago," Giovanni spoke calmly as if he was unafraid of all the people glaring daggers at him. "And more than two decades ago, I made a deal with Kanto and Johto League. A deal that both the Leagues accepted. Right now, I am in control of the whole underworld of both regions. But I know who the real bosses of both the regions are." He took a pause and looked at Oda Shingen before he continued. "Do you think I don't know the bottom line of the League? That I would do something as foolish as kidnapping trainers? And even if I wanted to, would I leave behind any strings that would lead to me?"
The lower council started to feel like idiots with every word he spoke. Now that they thought about it, when did Team Rocket start kidnapping helpless trainers who were useless to them? Why would Giovanni push the League's bottom line? Although the League would instead not come to arms with Team Rocket, if Giovanni pushed it, the League would throw caution to the air and uproot the giant tree called Team Rocket.
Maybe because the higher council, like most Gym Leaders (Except the hot-headed Oda Shingen), the Elite Four and the Chairman already guessed it was not Giovanni since they knew better what kind of a man Giovanni was that they did not pin down Giovanni as soon as he came in the room.
Oda Shingen, who heard Giovanni's words, sat back on his chair. He put a hand on his chin and nodded as if he understood everything now.
"Then who is behind the kidnappings?" Atlas Derlick, the Captain of the Kanto Special Force Unit, could not help but ask. "And what about the recent attack on Viridian City Pokémon Centre?"
"I ordered the attack on Pokémon Centre," Giovanni said in a calm tone, and before Atlas or anyone else could say something, he continued. "But no one was hurt, right?"
"Was it on purpose?"
Giovanni nodded his head. "Someone dared to use the shoulders of Team Rocket to fire a gun; I had to make sure I knew who they were."
"Any findings?" Agatha, the Ghost-type Elite Four, asked.
"That is precisely why I asked Prof. Oak to call everyone for this meeting." Giovanni tapped the watch on his wrist, and the projector in the room lit up. Everyone focused on it, wanting to see whatever Giovanni would show them.
Pictures of dead people appeared on the screen, and Giovanni kept sliding till the last picture.
"These are?" Atlas Derlick asked with a frown on his face. He was the captain of the Special Task Force and had tons of experience under his belt to attain the position he was in. At first, he might have been angry, but it did not mean he had lost his reason. His years of experience told him that whatever was about to happen would need immediate action. Therefore, he had already sent a message to his team to be prepared for immediate deployment.
"Dead bodies of seventeen Team Rocket members."
Everyone frowned at those words, already connecting the dots.
"Whoever is kidnapping those young trainers is using the identity of these seventeen people." Giovanni tapped his wristwatch again, and a new slide appeared before everyone's eyes.
It was a picture of a woman with dark green hair and a white mask covering her eyes. She wore the dress of Team Rocket, the one that was stolen from one of the goons that were killed.
"If my Team Rocket ever does something like this, I would make sure to kill anyone who dares wear that stupid mask on their face. My organization is proud of what we do; we need not hide like these third-rate criminals."
Giovanni ended the slide, and everyone went into deep thought. If it was not Team Rocket, then who would it be? If the other party used Team Rocket as cover, it would only mean one thing.
"Their goal is to cause chaos in the Kanto Region." Atlas Derlick voiced out everyone's thoughts. "Whoever it is, we need to stop them right away. Those kids… are not hostages anymore. I can already guess their next step."
"They are going to kill the kids or maybe worse."
-------------------------End of Chapter-------------------------
Author's Note:
- The story is almost same as the old one till chapter 20. After that, I have written some really sick chapters, can't wait for you all to read them.
- Drop some Power Stones to support the book.
- Peace!
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