—[Viridian Gym · Team Rocket Underground Base]—
"Dr. Fuji, how is Ashtwo's physical condition?"
Looking at the half-naked young man lying on the examination platform with electrodes attached all over his body, Giovanni first gave him a warm and reassuring smile before turning toward Dr. Fuji, who was operating the testing equipment nearby.
"Hmm..."
"Reporting to the Boss, after receiving Ash's continuous treatment using his psychic abilities, the rate at which Ashtwo's body cells are aging has gradually begun to slow down. At the current rate, if the treatment continues for another six months, the development and aging rate of his body's cells should return to that of an ordinary person his age."
After comparing the data collected by the instruments, Dr. Fuji pushed up his glasses and finally provided a relatively precise estimate.
"Six months, huh..."
Hearing Dr. Fuji's answer, Giovanni nodded thoughtfully.
He had traded the inheritance rights to the Viridian Gym and a Champion-level Beedrill Egg in exchange for making a deal with his inexpensive disciple.
Ever since Ash had agreed to use his Viridian Power to treat Ashtwo's body, Giovanni had stopped worrying about the problem of Ashtwo's accelerated cellular aging.
What truly bothered him was that, after all this time, Ashtwo still hadn't awakened the Viridian Power.
Although Ashtwo had already awakened another mysterious psychic ability that Ash had deliberately kept hidden from the world, Giovanni was far from satisfied with that alone.
Firstly, Giovanni himself possessed the Viridian Power, and he understood its terrifying potential better than anyone else.
After all, the Viridian Power he possessed was merely an incomplete version.
Yet relying solely on the incomplete Viridian Power—(1. Willpower Enhancement, 2. Source Cleansing)—had allowed him to rise from being an ordinary commoner to becoming a Champion-level powerhouse.
Furthermore, it had enabled him to emerge victorious from among the numerous competitors vying for Team Rocket's leadership and ascend to become the supreme leader of Team Rocket—the overlord of the underworld.
Even an incomplete Viridian Power was already this formidable. One could only imagine the strength of the complete version.
Moreover, Giovanni's expectations for Ashtwo had always been for him to surpass Ash—the original himself.
If Ash possessed the Viridian Power while Ashtwo did not, how could Ashtwo ever hope to surpass him?
If Ash possessed something that Ashtwo lacked, then Ashtwo—the cloned duplicate—would forever have an inherent weakness when competing against the original.
Only when Ashtwo possessed everything Ash had—and possessed things Ash himself lacked—would the cloned duplicate have the possibility of surpassing the original.
Yet despite having been born for so long, Ashtwo had never awakened the Viridian Power. This was what made Giovanni so anxious.
The only thing he could do was comfort himself by believing that Ashtwo's failure to awaken the Viridian Power stemmed from the accelerated aging of his body's cells—that his body itself still had problems.
Once Ashtwo's body was completely healed and returned to normal, he would surely awaken the Viridian Power.
What Giovanni didn't know, however, was that the Viridian Power originated from nature itself—from the Viridian Forest—and from the individual blessing bestowed by the Forest Guardian, Celebi.
The Viridian Power couldn't be inherited genetically, nor could it be obtained through cloning.
His desire to see Ashtwo awaken the Viridian Power was ultimately destined to end in disappointment.
"Teacher, I..." Seeing the familiar expression of disappointment mixed with expectation on Giovanni's face once more, Ashtwo's mood immediately became somewhat dejected.
There was self-blame in his heart, along with unwillingness to accept reality.
"Don't worry. Just wait another six months. Once your body has been completely healed, you'll definitely awaken the Viridian Power."
Looking at the successor to Team Rocket's leadership upon whom he had placed such tremendous expectations, Giovanni comforted him warmly.
"Mmm..." Ashtwo nodded upon hearing Giovanni's words.
"Alright. Since you haven't awakened the Viridian Power yet, then focus on researching the mysterious psychic ability you've already awakened."
"Since Ash has gone to such lengths to conceal it from others, it can only mean that this psychic ability is extraordinarily powerful. Spend more time studying it—you might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover."
Gently patting the young man's head, Giovanni offered his encouragement.
"Mm-hmm! Teacher, I've actually discovered something recently. This psychic ability I've awakened—which I've named Mind Power—changes in response to my emotions. Furthermore, it allows me to sense whether the people around me harbor hostility or malicious intent toward me."
Encouraged by Giovanni's words, the young man immediately raised his head and proudly shared his recent discovery.
"Mind Power? Is that the name you've given this psychic ability? It fluctuates according to your emotional state? I see..."
"Hmm?! It can actually sense whether others harbor hostility or malicious intent? That's quite a practical ability."
Hearing Ashtwo's explanation, Giovanni revealed a look of genuine surprise.
For ordinary people, perhaps such an ability would be rather mediocre and of limited usefulness.
However, for people like them who walked the path of the underworld, the ability to sense the hostility and malice of those around them was nothing short of a divine ability.
Even Giovanni himself—a Champion-level powerhouse—couldn't help feeling somewhat envious of such a power.
After all, as Ash had once said, this was a world where extraordinary beast taming existed. Regardless of whether one was an Elite Four member or a Champion-level Trainer, their true strength primarily resided in their Pokémon.
Human Trainers themselves were fundamentally fragile beings.
Ordinary Trainers who walked the path of justice could at least rely upon the League's laws prohibiting Pokémon from deliberately attacking Trainers for protection.
However, Giovanni constantly had to guard against assassination attempts orchestrated by his enemies.
If he possessed the ability to sense the hostility and malicious intentions of others, his personal safety would undoubtedly be far better protected.
Unfortunately, he didn't.
"Mm-hmm, it's an excellent ability. You'll certainly benefit tremendously from it in the future."
Giovanni gently patted Ashtwo's head, his words filled with admiration and heartfelt emotion.
"(^▽^)"
Receiving Giovanni's praise, Ashtwo's previously dejected expression over failing to awaken the Viridian Power immediately blossomed into a cheerful smile.
"Alright, your physical examination is finished. Continue with your training."
"Whether it's further developing your Mind Power or training Larvitar, you'll need to work even harder."
Giovanni instructed him seriously.
Not long after Ashtwo had emerged from the experimental cultivation chamber, he had already acquired the qualifications necessary to become a Pokémon Trainer after receiving Giovanni's teachings and guidance.
As such, Giovanni had officially entrusted him with his first Pokémon.
However, this Pokémon wasn't the Meowth Egg that had originally been prepared alongside the Beedrill Egg.
Instead, it was Larvitar, the juvenile form of the Johto Region's Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, Tyranitar.
The reason was simple—the Meowth Egg belonged to Giovanni's Champion-level Persian, and its hatching period wasn't any shorter than the Champion-level Beedrill Egg he had gifted to Ash. At the very least, it would require another two years before hatching.
Naturally, Ashtwo couldn't afford to wait another two years before obtaining his first Pokémon.
Fortunately, Team Rocket possessed wealth and resources beyond imagination. Rare Pokémon were the one thing they lacked least.
As Giovanni's disciple and the future successor destined to lead Team Rocket, only a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon like Larvitar was worthy of his status and identity.
As for why Giovanni had chosen Larvitar rather than Dratini, the answer was equally straightforward—
Its final evolved form, Tyranitar, perfectly embodied the aura and temperament befitting those who ruled the underworld.
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