Chapter 4: Succession Contest
As the door slowly opened, the scene inside became immediately clear.
In the vast and empty space, a bustling crowd of over a thousand people had already gathered.
Most were boys and girls like Giovanni, though a few official Team Rocket members stood among them, accompanied by various Pokémon.
The boys and girls looked confused and fearful, some fidgeting nervously.
However, under the watchful eyes of the Rocket members and their Pokémon, they had no choice but to stand obediently in place.
After closing the door, Miyamoto gently patted Giovanni's back."Go on. Here's a little tip: it's best to stand at the very front or the very back."
Giovanni frowned at her words, then watched as Miyamoto left without looking back.
The Houndoom glanced at him one last time, but said nothing. Giovanni swallowed whatever protest he had.
Looking at the dense crowd, getting to the front was clearly impossible.
So he settled for the next best thing—quietly standing at the very back.
His arrival didn't stir much reaction.
After all, they had all arrived the same way. Giovanni was even thinner than most of his peers. He didn't look threatening, nor did he have the presence to attract attention.
Everyone's eyes were fixed in one direction: a giant "R" logo mounted on the far wall.
Standing beneath it was Madame Boss—the current leader of Team Rocket.
To these thousand boys and girls, she was their "mother." A self-proclaimed deity offering them a new life.
Giovanni recognized her, of course. But more than that, he was trying to grasp the situation he was now caught in.
Team Rocket's actions had always been extreme. Combined with Miyamoto's cryptic advice and Dr. Ryoki's odd behavior, Giovanni felt a deep unease.
It was as if he had been swept into a vortex where a single misstep might cost him his life.
Above the glowing "R", Miyamoto had already reached Madame Bosss side, whispered something in her ear, then stepped back.
Madame Boss smiled warmly at the crowd below."My children, welcome officially into the embrace of Team Rocket. I am Madame Boss—your mother, and the leader of this organization."
"You may not have heard of Team Rocket before, but all you need to know is this: we are the top organization in the Kanto region. And I, your mother, lead it."
"Just as I promised you—starting today, your lives will change drastically. You will gain Pokémon, wealth, and status!"
The crowd of boys and girls erupted with excitement, as if they truly believed they were now the young heirs of Team Rocket.
Giovanni scoffed quietly at their reaction.Having watched Naruto, he found her Talk no Jutsu simply bland to be manipulative.
Still, she seemed pleased by their excitement and hopeful expressions.
Then she dropped a bombshell:"In fact, the next boss of Team Rocket will be chosen from among you! But remember—there can only be one boss."
Giovanni's eyes widened. Isn't this too sudden?
He quickly glanced around. Sure enough, the others were already starting to size each other up—some eyes filled with hostility, others with wariness.
The atmosphere was tense.
If Madame Boss hadn't continued speaking, a riot might have already broken out.
Because he was small and at the very back, he wasn't yet a target. But that wouldn't last.
Madame Boss continued. "To choose the most capable successor, we will conduct a series of eliminations. The one who remains at the end will become the next boss of Team Rocket."
"You are candidates, brothers and sisters—but also competitors."
With a wave of her hand, dozens of tables rose from the floor, surrounding the crowd. Each was lined with Pokémon egg incubators.
They bore type symbols, and some even featured pictures or names of the Pokémon inside and had all been captured from places like Viridian Forest and Pewter Forest.
After all, even in this world, most people knew at least the basics about Pokémon.
Starter Pokémon were far superior to the average wild Pokémon. Pseudo-legendaries were even stronger—exponentially so.
A good starter could be worth millions of PokéDollars. A pseudo-legendary? Tens or even hundreds of millions.
It was a powerful temptation.
Nearly every boy's gaze locked onto the platforms holding starter eggs.
Even Giovanni couldn't help but take a second glance.
But just two glances. Any more, and he might've lost control.
Between Madame Boss' speech and Miyamoto's earlier advice, Giovanni had already guessed what was coming.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
A thousand people… If they start fighting over these eggs, casualties will be inevitable.
Madame Boss clapped her hands gently. The restless crowd immediately fell silent. "There are five hundred incubators containing Pokémon eggs here. Their potential ranges from common to exceptional—some are even starter Pokémon."
To reduce the risk of mass violence, she added:
"Which egg you get depends entirely on your own ability. However, let me be clear: if you fail to hatch your egg within fourteen days, you'll be disqualified."
"Pokémon eggs are special. Higher-quality ones take longer to hatch—but their development also speeds up based on the bearer's activity."
At that, over half the candidates who had been fixated on the starter eggs pulled their gazes away.
Giovanni hadn't planned to fight for a starter to begin with. Now, he was even more convinced.
He didn't know what "disqualification" meant here—but it couldn't be good.
It might even mean death.
He wiped his forehead, scanning the platforms for the most strategic choice.
His gaze landed on a Bug-type egg near the back—largely ignored by others.
If you're looking for something with a short hatch and growth cycle, Bug-types are the best option.
However, the drawback was obvious: most Bug-types had low long-term potential. After their second evolution, their usefulness often plateaued.
Still, if the selection trials started soon, Bug-types might offer a short-term advantage.
Once evolved, they could temporarily outclass others in the same stage.
But over time, their early lead would shrink—and they'd eventually be overtaken.
His eyes drifted toward his second option: Ground-types.
For some reason, he'd always had an affinity for Ground Pokémon. Maybe it was connected to his name—Giovanni.
He briefly considered going for a Beedrill egg, but dismissed it.
Beedrills were notoriously hard to control after evolving. Without a strong enough trainer to keep them in check, the risk of backlash was too high.
Just like Ash and his Charizard—although Ash eventually tamed him, not everyone had that kind of resilience or luck.
If a regular person were attacked by a Charizard… the result would be fatal.
Furthermore, not everyone can raise a Beedrill strong enough to rival a Legendary.