Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
As soon as Liam entered the Pokémon Center, a large figure rushed over from the side.
When Liam focused his gaze, he saw that it was indeed Bruno, who had gone out earlier in the afternoon to restock supplies.
"Hey! Liam! Lorelei! You guys are finally back! Haha! I've been waiting—huh? Is Lorelei asleep? Oh, then I'll lower my voice..."
Bruno had been shouting as he ran toward Liam, but when he got closer and saw Lorelei sleeping, he quickly lowered his volume.
Unfortunately, it was too late. Lorelei stirred awake at Bruno's loud voice, pushed up her glasses, and rubbed her sleepy eyes before letting out a yawn.
A moment later, she fully came to her senses. She glanced at Bruno, who was now looking sheepish, then took a quick look at the surrounding buildings—each bearing distinct features that confirmed their location.
Finally, her gaze fell on her current "ride." Realizing that she had been asleep on Liam's back, she let out a startled cry and quickly jumped down.
"Awake now? Did you sleep well? My shoulders don't have much padding, so I hope they weren't too uncomfortable for you."
Liam turned to look at her, teasing with a smirk.
Lorelei's face immediately flushed red. She let out a huff at Liam before turning away, stumbling slightly as she made her way toward Nurse Joy at the front counter.
"Heh, Bruno, you went out to buy something, and it took you this long?"
Liam chuckled before turning to Bruno with a questioning look.
Bruno coughed and averted his gaze, clearly avoiding eye contact.
"Uh… well, I bought quite a few things, so it took a little longer. Haha. Actually, you might not believe it, but I kinda enjoy shopping."
Liam gave him a skeptical glance but chose not to press further. Bruno was an upright guy and terrible at lying—the clumsy excuse he just gave only made that more obvious.
Still, Liam trusted that Bruno wouldn't do anything questionable, so he let it slide.
"Alright, I won't ask further, but if you ever run into trouble, don't hesitate to tell me. We're friends, and friends help each other out." Liam spoke sincerely.
Bruno fell silent, as if hesitating to say something, but in the end, he forced a small, bitter smile and replied, "Yeah… Thanks. If I ever need help, I'll definitely let you know."
"Good. Then let's get ourselves a room. We've been exhausted these past few days—it's about time we get some proper rest."
Liam nodded before heading toward the front desk as well.
In the end, Liam and Bruno ended up sharing a room, while Lorelei got one for herself.
After dinner, both Lorelei and Bruno handed their PokéBalls over to Nurse Joy for safekeeping before heading off to their rooms for the night.
Liam, however, took a quick glance around the center. Seeing that there was no one around, he discreetly slipped toward the communication terminal and dialed Giovanni's number.
The screen flickered on, and soon, the image of Giovanni seated in his chair appeared on the monitor.
It had been over a month since they last spoke, and in that time, Giovanni had become even more imposing. His aura radiated authority, and his gaze had grown sharper.
But Liam paid no attention to these details. Holding the receiver close, he spoke in a low voice.
"Hey, I contacted you because I have some intel to report. Last time, didn't you say that the poachers had moved their headquarters? Well, I think I've spotted them again today."
Giovanni's eyes narrowed slightly. After a brief pause, he asked, "Are you on Cinnabar Island right now?"
Liam blinked in surprise, feeling somewhat speechless.
So he already knew?
Realizing how pointless his secrecy had been, Liam mentally sighed. Man, I really made a fool of myself. Giovanni already had this information, and yet here I was, trying to act all mysterious.
"Ahem… So you guys already knew, huh? Yeah, I'm on Cinnabar Island. I spotted someone today who looks like one of the poacher leaders from last time. That's why I'm giving you a heads-up. I was planning to scout them out again tonight." Liam spoke in a hushed voice.
Giovanni furrowed his brows slightly, straightened up, and rested his arms on his desk, clasping his hands together as he studied Liam carefully.
"Hold off for now," he instructed. "They won't be leaving that spot anytime soon. I've already made arrangements. My people are on the island, and another person is currently en route. They should arrive by tomorrow. Just be patient for one night. Once the three of you are together, you can move in as a team—it'll be safer that way."
Liam frowned slightly. "Three of us? That means there are two others. Who are they? Do I know them?"
Giovanni shook his head, a slight smirk forming on his lips. "I don't think you've met them. They're two promising new recruits—idealistic young trainers who joined Team Rocket to fight against the mistreatment of Pokémon. Both of them are quite strong, and they'll also be competing in this year's Indigo League. You'd better watch out, Liam. If you're not careful, they might just snatch your championship goal away from you."
Liam's eyes narrowed as he processed this information. "Strong trainers… competing in the Indigo League… It sounds like Team Rocket's been making some serious progress lately. I'm actually getting excited to see how things unfold."
Giovanni burst into laughter, his voice filled with pride. "Of course! Team Rocket will continue to grow stronger. We won't let those who abuse Pokémon act unchecked… Oh, right. Bill has also officially joined us. He's currently at his lighthouse, researching Pokémon teleportation technology. From what I hear, he's making solid progress, and it won't be long before his experiments bear fruit. Speaking of which…"
Giovanni's expression turned amused as he leaned forward slightly. "The research materials you provided me were rather basic, yet somehow, they contained crucial details that were surprisingly complete. I can't help but wonder—how exactly did you get your hands on that information?"
His tone was teasing as he watched Liam, clearly waiting to see how he would respond.
"Hehe… Well, let's just call it an unexpected discovery…" Liam chuckled softly, trying to act mysterious, but sweating inwardly.
Giovanni laughed heartily. "Relax, I won't pry into your secrets. You're one of Team Rocket's founding members—you and I basically stand at the same level in the organization. Having some personal secrets is only natural. That being said, the two recruits you'll be meeting are technically your subordinates or juniors. As a veteran, you'd better make a strong impression on them. Don't let them think their senior is weak."
Hearing Giovanni's words, Liam smirked. With a casual flick of his wrist, a dark mask appeared in his hand. Holding it up in front of the screen, he grinned confidently.
"Just wait and see. By the time they report back to you, they'll be singing praises about how their senior is wise, mighty, and effortlessly efficient in handling problems."
"Heh. Seeing that mask reminds me—those two will be contacting you through its built-in communication system. Keep it with you at all times over the next two days, or they might not be able to reach you."
Liam blinked. Wait… this thing has a communication system too? He had already been impressed by its night vision function, but now it seemed far more high-tech than he had realized.
"Got it. I don't have anything else to report for now. Make sure to take care of Bill—his research is crucial. If he succeeds, we'll be in for a lot of surprises. That's all from me. I'm hanging up."
"Alright. We'll talk again when there's something new."
With that, the call ended.
Liam looked down at the dark mask in his hand, then tucked it away before glancing at the clock. It was already quite late. Stretching lazily, he turned and headed to his room.
Whatever happens next… I'll deal with it tomorrow.