Chapter 2
"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present."
Francis Bacon
Giovanni gazed up at the hulking monstrosity of a building in front of them and sighed. He would give just about anything to get out of another benefit gala, but one did not get to be in his position by refusing to keep up appearances. After all, Silvano Manieri, Giovanni's chief rival, had also received an invitation. Not attending the 31st Annual Windham Entrepreneur Benefit would make him look weak, or worse, afraid.
And so Giovanni found himself in his least comfortable tuxedo pulling up to the garish Windham Building in the most conspicuous limousine he'd been able to find. These people were impressed by nothing less than the biggest and ugliest vehicles money could buy.
"Is it true that Kenneth Rothman will be here?" Domino interrupted his thoughts, leaning past Giovanni to catch a glimpse of the steel and glass tower in front of them.
"Who?"
"Kenneth Rothman. You know, the actor. He plays the detective on that crime show everyone likes." Domino flipped her golden curls over her shoulder. "According to the guest list, he got an invitation. Think he'll actually show up?"
"I don't know."
Domino was undeterred by Giovanni's dour mood. She turned back to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of some of Kanto's rich and famous. At least one of them was looking forward to this horrid affair, even if she was just invited for security purposes. Giovanni was reluctant to go into any situation where his rival might be present without backup, and Domino had been the ideal choice of company. At first glance she was just a pretty date, but if worse came to worse, she could put up a tough fight.
As the car slowed to a stop in front of the main entrance, Domino tensed. Giovanni followed her gaze to the shadows where several men lurked out of sight of most of the guests. To the untrained eye, they appeared to belong to Team Rocket, but the "R" stamped on the chest of their uniforms was gold rather than the standard red.
"Manieri's men," Domino said softly. "What should we do?"
The driver opened the door, and Giovanni stepped out, pointedly ignoring the Team Rocket imposters.
"We do nothing." Giovanni helped her out of the car. "We show Manieri that his henchmen are not worth our time."
"Yes, sir." Domino followed his lead, but her shoulders slumped with disappointment.
Giovanni knew perfectly well that Domino was spoiling for a fight with Manieri's agents, but this was not the time or place for it. The way things were going, there would be a fight soon enough. Nothing Giovanni did was likely to change that. Best to postpone the violence for as long as possible.
Through the elegant glass doors was a spacious, airy lobby. Despite the late hour, it was still crowded. Some, dressed in their finest evening wear, were obviously going to the same party. Other men and women hurried past in their business suits, hard at work out of the many offices the Windham Building housed. No hour was too late to stem the flow of commerce.
Giovanni scanned the lobby and caught sight of a familiar face at the far end of the room.
"This way."He made his way past the throngs of well-dressed people, trying to avoid eye contact with any old acquaintances who might rope him into making pointless conversation. Fortunately, Giovanni didn't exactly have a glowing reputation in most circles, and no one seemed particularly interested in stopping him.
"It's about time you got here."
A middle-aged man in a white suit that would have looked ridiculous on almost anyone else leaned against the wall across from the line of elevators. His dark hair was beginning to gray around the temples, and his deeply tanned face showed lines from endless days spent out in the sun.
"Hector." Giovanni shook hands with the other man. "The party hasn't even started yet."
"No, but your old friend Silvano is already here. He's been telling anyone who will listen that he didn't think you'd be brave enough to meet with him face to face."
Giovanni shrugged. "Now he'll look all the more foolish when I prove him wrong."
They were an unlikely duo, the leader of Team Rocket and the CEO of Cruz Pharmaceuticals, but Hector Cruz was one of the few people Giovanni counted among his friends. They had attended the same prestigious school in Viridian City as children and forged a lifelong friendship despite their different fields.
"You look lovely this evening, Miss Domino." Hector turned his attention to Giovanni's companion.
"Thank you," Domino's cheeks flushed slightly as Hector kissed her hand.
"I suppose I've given Manieri enough time to gloat," Giovanni said. "Let's get this over with."
Most of the guests were crowding into one of the first few elevators closest to the entrance. No one bothered to come down to the far end of the row, so Giovanni, Domino, and Hector had the elevator to themselves. Domino pushed the button for the roof. They were all silent for a moment as the car began its long acsent to the top of the Windham Building.
"My agent in Pallet Town reports nothing out of the ordinary over the last few days," Hector spoke first.
Giovanni nodded. "Good. Do you still think Manieri might be investigating her?"
"It's possible," Hector replied. "I'm not sure what they are looking for, but my sources tell me someone is still making inquiries about the Ketchums. The boy is still abroad, outside Manieri's usual range for now, but if they happened to guess the truth..."
Hector didn't bother to finish the thought. They both knew what the consequences would be.
"I trust you'll inform me if anything changes," Giovanni said as the doors slid open.
"Of course."
They stepped out into the lavish ballroom at the top of the Windham Building. The floors and walls were pristine white marble, the tables were draped in multicolored silks, and a string band played in the corner. Giovanni was relieved to find their table was in the back with some of the more tolerable invitees. Anyone else might have been impressed with the lavish surroundings, but Giovanni had suffered through far to many of these events to find them enjoyable.
As he feigned interest in pictures of Mrs. Windham's grandchildren over dinner, Giovanni surreptitiously glanced around the ballroom. It didn't take long to spot the one person who had made his attendance a necessity. Silvano Manieri prowled across the room, his wife close on his heels, laughing with a group of fellow guests. Giovanni had to admit his nemesis was an imposing figure, tall and lean with long, golden-brown hair neatly bound at the nape of his neck. Almost as though he sensed Giovanni's stare, Manieri turned his gaze to the back of the room. A sardonic smile flickered across Manieri's lips as their eyes met. He nodded to Giovanni, a silent challenge before turning away. Giovanni had a sinking feeling this would not be their final interaction for the evening.
As the staff cleared the dinner dishes away, the band hired for the evening's entertainment began playing a lively tune. Most of the guests took to the dance floor, the men in dashing tuxedos and the women a flurry of colorful gowns. Giovanni had little interest in joining the festivities, but he knew Manieri would not hesitate to point out his anti-social behavior to the other guests. He reluctantly followed Hector out to make insufferable small talk with the other attendees while Domino trailed behind him.
It didn't take long before an old business contact cornered Giovanni, intent on discussing the recent trade embargoes imposed in Unova. Domino yawned and leaned against the wall, staring wistfully out at the graceful dancers.
"Would you care to dance? Such a lovely lady shouldn't have to stand on the side because her date will not dance with her." A handsome young man appeared at Domino's side and cast a judgmental glance in Giovanni's direction.
Domino blushed like a schoolgirl. "Thank you, but I can't. I have to-"
"Go ahead," Giovanni interrupted, waving her toward the dance floor.
"Oh. Thank you, sir!" Domino beamed.
Giovanni couldn't help but smile slightly. It wouldn't hurt for one of them to have a little fun this evening. His contact's phone rang, and Giovanni used it as an excuse to politely extract himself from the conversation. Unfortunately, he didn't get far.
"Giovanni. I was wondering if I was going to be able to catch you alone all evening."
Giovanni's smile instantly faded. He didn't have to look to know who the voice behind him belonged to.
"What do you want, Silvano?"
He turned to face his long-time enemy.
Manieri smiled, a cold smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I was hoping I might have a word with you."
"We're both here. Talk."
"Step outside with me." Manieri pulled open the nearby door to the balcony.
Giovanni hesitated for just a moment. Going out onto the roof of a building with a man who made no secret about wanting him dead was an objectively terrible idea. To make matters worse, a strong wind had come up, chasing away all the other guests who might have come out to enjoy the view of Viridian City's skyline. They would be completely alone. Yet showing any sign of fear was an even worse idea. How many of his people were only loyal to him because he had them duped into believing he was stronger than Manieri? Giovanni followed the other man out onto the balcony.
"What is it you wanted?" Giovanni said irritably as the door to the balcony slammed shut behind them.
Manieri removed a pokeball from his jacket and tossed it to the ground. The ball sprang open, releasing the Xatu inside.
"I trust you remember my Xatu and its intriguing ability to foresee events which have not yet come to pass." Manieri gave the Pokemon a fond pat on the head. "Xatu and I have looked into your future, and I thought you would be interested to know what we saw."
"I'm afraid you were incorrect," Giovanni replied, scowling at the Xatu.
"Oh, really?" Manieri raised an eyebrow. "Please, indulge us for just a moment. You have my assurance that we are only trying to help you."
Giovanni rolled his eyes. The day he believed Manieri had any intention of helping him would be the day he traded in all his Pokemon for an army of Magikarp.
Manieri pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and spread them face down on a nearby table. Giovanni did his best to appear disinterested. There was no way he'd admit that Manieri's Pokemon made him thoroughly uncomfortable.
"No matter how many times Xatu gazes into the future, the omens are always the same for you, Giovanni." Manieri's voice had a soft, almost ethereal quality. "Show him the first card, Xatu."
The bird Pokemon stretched out its wing and nudged one of the cards forward. Manieri flipped it over. The card showed a picture of two dirt paths winding their way into a forest in opposite directions.
"Your first card is the road," Manieri explained. "This indicates that a choice lies before you. You must decide which path to take."
"Xatu." The Pokemon pointed to a second card on the table.
Manieri turned it over to reveal a picture of swords and fire.
"The next omen is war. You will choose the path of destruction and chaos."
Xatu pushed the next card forward. The picture showed a woman weeping.
"This card is grief. As a result of your choice, people will die," Manieri explained as he reached for the next card Xatu indicated. "The following card is the broken tower, representing a great struggle. I sense even you must be seeing a theme in these omens."
"I'm seeing that you're wasting my time when there's a perfectly nice party going on inside." Giovanni folded his arms across his chest.
Manieri ignored Giovanni and flipped the next card. This one depicted a marble altar with the word "sacrifice" scrawled underneath it in an ornate script.
"At the end of your struggles, you will be forced to make a great sacrifice." Manieri turned to meet Giovanni's eyes. His voice was almost too soft to hear. "I suppose you're wondering what that sacrifice is?"
"I have a feeling you're going to tell me whether I'm wondering or not."
"Xatu." The Pokemon pushed a final card forward.
Manieri turned it over to expose a picture of a skeleton. The omen needed no translation, but Manieri said it aloud anyway.
"Death," Manieri nearly whispered the word. "It doesn't matter how many times Xatu and I look into your future; the results are always the same. You will fight, you will struggle, and in the end you will die."
Giovanni was suddenly glad to be wearing his stifling tuxedo since it covered the goosebumps that prickled on his arms. Never let him see fear, he reminded himself.
"That's an amusing little trick," Giovanni said. "I saw an old lady with a crystal ball at a carnival once who was almost as good."
Manieri returned his Xatu to its pokeball and gathered up his omen cards. All except the Death card, Giovanni noticed. The skeleton remained on the table, leering up at him.
"I had hoped you would be more open-minded," Manieri said, "but I suppose there are none so blind as those who will not see. This is your last chance to change the path you have chosen, Giovanni. It may not be too late to save yourself. Choose the path of peace instead, and surrender Team Rocket to me. I'll give you time to consider it."
Manieri pulled open the door to the ballroom. Just inside, Domino was standing with Renatta Manieri.
"What are you doing?" Manieri demanded, seizing his wife by the wrist.
"N- Nothing," the woman stammered.
Giovanni felt a momentary twinge of pity. Renatta was a frail creature, like a plant that had been kept in the dark too long. Her lavender dress hung loosely on her petite frame, and her formerly bronze complexion had taken on an ashen hue. Once she had been a prominent psychic in the Jhoto region, but she had dropped out of the public eye since marrying Manieri.
"What were you telling that woman?" Manieri demanded, glaring at Domino and giving Renatta a slight shake.
"I was only complimenting her dress, my love," Renatta squeaked.
"For your sake, let's hope that was all." Manieri said.
As Manieri pulled his wife away, Domino slipped past them out onto the balcony.
"I'm sorry, sir. I should have been paying more attention," Domino said.
"Don't worry about it. There's no harm done."
"What did Manieri want?" Domino asked, stepping toward the railing to take in the view of Viridian City.
"He was making his usual threats. His Xatu did its card reading routine. Supposedly I'm going to die if I don't give him Team Rocket." Giovanni picked up the Death card, studying the skull's ugly grimace.
"Should we be worried?"
"No." Giovanni joined Domino at the railing. "There's a reason Xatu trainers so frequently go mad. They spend all their time trying to decipher the future while they live in the past. None of their predictions can be trusted."
"If you say so." Domino didn't sound entirely convinced. She glanced at the card in Giovanni's hand. "What is that one supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Giovanni opened his hand. The wind snatched the Death card out of his grip, blowing it off into the night. "Never trust a psychic, Domino. It will only get you into trouble."