Hello everyone

With boredom nagging on my mind from quarintine, I decided to treat you all to another chapter. Its lacking in much action but I am sure you will love it.

Please do enjoy it.


"Well, that sorts that problem out," Giovanni grinned as he watched a burning Battle Pyramid falling into the ocean. He snorted dusting off his hands, knowing that was one less problem to deal with, "I might even add that Project Nucleus did an excellent job for its first-ever test run."

A frown quickly replaced the satisfaction on his expression as he turned to grunt behind him, "But it's still not good enough. It's going to need more power to create a war." The grunt, however, shook his head and held a note to the dark-haired man in front of him, "Sir, according to Doctor Reagan he says that wasn't its full power it used to take down the Battle Pyramid."

"Oh?" Giovanni raised an intrigued eyebrow as he took the paper in his hand, his eyes carefully scanning over it. Once he finished reading though, he did a double-take, "That was only 2 percent of its full power?"

"Yes sir," replied the grunt, nodding his head.

"What power," breathed out the dark-haired man in awe as he watched what was left of the flying battle facility fall into the ocean. He began grinning again as he thought of such a powerful weapon of his disposal.

With so much power he didn't even have to bother about making war. He could just take over the world as is it. Giovanni chuckled darkly at that idea, crushing the paper in his hand, "Perfect. It's perfect. I am taking a guess that it was the boy's aura that made it so powerful?"

"Yes sir," replied the grunt once again.

'Ash is much more useful than I thought,' inwardly mused the father of the raven-haired trainer, his grin even stretching larger, 'He is going to make a perfect heir to my empire.'

Giovanni nodded to the grunt, "I want you to bring the boy down to my office. I want to discuss a few things with him about the future of Team Rainbow Rocket."

"Yes sir," the grunt turned on his heels and left his boss' office. Once he was gone, Giovanni rolled his shoulders backwards and began relaxing, Lysandre was out of the way and Project Nucleus was more powerful than he could have ever imagined meaning he didn't have to worry about anything else going wrong.

"Giovanni, what do you want us to do?" asked Cyrus, raising an eyebrow at the leader of Team Rainbow Rocket. Giovanni resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the blue-haired man, "I want you all to stay here."

The leaders briefly shared confused looks with each other before Cyrus spoke once again, "But shouldn't we be observing our respective regions to prepare for Project Nucleus?"

The dark-haired man just snorted at that, "That won't be necessary. I have decided to use Project Nucleus to conquer the world as it is. With such power at my fingertips, I won't have to bat an eyelid with the war."

Cyrus blinked in what felt confusion. He didn't receive anything about there about being a change in plans. Did he somehow miss something? Looking to the others, he saw they were just as clueless as he was. Giving Giovanni an odd sideways look, Cyrus began slowly, "I don't understand. When did you decide to change the plans?"

"Now," was Giovanni's short reply.

Archie scowled at him, "Not to question your orders big boss, but isn't that risky?" Maxie frowned and found himself nodding along with the pirate, "As much as I hate to, I have to agree with the big bafoon on this Giovanni."

"Hey! Who are you calling a bafoon?!"

"Well, if the shoe fits Archie."

"You son of a..."

"Enough," snapped Giovanni, not in the mood for them to start some pointless bickering, "We use Project Nucleus tomorrow to take what is rightfully ours. That is my final decision and anyone who wants to disagree won't live to see daylight ever again. Do I make clear?"

The other leaders were silent, just staring at Giovanni. The man's eyes narrowed at the four of them, "I said, do I make myself CLEAR?!"

Each one of them flinched away before each began hesitantly nodding in consent with their leader, not wanting to face his wrath if they didn't. Giovanni smiled, "Good, it's nice to see we all see eye to eye."

He was about to add something else when doors behind him opened once more revealing Guzma, who calmly walked in, "Sorry I am late. I had some... business to attend to," the man looked away before quickly snapping his gaze back to Giovanni, "Did I miss anything?"

Giovanni scoffed, glaring annoyed at the man, "Sorry won't cut it. But luckily, I am in a good mood and will let you off easy with just a warning today. But next time I won't be so understanding. I suggest you remember that, Guzma."

Team Skull leader's eyes narrowed dangerously, he didn't appreciate the threat. He didn't like being threatened, no matter by who it was. Restraining himself from losing his temper, Guzma silently nodded. Although, he was briefly considering punching Giovanni's jaw for a few seconds but decided to heed, for now.

"Well done, Guzma. Now this meeting was almost over anyways. I will send a report to your office of what has happened and changed," replied Giovanni, pleased before he turned to the other leaders, "Do any of you have something to discuss further?"

Taking the silence as a sign, Giovanni nodded his head, "Good, I will be keeping in touch just in case your needed. This meeting is adjourned."

The dark-haired man turned his back to his five admins, but just as the last one was about to leave Giovanni ordered, "Not you Guzma." Team Skull's leader tensed as he turned around to face the other man's back. He had a bad feeling about this and he didn't like it.

Giovanni fully faced him once the two of them were alone, "I heard that you punched one of the prisoners, correct?" Guzma nodded once again, not sure where the man was going with this. The dark-haired man hummed, "May I ask why?"

Guzma snarled, he didn't want Giovanni's small talk nor did he feel like playing twenty questions with the man, "That's none of your business!" Unphased by the other's rudeness, Giovanni tilted his head, smiling oddly, "Guzma, remember you and your team's places in my ranks. They aren't very high."

"What are you getting at Giovanni?" demanded Guzma, his hand moving slowly to Golisopod's pokeball. He didn't like where this was going, not one bit. The dark-haired man smirked, enjoying the little game he was doing, "I think you know what I mean Guzma. Unlike you, I willing to make sacrifices to get what I want. If your not careful you might find yourself in that position."

Giovanni silently walked past Guzma, leaving the man behind to ponder his words. Clenching his fists, Guzma stared off to where the dark-haired man had left.

A sneer tugged at the man's lips, "You just made a grave mistake, Giovanni."


"Togedemaru use Zing Zap!" exclaimed Sophocles, as their group came across two more grunts as they rounded another corner. Ash's Greninja didn't have a chance to react when the duo sent their Pokemon out to attack, leaving the water and dark type exposed.

Thinking quickly, the orange-haired boy sent out Togedemaru, the Roly-Poly Pokémon looking determined as it was engulfed in electricity and shot forward past everyone. In a blink of an eye, the electric and steel type was opposite of the grunts and their Pokémon.

It was a few silent seconds before an explosion occurred. Once the smoke cleared, it revealed the grunts and their Pokémon on the floor unconscious.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, glad the threat was over and Lillie smiled gently patting the boy's shoulder, "Thanks Sophocles that was great! We almost didn't see them and they would have attacked Greninja."

The boy blushed from the praise and rubbed the back of his head, "It was nothing really. It was Togedemaru who did all the hard work. Right girl?"

The Pokémon on the floor nodded excitedly while puffing out her chest, well as much as she could before she rolled over. Everyone chuckled softly, loosening up a bit from the stress of trying to find Ash and watching their backs for grunts.

"But still, if it wasn't for your quick thinking who knows what might have happened," added Professor Kukui smiling at his student.

Sophocles perked up, "Really? You think so?"

"Yes," replied the man, who couldn't help but not feel pride. Not just with Sophocles but all his students, especially Ash. Since the raven-haired boy had come to Alola, Kukui had seen a lot of growth in all his students. Whether it was confidence, like with Sophocles with his inventions, overcoming fear, just like with helping Lillie touching Pokémon, helping become stronger in battle or coming closer with their families, just like with Kiawe, Lana and Mallow.

He didn't know Ash managed to do it, but he couldn't be anymore happier about it.

"Thanks!" beamed the orange-haired boy as he picked up his Pokémon.

Watching everything silently, Greninja walked over to Sophocles holding out its webbed-hand. Everyone blinked in confusion until the Pokémon nodded its head, "Gren."

The orange-haired boy smiled brightly, returning the handshake, "Your welcome!"

Serena smiled at the duo before frowning and looking around, "We need to move fast. Greninja are we any closer to Ash?" The Pokémon stepped away from Sophocles and closed his eyes searching for his trainer's presence, although being extra careful not to alert Ash of it. He still didn't want to get in trouble for disobeying the boy just yet.

Greninja inwardly frowned, it seems like they had moved Ash. Meaning, he had to look around again for the trainer, which wasn't easy considering he didn't know Aether Foundation's layout as well as Ash did. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

Expanding his mental connection only slightly more, the Pokémon finally found his trainer again.

Croaking, Greninja pointed to a different corridor. Lusimane hummed in thought, "I think we should start splitting up. We might be less of a target that way."

She stepped forward and began pointing up everyone, "Wicke, Faba, Burnet and myself along with the rest of the scientists will take back the laboratory area. Kukui, you accompany the children, give them extra cover while rescue them, Ash. If any of us gets the chance, contact the police via telephone or any other method. But we still need someone to help with securing the lower areas. That would possibly be the easiest escape route and we need someone to block anyone from getting away."

"How about that Mallow and I can covering there?" suggested Lana. Lusimane shook her head, "No not just the two of you alone. It would be too risky."

"How about we give you a few extra hands then?" a familiar voice asked. Everyone whipped around and saw five figures standing by the end of the hallway. One of them stepped forward, the light revealing who it was.

Tasha grinned as she crossed her arms, smugly over her chest, "Because I am itching to kick the arse of the person who thought it was a bright idea to try to blow us up."


Giovanni was walking calmly through Aether Foundation to his office, passing a few grunts. He never felt so close to winning before, it was wonderful. Now, he knew was certain of victory. All of these years of hard work was finally going to pay off, the world would finally be his.

'I wouldn't be getting overconfident, Giovanni,' a familiar voice chimed in his head.

The dark-haired man stopped himself from groaning as he faced the dark figure behind him, "I know what I am doing, Agent Phantom. Also, what did I say about talking in my head like that? I prefer my thoughts to mine alone."

'My apologies,' Agent Phantom bowed his head forward before retracting a few steps back away from Team Rainbow Rocket's leader. The masked man lifted his head again revealing his red-mechanical eye to be narrowed into a thin slit.

Giovanni huffed in response, unimpressed, "That's all? The prisoners escaped?" Agent Phantom nodded slowly, his eye expanding slightly.

Waving his hand in a dismissing gesture, Giovanni ordered, "Send a few grunts down to stop them. If they are any more trouble, kill them. I don't care. Now if that's all, I have to talk with my son."

'You are getting cocky, they aren't meant to be taken lightly,' the same voice nagged at him. Giovanni growled through gritted teeth, glaring at the masked man in front of him, "I am not. Now, this is the last warning to get out of my head before I turn your program off again."

Agent Phantom stared at Giovanni for a few seconds with his red eye narrowing once again before whirling around on heels, leaving the dark-haired man behind. Giovanni shook his head and began walking again, he almost laughed out loud as he pondered over his agent's words.

Him? Cocky? Right.

He had the most powerful weapon at his command and there was nothing that can stop him. The biggest threat to Team Rainbow Rocket was sent to the ocean in a giant fireball and the other was in his grasp, he doubted anything can stop him now. A couple of escaped children weren't going to make a difference.

Giovanni grinned as he opened the doors of his office to see Ash already there, the kid being restrained by two of his grunts, fighting against their two holds. He watched the trainer quietly struggle for a few minutes before speaking, "Hello Ash."

The raven-haired boy immediately tensed and looked up. As soon as his gaze fell on Giovanni, Ash glared at the man. Giovanni smiled, "Doctor Reagan says you helped greatly with Project Nucleus. Is this true?" He knew it was but he wanted to see how the kid would react.

Unfortunately, Ash didn't give the satisfaction of a reaction, just glaring harder. Giovanni smirked, "Aww, what's wrong my dear boy? Missing your friends?"

Ash still didn't reply.

Giovanni scowled, "Well, you won't have to worry much longer, Ash. My grunts are taking care of them as we speak and they won't be alive for much longer." He grinned seeing Ash's expression quickly changing, "How did you?"

"It won't matter much longer with who they are facing," slyly replied Giovanni, "I might spare your mom, of course, and maybe that one girl, what was her name?" The man mocking tapped his chin before snapping his fingers, "Oh right! Serena. Who knows, I might even let a few of my grunts have a little fun with her~"

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" roared Ash kicking his legs uselessly in the air, the trainer tried to summon his aura again but, like before, it fizzled out because of the cuffs on his wrists.

Giovanni laughed, giving the boy a twisted toothy grin, "No need to be so rude Ash! Remember, we are family." He grabbed Ash's chin and jerked it roughly upwards. When the kid tried to squirm away, he tightened his hold not allowing him to escape, "And you are my future heir. Meaning you have to exactly I say no matter what."

Ash sneered upwards at the man before he did something no one saw coming.

He spat straight in Giovanni's face.

Giovanni reared his head back in shock and disgust, more shock than anything else. Wiping it off his face, the man stared at his hand for a few seconds before glaring down at Ash, the trainer looking very pleased with himself about what he just did.

"Why you little brat," Overcome by anger and having enough of the boy's defiance, Giovanni raised his hand, "I think it's time that someone taught you a lesson about manners." Immediately, Ash flinched and closed his eyes preparing for the pain. Giovanni brought his hand down.

However, someone caught Giovanni's wrist, stopping the man from hitting Ash.

"What?!" Giovanni glared upwards to see the person had who dared to stop him! But once he saw who it was, his expression changed from irritation to shock then horror.

In front of Giovanni, and standing protectively before Ash, was none other than Lysandre.


You didn't think I would let Lysandre and the others die that easily, did you?