Chapter 35

"Aftermath of the Verdicts"

"Lock them up!" shouted Colonel Andrus and the defendants were led back into their cells with most thinking of the end while others were grateful to still be alive and only serving out prison terms. As Giovanni was led back into his cell, he couldn't help but notice the dejection on Lieutenant McGovern's face as if to show that he was sympathetic towards Giovanni now that he was going to be put to death.

"Lieutenant, my dear, McGovern," he sympathized. "Why this long face, hmm? Don't you realize that there is a special place in Vahalla waiting for me?"

"I know," replied McGovern. "I just thought things would have turned out differently, that's all."

Giovanni could see how sad Lieutenant McGovern was, giving the fact that he was the one who escorted him all throughout the trial and had the pleasures and joy of experiencing it firsthand.

"I understand," replied Giovanni, walking back to his bed and sitting down on it. "But, its like I have always said, the victors will always be the judges and the vanquished would always be the accused. I guess our good intentions were not as good after all."

Giovanni then got back up and pulled out a gold watch from his suit pocket and gave it to Lieutenant McGovern. The young Lieutenant didn't quite know what to make of this and was hestitant to take it.

"Please take it," said Giovanni. "This is a little something to remember me by after I am gone."

He then took the watch and placed it in his pocket so that he could keep it hidden from the view of Colonel Andrus or any of the high ranking officers. Still, Lieutenant McGovern didn't quite know what to make of this and knew deep down that he shouldn't be taking this, but Giovanni hard pressed him otherwise.

"Thank you, sir," he said. "But, don't you wish to buried with it after you're executed?"

"They won't bury me," said Giovanni with a hint of dejection in his voice. "They will probably burn my body or bury it at sea, much like they did with Bin Laden. If they are going to do such a thing to me, then they might as well do so without my valuable, which is why I am giving you that watch."

Giovanni then realized that all of his valuables were in his suitcase and knew that they had to be kept out of the wrong hands. So, if Lieutenant McGovern had them in his possession, then they would be kept safe from the other American soldiers.

"Lieutenant," he said, realizing what needed to be done. "My suitcase is in the storage room with the other defendants' possessions. I want you to have them all."

McGovern was stunned by this odd request and tried to rethink what was being put through his mind. Nevertheless, he was not going to question Giovanni nor disobey him and decided to do what he was told to do.

"All right, Giovanni," he replied. "If it means that much to you, then yes, I will take them all."

"You're the only person I can trust in this whole prison," said Giovanni. "That is why I want you to have them. Now, go and get them all."

So, McGovern was about to leave when Giovanni stopped him with one last question before he was to leave on his task.

"Before you leave," said Giovanni. "What is your given name?"

"James," replied McGovern. "Lieutenant James McGovern."

"Thank you, James," he said. "For everything you have done for me."

So, James left and shut the cell door behind him as Giovanni sat in his cell awaiting his fate along with the rest of the other defendants. Later that day, the prisoners were all led out of their cells and taken from the Viridian City Palace of Justice to Tokyo's Narita Airport, where they would board Rocket One to New York for the executions at Ground Zero.

During the trial, the interior of Giovanni's personal plane was reconfigured into that of a prison plane with the rooms converted into holding cells where the people who once housed it would be treated like animals where they would be caged and chained to them. In addition, Captain Hopkins would be flying with them to provide mental support to some of the defendants who would be put to death. Those who would be put to death were at the front of the plane while those who were serving prison terms were placed at the back of the plane. The only ones who weren't on the plane were Sabrina, Koga and Lieutenant Surge as they had been found not guilty and were released immediately after the trial.

Late into the night, Rocket One departed Narita Airport and landed just before morning into New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on September 10th, 2011, where the defendants who were being put to death would be spending their last days of life. Shortly afterwards, they were taking to Rikers Island prison where they would be waiting for their moment to come. But, as he was waiting, Giovanni had summoned Captain Hopkins to his cell as he had one request to ask of her.

"I know this made sound not so honorable," he said to her. "But, is it not possible that I be allowed to face a firing squad and die a soldier's death?"

"None," she replied, and Giovanni smiled at this, knowing that this wasn't going to happen anyway. Either way, he was going to die.

"It's just as well," he chuckled. "I hear the Americans are poor shots anyway, no offense to you of course."

"Not a problem," said Captain Hopkins. "But, since you asked something of me, I must ask something of you, Dr. Sakami."

"Yes, what is it?" he said.

"What do you want me to say anything after you are gone?" she asked. "I will have nothing to tell anyone."

Giovanni looked down at the ground for a second and then looked back up to Captain Hopkins with a look of sadness and rejection on his face.

"You can tell them this, Doctor," he said. "That everything I had attempted to do was to create a better world and that anyone outside of the justice who questioned it had every right to question it. I now see that the damaged that me and my colleagues have caused was for evil purposes and not for the good of the world."

He then walked over to a desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen as if that he was going to write something important.

"You can tell them," he said to Captain Hopkins who was about to get up and leave. "That they have the right to kill me, but they have no right to judge me. Now if you'll excuse me, Doctor, I must write one last letter to my wife and children."

Captain Hopkins left the cell and shut the door behind her as Giovanni wrote one last letter to his loving and beloved wife and family.

"My dearest Grace,

It is with a heavy heart that I must say goodbye to you and our precious children now. Where I will go from here on in, you cannot come with me. Everything that I had done was for the good of the world and for our family. As of this moment, I want our sons to know that Team Rocket must live on and it is now them who must continue what I and my colleagues had started. I urge them to continue seeking out Pokemon and that our fight for a perfect world must continue to the bitter end with sacrifices being made every day until the end.

But, I want you to know that my undying love and commitment to you will continue to grow and prosper as long as you possess it within your heart. As of this moment, you shall be called Madam Boss, after my mother. It is you who will now lead the mission for Team Rocket and that it shall be you whom what is left of our warriors will look up to. True, our cause will not be as strong as it was when I was leader, but remember to always think of me when you lead the fight against our enemies and do not rest until they are all defeated.

With my undying love and support, your loving husband,

Dr. Giovanni Sakami