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The visitors were none other than Ash and his friends. After hearing Giovanni's invitation, Ash took out his Poké Ball and recalled Pidgeotto, then walked in with Misty and Brock.
Soon they arrived at the garden in the backyard. The peaceful environment felt very comfortable. At that moment, Giovanni was sitting beneath an umbrella, drinking coffee and looking quite relaxed.
"Retirement life seems to be treating you well!" Ash said as he walked forward without hesitation.
"It's alright, I suppose. It would be better if there weren't so many annoying people watching my every move!" Giovanni smiled faintly upon hearing this, then snapped his fingers lightly.
A subordinate pushed a cart over, picked up a teapot and teacups, poured three cups of black tea, and placed an assortment of cakes, cookies, and other snacks on the table, as if entertaining old acquaintances.
Misty and Brock noticed the container holding the sacred fire on the table and were slightly stunned, but they didn't say anything. After seeing Ash sit down, they also took their seats.
However, while Misty and Brock didn't dare to act too casually, Ash didn't seem concerned. He picked up his cup and took a sip of tea.
Then he distributed cakes and cookies to Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Togepi respectively, acting just like a regular guest.
"Well, someone like you would naturally attract that kind of attention. If you were just a nobody, who would bother keeping tabs on you?"
Regarding Giovanni's words, Ash understood perfectly that he was talking about the people secretly monitoring him, but there wasn't much that could be done about it.
After all, this man's name was Giovanni, and he had the capability to plunge the entire Kanto Region into chaos. The reason people were watching him so closely was out of fear of what he might do.
"I'll take that as a compliment!" Giovanni took a sip of coffee and smiled lightly.
The two of them conversed naturally, as if they'd known each other for a long time. At that moment, another voice came from the direction of the entrance.
"This is private property! Officer Jenny, please don't break in without a search warrant!"
Hearing this, both Brock and Misty turned their heads instinctively and saw Officer Jenny and several police officers surrounding the courtyard gate.
However, Giovanni's subordinates showed no politeness when facing the police. Perhaps because of their former identities as Team Rocket members, they instinctively disliked encountering police officers.
Although Team Rocket no longer existed, they still weren't afraid of offending the police, so they blocked their entry. Officer Jenny and the others had followed Ash and his friends here, believing the sacred fire was inside.
"The sacred fire has been stolen! We suspect the culprit is hiding here. Please don't interfere with official business!"
"If Officer Jenny doesn't have a search warrant, we can't let you in!"
The two sides faced off tensely. Giovanni's subordinates knew that Jessie and James had just brought the torch. If they allowed Officer Jenny and the others inside, the situation would become troublesome.
"Looks like a fight's about to break out. Aren't you going to handle this?" Ash glanced at the sacred fire on the table, then asked.
After hearing this, Giovanni leisurely set down his cup and looked toward the entrance.
"Let them in! We're law-abiding citizens. As Gym Trainers, our responsibility is to protect the city's safety. How could we be so rude?"
The subordinates outside were slightly stunned upon hearing this. Although they were surprised by the boss's decision, they still absolutely obeyed Giovanni's orders.
While their attitude toward the police remained less than friendly, they stepped aside and opened the gate to allow Officer Jenny and the others into the backyard. Suddenly, the previously quiet courtyard became quite lively.
Officer Jenny was also slightly startled when she saw Ash and his friends sitting in the garden. She'd been worried that they might be in danger coming here alone.
But seeing the scene before her left her a bit confused. However, she quickly noticed the container holding the sacred fire on the table.
"I knew it was you who stole the torch!" After seeing it, Officer Jenny's expression immediately darkened, and the police officers behind her stared intently with watchful eyes.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from inside the gym. Many former Team Rocket members ran out and looked at the police with equal wariness. The atmosphere between the two sides instantly grew tense.
Brock and Misty, sitting beside Ash, both became nervous. Being caught in the middle made them feel like they could barely breathe.
"Officer Jenny, don't make baseless accusations. I'm a Gym Trainer—how could I do such a thing? This was brought here by mistake, and I was just about to fulfill my duty as a good citizen by turning it over to the police! I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."
Faced with this situation, Giovanni showed no fear at all. He remained seated leisurely and spun his story. However, what he said was technically accurate—he hadn't personally stolen it.
"Do you really think we'll believe that?" Officer Jenny said through gritted teeth, clearly unwilling to accept his explanation.
"Officer Jenny, it's not a good habit to make accusations against innocent people!" At that moment, Giovanni's eyes also darkened, and a chilling aura emanated from him.
Officer Jenny froze for a moment, feeling a bone-deep chill. The police officers behind her sensed the intimidating presence and instinctively took a step back, swallowing nervously.
Giovanni hadn't paid too much attention to being watched before, and he knew that after announcing the disbandment, someone would definitely monitor him.
But being spied on constantly was still uncomfortable. Even though Team Rocket had disbanded, that didn't mean he would tolerate a few police officers pointing fingers at him.
For a moment, Officer Jenny didn't dare to act rashly. Orders from above had specified that they couldn't act recklessly toward Viridian Gym. All they were supposed to do was monitor their activities.
But now, with the sacred fire right here, they couldn't simply do nothing.
"Ahem... I'll just take this! Feel free to stop by for tea sometime."
At that moment, Ash coughed lightly, then stood up and picked up the container holding the sacred fire.
Officer Jenny looked slightly startled, seeing how easily Giovanni was letting Ash take the sacred fire away.
"Make sure you perform well in the League Conference! Don't lose too badly," Giovanni said with a casual smile, waving his hand dismissively.
"What's this? Don't say things like that when you're the one who got defeated!" Ash responded with an equally casual expression.
"What an insufferable brat!"
"Officer Jenny, let's go!" Ash heard the comment but paid it no mind. He walked over to Officer Jenny with the torch and spoke calmly.