Giovanni—ambushed by Team Rocket?!
The moment Grey heard that, he nearly lost it.
So you're telling me Team Rocket's boss got jumped by Team Rocket?
And then got hospitalized?
What a show.
Grey sighed inwardly.
He had to admit it—Giovanni played this "wounded soldier" act beautifully.
Not only did he successfully move Colress elsewhere, he even wrapped himself in a shiny layer of "brave protector" on top.
Now, to anyone watching, the Viridian Gym Leader looked like a loyal League pillar doing his duty. Who would ever suspect he had anything to do with Team Rocket?
Grey turned off his phone screen, quietly evaluating Giovanni's move.
He protected an important chess piece and put on the perfect disguise at the same time.
At this very moment, the League's higher-ups were probably drafting a commendation for the "injured" Gym Leader.
"…Sigh."
Grey exhaled and looked at Caitlin with an apologetic gaze. "Looks like we'll have to change today's plans."
Then he turned to Erika and gave a small nod. "Gym Leader Erika, could I trouble you to show Caitlin around Celadon City? Sabrina and I probably need to get to the hospital as soon as possible to visit Gym Leader Giovanni."
Erika understood immediately. Her kimono sleeve swayed softly with the motion as she nodded. "Of course. Please go without worry. I'll make sure Miss Caitlin has a proper tour of Celadon City."
She turned to Caitlin and smiled gently. "Miss Caitlin, I'll arrange today's itinerary for you."
…
…
"Gym Leader Grey, Gym Leader Sabrina—please give Gym Leader Giovanni my regards."
Erika walked them to the Gym entrance and waved goodbye.
Caitlin pressed her lips together without speaking, but she still nodded lightly.
Only her fingers, without realizing it, tightened around the hem of her skirt.
…Why did this have to happen?
Caitlin couldn't help feeling a little upset.
She'd been supposed to go on a date with Grey today—yet first thing in the morning, the League suddenly assigned Grey and Giovanni to arrest Colress.
Colress got captured, sure—but during the transfer, he was rescued.
And the man known as Kanto's strongest Gym Leader was now lying in a hospital bed.
Even someone as proud as Caitlin had to admit it: anyone capable of taking down a Champion-tier trainer was no ordinary threat.
That made all of Caitlin's earlier irritation toward Giovanni vanish completely.
You couldn't be angry at someone who was injured.
"Miss Caitlin, shall we go?"
Erika stepped lightly to Caitlin's side. Seeing the faint redness at the corner of her eyes, Erika didn't need words to understand that disappointment.
The anticipation of traveling across regions, the carefully chosen outfit, all the things she hadn't gotten to say—gone, just like that.
Just thinking about it made Erika feel for her.
Caitlin had flown all the way from Sinnoh to Kanto, and the person she came to see had basically vanished the moment she arrived. If it were Erika, she might've broken down on the spot.
At least Caitlin seemed fairly strong under pressure.
Even with something like this, she was only clenching her fists.
And as a fellow Psychic-type specialist… Caitlin's temper should be better than Sabrina's…
…Probably.
That was what Erika told herself.
After all, Erika was one of the rare trainers who had witnessed Sabrina lose her temper and somehow survived.
Meanwhile, Caitlin so far had looked like a perfectly obedient, well-bred young lady.
So Erika assumed Caitlin would be easier to deal with than Sabrina.
"…Mm."
Caitlin nodded blankly, looking dazed as she stared after Grey's retreating back. Her golden hair began to whip around messily—stirred by psychic power.
"…?!"
Erika's mouth fell open slightly.
She'd literally just decided Caitlin was more "normal" than Sabrina, and Caitlin immediately hit her with that as a warning shot?!
Ding-dong—
Right then, Caitlin's phone rang sharply.
She instinctively checked it—and saw it was a message from Grey.
[Dojo Annihilape: Voice message 6s.]
It was a voice message.
Caitlin tapped it, and Grey's voice came through.
"This week I'll definitely find time to be with you. Don't be sad, okay?"
"Miss Caitlin, Gym Leader Grey is worried about you." Erika let out a breath of relief. "I've honestly never seen Gym Leader Grey show concern for someone like this before."
Caitlin's volume was high enough that Erika heard it too.
Just hearing it made everything feel sweet, warmth rising in her chest.
Even the psychic power that had been on the verge of flaring up inside Caitlin smoothed out instantly under those words.
Grey—absolute master at calming psychics.
That thought popped into Erika's mind, and she genuinely felt Grey could become a therapist or something.
Not just Sabrina—Caitlin, too, seemed to have fewer psychic "outbursts" because of him.
That had to count for something.
Of course, if Erika actually said that to Grey, he'd probably laugh and politely refuse.
After all, he was a Gym Leader.
And therapy required a huge amount of patience.
Given what Grey was really like, Erika suspected he'd want to punch his patient after five sentences.
"Gym Leader Erika, let's go."
After hearing Grey's voice message again, Caitlin's mood improved noticeably.
Erika finally relaxed.
She should've asked Grey for more voice messages.
Next time Caitlin "went berserk," Erika could just play one for her on the spot.
"…Mm."
…
…
The VIP ward section of Celadon City General Hospital was unnervingly quiet, with only the steady beeping of monitors.
Giovanni's Pokémon had been rushed to the Pokémon Center next door, where Nurse Joy was personally caring for them.
And this "injured" Gym Leader lay in a private suite, a League sympathy bouquet sitting on the bedside table.
Grey and Sabrina's footsteps echoed clearly down the corridor.
As the first colleagues to come visit, they registered at the nurses' station and noticed the visitor list for the day was already packed with names from the League's upper ranks.
"Looks like Gym Leader Giovanni is even more popular in the League than I thought," Grey said—then immediately realized it made perfect sense.
On the surface, Giovanni wasn't just the Viridian Gym Leader. He was also one of Kanto's most prominent charitable businessmen.
The taxes his real estate companies paid every year probably funded half the League's investigative division.
Not to mention all those foundations branded as "promoting harmony between Pokémon and humans"—the kind of gold-plated projects politicians loved most.
Thinking that, Grey just smiled and shook his head, then stopped in front of the hospital room.
The moment he pushed the door open, the sharp scent of disinfectant washed over him.
Sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting striped shadows across the bed—cutting Giovanni's pale face into alternating slivers of light and dark.
"Gym Leader Grey… cough… forgive me… I was powerless…"
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810