Ash was waiting for Giovanni to explain exactly what kind of favor he needed. If it involved Team Rocket's internal affairs, then Giovanni would have to offer appropriate compensation. Otherwise, there was no way Ash was going to work for Team Rocket for free.
After all, he was one of the good guys—the Light of Kanto and the future Champion of the Indigo League. He might be the disciple of Giovanni, the Viridian Gym Leader, but he had absolutely nothing to do with the evil organization known as Team Rocket.
"It's nothing particularly difficult," Giovanni replied. "I'm certain you can do it."
"It's about your junior fellow disciple, Steyn. He suffers from a congenital genetic disorder. His cells develop at a much faster rate than those of ordinary people, and the members of his entire family are rather short-lived."
"So I'd like you to use your healing abilities to help treat and restore his body."
Hearing Giovanni's explanation, Ash quietly breathed a sigh of relief. If it was merely treating his junior fellow disciple's condition, then it wasn't much of a problem at all.
Thinking back on how vigilant he had been just moments ago, Ash found it somewhat amusing.
After all, aside from possessing the Viridian Blessing, there wasn't really anything about him worth coveting—especially for someone like Giovanni, a Champion-level Trainer and the leader of an organization as vast as Team Rocket.
The previous two times Giovanni had asked for his help had likewise involved using Healing Grace to treat patients.
After all, Giovanni's own Viridian Blessing was incomplete, while Ash's Healing Grace possessed astonishing restorative abilities. Not only could it cure stubborn illnesses, but it was even highly effective against terminal diseases.
"Ash, what do you think?" Giovanni asked after noticing his prolonged silence.
After discovering that Ash possessed yet another hidden supernatural ability and realizing that his disciple had been concealing portions of his true talent, Giovanni had originally planned to nurture him into a force that would inject pressure and vitality into Team Rocket, whose development had gradually stagnated.
However, after learning that Ash's talent was even more terrifying than he had initially imagined, Giovanni had begun to worry that he might simply be nurturing his own future enemy.
What if, after Ash had fully matured, he could no longer keep him under control?
What if the fully grown Ash didn't become a source of pressure that drove Team Rocket's growth, but instead brought about its complete destruction?
After all, Ash's talent as a Pokémon Trainer was simply monstrous. In just over half a year since receiving his starter Pokémon and becoming a Trainer, he had already raised Pokémon to the Gym-Class level.
Such extraordinary talent and frightening intellect left even Giovanni—a man who had seen countless geniuses throughout his lifetime—secretly astonished.
Fortunately, on a whim born from his desire to research the complete form of the Viridian Blessing, Giovanni had previously asked Doctor Fuji to cultivate a clone using cells extracted from Ash's hair follicles.
Theoretically speaking, the clone, Ashtwo, possessed talent no less extraordinary than Ash's own.
And coupled with Ashtwo and Mewtwo—who would officially come into existence in another year or two—neither Ash nor the Kanto League would be capable of hindering Team Rocket's future expansion.
At that time, Team Rocket would undoubtedly achieve its grand ambition of conquering the Pokémon world.
In short, Ashtwo was of utmost importance—not only to Giovanni personally but also to Team Rocket's future ambitions.
Had Ashtwo successfully awakened the Viridian Blessing and gained the ability to heal himself, Giovanni would never have troubled Ash over this matter.
Firstly, any assistance involving Team Rocket came at a price when it involved Ash. Giovanni knew very well that his disciple wasn't the type to work without compensation.
Secondly, Giovanni had never intended to expose Ashtwo's existence before Ash this early.
Although Ashtwo had concealed his identity with great care, considering Ash's almost monstrous intelligence, there was no guarantee he wouldn't notice something unusual and discover clues about the truth.
However, after Ashtwo repeatedly failed to awaken the Viridian Blessing, Giovanni had no choice but to seek Ash's help, even if it meant paying an appropriate price.
After all, Ashtwo was simply too important. Regardless of the cost, Giovanni could not allow anything to happen to him.
Seeing the slight hesitation in Ash's attitude regarding Ashtwo's treatment, Giovanni couldn't help feeling somewhat anxious.
"Treating Junior Brother Steyn certainly isn't a problem. He's my junior fellow disciple, after all. Helping him with something like this is only natural."
Ash hadn't used Aura Perception to pry into either Giovanni's or Ashtwo's thoughts and was completely unaware of the hidden truths behind the matter. Moreover, because Ashtwo gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity and closeness, he didn't feel the slightest reluctance to help treat him.
The reason for his momentary hesitation...
Was because he was wondering what kind of compensation he should ask Giovanni for.
"Oh, that's right, Teacher. Have you already registered Steyn's identity with the Pokémon League?"
"If he has been properly registered, then as the disciple of the Viridian Gym Leader, he'll also qualify to receive a starter Pokémon ahead of schedule, along with the various benefits that come with that status."
Although he had verbally agreed to help treat Steyn, Ash made no move to begin immediately. Instead, he abruptly changed the subject and asked a seemingly unrelated question.
Ashtwo had only been born recently and didn't yet fully understand the complexities of human relationships and hidden meanings. Hearing Ash's words, he genuinely believed his Senior Brother was concerned about him, and an inexplicable sense of gratitude and affection arose within his heart.
Giovanni, however, was a seasoned veteran who had weathered countless storms throughout his lifetime. The moment he heard Ash's question, he immediately understood the hidden implications concealed beneath his disciple's seemingly casual inquiry.
Ash's words actually carried two separate meanings.
The first was to confirm Steyn's true identity—whether he was the disciple of the Viridian Gym Leader or the disciple of Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni.
The second was even more straightforward.
If Steyn was Team Rocket Leader Giovanni's disciple, then Giovanni needed to understand that Ash wouldn't be helping for free.
If Steyn was instead the disciple of the Viridian Gym Leader, then Ash wouldn't demand excessive compensation—but under no circumstances could Steyn compete with him for the position and qualifications of the Viridian Gym's future successor.
So he's interested in inheriting the Viridian Gym? That's understandable. Compared to the Elite Four and Champion positions—which are periodically challenged and replaced—a Gym is effectively private property. Unless the Gym Leader commits some grave offense, it can be inherited by future generations.
Realizing the hidden meaning behind Ash's words, Giovanni couldn't help but feel even greater admiration for his disciple.
This boy truly plans every move before he makes it. Before agreeing to anything, he's already begun securing his future interests.
A smile of approval appeared in Giovanni's eyes.
Turning his gaze toward Ashtwo—who still believed he was merely being cared for by his Senior Brother and whose eyes were filled with heartfelt gratitude—Giovanni couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Although Ashtwo's talent was theoretically no less extraordinary than Ash's own, he had only existed for a short time. Compared to Ash, the difference between their intellects and maturity was simply incomparable.
While Ashtwo would undoubtedly become increasingly outstanding after sufficient time and careful guidance, Giovanni had to admit that he still preferred and was more satisfied with Ash as his disciple.
It's a pity, Giovanni thought regretfully, that he refuses to embrace the darkness and instead remains steadfast in his pursuit of that hypocritical light.
Though he felt somewhat sentimental, Giovanni nevertheless chose to explain the situation after understanding the hidden meaning behind Ash's seemingly innocent question.