"I haven't registered Steyn's identity with the Pokémon League," Giovanni replied with a gentle smile. "As for the matter of obtaining a starter Pokémon, with my status and position, you needn't worry about that, Ash."
"After all, you know very well that being the Viridian Gym Leader isn't my only identity capable of enjoying certain privileges."
"As far as the Viridian Gym is concerned, registering a single disciple and a single successor—namely you—is more than enough. I have no intention of sending another genius disciple to the League."
Though the conversation between master and disciple sounded like casual family chatter, Giovanni had already answered the hidden question behind Ash's earlier inquiry.
Steyn wasn't the disciple of Giovanni, the Viridian Gym Leader.
He belonged to Team Rocket.
And most importantly, he wouldn't be competing with Ash for the right to inherit the Viridian Gym.
"Hehe... alright then." Ash nodded with a grin.
However, after replying, he said nothing further and simply looked at Giovanni with a smile, his meaning abundantly clear.
If Steyn wasn't the disciple of the Viridian Gym Leader, then inheriting the Viridian Gym was naturally one of the benefits Ash deserved as Giovanni's disciple.
And since Steyn belonged to Team Rocket, what exactly would Ash receive as compensation for treating him?
Seeing his smiling yet silent disciple staring at him, Giovanni understood immediately.
Far from criticizing Ash for being profit-minded, Giovanni considered this tacit understanding between master and disciple perfectly natural. Before bringing Steyn here, he had already prepared an appropriate reward.
"Oh, that's right, Ash. Two of my ace Pokémon recently laid eggs, so I happen to have two Pokémon Eggs in my possession at the moment."
"One is a Beedrill Egg, while the other is a Persian Egg."
"Both should possess extremely outstanding potential. I intend to hatch one for Steyn as his starter Pokémon, while the other is meant for you."
"After all, as a teacher, I can't show favoritism between my disciples, can I?" Giovanni said kindly.
Clap! Clap!
As soon as he finished speaking, Giovanni clapped his hands twice. Moments later, his secretary, Matori, pushed over a small cart. Resting atop a soft cushion upon the tray were two Pokémon Eggs.
"Ash, as my very first disciple—and considering that you'll also be treating Steyn—I shall allow you to choose first."
"The yellow-and-black tiger-striped egg belongs to Beedrill, while the pure beige one belongs to Persian."
Looking at the two Pokémon Eggs before him, Giovanni explained them with a faint smile.
"My teacher's ace Pokémon—Beedrill's and Persian's eggs?"
Hearing Giovanni's offer, even Ash couldn't help but be startled by such generous compensation.
Previously, when he had used Healing Grace to stabilize Mewtwo's collapsing genetic chain, Giovanni's payment had been an entire set of Mega Evolution equipment for Pidgeot—which had also included compensation for Jessie and the others attacking him, as well as his apprenticeship gift.
Later, when he treated an important Team Rocket member who had been critically injured and beyond conventional treatment, the compensation he requested was simply access to Pokémon possessing special moves for his move-learning research.
He had never expected that treating his junior fellow disciple Steyn—although it would require long-term restorative treatment rather than a one-time cure—would warrant such an extraordinary reward.
"Steyn is a very important disciple of mine—someone who cannot be compared to others. Besides, aren't you my disciple as well?" Giovanni replied meaningfully, offering only a partial explanation.
"I understand. Thank you, Teacher."
Although Ash knew Giovanni would never agree to an unfavorable transaction, he chose to ignore the latter half of Giovanni's explanation and simply assumed that his teacher greatly valued Steyn.
Since Giovanni was willing to offer such generous compensation, Ash naturally had no reason to refuse.
After all, whether it was Persian or Beedrill, both were Champion-level Pokémon. Their offspring were treasures that one could only dream of encountering in the outside world.
"System, scan the data of both Pokémon Eggs."
Looking at the two eggs before him, Ash silently issued his command.
[Ding! Scanning in progress. Please wait...]
[Beedrill Egg]
Level: —
Type: Bug / Poison
Nature: —
Ability: Shield Dust / Run Away
Potential: High Purple Potential
Moves: —
[Persian Egg]
Level: —
Type: Normal
Nature: —
Ability: Technician / Unnerve
Potential: Purple Potential
Moves: —
Although both Pokémon remained in their eggs, the System still displayed their detailed information in its entirety.
Since they had yet to hatch, certain attributes—such as their levels and natures—had not been finalized and therefore remained blank.
However, when it came to Pokémon Eggs, the thing Ash cared about most was their Potential. As long as he could see that, it would have little impact on his decision.
"As expected of Teacher Giovanni's ace Pokémon! Both the Beedrill Egg and Persian Egg possess Purple Potential. Even many Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon would struggle to match such extraordinary talent!"
Ash couldn't help but marvel inwardly upon seeing the information displayed by the System.
Among all the Pokémon on his current team, Pikachu—the Child of Destiny blessed with extraordinary fortune—possessed only Gold Potential.
Greninja, who bore the destiny of saving the Kalos region and carried a portion of an entire region's fortune upon its shoulders, possessed Purple Potential.
Yet the two Pokémon Eggs before him had likewise reached the Purple tier of Potential.
Who would ever imagine that the offspring of what many considered commonplace Pokémon such as Beedrill and Persian could possess such monstrous talent? Even many Tier-3 Legendary Pokémon could scarcely compare.
That said, there was still a difference between the two eggs.
The Persian Egg possessed ordinary Purple Potential and was slightly inferior to Greninja's.
The Beedrill Egg, however, possessed even greater potential among the Purple tier.
"As expected of Teacher Giovanni's strongest ace Pokémon. And considering that this Beedrill has been nurtured by Source Cleansing for decades, it's no surprise that its offspring possesses such astonishing talent."
After examining the Beedrill Egg's Potential, Ash couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
And having learned the Potential of both Pokémon Eggs, he had already arrived at his answer regarding which one he would choose.
--------------
T/N:
Access Advance Chapters on my
P@treon: [email protected]/PokePals