To most other people—even without knowing his other persona as the leader of Team Rocket—Giovanni could be considered an intimidating man.

  Standing very tall, a couple of inches taller than William, dressed in a black suit, with a buzz cut, sharp and imposing features, and a devilish grin, most men wouldn't have met his glaring gaze and would have looked away. There was no shame in it.

  William considered it for a moment—not because he was intimidated, but because it might benefit him to come across as a weak man. To come across as a normal person. Everything Poseidon wasnt. After all, the one thing he needed from this meeting was for his identity not to be discovered.

  He pondered for a short moment as Giovanni closed the distance. William decided against it. He didn't want that image. He had already spent his time building up an image of a reliable and strong-willed man. He could use it in his favour.

  "William, right?" Giovanni asked, holding out his hand.

  "That's right." William shook it. He resisted the urge to grimace as Giovanni gripped hard—really hard. William returned the favour, clenching his hand, triggering equally firm pressure. Giovanni raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, nodding approvingly. They released their grips.

  "And you are Giovanni, right?" William asked. "The Gym Leader of Viridian City. You run a ground-type gym, right?"

  Giovanni nodded. "Correct," he leaned in closer. "You seem quite knowledgeable about Indigo. Are you from there?"

  "No," William shook his head. And so the interrogation begins. "My family and I are originally from Hoenn. I just have a natural…interest in Indigo. We are just so close to each other location-wise, I think it's good to know as much as I can."

  "For your business, right?" Giovanni questioned. He didn't move back, pressing even further.

  "Hm?"

  Giovanni chuckled. "It's good to know as much as you can for your business, right? Neptune Shipping. I heard you had plans of expanding there."

  "You caught me," William raised his hands in surrender with a smile. "To tell you the truth, after I heard about the attack on the SS Anne, I thought it might be a good idea to try and expand our services into Kanto and Johto. I already neutralised them in Hoenn, so I thought maybe I could do it there. Team Aqua can't be allowed to do whatever they want, no matter where they are."

  Giovanni's face darkened at the name. "Indigo has Team Aqua under control. That was a one-off attack."

  William shrugged, "Maybe so, but you also have Team Rocket, right? They are terrorising the region, stealing Pokemon from trainers. If they can't handle dealing with trainers on land, how can they expect to deal with them in the sea?"

  "Team Aqua won't be allowed to do whatever they want in our region. Trust me on that."

  …

  "I will. It's not every day I meet someone with as much…distaste for them. I'm glad you see them as who they are. Most people just think of them as pirates, raiding ships, taking valuables, causing no harm. I see them as something much worse."

  "Oh?"

  William cleared his throat. "I don't usually like to tell this story, but given our shared hatred of them, I don't mind…You see, back before I started Neptune Shipping, I was enjoying a cruise with my mother on a ship. It was a nice ship, a peaceful cruise, relaxing. That was until Team Aqua raided that ship. Took all our belongings. You see, my mother had a necklace—the only memory of my father—stolen," his voice cracked. " She had loved him very much, almost to the point of obsession. Wanted them to be together, forever. She tried to get it back. She clawed and lunged and swiped for it, to no avail, until they got sick of her and decided that it was enough." Tears were now welling up in William's eyes. He took a moment to wipe them. Giovanni was hooked on every word, his eyes open wide, not of grief, but of opportunity. "They took a barrel full of water and dunked her head in until she drowned. I screamed, but my cries were for nothing. Her hair pulled back, bubbles in the barrel—each millisecond of it was etched in my memory. And then they pulled her out. I watched her wet, lifeless, purple-faced body drop to the floor," Grief turned into conviction. Giovanni's eyes lit up. "And since then, I've spent every waking moment thinking about how to destroy Team Aqua. That's why I made Neptune Shipping.

  "Team Aqua are a purge on this world—a sickness. They must be destroyed in their entirety. That's why I was interested in the Indigo market. I simply wanted to make sure they never hurt the seas of Kanto and Johto. The lands with Team Rocket…not my problem. They have done me no harm. But the seas? I already forced them out of Hoenn. Now I'm looking to force them out of Indigo."

  Giovanni looked at William, and he saw an opportunity. Upon seeing that, William saw victory. Looks like my performance was good enough. Or he's too blinded by his own hatred to see the truth.

  "I…I agree with you. Indigo must be safe, free from foreign invaders threatening our seas and shores. You already dealt with them once; I'm sure you can deal with them again. How about this, I will…pass a motion up in the government, and see if we can get your ships into Indigo."

  I win, William thought. Outwardly, he showed no change in his expression. "Thank you so much," William said sincerely. "You won't regret this."

  After hours and hours of socialising, the Conference League finally started. The stadium had now filled up completely. From William's view above, the crowd blurred between thousands of people and a single, jumping, cheering entity. They roared with excitement and energy, adrenaline pumping through their veins.

  The first match began. It didn't include Steven, so half the people above continued socialising and drinking. Some went into private rooms with massive TVs streaming the game. Others, like William, watched from the glass. It was the best way to see a game. You had a bird's-eye view of the entire pitch; you could see everything that was going on.

  The match was between an Ace trainer and a Psychic specialist. It was nothing special. The tactics were mediocre. The trainers showed moments of hesitation. The Pokemon were strong, but they were missing something—hunger. In the end, the Ace trainer won. He let out a few lazy claps.

  A few more matches passed the same way. William heard a couple of yawns and complaints. They were all here for Steven. And then, their wishes were granted.

  The energy lifted a notch in the stadium. Conversations near William stopped, breaths hitched in anticipation. The commentator let the moment sit before announcing the matchup.

  "And now, for the moment you have all been waiting for! This man needs no introduction! You've all seen him, you've all heard of him. He is the talk of the region. The man on everyone's minds. The heir of Devon Corp! The Stone of Steel! The future of Hoenn! STEVEN STONE!"

  Even up in William's sanctuary, protected by glass, the cheers were booming. The glass began to shake.

  Steven walked out, a confident yet lax smile on his face. He was dressed formally, almost as if this were just another business event or a day at Devon Corp. He looked out toward the crowd, raising his hand and waving to his supporters.

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  "And on the other side! This girl herself has caused quite a stir as well! Known for her fiery and hotheaded personality…The Fire Princess! FLANNERY!"

  William recognised her. A future Gym Leader—but right now, she was a few years younger. She was dressed in jeans and a black crop top, her hair a pure red, spread out and spiky. If there was any pressure in facing the biggest prospect Hoenn had ever produced, she didn't show it. She wore a wide, fiery smile, teeth on display, clapping as the cheers echoed around her.

  They each went to their designated spots. The stadium hushed to a lull. The announcer went through the rules, as he did every match. He then leaned forward: "Are you both ready!?"

  Both Steven and Flannery nodded.

  "Start!"

  Steven sent out an Aggron, and Flannery her Houndoom. The most notable thing was the size of the Aggron. Maybe 12 feet, double the average. It probably weighs a ton, maybe two, as well, William thought.

  "Flamethrower!" Flannery called.

  "Dig!" Steven said.

  Each of them had a microphone on, their voices being played on speakers set throughout the stadium. Aggron buried beneath, the fire passing by harmlessly into the invisible barrier set up around the stadium. It dissipated against the energy shield.

  "Watch out below you!" Flannery said.

  But there was no movement beneath it. Instead, Aggron emerged from the ground. Houndoom launched another attack. Aggron dug beneath again, then emerged.

  William caught on quite quickly. "It's…"

  "Creating holes to dodge attacks," a voice said. William turned.

  "You're back so early," William taunted. "Did you enjoy speaking with everyone?"

  "No thanks to you," Lorelei huffed. "You tricked me."

  "You let yourself be tricked," William corrected. He didn't take his eyes off the fight. By now, Aggron had created numerous little holes in the ground for him to dodge ranged attacks.

  "It's smart. Aggron is a powerhouse in defence, but Flannery would never let it get near her Pokemon. She needs to stick to ranged attacks—but if Steven manipulates the battlefield so that range attacks do not work, then she will be forced to fight up close."

  "You know your stuff," Lorelei said. "Colour me impressed,"

  "I know a few things,"

  On the battlefield, things kicked up a notch. "Charge forward, Bulldoze!" Steven called.

  "Dodge it, keep your distance!"

  Lorelei winced as Houndoom moved out of the way, but slipped against one of the holes made underground. Steven took full advantage of it. Bulldoze hit the Houndoom full force. An unstoppable force met a very movable object. Houndoom was sent flying. He ricocheted against the energy field, bouncing back.

  "Headbutt!"

  Aggron jumped up, colliding with Houndoom in the middle of the air. His head, made with solid steel and rock, bashed into the stomach of Houndoom like a freight train. The impact reverberated through the stadium like a sonic boom.

  Houndoom was now launched upwards. Flannery let out a cry. Its body flailed helplessly in the air— obviously fainted. Flannery withdrew her Pokemon before it hit the ground. Behind her, on a great display were 7 icons, one with Flannery, the rest with pokeballs. Of those pokeballs, one of them showed her Houndoom. It was now colored grey.

  "He played everything perfectly. He set up those holes for dodging attacks. Each time he advanced, the positions on the battlefield changed, and so did how far those holes spread. Then, when he set everything up, he charged forwards, knowing the Houndoom would trip. He took advantage of that slight mistake and beat the Pokemon just like that," Lorelei analysed. "Truly frightening."

  "Do you feel threatened by Hoenn and its trainers?" William asked playfully.

  "Of course not. If it came down to it, I could beat him."

  William nodded, unsure of the validity of the statement. In the case of himself, he would like to think he could beat Steven. He had only seen the display right now, as well as a couple of other clips online, and from them he knew the battle would be close—but William was confident he could win. In any case, Steven was a threat.

  "Do you think she can win?" William asked, looking at Flannery.

  "No chance," Lorelei chuckled.

  Flannery sent her next Pokemon, and the battle continued.

  "I spoke with Giovanni before," William began.

  "Oh? You did?"

  "I did. We spoke about a few things, but it ended with him saying he would try and get my ships in Indigo."

  Lorelei let out an exhale through her nose. "Giovanni certainly isn't one to help people for no reason. What did you promise him, your soul?" She laughed.

  "We just had…common enemies, I suppose. Keep an eye out for it. When he does bring it forward, I'd like you to stand with him."

  Another one of Flannery's Pokemon fainted. The cheers grew louder.

  Lorelei turned towards William. William met her look. Red met blue. "And what makes you think I'd do that?"

  "Well, for starters, if I can get my ships in your waters, I can come visit you instead of you needing to visit me." He pointed out.

  "What?" Her cheeks flushed red. "Visit you? Visit me? I have never visited you."

  "You just did, a couple of minutes ago," William corrected with a smile.

  "No. I saw you alone and decided to strike up a conversation," Lorelei said.

  "And that was what I did before. You don't like speaking to people, yet…after just one conversation, you went out of your way to speak to me. You must like our conversations in some regard, right?"

  Her cheeks simmered down. She pushed up her glasses and crossed her arms. "I won't deny it. It's not often you meet someone who's not a complete bore, as well as someone who is as blunt as you. Because of how I look, the position I'm in, most things I hear nowadays are fake. That's why I don't like speaking to most people,"

  "Except for me?"

  "Except for a couple of people," she coughed. "Including you."

  William smiled. "Then there's your answer."

  By now it was 3-0. Flannery was down three Pokemon, while Steven's Aggron had scarcely been hurt.

  "It's going to be a whitewash," Lorelei said. "Do you know much about battling?"

  "I know some stuff. Nothing like fighting Gym leaders and Elite Four and Villain teams, the most I've done is a few friendly battles."

  "It's a shame," Lorelei said. "I would have thought a man like you would have a strong, powerful team."

  "Strength can come in many different ways," William replied. "Neptune has done more for the seas of Hoenn than any singular trainer ever could."

  "And because of that, they came to our seas. The raid on the SS Anne was a big blow to public perception. If I were there, I would have frozen the waters carrying their ships and taken care of them myself."

  "If I get my ships there, they will be taken care of. No need for any big battles or climactic duels. Just put my ships on your shores, and you will be safe."

  "Wow," Lorelei purred. "Now I see how you manage to convince Giovanni. You're awfully convincing, aren't you?"

  "The truth is convincing," William said. "A simple solution to an annoying problem, that's all."

  Then, something interesting happened. Steven sent out his Ace. Metagross. It was like a titan. Big, metal groaning under the sheer size of itself. The Camerupt, in turn, looked like a baby compared to it.

  "His Ace so soon?" Lorelei questioned. There were rumours of his powerful Metagross; however, no one had ever seen it before. Up until now. "It would be better to save it for when he's in trouble, take that moment to reveal it and use the lack of information about it to his advantage."

  "He doesn't believe he will be in trouble," William said. "He wants to send a message to everyone. Strike fear into the participants' hearts by showing how strong his ace is."

  "If that's the case…" Lorelei looked sadly at Flannery.

  "It will be over soon."

  "Earthquake!" Steven called. The metal groaned. Metagross raised the right side of its body up into the air and brought it down with a bang.

  It wasn't a traditional earthquake. No—rather than travelling through the entire area and shaking the ground, when Metagross' metal limbs slammed into the floor, it created an underground wave of seismic tremor, targeted and moving forward.

  The tremor exploded through the ground ahead, travelling in waves.

  "Protect!" Flannery desperately called.

  The attack caused a haze of dust to settle in the air, making it impossible for William to see. It took a good minute before the dust cleared, and when it did, Metagross stood victorious, one of its limbs holding down a now-fainted Camerupt.

  "So strong, yet so localised and controlled," Lorelei noted, whistling. "Looks like the future of your region is bright."

  "With me running Neptune, it was already bright." William countered

  Lorelei chuckled.

  "I plan to make Neptune the biggest shipping company in the world—not just the region."

  "You want control of the seas?"

  William shrugged. "Legally, I do. If I have control, I can make it a better place. No crime, no pollution, no problems. The Pokemon in there can live peacefully and without fear."

  "You're an awfully ambitious man, aren't you?"

  "To make it in this world, you have to be."

  "I guess so," Lorelei said cryptically.

  Another one of Flannery's Pokemon bit the dust. She was now down to her last Pokemon.

  Torkoal came out.

  By now the battlefield had turned into a complete mess. The digs, the earthquakes, it had made it so that any form of footing was impossible.

  There was a rule that if both trainers requested a field replacement, then the match would be temporarily stopped for a replacement to come in. Steven denied the request, however.

  The Metagross moved through the battlefield like it was second nature. Its limbs were massive, yet no matter what angle or slope it stood on, it remained stable.

  Using the environment he created to his advantage, he would be a problem in the future.

  Metagross quickly made work of the Torkoal. Flannery was a good trainer, but she was unfortunate to have gone against Steven, especially in the first round.

  He had won 6–0, barely breaking a sweat. He had walked off before the announcer even declared him victorious.

  William watched him walk off into the tunnel, eyes firmly locked on his retreating figure.