I am Giovanni

Chapter 71: A Forced Proposal

"Achoo! Achoo!"

Two sneezes echoed through the silent, corpse-strewn ruins. On one side of the clearing, stirred up by the Onix's rampage, Giovanni and his Beedrill emerged from the shadows. On the other side, the Meowth did the same. They looked at each other across the clearing, and for a moment, they saw a mutual appreciation in each other's eyes—and beyond that, a fierce sense of competition.

Boom!

A muffled thunderclap sounded from the distance, like a starting gun.

"Beedrill!" Giovanni shouted. His partner instantly picked him up and headed towards the spot where the Onix had emerged. The Meowth, seeing Giovanni move a step faster than it, became anxious and rushed over as well.

What good could be found on a few dead Team Rocket grunts? But a Senior-level Rock-and-Ground-type Pokémon like Onix shouldn't be living in a forest. There had to be something special about this place.

Because Giovanni acted first, he arrived first. He was also very unsportsmanlike. He released his Nidorino and Machop, pointed at the fuming Meowth, and said, "Stop it!"

Clang!

Beedrill lightly tapped its twin stingers, its red eyes filled with eagerness. Machop and Nidorino also grinned, surrounding the clever cat. The Meowth could only let out roars of anger.

Giovanni didn't care. He immediately jumped into the large pit left behind by the Onix. The pit was full of rubble, with bite marks on the stones. As soon as he jumped in, he felt a strong energy. He closed his eyes and used the power of Viridian, quickly discovering the source. He didn't care if it was dirty; he started digging.

After digging out a few half-eaten stones, metallic ores appeared in his line of sight. This was the source of the energy. He frowned, then the name of an item came to mind: Metal Coat. This was a raw, unrefined Metal Coat, and one of quite good quality.

No wonder the Onix had stayed here. If it had used this, it might have had a chance to evolve into a Steelix and breakthrough. It was a pity for it that it had been disturbed. Now, the treasure was his.

But what do I do with a Metal Coat? Giovanni wondered. Scyther? Then, a flash of inspiration hit him. Scyther is a Bug-type. Beedrill is also a Bug-type. Can I repurpose this for Beedrill? It was a long shot, but it made some sense, even if it was a stretch. It could increase the hardness and sharpness of its stingers, and even boost its defense.

And when it Mega Evolved... those stingers would be terrifying.

He searched again, but besides the Metal Coat, there was nothing else. Onix was a rock-eater; there wasn't much else to expect. Looking up at the high pit, he awkwardly shouted, "One of you, come down and get me."

Buzz, buzz!

Beedrill flew down, picked up Giovanni, and then, without stopping, flew towards the Meowth, which was still entangled with Machop and Nidorino. It clearly hadn't had enough of a fight.

"Meow!" the Meowth cried out when it saw Giovanni emerge.

"You're asking what I found?" Giovanni said, guessing its meaning. "Just this." He shook the raw Metal Coat in his hand, showing it off. It was useless to the Meowth. The cat's eyes showed clear disdain. It preferred rounder, shinier things.

It shook its head, then once again used Pay Day, the shower of gold coins forcing Machop and Nidorino back. It distanced itself from them, clearly intending to make a quick escape.

"BZZZT!" Beedrill hissed, provocatively shaking its large stingers. The Meowth disdainfully glanced at it, as if it wouldn't bother arguing with a brute, its arrogant demeanor almost infuriating Beedrill to death.

Giovanni, however, was very interested in this Meowth. Its potential was high, and he was, after all, a cat lover.

"Hey, Meowth," he said, his voice surprisingly kind. "Are you interested in becoming my Pokémon? In seeing a wider world with me?" He let a small amount of the power of Viridian flow from him.

The Meowth looked at him with some confusion, not expecting such an offer. His gaze was too intense.

"This mere Viridian Forest," Giovanni continued, "is but the most insignificant corner of this world. Don't you like treasures? There are countless treasures outside of here. If you come with me, perhaps you'll get to see a better world, and obtain more treasures than you can imagine."

The Meowth, under Giovanni's description, began to let its imagination run wild. It had stayed in this forest long enough. No Pokémon doesn't want to see the wider world. It was indeed somewhat moved.

"Join me," Giovanni said with a smile, "Otherwise... I'll just have to forcibly capture you." He raised his hand towards the Meowth, slowly clenching it into a fist, his expression one of absolute determination. "I've taken a liking to you. Even if it means doing the unsavory, I will have you."

The Meowth was caught off guard by his forced proposal. It glanced towards the depths of the forest, then still shook its head, rejecting him— but its body did not turn around.