Pokémon: I’m Really Not a Team Rocket Spy

"Looks like Lance is pretty busy... But it's almost time for us to get moving too."

Watching Lance's retreating figure, Maki sighed softly.

"Char?"

Charmander looked puzzled. Maki had seemed so cheerful just a moment ago, but now his mood had suddenly turned somber. Worried, the little Pokémon tugged at the hem of Maki's pants.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about the future."

Maki patted Charmander on the head and reassured it with a smile.

Even though his approach to Lance had no particular ulterior motive—Lance had been the one to initiate contact—Maki couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

After all, in many ways, he had deceived Lance, and he would continue to do so until Team Rocket's plans came to fruition—or until his identity was exposed.

But that fool... he seemed to truly regard Maki as a friend.

Even so, Maki could never betray Giovanni.

Shaking his head, Maki decided to push these troubling thoughts aside for now.

Pulling out his phone, he noticed a string of unanswered messages from Sabrina. She had texted him during their meal, but because Lance was present, Maki hadn't responded.

Opening the messages, he found several question marks Sabrina had sent after not getting a reply.

Maki hurriedly replied with a simple "Got it" before scrolling up to review her earlier messages.

The gist of it was that Agatha, a member of the Elite Four, was about to arrive, and Sabrina warned Maki to be careful.

Judging by how rushed Lance had seemed earlier, it was likely related to this.

"What were you doing earlier? Why didn't you reply?"

Even through the screen, Maki could almost hear Sabrina's voice.

"It was that Dragon Clan guy I mentioned before! Since Agatha is coming, you'll probably be busy too. Make sure you're prepared!"

Maki quickly changed the subject. As the acting Gym Leader of Saffron City, Sabrina would inevitably be involved in coordinating with the League during Agatha's visit.

Though Sabrina wasn't particularly strong as a pure Pokémon Trainer, her psychic abilities made her a formidable ally.

As for her safety, Maki wasn't worried. With her psychic powers, it was nearly impossible for anyone to touch her.

After sending the message, Maki felt a wave of relief when Sabrina didn't send anything further.

He also sent a message to Giovanni, asking about the Indigo League Conference Lance had mentioned. Giovanni responded swiftly.

Apparently, Giovanni had been aware of the conference but hadn't mentioned it because it was still six months away.

Just as Maki returned to his room, Giovanni called him directly.

"Where did you hear about the Indigo League Conference? Sabrina usually doesn't pay attention to League affairs, so she probably doesn't know about it yet."

"I met someone from the Dragon Clan family in Saffron City."

"A Dragon Trainer?"

"Yes, Lance."

"Lance?"

Seated in his office, Giovanni frowned slightly, leaning back in his chair as if trying to recall something.

"I vaguely remember him—a young member of the Dragon Clan family," Giovanni said after a moment.

"And he just told you about it?"

"Not exactly. He just hinted at it, and I pieced the rest together myself."

"Your guess is correct. The League plans to use the next Indigo League Conference as a bridge to connect the different regions. However, the details haven't been finalized yet; the old geezers are still busy squabbling over profits."

Though the Pokémon World Tournament served as a link between regions, it was limited to Master Ball-level battles, which didn't foster widespread interregional interaction. The League likely devised this plan to address that.

If fully implemented, it would undoubtedly lead to a redistribution of resources.

"Agatha has already arrived in Saffron City. Be cautious around her. That old fox is sharp—don't let her catch on to anything. If something unexpected happens, use Dragonite and retreat immediately."

After discussing the Indigo League Conference, Giovanni issued another reminder.

"By the way, what about Mew? Any progress?"

Maki recalled that he had recently provided Giovanni with intelligence on Mew, prompting Giovanni to take action personally.

"There were traces of an alternate dimension, but it had already escaped," Giovanni said with a hint of regret.

If Giovanni had encountered Mew instead of Maki, he would never have allowed it to get away.

"And Silver? How's he doing?"

Maki also thought of his long-absent younger brother, wondering how he was faring in Johto.

At the mention of Silver, Giovanni's expression twitched slightly, as if recalling something unpleasant.

"Ahem. Don't worry about him; I'm keeping an eye on things. Also... take care of Sabrina."

With that cryptic remark, Giovanni hung up, leaving Maki perplexed.

"Take care of Sabrina? Does she even need taking care of? Shouldn't it be more about keeping her from causing trouble for others?"

In Giovanni's office, a man in a Team Rocket uniform handed Giovanni a document.

"Elm... New Bark Town... Starter Pokémon... Lyra?"

After reviewing the report, Giovanni's headache seemed to intensify. While Maki's mission was proceeding smoothly, his own son was proving to be a constant source of surprises.

"How did he manage to steal it?"

Even Giovanni looked puzzled by the report's conclusion.

"Silver snuck into the lab when no one was around. The operatives assigned to protect him didn't intervene," the subordinate explained.

Apparently, the two operatives had been so stunned when they saw Silver enter the lab that they froze, unsure whether to follow.

"Let him handle it himself," Giovanni said with a sigh, tossing the document aside.

"Understood!"

The subordinate turned to leave but was stopped by Giovanni.

"Wait!"

"Investigate someone for me—Lance of the Dragon Clan family. He should still be in Saffron City."

"Do you need us to take any action?"

"No, just gather information discreetly."

"Understood!"

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