"What does the boss want with us?"
The rooftop circular platform of Team Rocket headquarters was packed with people. All those present were Team Rocket's top executives and core members. If anyone killed them all, Team Rocket would be wiped out.
"I don't know. I heard it's something important."
Those who had been summoned whispered among themselves.
"Could it be that the boss was defeated by that kid?"
One of the Team Rocket members said, "Bullshit! Don't you know the boss's strength? How could that kid be a match for him?"
The Team Rocket member next to him slapped the one who had just spoken on the back of the head. "But that kid hasn't come down since he went up there."
Another Team Rocket member said, "That kid's probably dead at the boss's hands."
The whispers of Team Rocket members on the platform reached the ears of the ten captains at the front.
"Quiet down, all of you!" The second captain, Proton, shouted at the whispering Team Rocket members behind him. Hearing the captain's shout, the noisy platform instantly fell silent.
After some time, Giovanni's office door opened. Giovanni walked in first, followed by Ash, who was now wearing the same suit as Giovanni, looking even more imposing than before.
"It's that kid..."
"He's still alive!"
"Speaking of which, why is that guy wearing the same clothes as the boss?"
"Did the boss take him in as a subordinate?"...
"Shut up!" Ariana, annoyed by the noise, shouted back.
Hearing Ariana's shout, the platform returned to silence.
"Boss, what's with that brat next to you?"
Dr. Steel had already betrayed the team, but before that, he held a higher position than the captains, so he stood in front of the captains, closest to Giovanni.
"Alright, alright, everyone listen to me." Giovanni didn't ignore Dr. Steel, but instead addressed the entire Team Rocket group on the platform.
"Ahem, from now on, this boy next to me, Ash, will replace me as the leader of Team Rocket. He will be in charge of everything related to Team Rocket. I will be leaving Team Rocket." Giovanni cleared his throat and said.
"Why, Boss?"
"Boss, why are you quitting! Did this kid do something to you? I'll cripple him right now!"
"Boss, what's going on! We don't want a little brat interfering!"...
Hearing Giovanni's words, even the captains and Dr. Steel were startled. However, unlike the other team members who were chattering, they all fell into deep thought. Only Domino still had a smile on her face, while Dr. Steel was also delighted. Although he didn't know how Ash got Team Rocket, his goal was to change the world, to give Ash control. Now that he had achieved his goal, Dr. Steel didn't care about the process; he only cared about the result.
"Alright, alright, quiet down."
Giovanni calmed his voice at this moment.
"This is something I've planned for a long time. I was originally going to hand over the position to Ash. I had you all try to stop him to see how much he had improved, to see if he had the strength to take over Team Rocket. And you've all seen his strength; he definitely has the ability to take over Team Rocket."
Giovanni said slowly. Hearing Giovanni's words, all the team members fell silent.
"From this moment forward, Ash is the new leader of Team Rocket. Everything in Team Rocket is Ash's decision. Furthermore, Domino will replace me to assist Ash in management. Everything else will continue as usual. Does anyone have any questions?" Giovanni asked.
No one spoke; the platform fell silent.
"Very well, then I declare that from this moment forward, Ash is the new leader of Team Rocket, and he will be in charge of all management from now on." Seeing no objections, Giovanni directly handed over the leadership of Team Rocket to Ash. He then said a few more words and presented Ash with two badges: a gold Marsh Badge from Saffron City and a green Earth Badge from Viridian City. Only then did Ash realize that Giovanni, besides being the leader of Team Rocket, was also a Gym Leader. With these two badges, Ash was only one badge away from his goal: eight badges to qualify for the Pokémon League.
After Giovanni finished everything, he quietly boarded a plane and flew away, leaving only Team Rocket and Ash behind. Ash, being the new leader, had to say a few words, but he was so nervous he didn't even know what he was saying. It was Domino who smoothed things over, and everything was finally resolved satisfactorily. The core members of Team Rocket returned to their posts and resumed their normal work.
Ding! Due to special circumstances surrounding the mission, the reward has been reduced. The reward is that all Pokémon will be leveled up by 10.
Ash frowned upon hearing this, but didn't say anything. After all, he hadn't completed either of the two missions, so receiving a reward was already a good thing.
Ash's first act as the new leader was to release the mayor of Saffron City. He then lied to the mayor, saying the city's Gym Leader had been killed by the previous leader. Ash wasn't about to let go of what was already his, and he told the mayor that Team Rocket would no longer block city like that, wanting to do legitimate business and reform. He asked the mayor to look after them. The mayor, seeing that his new leader was young and didn't seem particularly cunning, agreed. After seeing the mayor off, Ash was left with only Domino and Dr. Steel.
"Boss, are you really going to let Team Rocket do legitimate business from now on?" Dr. Steel asked from the side.
"We should do some legitimate business, like opening a swimming pool or a restaurant. As for the shady business, we'll still do it, but we'll keep it discreet. By the way, Domino, have the Team Rocket teams in the other cities open a few more legitimate shops. It's not good for us to always be dealing in illegal Pokémon and supplies."
Ash had already figured out Team Rocket's main business methods after talking with Giovanni. Team Rocket made a living selling powerful Pokémon and supplies, sometimes acting as enforcers and collecting protection money, basically, not a legitimate organization. Ash wanted them to do something more legitimate so they could have a stable income.
"Yes, boss, I'll get on it right away." Domino obediently went to give orders to the Team Rocket teams in the other cities.
"By the way, Dr. Steel, where did you hide that Gym Leader?"
Ash turned to Dr. Steel and asked.
"In my lab, absolutely untouched."
Dr. Steel replied immediately.
"Good, let's go check on that Gym Leader now."
Ash licked his lips, revealing a lewd grin.
"Okay, okay, boss, this way please." Seeing Ash's expression, Dr. Steel immediately grinned lewdly. However, an old man grinning lewdly was obviously a bit disgusting. "You're seventy or eighty years old and still grinning so lewdly." 'I need to find a way to get all the men out of headquarters, hehe.'