Chapter 1: Even I Could've Been That Runner-Up
Indigo Plateau — the packed-to-the-rafters Indigo Stadium.
The sunglasses-wearing MC standing on the elevated platform was red in the face with excitement, screaming into his microphone until his voice cracked.
"Oh my God! I can't believe it! Boruto's Ninetales has gone down — and that was his last Pokémon!
Let's hear it for Mammon! Using only a single Annihilape, he's managed to sweep all six of Boruto's Pokémon and claim victory at this year's Indigo Conference!"
The moment the MC's words landed, the entire stadium erupted into a deafening roar of cheers.
"LET'S GOOOO! MAMMON, YOU ABSOLUTE BEAST!! AHHHHH! MAMMON!"
"My man is just TOO cracked, oh my God! A clean 6-0 sweep in the FINALS?!"
"Easiest episode ever, I'm dead lmao. Even I could've been that runner-up — it's not like it matters when you're getting 6-0'd anyway."
"Called it. The son of Viridian's Gym Leader — obviously a cut above the rest! Kanto's got another powerhouse, let's go!"
The crowd was absolutely electric, and for good reason — the young man at the center of it all was simply that dazzling.
He'd only started his journey this year, yet he'd displayed an overwhelming level of dominance throughout the entire Indigo Conference, steamrolling every opponent in his path.
With just one Annihilape, he'd blasted through the whole tournament.
Without exception, every single opponent had been effortlessly crushed by that terrifyingly powerful Annihilape — and the finals were no different.
Yet the black-clad young man at the center of all this attention simply let out a bored yawn, shoved his hands into his pockets, and didn't even bother looking at his opponent.
His aloof, couldn't-care-less attitude somehow came across as cool and rebellious to the adoring crowd.
Well — that was always their impression of Mammon.
A genius prodigy like him having a bit of an attitude? Totally normal, right?
"Tch. A third-rate Trainer with fourth-rate Pokémon, and he still made it to the finals. Pathetic."
Mammon glanced over at his opponent on the other side of the field — the poor guy was doubled over, sobbing his eyes out — and couldn't help but click his tongue.
Too weak. Way, way too weak. So weak it was draining his will to even compete.
This was the level of the Indigo Conference? And here he'd actually had a tiny shred of hope for the tournament before his journey started.
A baby league full of easy pickings. What a bore.
Becoming champion of the Indigo Conference didn't mean anything worth bragging about to Mammon — it wasn't like he'd become the Kanto Champion or anything.
Especially not with a finalist this bad.
Once the awards ceremony wrapped up, Mammon left the Indigo Plateau, bringing a less-than-"perfect" end to his Kanto journey. He figured it was time to shift his focus to his real work.
Viridian City — a city where flowers bloom in every season. The name says it all: an eternal, evergreen lushness.
True to its name, the entire city was overflowing with greenery and blossoms, and its residents were passionate lovers of nature.
Among all the cities in the Kanto region, Viridian City was one of the most distinctive.
The Viridian Gym was one of Kanto's officially sanctioned Gyms, led by Giovanni — a Ground-type specialist and currently the most highly regarded Gym Leader in the entire region.
Why, you ask?
The Pewter and Cerulean Gyms were both going through awkward transitional phases. Lt. Surge at the Vermilion Gym had a tendency to go way too hard on challengers.
The Saffron Gym had rumors of some kind of entity lurking inside. Erika at the Celadon Gym had a habit of falling asleep and being absolutely impossible to wake up.
The Fuchsia Gym… according to challengers, your personal safety couldn't be guaranteed once you stepped inside.
The Cinnabar Gym — wait, that place actually exists? Isn't it just a myth that only shows up on the League's website?
Amid this circus of Gym Leaders, the Viridian Gym occasionally closed when its Leader went on training excursions, but it still managed to come across as refreshingly normal by comparison.
On top of that, Giovanni himself was a mature, composed, and highly skilled individual. As a Ground-type specialist, he was anything but reclusive — he'd compiled his expertise into a widely circulated book called Secrets of the Earth.
That kind of grandmaster generosity earned him the admiration and respect of countless Trainers. He was deeply beloved.
The Viridian Gym naturally had glowing reviews across the board, and Giovanni was even hailed as the strongest Gym Trainer in all of Kanto.
But nobody knew what this outstanding Gym Leader's true face really looked like.
"Dad, I'm home."
Mammon pushed open the office door and made a beeline for the couch, flopping onto it without a shred of grace.
"That was a long trip back, I'm beat. Hey, Matori — come give me a shoulder rub."
"Viridian City is quite a ways from the Indigo Plateau."
Giovanni — his hair cropped in a clean, no-nonsense buzzcut — let out a small chuckle. When it came to his precious son's laziness, he was utterly helpless.
His secretary, Matori, walked over behind Mammon and began gently massaging his shoulders.
"So — how does it feel to win the Indigo Conference?" Giovanni rose and took a seat by the coffee table.
"Honestly? I didn't expect the Indigo Conference to be that bad." Mammon had nothing but contempt for his so-called "competition."
"That's because you're simply too strong, Young Master." Matori's voice was cool and detached, but the way she looked at Mammon was… complicated.
"I told you — at your level, the Indigo Conference was never going to be a challenge." Giovanni smiled faintly.
As the Viridian Gym Leader, he had a solid grasp on the caliber of this year's competitors. After all, some of them had earned their badges from him.
And his son — whom he'd personally trained since childhood — mopping the floor with those washout Trainers? Completely expected.
This was the son he was most proud of, and Giovanni had never once doubted that.
Gifted. Prodigious. Those were the labels that had been stuck to Mammon since he was little. Sharp and mature beyond his years, Mammon had never given Giovanni a single reason to worry.
On top of that, Mammon's talent as a Trainer had been nothing short of extraordinary — and just like his father, he'd been chosen by Viridian Forest, blessed with the Power of Viridian.
Giovanni believed Mammon would carve out a brilliant future of his own — one that would surely surpass even his.
He'd always doted on Mammon, spoiled him rotten. Especially after that incident — even more so.
But as Mammon grew older, he seemed to have gone a little… sideways.
For example, last year — Giovanni had Mammon fill in for him as acting Viridian Gym Leader while he went off to handle organization business.
When he came back that evening, he heard… certain sounds coming from behind his office door. His son. And his secretary.
God only knows what was going through Giovanni's head at that moment.
His brain went completely blank, and a stampede of a thousand Tauros thundered through his mind.
Mammon had only been fifteen! Matori, how could you do this?!
His thoughts a tangled mess of indescribable emotions, Giovanni retreated to the restroom and — despite almost never smoking — lit one up for the first time in ages.
That's right. He didn't interrupt his son and his secretary. He chose silence.
Behold — the greatness of a father's love!
But that was only the beginning. What came next would test Giovanni's composure even further…