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Liam's voice, seductive like a devil's whisper, carried a peculiar charm as he looked at Giovanni with a strange smile.
"... So, are you going to talk, or should we just leave?" Giovanni began to suspect that his newly-acquainted "brother" might have a few screws loose, seeming entirely out of sync with him.
"Tch, fine, I'll talk, geez!" Liam's face was full of exaggerated boredom.
"Giovanni, your Persian and Beedrill are already exceptional. I can only help improve their strength a bit."
As Liam spoke, he pretended to rummage through his bag, eventually pulling out a small pouch and a CD.
"This pouch contains Silver Powder, which can enhance the power of Beedrill's Bug-type moves. The CD is a Technical Machine (TM) for Thunderbolt. It's meant for your Persian, but Nidorino can use it too. Ah, I just realized—my own Nidorino hasn't used it yet!" Liam suddenly recalled that his Nidorino could also benefit from the TM.
Nervously, he glanced at Giovanni's expression, worried his slip might raise suspicion.
But to Liam's relief, Giovanni was too stunned by the sight of the CD to notice. He stared at it, his eyes filled with shock.
"You… You just said this CD is what?" Giovanni asked in disbelief.
"Uh… It's a Technical Machine. Haven't you heard of it?" Liam started feeling uneasy. While he had used TMs to teach Gible moves before, he hadn't considered whether TMs even existed in this timeline.
Judging by Giovanni's reaction, he already had his answer.
"I've never heard of anything like this before! Where did you get this?" Giovanni demanded, his gaze fixed intently on the CD.
"Uh… Ahem, I got it by pure chance. I don't really know its origins. I thought it was pretty common," Liam feigned ignorance.
"Common? Something like this hasn't appeared anywhere! I've never heard of anything that can teach a Pokémon new moves!" Giovanni said, locking eyes with Liam.
Liam knew lying further wouldn't work, but he also couldn't reveal the true origin of the TMs.
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(Note: This part kinda annoyed me and I wanted to change it, but it wasn't something I could change as it might impact the story later, especially with him saying down below that it might be a source of revenue for Team Rocket. Changing it might start a chain reaction, taking things out of control. But trust me, I already edited this chapter to make it much better. I'm changing things wherever to make it better I can and I'll try to change it if something like this pops up again while I'm translating.)
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With a sigh, he explained, "I can't tell you where it came from, and you wouldn't believe me even if I did. I'd rather you not ask me about this any further. But I assure you, this is legitimate. You can use it freely without worrying about side effects. Since you say it's unprecedented, this could be an opportunity. Once our organization is fully established, you could study these items. If you succeed, they could become a major source of revenue."
Giovanni stared at Liam intently for a moment before nodding solemnly. "Since we're brothers now, I won't press further. I'll accept these items. As you said, I'll have my people research them thoroughly. They might indeed become a cornerstone of our organization's economy."
Hearing this, Liam exhaled in relief. If Giovanni had kept pressing, Liam wouldn't have known how to respond.
"Well then, let's leave it at that for now. As for enhancing Nidorino, I'll need to prepare a few more things. I'll get back to you later," Liam said with a wry smile.
Glancing at his limited exchange points, he resolved to claim his rewards from Lulu later to avoid running out entirely.
The Thunderbolt TM had cost Liam 800 exchange points. The point cost depended on the rarity of the TM—previously, Double Team had only cost 500 points. Thankfully, the Silver Powder had been obtained during a past mission.
With the reward for earning the Pewter City Gym Badge adding 500 points to his remaining balance of 500, he could afford a Moon Stone to evolve Giovanni's Nidorino and kick start their plan to create Team Rocket.
Besides, he could earn more points from missions and gym battles and it was not like his Nidorino could evolve right now. He he needed it, he'd just exchange another one from the system.
Giovanni gave Liam a meaningful look before shaking his head with a sigh. "You're always so mysterious. Forget it. The kids at home are probably waiting impatiently. Let's head back."
Giovanni led Liam and the others back to the old building.
"Lulu, Please hurry up and hand over the rewards. Its a bit urgent. Besides, shouldn't you be a little more active? What if you get fat?" Liam called out as soon as he entered his temporary room.
After a while, Lulu reluctantly floated out, yawning. "Shut it, shut it! I'm a system spirit—I don't get fat no matter how much I sleep. I'll always be effortlessly beautiful! Call me fat again, and I'll freeze you altogether" Lulu threatened, baring her "fangs."
"Ahem. Just give me the rewards. I need them urgently, and then you can go back to sleep," Liam replied, completely resigned to Lulu's antics.
"Hmph! It's just the first gym badge; there are seven more to go! No need to get excited."
Despite her complaints, Lulu's hands glowed faintly.
[Ding!]
[Mission: Kanto Peak Challenge—Gym Progress 1/8 completed! Viridian Badge obtained.]
[Reward: 500 exchange points, TM Shadow Claw x1.]
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[Ding!]
[Hidden Mission & Achievement Unlocked: Blood Awakening]
[Mission Details: Defeat all gyms to collect eight Awakening Fragments. Claim the Kanto Championship to earn the Champion's Fragment. Combine nine fragments to complete the hidden mission.]
[Viridian Gym defeated. Reward: Awakening Fragment x1, 500 exchange points.]
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Liam stared blankly at the unexpected hidden achievement mission. Turning to Lulu, he asked, "What's this about?"
"Don't look at me. I don't know either! Hidden achievements aren't under my jurisdiction. But since you got rewards, it's probably a good thing. Just finish it as you go," Lulu replied nonchalantly.
Sighing, Liam could only accept it for what it was. Checking the new mission, he couldn't shake the feeling it hid some deeper secret.
"All right, you've got your rewards. Leave me alone so I can sleep." With that, Lulu vanished into Liam's body, leaving him with the unsettling feeling of hosting a rude tenant.
With his exchange points replenished, Liam opened his virtual panel and exchanged for a Moon Stone. He also used his remaining 500 points to get a Wide Lens, an item that slightly boosts accuracy.
It would be perfect for Giovanni's Nidorino, which had the Hustle ability.
Although it hurt using all his points and not being a direct beneficiary of it, Liam told himself that this was needed and that it was all for the sake of establishing Team Rocket. In the end, the benefits would far surpass the initial investments.
Liam handed the items to Giovanni, explaining their uses. Having been overwhelmed earlier, Giovanni seemed less shocked this time.
"You're saying this will help evolve Nidorino into a Nidoking? And this strange lens will fix its accuracy issues? Are you messing with me?" Giovanni asked skeptically.
"Just try it and see! We deal in facts here," Liam replied, placing the Moon Stone in front of Giovanni.
After some hesitation, Giovanni released Nidorino. The Pokémon's attention immediately locked onto the Moon Stone, slowly approaching it.
Liam handed the stone to Giovanni, who placed it on Nidorino's forehead. A brilliant white light enveloped the Pokémon…
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(Sigh. This chapter wasn't as fun to translate as the others. I kinda wished that he wasn't giving away all his points, but then again, I thought that maybe this is all to accelerate the growth of Team Rocket and not from the goodness of his heart, so I added that part in the chapter, which made things much easier to accept. I hope this makes it easier for you as well.)
(After all, it is true that Giovanni being a Gym Leader will make things much easier and he already has the system, so he can use it to exchange for things whenever he wants in the future.)