“The rumor goes that Giovanni had a son who went missing when he was young…”
The moment August said those words, Matori’s expression changed. Her gaze flickered with suspicion and uncertainty.
Only a handful of people within Team Rocket knew about this secret—including herself, as Giovanni’s secretary.
How did August know?
However, she quickly composed herself, her face returning to a neutral mask. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You say that, yet here you are, responding.” August smirked, watching Matori’s reaction carefully.
At the side, both Blue and Sabrina were equally stunned.
Blue managed to keep her composure, assuming August had simply picked up the information through one of his usual strange intelligence sources.
But Sabrina was outright shocked.
Giovanni has a son?
She had been a Team Rocket executive for years, yet she had never heard a word about this.
Beneath the table, Sabrina poked August’s hand.
Sabrina: Where did you get this intel? Judging by Matori’s reaction, it seems to be true.
August: Want to know? … Heh, not telling you!
Sabrina: …
Her fists clenched.
By the time August turned his attention back to Matori, she had regained her composure.
Calmly, she asked, “What do you want?”
There was no way he had brought this up without a purpose.
“I’m simply being kind,” August said smoothly. “Just helping a father find his lost child… In fact, I already know where Giovanni’s son is. Want to hear it?”
The more nonchalant August acted, the warier Matori became.
She had never interacted with him directly before, but from the intelligence reports on his ruthless handling of poachers, as well as his infamous nickname ‘Demon Ranger’, she knew for certain—this man was anything but kind.
And sure enough, his next words confirmed her suspicions.
“In exchange, tell me the names of the spies Team Rocket has planted within the Pokémon League… And don’t try to tell me you don’t know.”
Initially, August had simply planned to pass along the information that Silver was in Masked Man’s hands, just to watch Team Rocket and the Masked Army tear each other apart.
But if he could also extract the names of Team Rocket’s League informants in the process? Even better.
“Forget it!” Matori refused outright, not even pausing to consider.
August leaned in slightly, his tone casual. “Matori, you wouldn’t want your precious Giovanni to lose his son forever, would you…?”
Seeing her hesitation, Blue turned her head away, unable to watch.
We’re supposed to be with Interpol. We’re on the side of justice. August, could you at least pretend to be ethical?
“So despicable… Is this the kind of ‘justice’ Interpol stands for?”
Matori glared at August, hoping to shame him into backing off.
But clearly, he had no such moral compass.
Completely unfazed, he looked almost proud of himself.
This guy has no shame!
Matori felt a headache coming on.
As Giovanni’s secretary, she was well aware of how much effort he had poured into searching for his son over the years.
If she ignored August’s offer and Giovanni later found out she had known but chosen not to act, he would never forgive her.
This wasn’t just a matter of Giovanni’s son versus Team Rocket’s interests.
It was a choice between her personal survival and Team Rocket’s overall well-being.
After a long silence, Matori finally spoke, her gaze sharp. “How can you prove your intel is real?”
August looked genuinely offended. “You think I’m like Team Rocket? My credibility is impeccable.”
Matori let out a cold laugh, clearly unimpressed.
You? Credible?
Seeing her skepticism, August sighed.
Looks like I’ll have to give her something solid…
“Giovanni’s son went missing at the age of two. He has reddish-brown hair. His Pokémon companion at the time was a Sneasel.”
At the recording desk, Blue had been dutifully noting down the interrogation—until August reached that last part.
Wait a minute…
Red hair? Sneasel?
Clatter.
Her pen slipped from her fingers and hit the floor.
Blue’s eyes widened in disbelief.
That’s… Silver?!
Silver is Giovanni’s son?!
August has to be joking… right?!
Sabrina, noticing Blue’s stunned reaction, gave her a curious look.
But Matori…
She fell silent.
August hadn’t been lying.
She had once seen Giovanni alone in his office, staring at an old photograph—one of a young red-haired boy clutching a Sneasel.
“…Hand over the names of Team Rocket’s spies in the League, and I’ll give you all the details you need. Plus, I’ll allow you to pass this information to Giovanni.”
August made his offer.
The moment he finished speaking, he felt Blue grab his hand.
Through her grip, he could feel her worry.
He understood what she was thinking.
Patting her hand reassuringly, he signaled her to stay calm.
Matori, meanwhile, struggled internally for a moment before finally speaking.
“The list is…”
Seeing that Blue was too distracted to continue writing, Sabrina quietly used her psychic power to lift the pen and took over the note-taking.
Once the list was fully recorded, August pulled out a document he had obtained earlier from Lance—a list of suspected spies within the League.
After cross-referencing the two lists, he nodded. “Good. The information checks out.”
Of course, this wasn’t every spy Team Rocket had planted in the League.
But it was enough.
August had never expected Matori to give up all the names.
Matori, however, was far more concerned about something else.
“…What about Silver?” she asked warily.
“About twelve years ago, the Masked Army’s leader, the Masked Man, handpicked six exceptionally gifted children from around the world, abducted them, and raised them under his personal guidance.”
August left it at that.
Matori’s face darkened.
Team Rocket was currently at war with the Masked Army.
If things went south…
Realizing the implications, she immediately grabbed the tablet August had handed her and typed out a message, sending it to a secret email account used to relay sensitive information to Giovanni.
Once it was sent, Matori let out a slow breath.
Now that she had calmed down, she understood why August had shared this information so willingly.
“You want Team Rocket to go all-out against the Masked Army.”
If the two factions clashed at full scale, the Pokémon League would benefit the most.
This man’s scheming ran deeper than she had ever imagined.
—
This is a fan translation of 人在实教，一之濑你会后悔的 by 作者：白良. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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