Alolan Danger **ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE**

Chapter 20: A Change Of Heart

In Viridian City of the Kanto region, a man was sitting in an office, petting his Persian on the head. He had short brown hair and black eyes and was wearing a black formal suit with a white long sleeved button shirt with a red tie at the collar and black dress shoes. The man was frowning as he seemed to be deep in his thoughts about something. Or, rather, someone.

It had been years since Giovanni, the leader of the notorious evil organization known as Team Rocket, had thought about someone else in the sense that he currently was. And, if he was honest with himself, he missed that feeling. Giovanni sighed before opening his drawer and pulling out a photo of himself in his younger days, holding a little girl up on his shoulder. The girl, who was smiling widely as she hugged his cheek, had long honey blonde hair and was wearing a white sundress. Giovanni couldn't help but get lost in her sapphire blue eyes.

"Serena...oh, how I wish I could see you again." he muttered to himself as a tear fell down his right cheek. Giovanni put the photo down on his desk and pulled out another one of Serena, years later, in her performer's outfit, dancing around the stage with Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon by her side at the Master Class competition. He couldn't help but smile warmly.

"Dang, girl, look at you, all grown up and out of your mother's shadow now!" Giovanni exclaimed giddily. Persian was looking at him, confused. She had never seen her trainer like this before. Giovanni was always a cold and sinister guy, so it was weird seeing him happy over a photo of a girl.

"I was so stupid back then. I traded my happiness away. And for what, exactly?! Power?! To try to take over Alola with that blasted woman and those blasted Ultra Beasts?! To try to take over Kanto and Johto with Mewtwo?! To try to take over Unova with Meloetta and the Forces of Nature?! NO! I never should've listened to that bitch of a mother who even got Team Rocket to try to murder Serena at that summer camp! Thank Arceus for Red's son, Ash, being there for her at that time! I never should've cheated on my ex like that! And in front of her too!" he yelled out in anger as more tears, this time of sorrow, dripped down his face. If Persian wasn't concerned then, she certainly was now.

"Perr?" she purred out as she rubbed the back of Giovanni's leg with her head. He absentmindedly rubbed Persian's back.

"I wish I could have been a better father to Serena. Though, admittedly, it was hard to do that with Grace being so difficult to deal with in regards to training her to be a Rhyhorn racer." Giovanni stated with guilt evident in his voice. The room became silent before the video phone on his desk started to ring. Giovanni picked up the receiver and pushed on a button. When the screen came on, he was stunned by who was on the other side.

"Red?!" Giovanni shouted in shock. Persian growled menacingly at the mention of that name.

"Hello Giovanni...or, should I say, Calem. It's been a long time. I see that you're thinking about your daughter." Red replied with a grim look on his face as he eyed the photo on the desk. Voltage was sitting on his shoulder, looking quite grim as well. Giovanni was too stunned to speak, considering that he was face to face with his old enemy from the Alola days.

After a minute, he let out a deep breath before saying in a sad tone, "Red, it hadn't been long enough. I still hated the fact that I was being mind-controlled by a Nihilego's neurotoxin before you saved me. I still hate the fact that Mom is in control of my life. And I still hate the fact that I can't even see Serena again! It is just so frustrating, you know? I should've been there to halt Grace's attempts at making her do something that she had absolutely no interest in doing. I should've been there to help her make her own choices. I should've been there to support her, no matter what she wanted to do. If, when she turned ten, she wanted to travel around Kanto with Ash, I would've let her go. But no, apparently, I had to do my mother and Lusamine's dirty work while Grace continued to pester Serena into Rhyhorn racing. It makes me sick, Red! Utterly and completely sick!" Giovanni suddenly started to break down, to Persian, Red, and Voltage's shock.