The overlapping cries of three birds surged forward like a tidal wave. However, instead of an attack from Giovanni, what Ryuuske encountered first was Sabrina, riding atop the merged Legendary Birds as they soared into the sky.
Their massive form, three razor-sharp talons, and three heads raised in unison as they let out a deafening screech. The six wings that swept through the air carried with them ice, lightning, and flames.
At the sight of the fused Legendary Birds, Ryuuske's pupils constricted. Honestly, merging Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres into a single entity was something he had never anticipated. Team Rocket's research was truly the kind of thing that would make anyone's sanity plummet!
"Finally, I've got you right where I want you! Don't worry, Ryuuske—even if you lose, I won't kill you. I'll just break your arms and legs and keep you tied up in a basement, humiliating you every single day!"
Perhaps because she now had the Legendary Birds under her control, coupled with Giovanni's direct involvement, Sabrina was convinced of her victory. Her smile was icy yet brimming with excitement, as if she couldn't wait to see Ryuuske groveling on his knees.
"Should I consider myself lucky?" Ryuuske mused. "When facing Green, Sabrina didn't hesitate to go for the kill, but against me, she's offering a way out—albeit by locking me up as her personal 'plaything' in some basement. That's some straight-up hentai plot right there, and it's not something I want any part of. Then again, maybe Sabrina got the idea from when I mentally turned the tables on her in her own mindscape."
"Hah! Never took you for a yandere, Sabrina!" Ryuuske laughed, though he didn't dare let his guard down against the fused Legendary Birds. Even Professor Oak would probably be stunned speechless by this abomination. Just where did Team Rocket get these insane research ideas?
"Mewtwo!"
Raising a hand, Mewtwo instantly materialized before him.
Earlier, Ryuuske had already used his Pokédex to notify both Gary and Ash, informing them that Daisy and the other citizens of Pallet Town had been rescued and that they could now fight without restraint. At the same time, he had Mewtwo teleport the unconscious Green to Daisy's side. Only Mewtwo's overwhelming psychic power could accomplish such instantaneous transportation without wasting even a second.
"Tri Attack!"
Sabrina, mounted atop the Legendary Birds, wasted no time in launching the first strike. This was a move typically only known by Pokémon like Dugtrio, Dodrio, and Hydreigon—yet the fused Legendary Birds could now use it as well.
From their three heads, the birds unleashed flames, lightning, and a freezing icy blast. Compared to the same move used by other Pokémon, the Tri Attack of the fused Legendary Birds was incomparably more powerful!
Faced with the three converging energy streams, Mewtwo smirked almost humanly. Extending a hand, it unleashed a spiraling wave of psychic energy, distorting space itself as if twisting reality. The flames, lightning, and frost were drawn into its palm like birds returning to their nest, swirling together into a chaotic sphere before Mewtwo clenched its fist—crushing the Tri Attack barehanded!
"It can catch and nullify energy attacks with its bare hands?!"
Sabrina was stunned by Mewtwo's unimaginable skill. Even as an expert in psychic abilities herself, she couldn't help but admire this level of mastery—while also inwardly cursing Team Rocket for creating such a monster that was now being used against them.
"Mewtwo, Psychic!"
An evolved form of Confusion, this move abandoned finesse and flexibility in favor of pure, overwhelming psychic force. Mewtwo's eyes darkened into a deep violet as it thrust both hands forward. A terrifying surge of psychic energy erupted like a gale tearing up the earth, distorting vision as the shockwave crashed down from above, slamming the Legendary Birds—and Sabrina—straight into a nearby building. The entire structure trembled from the impact, its framework visibly damaged.
Even fused, the Legendary Birds were no match for Mewtwo in a one-on-one battle.
But Ryuuske had never been worried about Sabrina's controlled Legendary Birds. His real concern was the enigmatic Giovanni, whose true strength remained unknown.
"Bzzzzzz—"
Ryuuske's ears caught the sound of rapidly beating wings—not those of a bird, but something more insect-like. In his vision, a Beedrill darted toward him at an unbelievable speed, its twin lances and venomous stinger glinting ominously under the sunlight.
"Where did this Beedrill come from?"
Ryuuske frowned but still commanded, "Knock it out of the sky, Mewtwo!"
Mewtwo nodded, raising its spoon-shaped weapon to intercept. Just when Ryuuske expected Mewtwo to easily dispatch the Beedrill, what happened next made his eyes widen in shock.
"Agility, Twin Needle!"
Giovanni's voice emanated from the Beedrill—likely through some kind of technological device attached to it. Without the Dragon's Power or psychic abilities, Giovanni couldn't remotely command his Pokémon like Ryuuske could. But he had made up for that weakness with technology.
At first, Ryuuske was puzzled as to why Giovanni would use a Beedrill of all things. But the moment it moved, he understood.
Fast.
Unbelievably, impossibly fast.
Enhanced by Agility, the Beedrill moved so swiftly that even Mewtwo's psychic senses struggled to track it. Its twin stingers lashed out like the blades of a master swordsman, striking hundreds—thousands—of times in the blink of an eye. The sky was filled with a blur of afterimages, and Mewtwo—which had initially intended to repel the Beedrill—was suddenly forced onto the defensive, barely able to parry with its spoon while completely unable to counterattack.
"Surprised, Ryuuske? This Beedrill is my first Pokémon. It's been with me since I was five years old, growing alongside me as my strongest partner. Let me teach you a lesson—there are no weak Pokémon, only weak trainers. Even Mewtwo is no exception!"
Giovanni's mocking laughter echoed from the Beedrill.
In other words, Giovanni's first Pokémon had been nothing more than a Weedle—a common sight in Viridian Forest. And yet, through his training, this very Weedle had evolved into a Beedrill with power rivaling that of a Legendary Pokémon.
Ryuuske was genuinely stunned.
The sheer speed of its attacks, its absurdly agile movements—it surpassed the limits of thought itself. If Pokémon had "realms" of mastery, this Beedrill had undoubtedly reached the Champion level. If a Pokémon's maximum level was 100, then this Beedrill had broken past that ceiling, reaching 200, even 300.
The only downside was that, even at the Champion level, while its combat prowess surpassed most Legendary Pokémon, it lacked their inherent immortality and regenerative abilities. This meant the Beedrill couldn't sustain prolonged battles the way Legendary Pokémon could.
Had Mewtwo been at full strength, it might have been able to fight the Beedrill to a standstill—eventually overcoming it through sheer endurance. But as things stood, Mewtwo itself was under a time limit, making its staying power even worse than the Beedrill's.
For the first time, Ryuuske felt a pang of frustration. Without Mewtwo to hold off this Beedrill, this single Pokémon could probably solo his entire team!
It was only now that Ryuuske truly grasped the essence of the Mewtwo Project. With type advantage, Giovanni could have very well defeated an untamed Mewtwo using just this Beedrill, then captured it with a Master Ball. Had Ryuuske and Professor Oak not interfered, repeated battles might have eventually forced Mewtwo into submission.
Unlike other Legendary Pokémon, Mewtwo was a newborn—it lacked the millennia of experience that others possessed. With Mewtwo under his command and his Beedrill at his side, Giovanni would have truly been unstoppable, and Team Rocket's rise would have been inevitable.
Given that Ryuuske had essentially stolen Giovanni's victory, it was no wonder the man held such a grudge against him.
To be continued…