"Sird, Orcha."
Giovanni suddenly addressed the two. "Go. My child is below. I will wait here, and you must bring him back to me."
"Yes."
"Understood."
The two acknowledged the order, then boarded one of the airship's smaller sub-vessels and sped toward the approaching Silver.
After they left, Giovanni collapsed to his knees in pain, clutching his suit tightly. Forcing himself back up, cold sweat soaked his clothes. He felt like a candle about to be extinguished.
"No, I can't fall yet!"
Giovanni looked at the monitor, which displayed Ace rapidly pursuing the airship. He let out a cold laugh.
Ace, riding the Tao Dragon (Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem merged) with Mewtwo, quickly approached the airship. At that moment, a massive battle platform extended from the side of the airship.
Seeing this, Ace immediately flew with the Tao Dragon and Mewtwo toward the platform.
As they reached the airspace above the platform, four metal pillars extended from its corners. An energy field enveloped Ace and his Pokémon like a pyramid, forcing them down onto a high platform connecting the battle arena to the airship.
Ace recalled the colossal Tao Dragon. Opening a Poké Ball, Genesect appeared by his side.
Just then, a circular ramp opened in the center of the battle arena, and Giovanni slowly ascended, accompanied by two Deoxys.
"Welcome, Ace."
Giovanni looked up at Ace and his Pokémon. "How does it feel to look down from that position?"
Ace silently observed Giovanni, then fixed his gaze on one of the Deoxys behind him. "That Deoxys... has absorbed my blood, hasn't it?"
"Still so perceptive."
Giovanni gave a cold, dismissive laugh. "The only person ever to defeat me was you, Ace. The presence of this battle platform signifies one thing: I, the challenger, look up to you standing in the high place."
"The man standing before you is neither the former Gym Leader of Viridian City nor the leader of Team Rocket."
Giovanni stripped off his expensive suit, revealing tight training clothes underneath. He sneered at Ace, "Now, I am merely a man who has abandoned all titles. Bring it on!"
Hearing this, Ace also removed his trench coat, revealing the Dragon Scale Armor beneath. He stepped onto the battle arena with his two Pokémon, Mewtwo and Genesect.
Without any further exchange, the two Deoxys instantly transformed into Speed Forme and darted toward Mewtwo and Genesect.
Ace suddenly slammed his fist against his chest. Mewtwo instantly entered its Mega Evolution mode. A powerful surge of psychic energy rapidly swelled outward like a tide.
The advancing Deoxys were immediately buffeted, recoiling two steps and revealing their physical forms.
"Boom!"
A loud roar sounded, revealing the menace of the Techno Blast.
A powerful shockwave momentarily rocked the entire airship. A Techno Blast—a combination of Ice, Fire, and Electric energy—slammed into one of the Deoxys (Individual 1).
The other Deoxys (Individual 2) immediately switched to Defense Forme, crossing its arms to shield Individual 1. The Techno Blast struck, but Individual 2 managed to withstand the blast thanks to its astonishing defensive power.
Taking advantage of Genesect's shot, Mewtwo extended a finger. A Psystrike transformed into an energy beam and shot rapidly toward the core in Individual 2's chest.
Individual 2's arm instantly formed a hole, but the beam continued on its path toward the core.
However, Individual 2 vanished instantly, and the Psystrike instead pierced the head of Individual 1.
Individual 2 reappeared behind Mewtwo, shifted to Attack Forme, and delivered a devastating punch to Mewtwo's back.
Mewtwo did not turn. A mass of Psychic energy instantly condensed into numerous blades on Mewtwo's back. Individual 2's punch landed directly on the blades.
The blades remained unmoved. Individual 2's expression hardened. Without hesitation, it used the force of the rebound to rapidly retreat.
But as Individual 2 rapidly retreated, the psychic blades suddenly moved, whistling like a metal storm and instantly engulfing Individual 2!
On the other side, Individual 1, whose head was pierced by Mewtwo, faced Genesect.
Seeing Genesect's bulky cannon and metal limbs, Individual 1 intended to wear down Genesect with its superior speed.
But as the battle officially began, Individual 1 and Giovanni suddenly realized that this blood-red Genesect, of unknown modification, seemed to reflect most remote attacks fired at it. The attacks either bounced off instantly or, at most, merely grazed Genesect, failing to inflict any significant damage.
Giving up on ranged attacks, Individual 1 tried to engage Genesect in close combat. Genesect seemed to "smile."
Blades sprang from Genesect's arms. Combined with its claws, Individual 1 was nearly sliced into ribbons by Genesect.
"What is that monster?"
Giovanni frowned, looking at the virtually unscathed Genesect. For a moment, he couldn't devise any effective strategy against it.
But if he couldn't counter it specifically, he would meet force with force!
Giovanni immediately changed tactics, ordering Individual 1 to clash directly with Genesect, trading blows.
It must be said that this was the correct approach against Ace's modified Genesect.
However, it was only thanks to Deoxys's terrifying recovery ability that it could sustain such an assault. Any other Pokémon would have long been utterly destroyed by Genesect's near-torturous attacks.
As it was, Individual 1 managed to trade damage and effectively stall Genesect.
Meanwhile, Individual 2 broke free from the barrage of psychic blades. Wounded all over, Individual 2 shielded its core, and its injuries rapidly healed before their eyes.
"Whoosh!"
Individual 2 instantly elongated its body like an elastic figure, wrapping itself around Mewtwo like a net.
This nearly suicidal attack caused Ace to frown slightly. Mewtwo raised a hand, and a Psystrike shot toward Individual 2's core.
"Crack!"
Without a moment of deviation, the beam pierced Individual 2's core. Deprived of the core's support, Individual 2 instantly dissolved into white smoke.
Wait... dissolved!
Ace's eyes widened instantly. Before Ace could react, Individual 2 reappeared from nowhere, its right fist enveloped in a Psycho Boost. In its Speed Forme, it delivered a powerful punch to Mewtwo's back, blasting Mewtwo away.
Mewtwo skidded backward a few meters in mid-air before stabilizing itself. It turned to face the mostly recovered Individual 2. The light of Recover shone on Mewtwo's body.
Instantly, the damage it had just sustained vanished without a trace!
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