"Mega Evolution, huh~"
Watching the dazzling light of evolution radiate from the Shiny Metagross and the Garchomp, Lucas's lips curved upward slightly as he lowered his head, a faint smile appearing on his face.
He wasn't particularly surprised. After all, Steven had already shown mastery of Mega Evolution back in the XY anime arc.
As for Cynthia, even though she hadn't appeared afterward, there was no doubt that, as Sinnoh's Champion, with her connections and resources, obtaining a Garchompite wouldn't have been difficult at all.
After all, those who held the title of Champion or Elite Four of an entire region commanded the full resources of that region's Pokémon League.
How could they possibly fall behind ordinary trainers when it came to such matters?
The radiant light of evolution soon dissipated, revealing two powerful new forms, Mega Garchomp and Mega Metagross.
"What an impressive aura. As expected, I wasn't mistaken," Lucas chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming. "You two will become very suitable opponents sooner or later."
"If we were just opponents, I would be honored.."
"But if you're a member of Team Rocket," Steven said solemnly, lowering his arm, his calm gaze locking onto Lucas, "then that makes us enemies."
At this point, there was no turning back.
They had no retreat—only one choice left: to give everything they had in this fight.
Even if they couldn't defeat him, they had to keep Lucas here!
"Well, well, such conviction. Truly worthy of the former Hoenn Champion, aren't you?"
"Yet, for mere reinforcements, you're awfully far from home. This is Kanto's land. What business does it have with you?" Lucas smirked faintly, his tone dripping with nonchalance.
"This isn't about regions or borders," Cynthia answered coolly, finally breaking her silence. Her voice was calm but resolute. "No matter where it happens, organizations like yours shouldn't exist. Now that you've invaded and seized Silph Co. itself, you've crossed every line."
"Team Rocket has harmed too many innocent people already. If we simply stand by and allow your atrocities to continue, then what meaning would our strength even have?"
Her tone carried neither anger nor arrogance only an unwavering sense of duty.
As the Champion of Sinnoh, she had both the responsibility and the obligation to protect the innocent. That was the conviction she had carried ever since the day she became Champion.
"What a grand and noble speech," Lucas said softly, raising his brows. "But unfortunately for you… what can you actually do?"
He extended both hands outward with a mocking grin, his tone light but brimming with arrogance.
"Arrest me? By all means—go ahead and try."
Steven's expression darkened at his words, and even Iris, who stood beside them, clenched her fists tightly, glaring with open fury.
This Team Rocket executive was just too arrogant!
"Even if we face a legendary itself, we'll never back down! We'll defeat you!" Steven declared, his eyes firm as steel.
Lucas only shrugged, clearly unfazed, his smirk widening.
"Talk is cheap. Everyone can say big words… though I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. The reality is much harsher."
He tilted his head slightly, his voice low and laced with amusement.
"You three—don't have even the slightest chance of defeating me."
…
Meanwhile, at another battlefield.
"Dragonite, use Dragon Claw!"
"Dragonairs, Rainy Day!"
Lance's expression was grim and cold as his sharp commands cut through the roar of the wind.
Dragonite spread its somewhat comically small wings, yet its enormous body still shot forward with terrifying speed, charging toward the opposing Beedrill!
Above them, the two Dragonair intertwined gracefully, their long bodies glowing faintly as their dragon cries echoed across the sky.
Mysterious energy rippled outward, and within seconds, the once-clear skies over Saffron City darkened beneath heavy clouds.
Drip—drip—drip—
The next moment, a torrential downpour came crashing down—the storm had arrived!
"Twin Needle!"
Giovanni's sharp eyes flicked toward the rain-darkened sky before giving his calm order.
Beedrill's wings blurred into afterimages as it darted forward like a living bullet, faster than the eye could follow!
Dragonite sensed the chill of danger and swung its glowing claws without hesitation.
BOOM!
The Dragon Claw and Beedrill's Twin Needle clashed in midair with explosive force!
But in an instant, faster than lightning, Beedrill withdrew its twin stingers only to thrust them forward again in a blinding flash, striking Dragonite squarely on its claws!
Too fast!
Even Dragonite's iron-hard scales could feel the sharp sting of the impact.
"Dragon Pulse!" Lance shouted coldly, his eyes dark and sharp.
This Beedrill was strong, far beyond his expectations. Its power rivaled even his Dragonite's, and in terms of speed, it completely eclipsed Leon's Dragapult from the Master Class ranking match!
Dragonite roared, gathering a swirling sphere of draconic energy in its mouth before firing it straight at Beedrill.
But before the Dragon Pulse could connect, Beedrill had already slipped away, its form vanishing and reappearing in the rain as if teleporting.
"Is this truly all the great Dragon Master Lance has to offer?" Giovanni's lips curved into a faint smirk, his voice calm and mocking. "Heh~ it seems that your so-called strength is nothing special after all."
Lance's expression darkened.
For the moment, he had to admit his Dragonite couldn't keep up with Beedrill's frightening speed.
But he believed given time, his Dragonite's sheer endurance and physical power would turn the tide. That was the confidence of a Champion who had stood at the top for years.
Still… the truth was undeniable. For now, Dragonite was being pressured—slightly, but surely by Beedrill's blistering pace.
"To think you can't even handle a 'filthy bug,' how disappointing. It seems your level is far lower than I expected."
Giovanni shook his head slowly, his tone carrying genuine disappointment.
"Shut your mouth!" Lance growled.
He was proud, too proud and to be mocked by the leader of the very organization he despised most… was unforgivable.
"A mere rat who's spent his life hiding in the shadows, where do you get the courage to speak that way?"
Giovanni chuckled, the deep timbre of his voice oddly soothing, though to Lance it was pure venom.
"Angry already? So quick to lose your temper. I suppose that's all you're capable of."
"Angry? Don't make me laugh," Lance sneered, his crimson hair drenched by the rain, his eyes gleaming like an enraged demon. "You'll regret mocking me."
"Oh?"
Giovanni narrowed his eyes slightly but then suddenly, a chill ran down his spine.
From behind him, two crimson eyes lit up in the darkness of his own shadow!
"Mewtwo!" Giovanni barked sharply.
Mewtwo, who had been standing quietly beside Giovanni, instantly understood what Giovanni meant.
Its eyes flared with brilliant blue light, and an overwhelming psychic force erupted outward like a tidal wave!
"Gaaar!"
A low, eerie scream echoed through the air as the shadow slipped away from Giovanni's feet, retreating several meters back before taking form—
A dark purple Pokémon emerged from the shadow, its sinister red eyes locked directly on Mewtwo.
"Gengar, huh? That means… Agatha."
Giovanni's expression remained calm, but his tone carried a hint of interest.
This Gengar was powerful. Its abilities over the shadows were frighteningly precise.
There was only one person in all of Kanto who possessed such a Gengar.
The second Elite Four member of Kanto, and the one with the longest tenure and deepest seniority, Agatha, the Ghost Matron herself!
"To be recognized so quickly by the boss of Team Rocket itself… I'm not sure whether I should feel honored or insulted, Giovanni." came a cold, sinister chuckle.
The sound of slow, steady footsteps followed as a hunched old woman emerged from the corner, leaning on her cane—Agatha herself. She stopped behind Giovanni, her eyes narrowed in dark amusement.
"I'd say it's a compliment," Giovanni replied with an easy smile, his composure unbroken. "After all, it shows that you're a woman worthy of caution, Agatha of the Elite Four."
Truthfully, Giovanni did not underestimate her at all.
This old woman, who had lived nearly her entire life as a ghost-type master, was cunning beyond belief.
Her ghost and poison Pokémon made her one of the most unpredictable opponents in existence.
Few would dare specialize in those two types and fewer still could master them as she had.
"Hehehe… such poise, even now," Agatha said with a dry chuckle. "You truly live up to your reputation, Giovanni."
"Still, I must admit—I never would've guessed that you, one of Kanto's most respected Gym Leaders, would turn out to be the leader of Team Rocket." Her tone turned razor-sharp. "Those useless League councilmen… perhaps I'll have Chairman Loki give them a proper scolding when this is over."
Her words dripped with venomous disdain.
Giovanni, one of the most famous Gym Leaders in Kanto, had been the head of Team Rocket all along and the League had been completely oblivious.
Truly laughable.
The League's officials… were absolute fools.
"Why, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" Giovanni chuckled. "Only now do they decide to punish the council? A bit late for that, don't you think?"
"A surprise indeed," Agatha rasped back. "Now then, Giovanni—if you surrender peacefully, I might be able to arrange for your sentence to be reduced…"
"Reduced sentence?"
Giovanni's smirk widened, his eyes growing darker. "It seems you still don't understand the situation, Agatha."
He took a slow step forward, the rain splashing at his feet.
"Do you really think you—and Lance—are my equals?"
As his taunting words fell, a brilliant light flared from the Key Stone embedded in Giovanni's glove.
The Beedrill before him was instantly engulfed in radiant evolution light.
Mega Evolution!
Beedrill's form shifted and expanded, its wings sharpening, its four deadly lances gleaming coldly in the rain.
Mega Beedrill its blades radiating killing intent.
"One by one, or all at once—makes no difference to me," Giovanni said, his expression twisting into a dark grin. "Today, I'll make sure every single one of you stays here in Saffron City."
The sheer malice and pressure emanating from him sent chills down their spines. His aura was suffocating—domineering—absolute.
He was Giovanni!
The true master of Team Rocket.
And just then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed a tall figure with purple hair approaching. Behind him stood a fierce, roaring Charizard cloaked in fire.
Leon Laventon had arrived.
Now Giovanni stood surrounded by three Champion level trainers.
Lance and Leon, both top-tier Champions.
And Agatha, a veteran with unmatched experience and cunning.
It was the worst possible situation for anyone but Giovanni merely smiled.
"Top-tier Champion…" Agatha muttered under her breath, her wrinkled brow tightening.
This pressure—this presence—it was unmistakable. Even she felt it pressing down on her.
There was no mistaking it. Giovanni… was also a Top Champion-level trainer!
"Hmph! You filthy rat, stop acting so smug!" Lance spat, his voice cold as ice.
He couldn't stand it—seeing this man, this criminal, carry himself with such arrogance.
"Dragonite, Dragon Rush!"
With a furious roar, Dragonite soared upward, its body wrapped in draconic energy shaped like a raging dragon, before diving straight toward Giovanni.
Giovanni's grin deepened.
"Mewtwo, Psystrike."
Mewtwo's eyes blazed, and one arm lifted high as a massive sphere of psychic energy condensed above its head, pulsing with power.
The signature move of Mewtwo, Psystrike!
In that instant, time itself seemed to freeze.
Even the rain appeared suspended midair under the sheer pressure radiating from the psychic force.
Leon, Lance, and Agatha's expressions shifted sharply, this power was on an entirely different level!
The next second, Mewtwo hurled the Psystrike forward—
Dragonite's Dragon Rush collided head-on with the psychic attack!
BOOOM!!!
The explosion was earth-shattering. The shockwave split the storm apart, creating a temporary vacuum in the air as torrential rain scattered in every direction.
Dragonite snarled fiercely, pouring every ounce of strength into resisting the psychic assault.
But—
BOOM!
The Psystrike detonated completely, its overwhelming force shattering Dragonite's draconic aura and blasting it out of the sky.
The dragon crashed heavily to the ground with a thunderous impact.
Lance's eyes widened, his face twisting in disbelief.
"This… this is impossible…" he choked out through clenched teeth.
How is this possible?!
This is his ace Dragonite!
How can it be defeated so easily?
Leon and Agatha both frowned deeply.
Even they could feel it—Lance's Dragonite hadn't been just overpowered. It had been completely crushed.
"Giovanni's strength… is actually this strong?"
Agatha muttered, her clouded old eyes flickering with shock.
Giovanni, meanwhile, stood calmly in the rain, wearing that same faint smile as if none of this surprised him in the slightest.
And beside him stood Mewtwo, its expression cold, its intelligent, deep-blue eyes glowing faintly—like a god gazing down upon mortals.
Agatha's wrinkled hands trembled slightly.
What kind of Pokémon… was that?
She had never seen nor heard of a creature like this—its form, its aura, its sheer power.
Even Lance's Dragonite, his strongest ace was utterly outmatched.
A legendary Pokémon?
(End of Chapter)