Indeed—it was undoubtedly four Champions, and not just any four. Both Cynthia and Steven stood at the very top among the world's Champions in terms of strength and reputation.
And on top of that, there was Blue, who was in no way inferior to Red, and Iris, the Dragon prodigy who will reigned as Unova's new Champion.
Giovanni: "…"
"The Pokémon League really holds Team Rocket in high regard, doesn't it…" Giovanni muttered darkly, momentarily at a loss for words.
That idiot Loki seem to truly trying to exterminate Team Rocket entirely!
Giovanni's expression grew gloomier by the second. Facing Lance and his group of four Champion level trainers already placed immense pressure on him, but now another set of four of Blue, Steven, Cynthia, and Iris had appeared.
This was completely absurd.
"Why, what's wrong? Are you scared now, you filthy rat?"
Lance crossed his arms, his piercing, icy eyes locking straight onto Giovanni's face as his voice dripped with mockery.
The arrival of the second group of Champion level trainers was clearly the final straw, the weight that broke the camel's back.
"How laughable," Giovanni replied coldly, his tone sharp as a blade. "League dogs who can only bark when they're ahead..."
Though his words were dismissive, the crushing pressure he felt was impossible to ignore.
Lance sneered, his eyes flashing with cold light. "I'll be waiting to see just how long that arrogant mouth of yours can keep running."
He didn't get angry—there was no need to.
Because in his view, this so-called "rat" was already trapped, caught in a jar with no way out.
Eight Champion Level Trainers!
An unprecedented lineup, something never before seen in the history of the Pokémon League.
With such overwhelming power assembled against him, what could this rat possibly do to resist?
"Silver…"
Giovanni's hand unconsciously clenched into a tight fist, his heart sinking completely.
In this kind of situation, even retreating was no longer an option.
And in that moment, his mind drifted, not to his empire, not to his ambitions but to his only son.
The child who had been taken away ten years ago by someone, disappearing from his life completely.
Through all these years of ruthless deeds and unforgivable sins, Giovanni had never once truly felt remorse. Yet now… deep down, he finally realized how much he owed his son.
After a long silence, he slowly exhaled and steadied himself. The shadows across his face deepened, exuding an almost chilling calm.
"Mewtwo," he said in a low, grave voice, "fight with everything you have."
This time… it was very likely to be the final battle.
If Giovanni couldn't escape, he would undoubtedly be imprisoned by the Pokémon League until the day he died.
And even if that didn't happen—his illness would. His body had long been ravaged by a terminal disease. If he didn't find a way to treat it soon, he wouldn't last more than two years.
Mewtwo didn't answer Giovanni, but the faint blue glow in its eyes spoke for it—
It would fight.
Not far from the raging battlefield, on the rooftop of a tall building, Lucas sat casually at the edge of the terrace, watching the chaos below with clear interest.
But to call it a battle was almost inaccurate—this was an execution.
The sheer number of opponents had turned the confrontation into an overwhelming one-sided beatdown.
Giovanni had already sent out his Rhyperior and Golem, yet even with their combined might, he could barely stabilize the situation for a few fleeting moments.
There were just too many enemies—far too many!
And every single one of them was a Champion-level trainer. Giovanni was certainly a top-tier Champion himself, but how could he possibly withstand a force like this?
With what strength could he possibly resist?
"It seems like he really can't hold on any longer,"
Lucas murmured, clicking his tongue as he watched the brutal scene unfold below.
Take Giovanni's Nidoqueen and Nidoking, for example—on their left, they were being rammed by an Aggron's reckless charge; on their right, a Lucario was hurling a fully charged Aura Sphere.
Ahead of them, a Mega Blastoise unleashed a devastating Hydro Cannon; behind them, a Haxorus slashed with its Dragon Claw; and above, a Togekiss dove down with an Aerial Ace imbued with divine energy.
Good grief—front, back, left, right, and even above them, every direction was filled with lethal finishing moves!
If this kept up, the only attack missing would be from underground!
Nidoqueen and Nidoking were completely surrounded, trapped in a web of attacks from which there was no escape, no opening, not even a breath's worth of reprieve.
How could anyone fight like this?
Even with Giovanni's commanding skill, there was nothing he could do. He simply couldn't cover every Pokémon under his control at once.
Time continued to pass—each second marked by Giovanni being beaten further into the ground.
At last, with a final Flash Cannon from Steven's Aggron, the already cornered Mega Beedrill was blasted out of the air and crashed weakly at Giovanni's feet.
The light of Mega Evolution dissipated instantly.
Beedrill had lost its strength to fight.
Giovanni stared silently at his oldest partner, the Pokémon that had been with him since the very beginning before quietly taking out its Poké Ball and recalling it.
All of his main forces… had fallen.
He slowly looked around—he was surrounded on all sides by enemies.
All that remained by his side was…
Mewtwo.
The psychic clone descended from the sky, landing beside him. Its eyes were weary, its once-perfect body marred by bruises and shallow wounds.
After all, it had only reached adulthood half a month ago. Even with its genetically enhanced strength, there was no way it could single-handedly turn the tide for Giovanni.
There were simply too many opponents.
It had been using its psychic powers constantly—attacking, defending, dodging, countering—its mental energy was nearly spent.
The psychic force that normally flowed endlessly within its body now sputtered weakly, threatening to burn out completely.
"Mewtwo," Giovanni said softly, straightening his torn suit jacket. "If you can still move… then go."
This was the end.
He understood the situation clearly—there was no chance left.
Mewtwo turned its head slightly toward Giovanni, saying nothing.
"Has it given up? Or is it just a stubborn creature?" Lance sneered coldly.
Though he despised Giovanni, he couldn't deny the man's strength. Giovanni's skill as a Trainer was truly formidable.
Lance didn't hate strength—on the contrary, he admired it. He welcomed strong opponents.
But not this kind of strength.
No matter how strong Giovanni was, Lance's disgust for him remained unshaken—because of the atrocities committed by Team Rocket under his command. For every sin they had wrought, Giovanni deserved to die ten times over!
And that was Lance's judgment!
"Heh… Lance, enjoy your arrogance while it lasts," Giovanni said quietly, his gaze strange and cold. "I'll be waiting for you—inside."
He smiled faintly, a calm but unnerving expression.
Yes, he had reached the end of his road. But he believed—someday, Lance would meet the same fate.
Giovanni had already prepared his contingency plans. The Kanto branch of Team Rocket was finished, yes—but there was still the Johto division!
As long as Team Rocket continued to exist, Lance's righteousness would eventually twist into something darker, something unbearable…
And when that day came, Giovanni would be waiting for him—his future cellmate.
The end he faced today would someday be Lance's as well.
"Filthy rat, are you out of your mind from losing? What nonsense are you—"
Before Lance could finish, a long, elegant dragon's cry echoed through the air.
The sound froze Lance in place. His sharp eyes immediately darted toward the source.
That sound—he knew it well.
It was the cry of a Dragonair!
And that could only mean one thing…
Steven and the others also tensed, exchanging glances—they all realized what that sound signified.
A shining, pearlescent shiny Dragonair streaked through the air and descended gracefully, landing above Giovanni.
Giovanni blinked in mild surprise, watching as a white-clad figure leaped lightly from the dragon's back.
"Lucas!"
Lance's voice sharpened as his gaze locked on the young man in white.
The others reacted too—Red and Steven's faces turned grave, Leon frowned, Agatha's eyes flickered with unreadable light, and Blue…
Blue's eye twitched uncontrollably.
"Cousin, it's been quite a while, hasn't it~?"
Lucas greeted him with a light smile before turning to Giovanni.
"You look rather miserable, old man. Want a cigarette?"
Giovanni blinked, startled by the offer.
The young man's handsome face wore a calm, almost gentle smile as he pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one.
"Hah, so you've come to laugh at me too, huh? …Sure, I'll take one."
Giovanni rarely smoked. Though the leader of an evil organization, he'd always prided himself on maintaining clarity—he believed smoking dulled his judgment.
But in this moment… yes, he did want one.
"Why didn't you leave?" Giovanni asked, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
He had assumed Lucas would have long escaped. He knew the young man well—
Lucas might participate in this operation, but he would never die for Team Rocket.
After all, Lucas was not only a Team Rocket member… he was tied to another organization as well.
Giovanni had always seen their relationship as more of a friendship or at least, a business partnership—than pure subordination.
"Well, after working with you for almost two years, I couldn't just stand by and watch you get hauled off to labor camp, could I?"
Lucas replied casually.
Giovanni chuckled softly.
"Heh, seems I owe you a big favor today."
That was just like Lucas—always unpredictable. With his power, if he left Saffron City now, he could thrive anywhere.
Even the League would likely forgive his past and welcome him, if he were willing.
But instead, here he was—standing against the League's finest.
"If you understand that much, old man, then here's my condition—give me Mewtwo, and we'll call it even,"
Lucas said with a light chuckle, glancing teasingly at the psychic beside Giovanni.
Mewtwo froze, raising its head to meet Lucas's gaze.
Was this human seriously interested in it?
"Mewtwo doesn't belong to me," Giovanni said after a moment of surprise. "It's merely been following me by its own will."
Their relationship was more of mutual understanding than ownership. Mewtwo was no one's property.
"You heard him, Mewtwo," Lucas said smoothly, smiling. "You could always come with me instead. The old man's 'bankrupt,' after all."
Mewtwo: "…"
Giovanni: "…"
This guy really had no shame—he was stealing allies right in front of him!
After that playful jab, Lucas didn't continue teasing Giovanni. He simply gestured for his Dragonair to stay beside him and turned back toward the League Champions.
"So many familiar faces here. How about we talk this out, everyone?"
He stepped forward lightly, toying with two Poké Balls between his fingers. His clear, confident voice carried across the tense air.
"Lucas, we were just about to come find you," Lance said coldly, narrowing his eyes. "And here you are—delivering yourself to us."
"Alright, alright, cousin, no need for the dramatic lines," Lucas said, waving a hand lazily.
"What do you want to say?" Lance demanded, forcing his irritation down to speak evenly.
The other Champion level trainers remained silent. Lance was the commander of this operation, so the negotiation naturally fell to him.
"The Kanto branch of Team Rocket is finished," Lucas said evenly. "You can call this a victory for the League. So, how about I take Giovanni with me? That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Lance's voice dropped to ice.
"You think this is a joke?"
After all the effort and blood spilled to bring Giovanni down, Lucas thought he could just walk off with him?
Absurd.
"Lucas," Lance growled, "it's not only that filthy rat—you're one of our targets too."
His tone made it clear: this wasn't a negotiation.
This entire operation had two primary objectives—one was Giovanni, the other was his cousin, Lucas himself.
Lance hadn't forgotten—his cousin who had fallen into darkness.
He intended to bring him back with his own hands.
"So, there's no room for discussion, huh?" Lucas arched an eyebrow, his smile faintly widening.
Blue couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but he could swear Lucas's smile seemed brighter than before.
"Of course not!" Lance's voice boomed, cold and resolute. "Today, not a single Team Rocket member leaves Saffron alive!"
He declared it proudly, his crimson hair whipping in the wind—his presence like that of a soaring dragon, the full might of a Flying-type Champion radiating around him.
Not one Team Rocket would escape—
That was Lance's decree!
But then—
"Not necessarily."
A hoarse, aged voice broke the tension.
Lance frowned sharply, his cold eyes darting toward the source.
The one who had spoken… was Agatha!
His face darkened slightly, but out of respect for her, he forced himself to hold back.
"Oh?" Lucas's smile curved faintly. "And what conditions do you have, Madam Agatha?"
Lucas turned his head slightly, his calm eyes falling upon the oldest and most senior member of the Pokémon League's Elite Four.
"Hehe… it's actually quite simple," Agatha said, her voice low and raspy as a sinister smile crept across her wrinkled face. "Giovanni's crimes are unforgivable, and his threat level is far too high."
The eerie glint in her eyes made it clear—she hadn't forgotten the carnage Giovanni had just caused, nor how dangerous the man truly was.
"However," Agatha continued, her tone suddenly shifting to something almost casual, "as long as you, Lucas, are willing to join the League… even Giovanni can be handed over to you for disposal."
Join the League?
Everyone: "!!!"
Even Lance was momentarily stunned, his sharp brows furrowing soon after. But when he thought about it carefully…
Perhaps this idea… wasn't entirely impossible.
(End of Chapter)