When Giovanni—or rather, Charles—saw Archer and the others escorting Grindelwald before him, he was momentarily stunned.
The infamous dark wizard appeared strangely calm after being captured. He seemed to have completely accepted his defeat at the hands of a few young wizards. Yet, Charles only felt a headache coming on.
Gellert Grindelwald looked nothing like the version from the Harry Potter films. His long hair was now pure white, his demeanor refined and dignified—nothing like someone who had spent over half a century imprisoned in a wizarding fortress.
Charles pretended not to recognize him and asked,"Who's this supposed to be?"
"Gellert Grindelwald!" Ariana replied proudly, her lips curling into a smirk. "Surely, Boss Giovanni, you've at least heard the name? Before Voldemort's rise, he was the world's most infamous Dark wizard—nearly overturned the entire magical world. But now? Heh…"
The bound Grindelwald smiled faintly and said nothing.
"The times keep changing," Petrel added with a sly grin. "Old legends fade away one by one. If word got out that Grindelwald lost to just four wizards, no one would believe it."
"You defeated him?" Charles nearly laughed. "If your eyes were just a little sharper, maybe you'd realize what exactly it is you've captured."
"What do you mean?" the four Rocket Executives asked, confused.
They still hadn't realized that the "Grindelwald" they brought back was merely a decoy.
Charles glanced down at the lazy Persian beside him and gave it a subtle signal. The feline stretched leisurely, its claws glimmering before it suddenly lunged forward. The sudden movement startled Arbok, who quickly released its grip on the prisoner.
Slash!
The sharp strike sliced Grindelwald cleanly into four pieces. Yet no blood flowed from the wounds—only dry clumps of earth spilling apart.
"This is… a Transfiguration spell?" Ariana gasped. "He escaped?!"
"Escaped?" Charles almost rolled his eyes. These idiots… might as well rename themselves the Four Fools of Team Rocket.
"You think your little tricks could force a wizard like him to run? He didn't escape—he followed you straight here."
Charles' tone dropped low and cold.
Not that he was worried.
Even if Grindelwald had come knocking—so what?Right now, he was Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket, not Charles Gold. There was nothing to fear.
Still—
"Not coming out yet? Persian, use Scent Detection!"
The Persian crouched low and sniffed the air. Within moments, its fur bristled, and it unleashed a golden bolt of lightning toward the empty space before them.
Thunderbolt!
The crackling bolt slammed into thin air—and immediately, the air itself distorted, as if striking an invisible wall of steel.
Bang!
The magical barrier shattered like glass, revealing a white-haired wizard standing calmly behind it.
"Grindelwald!"
The four Executives' hearts skipped a beat.
"As expected of Team Rocket's leader," Grindelwald remarked, visibly intrigued. "You're not a wizard, are you? Yet you saw through my spell."
He hadn't expected that. Giovanni was from the Pokémon world—he shouldn't possess magic. No matter how strong his Pokémon were, he was still human.
And yet, he had pierced Grindelwald's illusion.
"If you think magic is the only kind of power in this world," Charles said evenly, "you're gravely mistaken. My Power of Viridian lets me sense your aura—your very thoughts."
The Power of Viridian—one of the blessings born from Team Rocket's growing influence.
As the organization expanded, more wizards had come to possess Pokémon, and with that spread, Charles had inherited some of the world's most mysterious forces: the Power of Viridian, the Power of Aura, and the Power of Overcoming.
Among them, the Power of Viridian could even temporarily raise a Pokémon's level.
"Such a thing exists?" Grindelwald murmured, genuinely surprised.
Ariana, realizing how thoroughly they had been fooled, shouted furiously, "Grindelwald, how dare you trick us! Arbok—!"
"Enough, Ariana." Charles raised a hand, his Persian stepping between her and Grindelwald. "You're no match for him. Pointless fights end here."
Then he turned back toward Grindelwald, his voice calm but sharp."Tell me why you're here, oh once-great Dark wizard."
Grindelwald didn't flinch. He had long since learned to shrug off insults.
"I only wished to see the man leading an organization daring enough to challenge the world," he said with a faint smile. "To see whether Giovanni of Team Rocket is another ambitious visionary fated to fail like me—or merely a delusional brute pretending to have a plan."
"How dare you call Boss Giovanni a failure?!" Proton roared, his face twisting with fury. Even this ancient dark wizard had no right to insult the man who gave his life purpose!
Giovanni had lifted him from mediocrity, from a life destined for obscurity.
"Boss Giovanni's goals and vision," Proton snapped, drawing his wand, "are beyond the comprehension of a relic like you! You're the real failure, Grindelwald!"
"You lost to Dumbledore and abandoned your dreams—what right do you have to judge him?"
"Do you know how long your followers waited for you?!"
He shouted so passionately that he nearly lunged forward to strike, but Persian blocked his path once again.
"I did fail," Grindelwald admitted calmly.
He had indeed surrendered himself to Nurmengard.
Even if he'd lost to Dumbledore, he could've escaped. But that final duel had destroyed the shared dream of their youth. Their "glorious revolution" had turned to ash.
At that moment, he'd only thought: Let it all burn. I'm tired.
But fifty years was a long time. Time dulled pain. The broken bonds of his youth were now just dust-covered memories. And perhaps, through Pokémon, he had glimpsed new hope.
Resurrection.Time reversal.
If such powers truly existed, then Ariana could return. Credence could live again. Everything shattered could be restored—like casting Reparo on a broken life.
What would become of the world after that? Grindelwald no longer cared.
Ambition belonged to the young. He only wanted the strength to lift the burden from his weary shoulders—to reclaim something of the life he'd lost.
And if Team Rocket—or Charles Gold—could bring him closer to that power, then so be it.
"I may be a failure," he said slowly, "but I can still be of use to you. Before that, though, I'd like to know your true purpose. If Team Rocket is nothing more than another band of deranged zealots like the Death Eaters, then I'll have no reason to let you live."
His smile was cold—filled with the promise of death.
Helping Dumbledore eliminate a mere threat might be amusing, he thought. But this Giovanni was as dangerous as rumored. Victory was far from certain.
Charles hadn't expected Grindelwald to seek cooperation—not after the man had planted spies at Hogwarts.
But if he wanted to evaluate Team Rocket's motives…
Well, that was fine too.
After all, Charles hadn't built Team Rocket just to "rule the world." Its true purpose was to unify it—by forcing the creation of an International Pokémon League. A common enemy would make that happen faster. The "evil empire" of Team Rocket was simply the necessary shadow behind the alliance's rise.
In another world—say, in Naruto—they'd call it a "giant Root organization."
"So, you want to work with Team Rocket?" Charles smirked. "Then show me what you've got. If you're truly the rival of Dumbledore himself… prove it."
He pulled a Poké Ball from his belt, holding it aloft."Come out—Nidoking!"
A massive purple beast with venomous spines on its back crashed down, shaking the floor.Nidoking, Level 53. Ability: Poison Point.
Giovanni's Pokémon had grown fast. He'd been training them relentlessly, feeding them experience shards from the system.
Even so, Nidoking might still be weaker than Grindelwald's magic.
But that was fine. The Power of Viridian would more than make up for it.
Fully empowered, Nidoking could fight at Level 63—more than enough to stand against the legendary dark wizard.
"Perfect," Grindelwald said, eyes glinting. "Let me see the strength of the man who defeated Voldemort—the so-called Giovanni of Earth and Stone!"
For once, he seemed excited. Against those four earlier, he hadn't even dared use his full strength, afraid he'd kill them by accident. But now…
"Incarcerous!"
A spark burst from his wand.
"Protect!" Charles countered.
The Power of Viridian flared around him, resonating with Nidoking's aura.Before Charles even finished his command, Nidoking had already raised a shimmering green barrier—instinctively blocking the spell.
A question mark flashed above its head, followed by a surge of crimson light radiating from its body.
Amnesia!
The move wiped distractions from its mind, sharply boosting its Special Defense.
A devastatingly effective counter to magic. Even a Killing Curse might not drop it instantly now.
"Poison Jab!"
Nidoking's muscled arm glowed bright violet as it lunged forward like a living tank, swinging its toxic claws—
Clang!
"Protego!"
Grindelwald's magical shield caught the blow. Then his wand struck the floor—earth surged and split apart, forming two massive beasts resembling armored rhinos. Under his magic, they transformed into monstrous Poison Horn Beasts, charging at Nidoking with lethal horns.
Their horns could pierce steel and inject venom potent enough to make anything they touched explode.
But Charles didn't flinch.
"Trying to match horns with my Nidoking? How amusing."
Though less famous than Rhydon, Nidoking's horn was said to shatter diamonds.
"Nidoking—Megahorn!"
The purple giant lowered its head, energy surging through its horn until it glowed emerald green.
The two monsters collided head-on. The impact shook the hall—and Grindelwald's summoned beast shattered into dust.
The second charged in, but Nidoking twisted, one foot anchoring deep into the ground. Its tail swung like an iron pillar, smashing the creature into pieces.
"Iron Tail!" Charles called—though the command came almost as an afterthought.
Grindelwald smiled slightly. "Impressive. As expected of the Earth's Giovanni—your power truly stands apart."
As he spoke, a flickering blue flame appeared in his hand.
"Fiendfyre."
Not a defensive charm, but the infamous living inferno that devours all.
(End of Chapter)