Fiendfyre was, in truth, a spell with a deceptively low entry threshold. Even an underage wizard who hadn't yet graduated could conjure its terrifying blaze—as long as their heart harbored malice.
But the true challenge lay not in summoning it, but in controlling it.
This fire was powerful enough to destroy Horcruxes, yet even Dark Wizards rarely dared to use it in battle. The reason was simple—Fiendfyre devoured indiscriminately. A single lapse in control could easily reduce the caster themselves to ashes.
And yet, at this very moment, Grindelwald held the roaring flame in his palm as calmly as Prometheus stealing fire from the gods.
With a sweep of his arm, the blue inferno surged forth—serpentine tongues of flame that sprouted horns and bone-like wings as they soared.
"Boss Giovanni!"
Ariana threw up her arm to shield her face, shouting anxiously.
The blinding blue light, the heat, and the waves of fire turned the entire hall into a ghostly, azure inferno.
The monstrous flame-beast resembled a demon from the depths of hell—its body barely formed, yet it already forced Archer and the other three executives back. The heat alone made it impossible to remain still. Even Houndoom, blessed with the Flash Fire ability, felt fear crawl along its spine.
That ability allowed it to absorb flame endlessly—but not the power within this flame.
Dark magic, after all, was far more than it appeared on the surface.
"Golbat! Use Air Slash! Blow the flames away!" Proton shouted, trying to support his boss.
But the gust Golbat whipped up only fanned the flames fiercer still. Fiendfyre fed upon the wind, growing into a blazing maelstrom.
The upper arcs of the fire lashed toward the ceiling, forcing Golbat to retreat as the others cast Protego and fell back.
At the center of the firestorm stood Grindelwald—serene, wreathed in light like a white flower blooming amid the blaze.
On the other end stood Charles—though here, he wore the mask of Giovanni.
His face was almost expressionless. Fiendfyre? Please. He'd long since played with worse. If not for wearing Giovanni's skin right now, he'd have shown Grindelwald what true flame magic looked like.
The fire that burns the soul itself—how would that compare to Fiendfyre?
But now wasn't the time.
"Nidoking—Scorching Sands!"
The tide of blue flame surged closer.
In an instant, it swallowed Nidoking whole—only to crash against a barrier of shimmering green light.
Protect!
Then Nidoking's power surged downward. The ground rumbled as sand and stone erupted from below, meeting the raging blue inferno head-on.
Waves of molten sand rolled through the entire hall. Above, azure flames raged; below, the boiling earth surged, smothering the firestorm.
Under Nidoking's control, the sand coalesced into a giant, grappling the fiery beast in combat.
At the same time, the molten sands beneath Grindelwald's feet formed into a massive vortex, threatening to drag him down into a hell of his own making.
A flick of his wand raised a barrier beneath him—but the sand slithered back up like maggots gnawing bone.
Charles smirked. This version of Scorching Sands borrowed from both Transfiguration and a bit of "Quicksand Hell." Did Grindelwald really think he could escape so easily?
But a second later, the wizard took to the air, his body levitating smoothly upward.
A Levitation Charm. It wouldn't let him fly far, but escaping a Ground-type attack? Child's play. After all, Ground-type moves were useless against Flying targets.
Meanwhile, Nidoking's Protect was faltering.
Fiendfyre's sustained nature gave it a natural advantage against barriers that couldn't hold indefinitely. Still, Charles wasn't worried.
Ground-types didn't resist Fire, but with Nidoking's current Special Defense, even Fiendfyre couldn't deal a fatal blow quickly.
The plan was simple: strike back the instant Protect faded—rush through the flames, and crush Grindelwald with overwhelming force.
Of course, that was easier said than done. Even empowered by the Power of Viridian, Nidoking alone couldn't defeat Grindelwald.
So—
Charles finally pulled his left hand from his pocket.
"If possible, I really didn't want to use this." He shook his head, tugging his sleeve upward to reveal a black bracelet—set with a rhomboid crystal.
A Z-Crystal.
This was the key to unleashing a Z-Move. In the games, Pokémon held it—but here, the crystal was embedded directly into the trainer's wristband.
By channeling the Z-Crystal's energy, a Pokémon's move could be magnified to unimaginable power.
His crystal was Rockium Z—perfect for Flying-type opponents. When used to amplify Nidoking's strongest Rock-type move, Double-Edge Head Smash, the resulting Z-Move could reach a power level of two hundred—without recoil.
The only problem…
Z-Moves required a specific dance—a dramatic, borderline embarrassing ritual.
Charles hated using them, not because of the energy cost, but because the choreography was mortifying. Especially while pretending to be Giovanni, of all people.
Still, if he wanted to win, he had no other choice.
He began mentally repeating: It's not me dancing. It's Giovanni dancing.
"Nidoking—Cataclysmic—"
But before he could finish, Grindelwald suddenly withdrew the flames.
"How about we stop here?" the old wizard smiled. "Just testing our strength—no need for a fight to the death."
Charles exhaled, relieved. At least he wouldn't have to embarrass himself mid-dance. And even with a Z-Move, victory wasn't guaranteed. Fiendfyre was only one of Grindelwald's signature spells—not his strongest.
A man expelled from school for experimenting with Dark Arts—who knew what else he could unleash?
"Return, Nidoking."
Charles recalled his Pokémon, then fixed Grindelwald with a sharp gaze. "You've proven your strength. But what's your real goal? You want to cooperate with Team Rocket? The 'ideal world' we seek isn't the same as the new order you once dreamed of."
"Of course I know that." Grindelwald smiled faintly, relieved that Giovanni was finally willing to talk. For a man over a century old, that duel had been anything but easy.
"Times have changed. In my day, there were no Pokémon. But I believe these creatures truly can lead wizards and Muggles into a new era. The concept of an 'ideal world' evolves with time. Still—working with me will help you achieve your plans."
Charles raised an eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue.
Grindelwald didn't mind the arrogance. He knew that a true Pokémon Master carried six Pokémon at least—and Giovanni had only shown one. In a real fight, the wizard would stand no chance.
Magic is power—but so is strength.
Right now, Giovanni held the upper hand.
"Dumbledore is stronger than I am," Grindelwald continued. "And now, with Charles Gold at his side, he has Pokémon on his side too. He's a stubborn man—unyielding. If you aim to break the Statute of Secrecy and reshape the world, he'll oppose you to the very end."
"Charles Gold and Dumbledore together… Even for Team Rocket—for you, Giovanni—it would be difficult to win. Most of the wizarding world would rally behind them. Team Rocket grows fast, yes—but it still stands alone. With me, that changes."
He smiled. "I can hold Dumbledore off. I still have my Acolytes—old, perhaps, but loyal and dangerous. Gathered together, they remain a force the International Confederation of Wizards cannot ignore."
Charles narrowed his eyes. "Tempting offer. But what's your demand?"
He wasn't naïve enough to believe Grindelwald was doing charity work for Team Rocket's glory.
"Ah, nothing so grand," the old wizard chuckled softly. "At my age, I have no interest in power or rule. Even my ideals have faded. There's only one thing I seek—the power of the Legendary Pokémon."
"Legendary Pokémon?" Charles frowned. "And who told you about them?"
He didn't recall ever mentioning it at Hogwarts—not even to the fake Slughorn.
"No one," Grindelwald said, smiling. His white beard shimmered like frost. "I saw them—with these eyes."
"Perhaps you've never heard—but I do possess a small gift for prophecy."
Charles blinked. Right—Grindelwald was a Seer. His visions were clearer, sharper than Trelawney's—true glimpses of the future, not riddles.
It was through that gift he'd seen the might of Muggles, realized their "usefulness"—science.
Now, he had seen something else: the hidden might of Pokémon.
Arceus, the omnipresent one.The master of time and space.The bringer of ruin.Death itself? The Deathly Hallows?None could compare.
Grindelwald did not crave control of such beings. He merely sought one thing—to ask Ho-Oh to return two souls lost long ago.
And if Ho-Oh could not… there was always Celebi.
The power to reverse time itself—greater than any Time-Turner.
"I only wish to amend the sins of my past," he said quietly.
Charles was intrigued. Grindelwald didn't look like a man mourning the enemies he'd slain for his ambitions.
Still, he said nothing. But an idea formed—perhaps he could feed the old wizard just enough information about the Legendary Pokémon to keep him busy. Maybe even hand him one of Mew's eyelashes for "research."
Not Mewtwo, though. That would be asking for trouble.
But sending him to chase after Celebi? That could work.
"Interesting. Very well. You'll lead a special operations unit," Charles said.
He nodded at Archer, who produced a Rotom Phone.
"This will record your data and privileges."
"Wait, Boss Giovanni—" Ariana frowned, speaking up despite Grindelwald's presence. "Forgive me, but isn't this… too hasty? Grindelwald is unpredictable—"
"No need to worry, Ariana," Charles chuckled. "Don't forget who I am."
Truth be told, he wasn't the least bit afraid of Grindelwald running off with a few Legendaries.
With his growing strength, even the Legendary Birds and Beasts were manageable foes. And the ones Grindelwald sought were far beyond those tiers—more myth than god.
At least Celebi or Jirachi-level at minimum.
"Well then," Charles smiled faintly, "welcome to Team Rocket, Mr. Grindelwald."
(End of Chapter)