In the real world—
Because of Color Bean's shocked reaction,And because of the "future brother-in-law" declaration from Misty's three sisters,
The comment feed instantly turned into a smokeless war.
Meanwhile, the Black World footage was still playing in an orderly fashion.
...
In the black world—
After Ash and his friends said goodbye to Cerulean City,
They finally arrived at the last Gym: the Viridian Gym!
This time, the Viridian Gym Leader was actually present.
In the black-world timeline, because Gary hadn't come roaring in with his sports car,He hadn't arrived at the Viridian Gym together with Ash.
So the first challenger to step up against Viridian Gym…
Was Ash!
The imposing guard at the entrance let the trio through without trouble.
But the moment Ash walked inside,
A shudder ran up from the soles of his feet through his whole body, all the way to the top of his head.
"Ash, what's wrong with you?"
Misty noticed his strange behavior right away.
After all, as soon as he entered, he suddenly froze in place and shivered three times in a row—
No matter how you looked at it, that was weird…
"Something feels off. Misty, Brock—don't stray too far from me."
"I didn't even use my Aura to probe the surroundings just now, but my instincts are screaming a warning… There's something terrifying here. It might be a Pokémon, it might be a person…"
The two exchanged a glance and subconsciously moved closer to Ash.
If even Ash was saying there was a powerful threat here,Then whatever was lurking in this place had to be incredibly strong!
Ash walked forward with them at his back,
Quietly letting his Aura spread out.
On the upper floors…
He sensed several Auras, but none of them were especially strong.
But below…
There was an enormous, terrifying presence!
So Viridian Gym even has a basement… and there's a Pokémon down there that I don't recognize at all.
What is going on here…?
Ash muttered in his heart, but didn't say anything out loud.
If he started talking about it, he'd only make his own partners panic.
As long as they stuck close to him, it would be fine.
No matter how strong that thing was, this was still a Gym.
If it was the Gym Leader's Pokémon, it shouldn't be allowed to attack challengers… right?
Soon, the trio arrived at the battlefield. The dim lights of the arena flared to life all at once—
And at the same time, the image on the black screen in the real world paused,
Replaced by several lines of text.
[Question: Which Pokémon will Giovanni ultimately use to battle Black Ash?]
A. MewtwoB. RhydonC. BeedrillD. Golem
Answer time: 60 seconds. Timer start!
...
Once again, the Black World segment had triggered a sudden quiz.
At this point, though, everyone was used to it.
Every time something important happened in the Black World,
A surprise question would pop up out of nowhere.
Now the real issue was… which option should they pick?
Because there was a full minute to answer,
People had a little time to discuss it on the comment feed.
[Bruno: For this one… I'm leaning toward A.]
[Lance: I'm not so sure… With Black Ash's personality, he clearly wouldn't provoke Giovanni the way Gary did.]
[Lance: If he doesn't provoke him, then with Giovanni's personality, it's unlikely he'd use Mewtwo. That thing is his trump card. If he doesn't have any personal grudge with Ash, why would he bring out Mewtwo just to crush a kid?]
[Steven: That does make sense. So what do we pick, then?]
[Diantha: Well, we can at least rule out Beedrill. The other three Pokémon all showed up in the White World version already. What's with Beedrill? Can you really picture the boss of Team Rocket using that as his ace?]
[Cynthia: Exactly. It's not that I'm "discriminating" against certain Pokémon, but… the bosses of villain organizations are usually absolute power supremacists. It's hard to imagine them keeping a Beedrill by their side as a trump card.]
With just a few comments, most people mentally ruled out both Beedrill and Mewtwo.
At that moment, Giovanni was trying very hard not to burst out laughing.
Look down on Beedrill, do you?
That's only because you have no idea how strong my Beedrill really is.
As for the question this time, Giovanni was absolutely confident in his choice.
The only problem… was whether he'd be fast enough to actually get a shot at answering.
After all, competing with the entire world for answer slots required not only quick hands, but also a bit of luck.
So Giovanni simply sent out an all-hands message across Team Rocket:
No matter who gets into the answer quota—pick C!
One minute passed in a flash—
[Participants this round: Misty, Cynthia, Giovanni, and Damalanthi.]
[Misty and Cynthia chose B, Professor Oak chose D, and Giovanni chose C.]
[Because of the speed difference, Cynthia was reassigned to option A.]
The results were out.
This time, among the answerers, the boss of Team Rocket—Giovanni himself—had appeared!
And Giovanni had chosen option C!
That alone gave everyone a very bad feeling.
Don't tell me… Giovanni really has a Beedrill—And not just any Beedrill, but one strong enough to be used as his hidden ace…?
Otherwise, why in the world would he pick it here?
[Congratulations to Giovanni for answering correctly.]
[Reward: Golden Island.]
[Golden Island: It is said the entire island is rich with gold—take one step and you find a gold bar; take two steps and you're climbing a mountain of gold.]
[The location of Golden Island has been sent directly to Giovanni. Please check your mind for details.]
As the text appeared, a set of coordinates and images surfaced in Giovanni's mind.
His expression turned… complicated.
He'd long since noticed that the rewards issued by this strange livestream
Were tailored to the needs and desires of each recipient.
For example, that brat Ash had gotten three rewards in a row,
And every one of them had been related to his own problem children:
A Pikachu with insufficient firepower, a Bulbasaur reluctant to evolve, and a Charizard with serious attitude issues.
And as for the reward given to him this time…
It couldn't have suited his tastes more perfectly.
He'd created Team Rocket, poached Pokémon from all over, robbed shipments and rare specimens—why?
To rule the world?
No! No! No.
More than ruling the world, he wanted to be the master of money.
He wanted to be the richest man in the world.
Team Rocket's business model, selling off stolen Pokémon and illegal goods, all came down to one thing:
Money.
With enough money, you could have anything.
And now… this livestream had just dropped an entire Golden Island in his lap.
It was like shooting an arrow straight into his heart.
A whole island of gold.
If they mined the island out and sold everything,
They could probably buy up half the Kanto region—and fund a Team Rocket presence across even more regions.
[Lance: No way. Giovanni, you seriously have a Beedrill? Is that thing your ace?!]
[Giovanni: Oh? Why don't you take a guess.]
[Lorelei: Aren't you called the "Earthshaker Giovanni"? Ground-type master? Mewtwo is one thing, but a Beedrill? Since when do you have a Beedrill? Don't tell me it's actually Champion-level?]
[Giovanni: Oh? Why don't you take a guess.]
[Lance: …]
[Lorelei: …]
Seriously?
Why did we never realize before that this guy was this annoying?
If they knew where Giovanni was right now, they'd go over and smack him a couple of times on the spot.
[Damalanthi: If Giovanni's ace really is a Beedrill, then at least we've just identified one of his trump cards in advance.]
A single Champion-level Pokémon could have a huge impact on a large-scale battle.
If the League ever moved to surround Giovanni,And Giovanni suddenly threw out a Champion-level Beedrill,
The situation could instantly turn around.
So… exposing Giovanni's Beedrill now wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
And the fact that the livestream had rewarded Giovanni with money—well, that was actually the best kind of bad news.
Yes, it would massively strengthen Team Rocket's financial foundation.
But it also meant Team Rocket might greatly reduce their theft and poaching of other people's Pokémon.
First, a rich organization doesn't need to rely on every petty crime.
Second, if they wanted to dig out all that gold, they'd need a huge workforce at Golden Island—
Meaning they might not have the manpower to spare for as many raids.
All in all… it was good news wrapped inside bad news.
...
In the black world—
Ash stood on his side of the battlefield, but no Trainer appeared opposite him.
Instead, up above, where the spectators' seats would be, a red curtain lifted—
And a middle-aged man in a suit, absent-mindedly stroking the Persian in his lap, appeared in front of Ash.
"You're the challenger this time?"
"Yes!"
"So young… Kid, how long have you been on your journey?"
Ash frowned slightly. This guy's way of talking was kind of rude.
Who called people "kid" the moment they met?
Still, he answered honestly.
"I've only been out for about half a year. Not even a full half year, actually."
"Half a year? Hahaha. You've only been traveling half a year, and you dare to challenge Viridian Gym? Who gave you that courage?"
Ash: "…"
"Why are you talking so much? Are we battling or not?!"
After being provoked over and over, Ash was starting to lose his patience.
Ever since this man showed up, he'd been needling him nonstop.
If the other side wasn't going to be polite, then there was no need for Ash to be polite either.
Hearing that, Giovanni, sitting above the field, was briefly taken aback.
Huh…? Why am I wasting so many words on this brat? That's… not like me…
He rose slowly to his feet, then picked up three black-and-gold Poké Balls from the seat at his side and looked down at Ash.
"Since you're so eager to play, I'll entertain you."
"The rules are simple: one-on-one. Each of us can use up to three Pokémon. The Gym Leader can't switch out."
"My first Pokémon will be… this one."
With that, Giovanni threw one of the Ultra Balls in his hand.
"Rooaar!"
His first Pokémon was Rhydon!
Ash had faced a Rhydon back at a previous Gym.
But this time, the opponent was on a completely different level.
Giovanni's Rhydon gave Ash a feeling of pressure several times stronger than Blaine's had!
Ash straightened his cap, took a Poké Ball from his belt, and tossed it.
"Venusaur, I choose you!"
"Venu—SAUR!"
A majestic, imposing Venusaur landed heavily in front of him.
Scouting a Gym's specialty ahead of time had already become second nature to Black World Ash.
Giovanni, the Viridian Gym Leader, was known far and wide as "Giovanni of the Earth."
A master of Ground-type Pokémon.
His true strength was unfathomable. Rumor said no challenger had ever forced him to show his full power.
On the rare occasions when someone left with a Rainbow Badge,It was either because Giovanni had gone easy on them,
Or because he'd taken a liking to them and simply handed over the badge.
So when Ash came here to challenge this Gym, he had already prepared his most suitable lineup.
The other side was finally taking him seriously.
Judging from Rhydon's presence and its Aura,
Even if it wasn't one of Giovanni's main aces, it was still at least on par with a strong Gym Leader's ace.
Its Aura was weaker than that Gengar Mr. Tang had used before, so it probably hadn't quite reached true Elite Four level—
But with Venusaur's type advantage and a Miracle Seed to boost its Grass-type moves, this was a fight he could take!
Giovanni gave a small, disdainful snort when he saw Ash send out Venusaur.
"Hmph. Trying to rely on type advantage? How naïve."
"My Pokémon aren't the kind you can handle with a bit of type matching."
"Rhydon, use Earthquake!"
"Rooaar!"
Rhydon roared, slamming its broad forelegs into the ground.
Ground-type energy surged from beneath the battlefield,
And the entire arena shook violently with a thunderous rumble!
"Endure it! Then hit back with Frenzy Plant!"
Ash didn't even flinch at Rhydon's Earthquake.
Ever since Venusaur had evolved,
Its training regimen had completely changed.
With its speed and agility reduced,
Ash had focused heavily on its defense and endurance instead.
It now specialized in counterattacking after taking a hit.
So Earthquake just didn't do enough damage.
There was no way it could stop Venusaur from unleashing Frenzy Plant!
"Venu—SAUR!"
Venusaur obeyed Ash's command perfectly, rearing its head and letting out a fierce roar.
Countless thick vines and roots erupted from the ground!
Masses of whip-like plants filled the entire arena.
The Grass-type energy surging within them—if it hit Rhydon head-on,
It could very well take it down in one shot!
Four-times-effective Grass-type ultimate move. Even if you were Elite Four-class,
Getting caught by that would be fatal.
Giovanni's face darkened.
He hadn't expected a rookie who'd only been traveling half a year to give such a decisive command.
"…Looks like I can't treat you like an ordinary kid after all. Rhydon, Fire Punch!"
"Rooaaar!"
Anyone who specialized in a particular type would always have counters prepared for their natural weaknesses.
Blaine's Rhydon had used Electric-type moves; Giovanni's Rhydon, on the other hand, wielded Fire-type technique.
Flames surged over Rhydon's fist,
And it slammed the blazing punch into the oncoming wall of Frenzy Plant vines!
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rocked the stadium, black smoke billowing across the battlefield and obscuring everything.
Ash didn't panic. He simply had Venusaur continue driving Frenzy Plant.
The saying "two fists can't beat four hands" applied perfectly here.
One Fire Punch wasn't enough to burn away all of Frenzy Plant.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Explosions thundered again and again within the darkened smoke, as if Rhydon were struggling desperately inside.
Ash glanced at Giovanni—whose face had once again gone calm—
Then looked back at the battlefield, now completely swallowed by smoke, and felt a faint sense of danger.
"Venusaur, be careful. I've got a bad feeling he's planning something…"
"Heh. Your instincts are pretty sharp, kid—but you noticed a little too late."
Giovanni's smile turned sinister as he shouted:
"Rhydon, use Fire Blast!"
"ROOOAAR!!"
Rhydon, its body covered in burns and scars, suddenly burst out of the smoke!
Its jump was so powerful it nearly hit the ceiling.
And up in midair,
Rhydon opened its massive jaws—and a roaring Fire Blast erupted from its mouth in the shape of a flaming kanji.
The flame was so intense it seemed to scorch the air itself.
"It even knows Fire Blast?! Use the remaining Frenzy Plant vines as a shield!"
Ash hadn't expected Giovanni's Rhydon to have so many Fire-type moves in its arsenal.
Those earlier booms in the smoke—Rhydon must have been deliberately stalling,
Dodging the vines while steadily building up more and more Fire-type energy.
Even at the cost of taking some damage from Frenzy Plant,It had chosen to charge up this one, decisive Fire Blast!
If they just traded blows normally, there was no way Rhydon could outlast Venusaur.
So Giovanni had gambled everything on this one hit—
Even if it meant risking a clean KO.
Explosions echoed one after another.
The criss-cross of flames and vines turned the entire battlefield into a blazing inferno.
Venusaur managed to use the remaining Frenzy Plant vines to block Fire Blast,
But at the same time, it was completely surrounded by fire!
Giovanni laughed.
"Your Venusaur is trained well, but your commanding is still a little lacking."
"Accept defeat, kid! Rhydon—Horn Drill!"
Horn Drill, a one-hit-KO move.
As long as the difference in power wasn't too huge, if it connected, the target was done.
Right now, Venusaur was trapped in the flames,And also locked into Frenzy Plant's recovery period.
That Horn Drill was practically guaranteed to land.
Could it be… that Ash was going to lose the very first round?
"…I didn't think I'd be forced to use this in the first battle."
Ash sighed.
A faint blue light slowly spread across his body, shimmering like a layer of flame.
From that moment on—
There was something… different about him.
PS :
Mewtwo is a powerful, artificially created Psychic-type Legendary Pokémon resulting from horrific gene-splicing experiments on Mew's DNA.It is known for its immense psychic power, high intelligence, and initially savage heart, though its personality can vary across different stories in the Pokémon media.
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