In the Black World —
"I lost this battle. I will disband Team Rocket shortly, and I will also turn myself in."
Contrary to Ash's expectations, Giovanni's voice didn't sound desolate or unwilling. Instead, it carried a sense of… relief.
He didn't understand… why would he feel relieved after losing?
Wasn't Giovanni a villain? Team Rocket was about to be disbanded, and he was going to jail, yet his tone held no reluctance or regret. Did Giovanni have another scheme?
Ash was now holding Pikachu. Although Pikachu hadn't fainted, it was heavily injured, and Ash's own body was covered in wounds. Most of his Aura power was depleted—partly from the injuries, partly from defending against the Kirin. For now, he could only have Pikachu endure the discomfort while he applied a Potion.
"I advise you not to try any tricks. You have no way out now…"
"Ash!!"
Before Ash could finish, a loud shout came from the distant sky. The usually cold voice was filled with anxiety and panic.
Ash instinctively turned and saw four figures approaching rapidly.
"Sa… Sabrina? And Misty, Brock?"
Seeing the figures, Ash was unsure at first, but a closer look confirmed it—it was indeed Sabrina and the others. Of the four figures, three were people and one was an Alakazam.
In an instant, Ash understood how they'd gotten here and why. The commotion was still too big…
He had originally planned to tell them after everything was resolved. After all, Giovanni was the boss of Team Rocket, and Sabrina had once been a target of his. Ash didn't want them to meet Giovanni.
"Hah, your little girlfriend is here. Youth is wonderful!" Giovanni was no longer hanging his head but looking up at the sky with a sigh. His expression showed only relief and nostalgia.
"Don't worry, I have no schemes, and I can't be bothered to think of any."
"I had a feeling when I first met you… If I didn't completely defeat you, I'd never be the ruthless Team Rocket boss again. Has anyone told you… you have a strange power? The power to change people's hearts…"
Ash: "…"
Why did this guy sound like he was spouting nonsense? Changing people's hearts? He'd never done anything to Giovanni except battle him, right?
"Ash, are you okay?!"
By now, Sabrina and the others had landed. Sabrina immediately rushed into Ash's arms. Pikachu, who was originally being held, was squeezed out. The battle-weary Pikachu, who had just been sprayed with a Potion and was about to rest comfortably, found itself confusedly tumbling onto the rocky ground.
The stinging pain on the back of its head told it… it had been shoved aside by a woman!!
Pikachu: (｀へ´)
This is too much! Don't forget old friends when you have new ones!
But when Teacher Pikachu saw Sabrina's worried, tearful face, it generously forgave her.
Misty also hugged Ash worriedly. Ash was now in a dual-embrace state.
Brock picked up the Pikachu that had fallen to the ground and dusted it off. "Ah, this is youth! Forgive them, Pikachu."
"Pika-pi~" I'm very generous. I won't hold it against them.
"Anyway…" Brock looked at the ruin-like surroundings and sighed. "This battle was even more intense than the last! The Thunder Kirin's power has increased again, Pikachu."
"Pika Pika~"
"So… who was the opponent this time?"
"Pika, Pikachupi!" Pikachu pointed at Giovanni, who had been silently eating metaphorical dog food while recalling his Beedrill, indicating that uncle was the opponent.
Brock looked at Giovanni and instantly remembered his identity. "The Viridian Gym Leader? No… I should say, the Boss of Team Rocket…"
After the previous incident with Mewtwo, Ash had explained in detail about Mewtwo and even told them Giovanni was Team Rocket's leader. To be honest, at the time, none of them, including Ash, wanted to believe it. But Mewtwo had no reason to lie, and combined with Ash's own observations, Giovanni's identity was almost certain.
Not only that, after the Mewtwo incident, they had gone to Viridian City and found the Gym had been rebuilt… and was announced as "closed indefinitely," implying the original Leader had quit! This all but confirmed Giovanni's identity.
So… Giovanni, the mighty Boss of Team Rocket, was here? And he'd fought Ash? If it was Giovanni… Pikachu using the Thunder Kirin wasn't surprising. After all, in their previous encounter, Ash and Pikachu, even with Aura Fusion, were no match for that Beedrill. And now? The outcome was clear…
While Brock was lost in thought, the two girls finally recovered from their worried state. They first carefully checked Ash for injuries, finding only minor wounds and nothing serious. Then they pressed Ash for details.
Ash only mentioned the bet with Giovanni, not the matter with Domino.
"Eh?! So… Team Rocket is going to disband?!" Misty blinked her emerald green eyes, big question marks within them. A criminal organization spanning multiple regions, disbanding because of a one-on-one duel today? It felt… unreal.
Sabrina's pretty face also showed confusion. When she was secluded in the past, she didn't know much about the outside world, but she knew the name "Team Rocket"—they had tried to recruit her, and she'd refused. The organization's scale was unimaginable. Later, after Ash helped her out of her自闭state, she understood just how formidable Team Rocket was. And now… Ash went out to find someone and accidentally disbanded Team Rocket?!
"It's not a complete disbandment. Even with Giovanni's authority, a cross-regional criminal organization wouldn't dissolve on the leader's word alone."
"But as Giovanni said… at least about 50% could be disbanded."
"Moreover, if Giovanni orders the disbandment and turns himself in voluntarily, it could at least prevent a large-scale war between the League and Team Rocket."
This was one reason Ash agreed to Giovanni's bet. If Giovanni took the initiative, half or more of Team Rocket might dissolve. If Giovanni were captured by force, Team Rocket might also lose half its people—the difference being they would likely fight the Kanto and Johto Leagues to rescue him! In that scenario, Team Rocket's numbers would drop, but the League wouldn't fare well either. Hence, Ash agreed to the bet.
"Will he comply?" Sabrina raised the question.
Ash glanced silently at Giovanni, who was watching them without a word, then replied, "Looking at him, he doesn't seem like he'll go back on his word… Before, during, and after the battle, he didn't contact anyone from Team Rocket. That means he didn't leave himself an escape route. Generally speaking… he probably doesn't intend to break the contract."
Ash said this with some hesitation. After all, this was only his second time dealing with the leader of a major evil organization like Giovanni. His ability to read people wasn't flawless, and he wasn't entirely sure Giovanni would keep his word. But the worst outcome was Giovanni being taken to the police, followed by negotiations or conflict between the League and Team Rocket. He wouldn't lose out, and he'd even gained a Key Stone.
"...Are you Sabrina?" Giovanni suddenly spoke.
Sabrina instinctively stepped in front of Ash, a frosty expression on her beautiful face. Her lips parted slightly, and a cold voice emerged.
"That's right. If you hadn't promised Ash to disband Team Rocket and were about to turn yourself in, I'd really want to turn you into a doll and roast you over a fire right now!"
Hearing this, Giovanni's words caught in his throat. This woman… is she insane?
But when Giovanni saw Ash's scarred yet smiling face, he understood. "I see… It's not just that boy protecting you unilaterally; you'd protect him too, right? Ah, young love is truly enviable!"
"What do you mean, 'protecting me unilaterally'?" Sabrina caught the implication in Giovanni's words.
"Oh? Didn't Ash tell you? He was so angry he crushed the hand bones of my right-hand woman into pieces and knocked her out cold with a chop. She's still lying unconscious on the airship."
Sabrina's cold expression froze. She subconsciously looked back at Ash, who wore an awkward smile.
"Um… I didn't think it was necessary to mention that… I was afraid you'd think I was too cruel…"
Forcibly crushing a woman's hand bones—Ash felt he'd gone too far and didn't want to tell Sabrina and the others, fearing they'd see him as cruel.
After Sabrina pressed Giovanni for the context, Giovanni explained truthfully without exaggeration. If the young man couldn't see it, how could an old fox like him miss it? If those two girls disliked Ash over this, why would they rush over without hesitation after seeing the fierce battle?
"Fool…" After hearing Giovanni's account, Sabrina lightly scolded Ash, then turned and hugged him, unable to resist kissing his dusty cheek. That a kind-hearted person like Ash would resort to intimidation, threats, and even causing harm showed just how important Sabrina was to him! So, even in this setting, Sabrina didn't hold back and kissed him directly.
...
[Lance: Don't look if it's inappropriate~]
[Caitlin: Oh, come on, Big Brother D! What's inappropriate? It's just a kiss on the cheek, not on the mouth! Kiss on the mouth, let me see!!]
[Cynthia: Lia, have you lost your mind…]
[Caitlin: Hehe, I've seen kisses, but never between ten-year-olds! The thrill is in the novelty!]
After Caitlin's remark, everyone remembered—Ash was only ten years old! Even after the Silver Conference, he'd likely be less than eleven… Thinking about it, Gary was even more terrifying! Ten years old with six girlfriends? No wonder he only made the Top 32 at the Indigo Plateau Conference! His body couldn't handle it.jpg!
[Sabrina: Ugh… It's obviously not me on screen, so why is my heart racing…]
[Caitlin: Hey, it's still you, isn't it? Same face, similar personality, just different experiences. And you in this world have no feelings for Ash, right?]
[Sabrina: "..."]
No feelings for Ash?
Of course not… Even if the methods differed, Ash in this world was the one who pulled her out of her cold,自闭 space and allowed her to feel again. How could she have no feelings for him at all? It's just… that indescribable feeling from the beginning… she didn't pursue it. She didn't have the courage to chase after Ash like her Black World self did. But now… watching the emotional exchange between her other self and Black Ash, even knowing it wasn't exactly her, her heart raced when that Sabrina kissed Black Ash.
If it were her kissing White Ash…
No, no, she couldn't think about it anymore. Her brain was about to shut down!
...
In the Black World —
After feeling the soft, warm sensation on his cheek, Ash's weary face instantly became animated, even flushing slightly.
"Sa… Sabrina… we're… still outside…"
"Hehe, what does it matter~" Sabrina smiled, letting her lips leave Ash's cheek. She put her hands behind her back and gave him a gentle smile. One second cold as ice, the next tender and affectionate—Ash felt Sabrina could earn the title "Capricious Enchantress."
Misty, beside them, pouted, then without hesitation kissed Ash's other cheek. "It's not fair if only Sabrina gets to!"
Ash: "…" Please read the room!
The Boss of Team Rocket, Giovanni, was still sitting on the ground nearby! There were still remnants of electrical energy from the battle around… Why start flirting here?
"Ahem… So youth is wonderful!" Giovanni sighed for the umpteenth time, then reached into his inner jacket pocket.
Sabrina's tender expression froze for a split second. She instantly turned, blocking Ash with one hand while extending the other, using her Psychic power to restrain Giovanni. "What are you doing?"
Giovanni: "…"
"Let me go! I'm getting something for that brat!" Giovanni said irritably. He had originally planned to give the item in his pocket to Ash—who reminded him of his younger self—as a parting gift before disbanding Team Rocket. But Sabrina's vigilance made her use her Psychic power to immobilize him instantly, leaving him stuck in the posture of reaching into his pocket. This also made Giovanni subconsciously call Ash "brat" again, though Ash sensed… this time, the address didn't seem derogatory, but more like an elder's exasperated term for a younger person.
...
"Sabrina, let him go. If he really intended to make a move, he'd have called for backup long ago."
Under Ash's persuasion, Sabrina slowly released her Psychic hold. After today's events, her feelings for Ash had deepened, so… she would never allow anyone to hurt Ash in front of her! Not even behind his back!
Freed from the Psychic restraint, Giovanni successfully retrieved the item from his pocket. It was a silver metal case. Giovanni opened the case in front of Ash, revealing its contents.
The opened case emitted no glow, only a gem resting quietly inside. The gem was round, about the size of a pigeon's egg. Its exterior was mostly silver-gray, but in the center was a pattern combining dark and light purple, resembling a genetic helix.
Ash, initially indifferent to whatever Giovanni was offering, felt his chestnut eyes widen and his mouth fall open involuntarily at the sight of the gem. The words burst out:
"A Mega Stone?! And that one?!"
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