Ariana felt sick. What did she do to deserve this? Getting cornered and intercepted by two members of the Kanto Elite Four at the same time?
It was obvious now why Vileplume had been sent flying earlier. The Hitmonlee beside Bruno was the one that did it. The "Kick Fiend" could extend and retract its legs freely, striking from far away like it was nothing.
"This is bad, Gladion," Ariana said.
Her naturally pale face had gone fully white.
"I don't enjoy beating up weaker opponents," Bruno said, voice low. "But you're Team Rocket. I'm not letting you go. Surrender."
"Are you kidding?!" Ariana snapped.
She wasn't going to get dragged away quietly, and Gladion wasn't either.
"Struggling won't change anything," Bruno said.
He didn't waste words. To him, it was simple: beat them, hand them to Officer Jenny, mission done.
…
"Pikachu! Thunder!"
"Charizard! Air Slash!"
Red's voice came out steady and heavy. Golden lightning crashed down as air blades cut forward at the same time, sharp enough to make the air shake.
Damian chuckled. "Nature's Madness."
Tapu Fini let out a high, ringing cry. The ground glowed pink, and a pink shockwave rolled forward—Nature's Madness, the Tapus' signature move.
It slammed into Thunder and Air Slash head-on.
There was no suspense. The lightning and air blades got shredded by the pink force and scattered.
The shockwave didn't stop.
It kept going, straight at Charizard and Pikachu.
Both tried to pull back and dodge, but they were late. The shock hit them hard. Pink, yellow, and blue flashes collided, and the blast knocked them away. The explosion cracked through the ruins, and the pressure almost threw Red off his feet. He braced both arms in front of him and fought to keep his balance.
So strong.
Seeing Red's two main Pokémon get taken out in one hit, Erika's eyes widened.
"Surf," Damian said, right after.
Sea-blue light flickered across Tapu Fini's body.
Crash!
A wave surged up from the ground and rolled forward, carrying Tapu Fini with it.
"Blastoise!" Red threw the Poké Ball fast.
A sturdy Blastoise appeared in front of him, and a green Protect barrier snapped into place.
Boom!
The Surf slammed down and flooded everything in front of it. When the water finally pulled back, the scene looked wrecked. Pikachu and Charizard lay soaked on the ground, clearly unable to fight anymore. Tapu Fini floated quietly, looking down at Blastoise and Red without emotion.
Red's brow tightened. He recalled Charizard and Pikachu, then stared at Tapu Fini in silence.
"I told you," Damian said, tilting his head at Red. "You haven't had enough time. The gap between us is bigger than you think."
This was exactly why Damian didn't like fighting weaker opponents. It got boring fast.
Red: "..."
Red pressed his hat down.
After that short exchange, he understood the truth. This guy—only about a year older than him—had strength that didn't make sense.
Red knew his own talent. From the start of the year until now, he hadn't lost to anyone his age except his annoying childhood rival, Blue.
No one else.
Even against his younger brother Ash, Red had won their one match. Against Blue, it was back and forth—tight, even.
Besides those two, Red had never felt pressure from anyone his age.
Never.
Until today.
"If you're smart," Damian said, watching him, "you'll leave now. You can't beat me. You get what I'm saying, right?"
Damian understood himself. He was also one of the "lucky ones," with Viridian Power and talent that could only be called monstrous.
When talent is close, time becomes the deciding factor.
For trainers like them, time equals strength.
Damian was a year older than Red.
That year was the biggest gap between them right now.
"..."
Red didn't answer. He opened another Poké Ball.
A well-trained Venusaur landed heavily in front of him.
Even knowing the difference, Red still couldn't bring himself to turn around and run while Team Rocket stood in front of him.
Damian clicked his tongue. "Stubborn."
He watched Venusaur with interest. Was Red really running the game lineup? Pikachu, Charizard, Venusaur, Blastoise… what were the last two?
"Mewtwo," Damian said.
Hummm—
The air went quiet.
In Red's senses, the space itself started to hum. A ringing sound filled his ears. His head swam. His body trembled without permission. A hard, ugly pulse of panic hit his chest, and his instincts nearly forced him down.
In front of him, Blastoise and Venusaur looked like a weight had been dropped on them. They strained to hold themselves up, sweat pouring.
Pressure.
He'd never felt pressure like this before.
Red, half-kneeling, forced himself to look up.
A black, humanoid Pokémon in armor descended from above. Red couldn't see its face. He only saw its eyes—like purple flames burning inside the helmet.
What is that?
Armored Mewtwo landed on the ruins and stood beside Damian.
Red kept his teeth clenched. His instincts screamed at him to back off, but he didn't. His crimson eyes locked onto Damian and that armored Pokémon like he was trying to carve the sight into his memory.
"I'm not interested in dragging this fight out," Damian said. Then his eyes shifted to the side. "And also…"
Armored Mewtwo understood immediately. It raised its right arm. The purple glow in its eyes flickered.
"Eh? Hey—hey!" a girl yelped.
A girl in a black dress floated out of hiding, held in place by psychic force. When she saw Damian looking at her, she gave him an awkward, sheepish smile.
"Hi, handsome."
Damian's tone stayed casual. "Spying isn't a great habit."
"I wasn't spying," Green said quickly, trying to twist free. It didn't work. She couldn't move at all. Her face tightened. "I was just… passing by."
Damian didn't argue. "I'm going to check on my people now. For the moment, behave."
His voice sharpened just a little.
"If you try to stop me again, I can't promise I'll be gentle."
Damian half-turned and glanced at the two of them.
"We'll be very obedient," Green said immediately, smile stiff but polite.
Stop him? Not happening. Not in this lifetime.
He looked about her age, but he was a monster.
And that Pokémon—Green looked at Armored Mewtwo and felt her skin prickle. The malice coming off it was thick enough to make her want to step back, even though she couldn't.
"That's smart," Damian said. "I think we'll meet again."
He smiled once and turned to leave. Armored Mewtwo followed.
Erika hesitated, then let out a small sigh and followed Damian too.
Red straightened up, as if he was about to have Venusaur and Blastoise block Damian's path.
Green grabbed Red fast. "I'm begging you, brother—don't go looking for death. Let someone else deal with this guy!"
Damian had already let them off. If they pushed him again, who knew what he'd do?
This wasn't some random thug. This was a high-level Team Rocket executive.
Red bit his lip. Then he pressed his hat down and lowered his head, frustration written all over him.
Green exhaled slowly. Watching the three of them walk away made her feel unsettled. She wasn't sure what emotion it was, but it pushed her into a sudden impulse.
"Wait!"
Damian stopped and turned his head halfway.
"?"
Green chose her words carefully. "You're Giovanni's son, right? Why did you join Team Rocket?"
She'd fought so hard to escape a dark organization and that world. And now this guy—with a future that looked limitless—had walked straight into it on his own.
Erika and Red both looked at Damian too.
"A reason?" Damian repeated.
The smile on his face thinned.
His eyes shifted toward the fires and noise in the distance. The fighting wasn't over. Commands and impacts still carried through the air.
"Do you know something?" Damian said.
"Sometimes you work your ass off for something. You sweat for it, you earn it—then someone wipes it away with one casual sentence."
His voice sounded distant for a moment.
"Power. Belonging. Ideals." Damian spoke evenly. "When I inherited the title 'son of the strongest Gym Leader,' all I got was the name 'Giovanni's son.'"
He paused, then continued.
"And under that name, there was nothing that was mine. I was just playing a role—being the son of the strongest Gym Leader."
Damian's voice stayed flat, but his eyes didn't.
"But why should I keep playing a hollow name?"
He looked back over his shoulder.
"I won the Indigo League. I caught Legendary Pokémon. I did what he couldn't."
His tone sharpened.
"I'll prove it to everyone."
His gaze locked forward.
"I've already surpassed him."