Chapter 165: Trying to Escape?
Dugtrio's next target was Eevee, which, unlike Gardevoir, didn't have Teleport to evade.
To make it easier for Gardevoir to deal with Dugtrio, Asahi reached for his Mega Evolution stone.
SWOOSH!
A burst of rainbow light enveloped Gardevoir.
The moment the transformation completed, Mega Gardevoir's black dress swayed in the wind.
Giovanni's pupils contracted. "Mega Evolution?"
He had heard of it before but had never encountered it personally.
With a smirk, Asahi said, "Now that Gardevoir has Mega Evolved, what will your Dugtrio do?"
Normally, he wouldn't be this cocky, but with Beedrill and Aggron occupied by Mew and Mewtwo, Mega Gardevoir was unstoppable.
Before Giovanni could respond, Mega Gardevoir vanished from beside Asahi.
In an instant, it reappeared directly above Dugtrio.
The Psychic-type Plate in its possession flared brightly, and Dugtrio suddenly felt an overwhelming force pulling it upward, as if trying to yank it from underground.
Dugtrio had no choice but to abandon its attack on Eevee and retaliate with Mud Bomb.
Seizing the brief distraction, Dugtrio activated Sand Veil, vanishing into the storm.
Asahi frowned and released Lugia Jr.
"Lugia Jr., Rain Dance!"
Stretching its wings, Lugia Jr. let out a long cry.
Immediately, dark clouds covered the sky, the sunlight vanished, and a storm began to rage.
Raindrops poured down, dispersing the sandstorm in an instant.
While Haxorus felt invigorated, Giovanni's Pokémon—mostly Ground- and Rock-types—clearly struggled under the rain.
With the Sandstorm gone, Dugtrio was fully exposed, forcing it to retreat underground.
Meanwhile, in Mewtwo and Mew's battlefield, the rain made a huge difference.
Taking a Metal Claw from Aggron head-on, Mewtwo countered with an Aura Sphere.
BOOM!
The attack sent Tyranitar flying, knocking it unconscious.
With one Pokémon down, Beedrill, Aggron, and Nidoking were now under even more pressure.
Giovanni's expression darkened.
Just as he was contemplating his next move—
BZZT!
Ariana's voice crackled through his earpiece.
[Boss Giovanni, be careful—]
Before she could finish, the transmission cut off.
Be careful?
Of what?
At that moment, Giovanni realized—he could no longer contact Sabrina either.
A terrible premonition settled over him.
Meanwhile, Asahi received a message from Sabrina.
[Ariana is captured. Team Rocket's elite forces have been wiped out. We're cleaning up the stragglers now.]
Asahi smirked at Giovanni.
"Giovanni, looks like your subordinates ran into a little… trouble."
Giovanni's face darkened.
Asahi's arrival had completely derailed his plans.
What should have been a straightforward capture of Mewtwo had now turned into a disaster.
Not only was Mewtwo still standing, but with Mew's support, it was now pressuring his Beedrill and Aggron.
Meanwhile, his elite forces had been wiped out, and Ariana was captured.
Trying to contact Sabrina yielded no response.
A heavy silence fell over the battlefield.
Giovanni slowly clenched his fists.
His calm demeanor remained, but inside, he was reevaluating the situation.
Then, after a deep breath, he smirked slightly.
"Asahi… I'll admit, I underestimated you."
Despite the setback, Giovanni's tone remained composed, even with a hint of admiration.
But Asahi wasn't interested in pleasantries.
He met Giovanni's gaze with a smirk of his own.
"Underestimation can be costly, Giovanni. Maybe next time, you won't make the same mistake."
As rain continued to pour, the battlefield remained tense.
Giovanni knew—it was time to make a decision.
Giovanni's backup forces had been completely tied up by Asahi, leaving him with no choice but to keep them close for protection.
He even began to suspect that Mewtwo, which was supposed to be a blank slate, had been influenced by Asahi. Otherwise, how could a Pokémon that had just been born harbor such deep hostility toward him and Team Rocket?
But none of that mattered now.
Rationality told him that Lorelei could arrive at any moment—his defeat was inevitable.
He was already at his limit fighting Mewtwo, Mew, and Asahi alone. If Lorelei joined in, there would be no chance of victory.
What frustrated him the most was the fact that Team Rocket had poured massive resources and effort into the Mewtwo Project, and now, just when success was within reach, he was being forced to abandon both Mewtwo and the New Island research base.
Leaving all of it for the Pokémon League…
His heart bled at the thought.
But Giovanni was not someone who let emotions dictate his decisions.
With no advantage left, staying here would accomplish nothing.
After only a moment's hesitation, he made his decision.
"Return, Persian."
At Giovanni's command, Persian dodged Eevee's Take Down, gracefully leaping back to his side.
This movement served as a signal.
All of Giovanni's Pokémon began retreating toward him.
Seeing this, Asahi narrowed his eyes.
"Trying to escape?"
He didn't even need to give an order—Mewtwo, eyes filled with cold fury, rushed toward Giovanni, a charged Aura Sphere in hand.
It was obvious—Mewtwo was out for revenge for the wound on its shoulder.
It had suffered greatly in this battle!
Of course, Asahi wasn't about to let Giovanni escape either.
"Gardevoir!"
Upon hearing Asahi's call, Mega Gardevoir, dressed in its flowing black gown, swiftly glided toward Giovanni, unleashing a surge of psychic energy powered by its Mind Plate.
**
To read an advance 130+ chapters before public release
And
Support me at p@treon.com/NahinS77