Dylan pondered how to defeat this Beedrill.
"Pursuit!"
Giovanni commanded another attack.
Beedrill's wings fluttered rapidly as it shot toward the grounded Genesect like a lightning bolt. Its speed was astonishing.
"Shadow Claw!" Dylan didn't hesitate.
Retreating wasn't an option. Beedrill's speed and explosive power were overwhelming—backing away would only make its pursuit even fiercer, leaving no escape.
And Genesect wasn't a defensive Pokémon to begin with.
Its claws shimmered with a sharp, eerie glow as it met Beedrill head-on—an incoming Ghost-type Shadow Claw!
Boom!
Pursuit and Shadow Claw collided with a violent shockwave, sending ripples through the air. It was clear that Beedrill's lance was pressing down on Genesect's claws.
Then, in the next instant, Beedrill's other lance cut through the air, thrusting straight for Genesect.
Another Pursuit!
Genesect quickly dodged to the side, countering with its second Shadow Claw.
Beedrill pulled back slightly to evade, then immediately closed the distance again.
The two Pokémon clashed midair in an intense melee, weaving through the air in a breathtaking exchange of attacks.
The sounds of moves colliding and energy bursting filled the battlefield. Lillie could hardly keep up with the sheer speed of the battle.
Then—
Boom!
Genesect's Shadow Claw was parried, and Beedrill's Pursuit struck it directly in the chest.
With a cry of pain, Genesect plummeted, crashing hard onto the ground. It lifted its head, breathing heavily as it stared at the Beedrill hovering above.
That prolonged high-speed combat had drained both its stamina and focus. And in the end, it had fallen behind.
"Looks like your Genesect isn't a match for my Beedrill, Dylan."
Giovanni grinned, his white teeth glinting ominously against his shadowed face. The overwhelming malice in his gaze was chilling.
"Pursuit!"
Beedrill paused briefly before rocketing toward the fallen Genesect once more.
"Quick Attack!"
Dylan commanded immediately.
Both Beedrill and Genesect were Bug-types, and since Genesect's Steel typing resisted Poison, Beedrill had been relying on Brick Break and Pursuit instead.
But Pursuit's effect meant that if the target had already taken damage, its power doubled.
A flash of white light burst from Genesect's body—it endured the pain and vanished from its spot just before Beedrill could strike.
With Quick Attack boosting its speed, Genesect dashed away, forcing Beedrill to twist midair and give chase.
"Thunderbolt!" Dylan's eyes gleamed.
Instead of Flamethrower, which was super effective against Beedrill, he opted for Thunderbolt—a move that could spread over a wider range.
Electricity crackled across Genesect's body before surging forward toward the oncoming Beedrill.
With no room to dodge sideways, Beedrill had no choice but to meet it head-on. It raised its right lance and swung—smashing through the lightning with another devastating Pursuit.
"You can't escape, Beedrill!"
Beedrill suddenly accelerated again, closing the gap between them.
"Blaze Kick!"
"Brick Break!"
Flames erupted around Genesect's right leg as it delivered a powerful flaming kick toward Beedrill.
Beedrill blocked with its right lance, taking the full force of the attack. But in the same motion, its other lance glowed white as it swung sideways—
Boom!
The Brick Break struck true, sending Genesect tumbling through the air once more.
Dylan narrowed his eyes slightly. This wasn't working.
"It's losing ground…"
Lillie frowned, watching Genesect continuously forced onto the defensive.
This Beedrill was beyond terrifying. As the battle dragged on, Genesect's disadvantage was growing more and more apparent.
She had never imagined a Beedrill could be raised to this level—it completely shattered her expectations.
"Pursuit!"
"Thunderbolt!"
Beedrill surged forward once again, its lances shrouded in dark energy.
Electricity sparked violently around Genesect as it fired another Thunderbolt, striking Beedrill mid-flight.
But Beedrill only hesitated for an instant.
Bang!
Its Pursuit landed, driving Genesect downward.
Boom!
The ground trembled as Genesect crashed, letting out a low, pained cry.
"Finish it—Brick Break!" Giovanni smirked, victory in sight.
Beedrill raised its right lance and swung it down toward Genesect.
"Final Gambit!"
Giovanni's expression stiffened.
"Beedrill!"
Beedrill immediately attempted to retreat, sensing the impending self-destructive attack.
Genesect's entire body glowed brilliantly white.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted, unleashing a violent shockwave that forced everyone to shield their eyes.
From within the dissipating dust, Beedrill emerged—its body smoking, its breath ragged.
It had taken heavy damage from the Final Gambit.
As the dust settled, Genesect lay unconscious in a crater.
"Genesect is unable to battle. Beedrill wins."
Matori announced the result.
Dylan recalled his fainted Genesect, his gaze fixed on Beedrill. Despite its injuries, it had already steadied its breathing.
"A truly powerful Beedrill, Giovanni. Calling it the strongest Beedrill in the world wouldn't be an exaggeration."
Dylan clicked his tongue in admiration. He could only truly appreciate its strength now that he had faced it firsthand.
Genesect had exceptional power—it excelled in both melee and ranged combat, with virtually no weaknesses.
Yet Giovanni's Beedrill, using only Brick Break and Pursuit, had completely dominated the battle. Terrifying.
"A Mythical Pokémon using self-destruction… Dylan, you might be the first."
Giovanni chuckled lightly, not denying Dylan's praise. Instead, he marveled at Dylan's bold tactics.
He honestly hadn't expected Dylan to have Genesect use Final Gambit.
Of course, Giovanni hadn't even known Genesect could use that move—otherwise, he would have taken precautions.
"Well, my opponent is ridiculously strong," Dylan admitted with a grin, retrieving another Poké Ball.
"So, how do you plan to deal with my Beedrill?" Giovanni adjusted his tie, staring at Dylan.
"By defeating it head-on, of course!"
Dylan flipped the Poké Ball in his hand and threw it.
"Alright, Giovanni—this will be your next opponent."
"Marshadow! Prepare for battle!"
The luxury ball burst open, and a gray-black humanoid Pokémon emerged from the shadows, its hollow orange eyes locking onto Beedrill.
Marshadow.
"Marshadow? Another Mythical Pokémon."
Giovanni studied it carefully but wasn't particularly surprised that Dylan owned one.
Unless it was a Legendary Pokémon on the level of Ho-Oh, Giovanni didn't care much about most Legendaries or Mythicals.
The likes of Darkrai or the Articuno and Moltres that Sabrina and Koga had recently captured didn't interest him.
He was confident that his main Pokémon were just as strong as those so-called Legendary Pokémon.
After all, hadn't his Beedrill just defeated Genesect?
"That's right. Marshadow is a Ghost/Fighting type—so, Giovanni, I hope you'll enjoy experiencing its power." Dylan smirked.
"Ehhh… why does Marshadow look… chubbier?"
Lillie tilted her head in confusion.
She hadn't seen Marshadow in a while—it usually hid in Dylan's shadow and trained alone.
But now that she was seeing it again, she was sure of it.
Its waist looked… thicker?
Marshadow had always been small and adorable, giving off a cute and dopey vibe.
But now, it looked sturdier—almost like it had a little belly…
On the battlefield.
"Aerial Ace!" Giovanni made the first move.
Despite its dominance, Beedrill wasn't unscathed.
Giovanni had trained it for high-speed explosive attacks, but compared to its offense and speed, its defense was average at best.
Genesect's Thunderbolts were manageable, but that Final Gambit had been a heavy blow. Still, it wasn't enough to take Beedrill out of the fight.
Beedrill spun rapidly, gathering white energy before diving toward Marshadow—Aerial Ace, a Flying-type move!
"Shadow Punch!"
Marshadow clenched its fist, bent its knees, and leaped at high speed to meet Beedrill head-on.
A Ghost-type Shadow Punch! And with Technician, its power was even greater.
Boom!
Aerial Ace and Shadow Punch clashed, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. In the next instant, both Pokémon were knocked backward.
"This one's stronger than that Genesect."
Giovanni narrowed his eyes slightly.
This Marshadow was clearly more powerful than the Genesect from earlier. Just from its attack alone, it could already go toe-to-toe with his Beedrill.
"Pursuit!" Giovanni ordered again.
Beedrill's twin lances glowed black as it sped toward Marshadow.
"Spectral Thief!"
Marshadow's body melted into a shadow.
Beedrill swooped down, but its target had disappeared—it was the shadow itself!
As Beedrill neared the ground, ready to strike, the dark shadow beneath it suddenly expanded.
"Beedrill!"
Something was off. Giovanni immediately called out to it.
Beedrill flapped its wings to retreat, but at that moment, a surge of Ghostly energy erupted in a blinding pillar of darkness.
Dozens of eerie orange eyes flickered within the swirling mass of energy.
Even Lillie and Matori, who were watching, felt a chill—it was terrifying.
Spectral Thief!
Beedrill couldn't dodge in time and was engulfed by the attack. The dark energy washed over it relentlessly.
Gritting its teeth, Beedrill forced itself out of the attack's range, retreating midair.
"Aerial Ace!" Giovanni frowned. He hadn't fully understood how Spectral Thief worked until now.
But he knew one thing—once the attack ended, Marshadow would have to return to its physical form. That was the moment to strike.
Beedrill steadied itself, taking a breath before spinning into another Aerial Ace.
As the Spectral Thief energy dissipated, Marshadow reappeared from the shadows.
At the same time, Beedrill's attack was already upon it!
"Shadow Punch!"
Damn, that was fast. Dylan had to admit—Giovanni's battle instincts were incredible.
Marshadow clenched its fist, cloaked in ghostly energy, and swung at Beedrill.
"Beedrill!"
But just then, Beedrill suddenly tilted its body slightly—narrowly dodging the Shadow Punch.
A direct miss!
In the next instant, Beedrill spun around and slammed into Marshadow with Aerial Ace!
Marshadow cried out in pain—Flying-type moves were super effective against it.
"Still got some tricks up your sleeve." Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"Pursuit!"
"Fire Punch!"
Beedrill's right lance gleamed with dark energy as it struck toward the staggered Marshadow.
But Marshadow ducked low, narrowly avoiding the attack as Beedrill's lance pierced just above its head.
Taking the opportunity, Marshadow lunged forward, its right fist bursting into flames—Fire Punch!
Seeing this, Beedrill swung its other lance to intercept.
Giovanni frowned slightly—Marshadow's reaction speed was insane.
Boom!
Fire Punch smashed into Beedrill's waist!
A surge of red-hot flames exploded upon impact, and Beedrill let out a cry as it was blasted backward through the air.
Fire-type moves were super effective against Beedrill! That hit was devastating!
"We're winning this!!"
Lillie clutched her hands together nervously.
"Spectral Thief!"
Marshadow instantly transformed into a shadow, streaking after the airborne Beedrill.
A surge of dark energy shot into the sky, completely engulfing Beedrill before it even hit the ground.
Those eerie, hollow orange eyes reappeared, floating within the shadows.
BOOM!
Spectral Thief detonated with a deafening explosion. Darkness rippled outward, and Beedrill crashed to the ground, motionless.
Marshadow reformed from the shadows, standing quietly as it gazed at its fallen opponent.
Beedrill struggled, trying to lift its head, but pain wracked its body. It couldn't stand.
"Beedrill is unable to battle! Marshadow wins!"
Matori stepped forward, examined Beedrill, and announced the result.
Giovanni took a long, silent look at Beedrill's Poké Ball before recalling it. His deep eyes flickered with unreadable thoughts.
"…Impressive. Truly impressive."
After a moment, Giovanni lowered his head and chuckled softly, then looked at Dylan, clapping lightly.
"Dylan, you are truly strong."
His tone was full of genuine admiration.
"Since reaching Champion-level, my Beedrill has never been defeated. You are the first."
Giovanni understood—Beedrill was his strongest Pokémon, and yet, Dylan had bested it.
"Well, you also didn't know much about Genesect and Marshadow." Dylan smirked.
Genesect's Final Gambit had been crucial, and Spectral Thief had caught Giovanni off guard.
Besides, Giovanni's Beedrill still had untapped potential—he didn't have its Mega Stone yet. Once he did, its power would reach even greater heights.
"No, a loss is a loss."
Giovanni shook his head. Dylan had a point, but Giovanni wasn't one to make excuses for his own defeat.
Even if he had known about Genesect and Marshadow, whether Beedrill could have beaten both was still uncertain.
"Technically, our battle should end here, Dylan. Beedrill is my strongest Pokémon."
Giovanni gazed at Marshadow with a slight smile.
That Marshadow was incredibly powerful. Given Beedrill's defeat, his Rhyperior and Dugtrio wouldn't stand a chance against it.
"However, Dylan… You've probably guessed it. I have one last trump card."
"It's not my Pokémon, but right now, it's my ally. Let it be my final opponent against you."
Hands in his pockets, Giovanni spoke calmly.
Footsteps echoed in the silence.
A silver-white Pokémon emerged from behind Giovanni, its piercing psychic eyes locking onto Dylan.
Lillie's eyes widened in shock, the Pokémon's figure reflecting in her pupils.
She had seen this Pokémon before.
Back in the underground facility beneath Saffron City.
And its presence confirmed one thing—Giovanni was with Team Rocket!
Not just that—with Giovanni's strength, there was no doubt—
He was the LEADER of Team Rocket!
Wait… The Team Rocket boss was also a Gym Leader?!
The silver Pokémon came to a stop in front of Giovanni, staring directly at Marshadow.
"Dylan, this is my final fighter."
"Its name is… Mewtwo."
Giovanni's deep voice remained calm, but the pride in it was unmistakable.
Of course. Mewtwo.
Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"Tch… Now what should I use against Mewtwo?"
(End of Chapter)