"Sounds like you have been waiting for me," I replied Giovanni causing the quiet laugh.
"But I have," He smiled and invited me to have a seat with a jest. "Girl, bring our guest something to drink."
I looked at the president and noticed how… scared he is. His secretary is scared too. And they are actually scared more of Giovanni himself than of his pokemon standing here. Silph Co. doesn`t work for Team Rocket by their own will. That was expectable.
"No, thanks… I don`t drink at work." I raised my palm to refuse politely. "I can miss your face when I will punch it."
"How… ignorant…" Giovanni`s face changed to restrained fury. He actually can hide his emotions, just like me. "You continue to follow me… and you do it… successfully."
"Like Dustox flies for the shit…" I joked intendedly.
"Enough! You have spoiled too many of my plans!" he hit the table and stood up. His purple pokemon tensed after that, "we`re done with Silph Co. I`ll take what is mine anyway!" the last sentence was addressed to the president and made him squeak quietly.
Giovanni grabbed the box from the table and looked at it.
"Even if it isn`t finished…" He said while opening it. The content of box appeared to be a pokeball… A pokeball I have never seen before. The top of it was purple with two pink spots and large letter 'M' right over the button. "…we can finish it by ourselves. Team Rocket doesn`t need you anymore…"
His last words sounded too creepy. President twitched after that, perfectly knowing what happens to those out of need of Team Rocket.
"And… all this… You captured the city… Terrorized its people… Threw Sabrina out… Just for this piece of crap?!" I judgingly shouted at it.
"This… piece of crap… costs much more than this whole damn city!" Giovanni replied arrogantly. "This is the only pokeball of its kind in the existence, and it`s named… MasterBall! It captures ANY pokemon without fail and makes them obey their master without question."
So, now I begin to understand. This is the project Giovanni financed and just for this he blocked Saffron City. Just for this… purple pokeball.
"You`re interested, I see…" He addressed me quietly. "Despite being the enemy of me, you managed to do so much. Much more than any of my useless executives. I give you one chance to join us. Join ME. Team Rocket is intended for great deeds, and we need people… just like you…"
He tries to get me on his side. Maybe this would work a year ago… But not now. Now I have my goal in his head… I need his head!
"No way I`m joining you, bastards! You have already lost. YOU have already lost. I freed the city, captured your grunts and now I have you cornered… Boss Giovanni." With the last words I tried to express as much disgust as I can.
"You can`t corner me." He raised his right hand and pressed a button on his watch. The immediate sound of helicopter reached us from above preparing to fly away.
Giovanni calmly turned back and headed to the ladder that would lead him on the roof. His pokemon accompanied him on the way to stop me if I dare do something to Giovanni. But my target was not Giovanni at that moment.
"Trust me, I can." I took out the last signal rocket and shot it into the window. A nice yellow explosion shined the whole building and distracted everyone from their work.
A couple of seconds later thunder struck the roof of Silph Co. Previously captured helicopter exploded into pieces as the group of electric-type pokemon under Surge simultaneously destroyed Giovanni`s only chance to escape.
We couldn`t see it but we could hear it. And still Giovanni looked confused.
"What the heck was that?"
"My special shock squad took your pilot… and destroyed your helicopter. Isn`t that obvious?" I explained to him. Lieutenant Surge and his guys handled their task perfectly.
Giovanni stood there without motion. He could not believe I outsmarted him and actually got him cornered. And even in this situation he stayed cold-blooded and calm.
"That`s what I was talking. You could be my right hand…" He returned to the previous topic but I interrupted him.
"Why being the right hand when I can be the Boss himself?" I smiled satisfied and slowly approached him. Giovanni didn`t expect me to be THAT ambitious. "I guess you may be free, Mr. President." I addressed the head of Silph Co. gallantly and let him and his secretary escape through the door behind me. Giovanni didn`t move while the two run away and was just carefully watching us all. "I do not need any witnesses now…"
"You know that I will not surrender that easily!" He replied with determination and pointed at me. His purple pokemon jumped before the Boss and roared at me.
"Oh, I haven`t seen this pokemon at your command before…" I looked closely at the creature between us. "You look like male Nidoran`s higher evolution, yeah? Nidorino, if I`m correct."
I made a couple of steps back to make some space between us. I know that another battle is approaching but maybe I can change its course even before the beginning.
"Listen, Nidoran… You know what bastard your master is… How the hell can you obey him?" I crouched and talked to pokemon from safe distance.
"Pokemon don`t differ good and evil… They are just stupid tools!" Giovanni answered instead of him. Nidorino didn`t actually like the answer and gave his master a quick judging look and quiet roar but the Boss didn`t care. "Our pokemon are captured, this is obvious. So… until they are bound to pokeballs they will do anything I tell!"
That sounded rude. But I could not agree to that.
"You`re wrong. My pokemon are all bound to pokeballs and they all have their own will. Your Kongu has her own will, otherwise you would not keep her child hostage!" I shouted at him fiercely.
"Enough! Impudent fool, I will destroy you! And no tricks will save you this time!" Giovanni yelled at me in return.
I looked back over my shoulder at Dumpling and nodded. He was glad to begin the battle and jumped before me shaking the floor. The loud war cry from him inspired us for victory and also stunned for a bit.
Well, I began from observing the territory around us. I have to use any opportunity I can to win this battle. We`re battling inside the building again so we have to be careful. And yet something gives me more determination this time… In Celadon I was surrounded by the enemies, knowing that my mistake will be fatal. Now it`s not about the surroundings but about the time – I need to beat the shit out of Giovanni and interrogate him before Sabrina arrives and burns out his brain. There are some disadvantages at having an advantage…
"Start with Poison Sting!" Was my opponent`s first move. Not a very powerful beginning but it can become my nightmare if poison strikes. Damn, I hate poison. And paralysis. And everything!
"Okay, big boy… Burn it with the Flamethrower!" My first move was much better.
And it was a pleasure to see my pokemon flooding the enemy with a strong stream of fire while he tries to get us. After our great performance the poison pin pokemon coughed a couple of times and looked angrily at Dumpling. A momentary rush and opponent`s move made contact too pushing my Charizard a bit back. That was not a powerful move… and to our luck it didn`t work. Damn, this could change the whole battle way. I should make a note about that.
"Fine… Let`s try do some punching! Metal Claw!" I proceeded to the next round of battle.
"Horn attack!" My nasty opponent did the same. Looks like the battlers are going to exchange physical moves now.
Dumpling rushed to Nidorino, powering up his mighty claw and making it steel-hard to make a hit, while our opponent was just running to us with his horn ready. His attacks looked simple but effective. Not super effective, though. But our his was the first to reach its target: poison pin pokemon was swiped with sharp claws leaving a nice scratch on its face. But this didn`t stop him from hitting us too with his own attack. This one looked stronger than Poison Sting and made my partner make a step back and grown quietly from the pain.
But it was not all… Suddenly the previously solver-glowing claw of my pokemon turned… purple. Poison purple. And the disease began to have the effect.
The horrible poisonous wound spread across the whole body causing the painful shiver. Giovanny grinned after this sight. I just could not understand how did this happen… Can Horn attack poison? Or this was something else?
Whatever it was – it poisoned my Dumpling, launching an awful countdown for his battle. We can`t handle this damn poison for too long… That means we have to act quickly and finish Nidorino as fast as we can. He is already beaten with our two greatest moves and I can guess the next one or two will finish him. But it`s not just about that – we have to also prepare the battleground for my next pokemon.
The glowing purple wound on Charizard`s body twitched, making him twitch too. This is not good, absolutely not good.
"Grrr… Keep it going, Dumpling, we have to show him our power! Flamethrower!"
"Dodge that…" Giovanni calmly replied.
This bastard! He is going to buy poison some time to finish us. That is my Reaper`s tactic! This will not work on us!
Anyway, the round was failed for us. Nidorino hid behind the large table debris and survived our attack. Dumpling burned that barrier into ashes, but the effect of poison made him cough and stop attacking.
"All we need is one good hit! Blazing Sword, Dumpling!"
The use of our trick made Giovanni slough and return his attention to the battlefield.
"Keep taking cover behind that trash!" he gave the command and pointed at another piece of table remaining.
"BURN. IT. ALL!" I shouted enraged.
Charizard jumped to the very ceiling and heavily crushed into the middle of room surrounded by a whole ton of different furniture. He prepared a powerful attack in his mouth and directed the flame into one point before moving it around himself. The stream of fire destroyed everything in the half-circle before him leaving Nidorino without cover but still able to battle. Anyway, he will need to pass through Dumpling if he wants to hide once more. Poisoned and very hurt Dumpling…
"Horn attack!" Giovanni suddenly commanded.
No more hiding… Well, he sees the desperate condition of his.
"Let`s meet him, pal. Metal Claw!"
And for the last time Nidorino rushed into my pokemon with his sharp horn ready to hit. But my pokemon was ready too, and so the two collided. From the smoke of burning surroundings my pokemon retreated back, alive. The opponent remained lying in the center.
"Impressive…" Giovanni smiled and complimented me while returning his pokemon. "You seem to be unstoppable when you have the goal… End justifies the means, yeah? Is that your creed?" He showed me the burning office around us.
Well, he has some point… My Reaper and Harry will definitely not like the burning surroundings. But this will not stop us.
"…just like mine…" He added and threw the next pokeball. Now his champion appeared to be Rhyhorn. The rock-hard spiky pokemon returned.
"Hello, again… Sorry for me going to beat the shit out of you…" I greeted this old acquaintance. Although I felt my voice being uncontrollably trembling a bit… And this is for a reason.
My Dumpling is not very good against rock-and-ground types… He battled Onix at Brock`s gym, but we had the advantage. We had strategy. And… we were not close to the end as of right now. But not close enough to activate our Blaze ability. And still, I don`t think we have the chance of defeating this monster right now, but Dumpling can make a ground for his successors.
"Use Smokescreen!" I gave the command.
"Rock Blast, Rhyhorn!" was Giovanni`s answer to us.
Oh crap… I didn`t encountered this Rock blast before, but I can easily guess what it does. As my Dumpling has evolved into Charizard – a fire-and-flying type – he had become extremely vulnerable to rock attacks that hurt much, much more than earlier. Just one hit is enough to finish my pokemon.
But it was already late to change our tactics. Maybe one-layered Smokescreen will be enough to mess with Rhyhorn`s accuracy. So, Dumpling had exhaled a dark cloud to cover the spike pokemon. The rock monstrosity disappeared behind the curtain we created and for some time the scene became quiet. Dumpling had even suspected something and carefully looked into the depth of his own doing, but suddenly a rock appeared right out of it and hit him in the face. That was too unexpected and hurtful, so he roared from extreme pain and retreated back, but then one more rock appeared and struck his stomach. My partner could not stop from heading back, and the next stone got right into his leg, making him lose the balance and fall on ground.
Dumpling is out of battle.
"Ha, and that`s what you can give me?" Giovanni mocked us.
I didn`t reply anything and just returned my pokemon back into his pokeball. Now I need to choose my next champion to battle him… His rock-type pokemon is quite good against my Reaper and Moment… And if he has any of ground-type moves, he is dangerous for all my poison pokemon. Except for one…
"Loser, let`s go!" I pointed at the battle position to bring my Gengar into the fight. He easily jumped through the burning furniture and appeared before me, ready to strike.
"Well-well-well… You seem to have another ghost pokemon now, don`t you?" Giovanni surprisingly noticed, "what happened to Caesar? Did it die, again?" He remembered the name of my old partner, I have to pay a tribute to him.
"Times change… Loser, let`s start with Curse!"
"Your Loser has to lose… Rhyhorn, use Rock Blast again!"
Hm… He is using a rock-type attack again. It`s whether Rhyhorn doesn`t have ground-type moves or Giovanni actually knows about my Gengar`s ability – Levitate that actually makes him completely invulnerable to ground-type moves. Anyway, we`re taking a real risk now… As always.
The battlers began with Loser performing his dancing ritual to cast a dark curse on foe pokemon. Painful explosion inside Gengar hurt him first, but them the energy headed to Rhyhorn and remained around him as some dark aura. This bit the enemy a bit, and that`s all. Rock pokemon just shook his head a bit and stared at Loser.
In a moment this monster opened his mouth and created a large boulder from the sand in his own body and shot it into my pokemon. That was a direct hit followed by another… And another… And another! Tired of attacking, Rhyhorn retreated a bit back and looked at the result of his deeds. A lying unconscious ghost pokemon…
Our own Curse damaged Loser too badly, he could not withstand the immediate onslaught from Rhyhorn right after that.
"How ironic…" Giovanni smiled evilly.
"Not. At. All." I returned my fallen pokemon trying to keep the focus. "Harry, it`s your turn!"
My Victreebel, that was patiently waiting for his turn, finally jumped before me and stared at Giovanni. Firstly, the Rocket Boss showed some disgust but then just grinned.
"You again…" looks like now he has a vendetta for my Harry. Just like my Harry has a vendetta for him, "Stomp it into the ground!"
"The hell no! Vine Whip!" was my counterattack.
The extremely slow Rhyhorn rushed to my pokemon for dealing some large damage with his Stomp move, but the first hit was ours – the powerful whip of vine grabbed the top spikes and threw the opponent back, crushing the last of burning wooden covers. To my surprise, the enemy recovered almost immediately and pulled the vines aside. Still having the spikes in tight grip, my Harry himself was moved and even thrown into the fire.
"Pull yourself! Pull!" I was shouting to my pokemon.
While suffering from the fire, Harry began to pull his wines dragging himself out of the flames. But this was exactly what Giovanni wanted – and his Rhyhorn rushed to my pokemon with his foot ready to stomp Victreebel into the ground. The collision appeared to be really hard throwing back both pokemon back.
Harry was still able to continue battle even after such beating. Damn, this Rhyhorn is tough… But another of Giovanni`s pokemon is much tougher – I know it. And also this one is already on the edge too, becoming less stable on his legs after another explosion of the Curse. He is almost done.
"Let`s finish him with Vine Whip, give it all you`ve got!" I gave the command. My Victreebel pulled himself together and made a powerful swipe with his strong vines.
Giovanni`s face remained unchanged. He wasn`t going to give any more commands – he knew his Rhyhorn is finished. Beaten by a combination of extremely effective hit and fallen Loser`s Curse…
Still, before the defeat his Rhyhorn managed to beat my Harry too, and I`m not sure if he will be able to take more hits from next pokemon.
"I always knew it`s not as fearsome as I need…" Giovanni thought out loud, returned the defeated Rhyhorn and pulled his jacket aside to take the next pokeball. This let me learn he has four pokeballs now – with two already gone just two remains. I guess he will leave Kongu for the last, as previously.
But I was wrong. Exactly the next pokeball released a Kangaskhan on the battlefield.
Again, this poor creature was completely alone and without her child. I saw some wild Kangaskhans in Safari Zone – so happy with their kids present alive and well. This would melt my heart if I had one.
And here it is… the huge monstrosity standing before my Harry, roaring loudly. Fighting against her will.
She remembered me. She remembered how she was ordered to beat me, to bite me, to tear me apart… She remembered how close she was to succeed in this. But she also remembers that she has to obey Giovanni, that she has to do this again if he commands so.
We understood each other without words. Both are prisoners of our lives.
"Let me save you…" I whispered to Kongu.
I did not expect her to listen to me. Did not expect her to change the side, turn against Giovanni or just surrender. But this pokemon is intelligent and she knows the consequences. If she wins – nothing changes. But if she loses now – then she has to rely on me. My loss means Giovanni will hurt her baby… otherwise she will be saved. Too bad she suffered to much because of people that she can`t trust me.
That is why Kongu roared at me and my Harry again and took the battle stance.
"Good girl…" the Boss said arrogantly and switched his eyesight at me. He was waiting for our first move.
Okay, let`s think… This pokemon is extremely powerful – I know this too good by myself. Harry is possibly minus already, so what can we do to help other guys out? How can we weaken such foe?
"Harry, let`s start with Stun Spore!" I made my choice.
"Ha… Fake Out!" our opponent shouted loudly.
Damn it! I remember that move. Bad, bad move!
It was useless for my Harry to pull his muscles, preparing to shoot the spores at enemy. In a moment Kongu jumped before him and gave a slap, making him lose the focus to attack.
So, our turn was lost. And my Harry is possibly lost too… Kongu is faster, stronger and definitely will survive at least one hit from us. But… can I do something?
I could not. Harry didn`t give me the chance to. He was angered, irritated and maddened from the pain inside and outside. He rushed near Kongu to attack Giovanni himself without my command. Kangaskhan turned around and punched the flycatcher pokemon right in the side, crushing him into the wall. Fatally.
"What an impulsive beast, yes?" Giovanni asked mockingly. He was enjoying the fact that my pokemon disobey me, even for the possibility of killing him.
"Don`t underestimate your enemy. This is our strength," I warned him and beamed fallen Victreebel back into the pokeball. Now I have just two pokemon… and a Magikarp. But Giovanni still has two pokemon too. Considering how really strong they are…
I`m done.
But Giovanni is done too.
"Reaper, it`s your turn. Show them what you`ve achieved!" I pointed forward to send my next champion to battle. Whatever happens to me, my Army of Kanto will take him. We CAN allow us the risk, "begin with Harden!"
"Mega punch, Kongu!" our opponent commanded.
The angered Kangaskhan rushed to my pokemon and punched him, throwing back. That was very powerful attack, but we survived this. Just after that the effect of our Harden worked and made Reaper`s skin tougher.
"Okay… now use Poison Sting!" I said to my partner.
"One more Mega Punch…" The Boss replied calmly. He definitely has something on his mind now. Too bad I don`t.
In this round Kongu again was first to land a really strong hit almost pressing my Beedrill into the ground. All he could do was just poke her leg with his poisoned sting. But it was not enough to poison her.
"And again…" Boringly said Giovanni looking away from the battle.
"Hm… Let`s try out Speedy backstab maneuver!" I commanded to counterattack.
That was enough to return attention of The Boss back to us. He was waiting to see our new maneuvers in action.
And right now, as the monstrous Kangaskhan was running towards us, my Reaper was preparing to launch an attack of his own. Right at the second before the hit he jumped over the enemy, turned around and struck her in the back with his stings. A really good move that finally caused the poisoning AND good damage also throwing Kongu on the floor. She growled angrily and finished her attack, punching Reaper again. That looked REALLY hurt, and I don`t think we can hold on much longer.
"I`m done with this," Giovanni shouted angrily, "Use Rage!"
Damn it… Looks like I`m going to have one-on-two battle now…
"Come on, Reaper! Use Long Arrow maneuver!" I shouted as I can hoping to do something before the inevitable.
Two crazed monsters rushed to each other eager to finish the opponent. My Reaper jumped and began to accelerate while flying, spindling with his stings in front and turning into a real alive arrow. Kongu jumped and spread her hands to grab Reaper and unleash her power on him, but we had a trick.
Our stings are longer than her hands!
The powerful sting right in stomach made her almost fall on ground. But instead of squirming in pain, Kongu suddenly roared loudly, literally shaking the walls of Silph. Co. In her eyes I could see the endless agony and pain, but the most of it was…
Rage. Real rage – stronger than it should be.
She went crazy and rushed again to my Reaper starting to beat him up really badly. With each punch the quiet buzz was reaching my ears making me feel his pain. Kongu didn`t stop even after Beedrill fainted – she continued to hit him again and again.
But then suddenly she stopped. Kangaskhan looked up at me, filled with rage and bloodlust. The mad monster stared at my eyes ready to kill. Blind rage filled her completely, destroyed as a person…
By the fault of Giovanni. Kongu switched her eyesight to him and roared loudly. That made The Boss worry a little… And made him worry much more when Kangaskhan rushed from place in his direction.
Eager to smash her master into dust!
Giovanni`s actions were quick – he grabbed the last pokeball and threw it before Kongu – and another pokemon appeared to stop the parent pokemon.
That was a Nidoqueen – the drill pokemon. Large blue monstrosity somehow similar to Kangaskhan, the final evolution of small and cute Nidoran that some people raise as pets. But, as I remember, according to PokeDex, Nidoqueens are averagely one and a half meters high! This one was even bigger than Kongu – I have never seen a Nidoqueen that huge!
"Stay down, you stupid beast!" Giovanni ordered to rebelled Kongu, "The disobedience will be punished!"
After his words Nidoqueen jumped on Kongu, hitting with all her body and throwing the poor pokemon back. Kangaskhan was too hurt and tired to resist now.
"You must listen to your MASTER!" The Boss furiously shouted, and his brutal blue pokemon punched Kongu, finishing her.
That was some horrible sight to see. I know that some trainers can have disagreements with their pokemon – I sometimes have such with Harry, but this… That was awful. And cruel.
Maybe this should scare me, but it did not. This empowered the flame in my soul. The flame that will burn Team Rocket to ashes!
"Even your own pokemon turn against you!" I addressed Giovanni.
"They will no more," he replied unserious, "this is just a matter of time. Pokeballs do their job slowly, but effectively."
He confused me again. I still can`t take seriously the idea that pokeballs are the things that make pokemon obey us, like… slave collars. That kills the whole idea of training for me!
"But you`re here not for this, right?" The Boss distracted me from the thoughts, "You`re here to lose the battle, come on! Try battling my… Princess!"
So, now I need to battle this creature. Moment is my last available battler, apart from Magikarp. Sending that guy against this monstrosity is just suicide. Maybe me and Moment can still do something, we have to.
"Moment, do this," I strictly ordered. The bat pokemon hovered before me and screeched to show his readiness, "let`s be fast and careful."
"This won`t help you," Giovanni threatened us, "Body Slam, Princess!"
"Start with Bite!"
For now, we have the advantage here – my Golbat is faster and more agile, he can dodge things and bite things. Any hit from this creature can be fatal for us, so it will be better if we do not let her hit us at all.
So, the drill pokemon began to accelerate in our direction. Our direction quickly headed towards the enemy and flew over Nidoqueen to bite her tail. That was some nice bite from Moment – the sound of creaking flesh reached me immediately. I caught myself on a bad thought that I kinda enjoyed seeing the pain of my enemy… Whether it is Giovanni or his pokemon. This… this is wrong.
Nevertheless, this terrifying Princess wasn`t going to give up. She swung her tail with my Golbat chewing it to crush the nearby column. Moment flew away after the hit, but the first hit did happen.
"Get up to the ceiling and wait with Wing Attack ready!" I gave the command for Golbat, and he hurried to cover under the office ceiling.
"We`ll crush you into it!" Giovanni tightened his fist shouted at me, "Body Slam!"
He still keeps using Body Slam… Doesn`t his Princess know any other good moves? Maybe, she knows something poison-type – which is not effective on Moment – or something ground-type – which is not effective at all. Maybe, she knows something like… fighting type! The one she finished Kongu with. Fighting types are very weak against Golbats. If I`m right, then we have another advantage!
Meanwhile, two pokemon prepared to attack each other. Princess focused her power and made a jump toward my Golbat turning into a huge meteor.
"Sky rage!" I finally gave the command to Moment. He headed to his enemy accelerating to the high speed two, turning into another meteor.
What happens when two meteors collide?
The lesser meteor loses.
Our efforts were not enough to stop this monster. She crushed into ceiling together with my Moment, leaving just rubble and dust. When she landed down, a large dent remained on the floor. After some seconds my Golbat unstuck from the ceiling and fell down too.
"Moment! Can you hear me?" I called out to him.
A quiet tired screech stated that he is still here.
"Finish him with Body Slam!" Giovanni yelled bloody to his pokemon.
And Nidoqueen gladly headed to deal the final hit to my Golbat… I can`t allow that!
"Confuse Ray!"
Moment still had the power to fight – although not too much. But much enough to launch a strong colorful beam at approaching Nidoqueen to confuse her. The drill pokemon lost her vision and orientation.
"Head… straight. And destroy everything you touch," Giovanni instructed her.
He`s no fool, I can see it. My tricks don`t confuse him, but enflame his interest. I can`t shock him to complete inactivity like I did to Brock, I can`t trick him into personal danger like I did to Misty… Giovanni is one cold-blooded son of a bitch, and he… is damn good at training. Well, maybe, not at training – I highly doubt he spent countless nights training with these pokemon. Training them, training himself… But he can control these guys pretty damn good. His rough power simply rushes through the type effectiveness, strategy and our tricks.
Maybe, lieutenant Surge isn`t fully right, after all…
"Get up, Moment. Get up!" I tried to return my pokemon back to fighting condition, but it was hard for me and him.
At this time Giovanni`s Princess tried to pull herself together and failed in it. She did as her master commanded and blindly headed forward until she bumped into the barely alive column. Our battle has destroyed the office pretty badly, and I just wondered how the ceiling is still hanging over us.
I got the answer immediately after the last support for the ceiling was destroyed by Princess. The massive punch into the column crashed the ceiling behind her… right were my Moment was trying to get up.
"No…" all I could say, but it was too late. The crack above us broke large part of ceiling and brought it down. I barely jumped away to escape my doom and was hit by one of bricks in the leg. Damn, this hurts!
But firstly I tried to find Moment with my eyes. I took his pokeball with shaking hands and pointed it at the unmoved wing sticking out of rubble pile. I hope he will be all right…
Giovanni was standing on the other side of the obstruction, both him and his damn Nidoqueen completely fine. Well, the pokemon was previously beaten a little, so not completely.
"So, what are you going to do now?" he shouted to me with challenging tone, "you still have one more pokemon, and I know, what it is."
He knows. He knows that I have only Magikarp remained… Magikarp that has NO chances against Nidoqueen.
"We will fight until the end!" I wasn`t going to surrender. Running away – is not my style, nor the style of my pokemon. I will not Giovanni win while being cornered! I will not let this bastard triumph before his end, "Magikarp, I choose you!"
The whole life flew before my eyes… Well, the life of my Magikarp did. With me his life was full of… awkwardness. Full of hope… and disappointment. But never – of regrets!
My Magikarp clumsily hopped to the place of battle, not even suspecting what awaits him. My last fight will be remembered as 'Magikarp beating' and Douchebag will laugh over my grave…
Only if we lose!
"Magikarp, we have trained a whole damn lot!" I tried my best to set a fighting spirit for him, "You`re fast, faster than this thing. Focus… Pull yourself together… And use Tackle!"
Giovanni tried to keep the serious face even through the laugh breaking out.
"A Magikarp, who could even imagine… I don`t even want to battle it," he said brutally, "YOU can battle better than this, so I will battle YOU. Princess… Use Double Kick on Vengeance! Throw him down!"
That was expected, but not much… The fearsome Nidoqueen pulled her muscles and headed my way to finish me and… I think, to throw me into the window.
Magikarp charged into her and tackled as he could – she didn`t even notice the hit. Tackle of the fish pokemon was like a small sting – Nidoqueen was giving no shit about it and continued heading to me. This time I didn`t want her to come to me – the last time Kongu beat me but kept alive. This one is going to actually kill me.
My last pokemon was trying his best to stop her – he attacked Princess again and again. I had to make some steps back, but she accelerated too. I was cornered by cornered Giovanni. Time is too short, I have to think of something!
On the last steps before bumping into the huge glass window I saw my Magikarp becoming angry. He tensed and then jumped high into the hole in broken ceiling. That was the best Splash of his, following with meteor-like Tackle from the sky.
He managed to perform the Flying Fish maneuver.
And he struck Nidoqueen in the head, falling from the sky. The hit of such power made Nidoqueen shake a little, but that was still not enough to deal with her. Maneuver angered her more than damaged, and she furiously grabbed Magikarp and threw into the wall with such power it was almost broken through.
Well, this is the end. The monstrous Nidoqueen approached me and raised her fist high up to finish me once and for all. And when she unleashed her mighty punch before her…
I was there no more. Nidoqueen is too slow to catch me and land a hit – but have too much experience in fist fight to land two.
I have too much experience to give up.
"You need something more to defeat me!" I shouted to Giovanni while dodging Princess`s attacks and striking my own, "both of us do not play by rules, so what gives?"
I`m glad Leaf doesn`t see me now. I`m glad she doesn`t see me beating the two-meter monster by my own hands. I do this… again.
Now it`s just a matter of time who tires first. Maybe, this will be me – the regular weak human - and all these crazy dances are for nothing. But I tried not to think – I tried to find weak spots on Nidoqueen`s armored body and strike them as strong as I can.
And then suddenly the humming of helicopters distracted me. Some flying machine appeared around the office, blinding us with their lights.
Where the heck did they appear from? Where is my ground support?!
A couple of lightning bolts flashed in the night sky. Surge`s anti-air squad began to fight, distracting some helicopters from my position.
I barely managed to return my attention to Princess and dodge the next attack and retreat a bit back.
"You see that?!" Giovanni shouted to me raising his arms, "I always have a backup. You and your army mean NOTHING! SHOOT THEM ALL!"
The helicopters retreated from our floor and began to target those on ground – people and pokemon of the resistance. The endless hum of machine guns filled Saffron City.
I couldn`t see what`s actually happening here. I just saw some electric attacks trying to get those damn choppers, I saw some psychic explosions trying to catch the machines in kinetic force field… I saw Bill`s laser gun trying to get them – but it looked to be not long-ranged enough to reach their height.
What`s more important – I saw one remained helicopter aiming right at ME. When it began to shoot, I ran aside to find some cover and… was immediately caught by Nidoqueen.
This monster grabbed my neck tightly leaving me no chance of escaping. She used her free hand to break the glass and pulled me outside.
Eleven floors down… Damn, this is high.
In the last moments I looked over Nidoqueen`s shoulder and noticed that my Magikarp got out of the broken wall and is now hopping to my captor. I saw the extreme determination to save me in his eyes, but it was too late.
"Farewell, Vengeance!" were the last words of Giovanni.
And then Nidoqueen released me.
The bright light shined the whole floor when I was in free fall. I couldn`t see what`s happening there, but in a second I saw what came out of it.
A huge blue dragon-like monstrosity with large mouth and angry look jumped into the broken window and… dived into the glass wall like into the water. That was a huge and long pokemon with flippers and large scale… Then he jumped out of the wall again and dived once more.
He tried to reach me with his huge mouth while I fall.
And this creature actually moved extremely fast, reaching me after some seconds. He opened his mouth to grab me, and then closed it.
Darkness enveloped me…