The appearance of Harry on the field angered Giovanni even more. But my Harry was angrier than ever. This anger was giving him strength to fight. To avenge his brothers and sisters… To bring justice into this world.
"Rhydon, Take down!" Giovanni shouted his command.
"Harry, Flash!" I pulled myself together and gave an order.
I understand how dangerous this is… I understand how risky this is… Harry is overflowing with emotions before Giovanni, and I can only hope he does not go wild like the last time and fail me. This can make everything much, much worse.
For now, he just growls reservedly and prepares to launch his Flash move. As for the Rhydon, he charged forward with his horn aimed right at my pokemon. He did was blinded before the impact, but that did not interfered with the powerful smash he delivered to my Harry. Victreebel was thrown back and flew past me like a rocket until the contact with the wall.
"Get up, Harry, get up!" I was calling out to my pokemon while he slowly get out of the dent he left in wall. "Attack him with Razor Leaf!"
"Use Rock Throw, Rhydon!" The loud answer from Giovanni reached me. "Keep the bastard at bay!"
Victreebel jumped over the fallen pile of rubble and headed to Rhydon, tensing his sharp leaves on the way. But this time our opponent too attacked from distance, and the boulders began to fly at my pokemon. Having no command to dodge them, he patiently got the first hit, then another one and the third one… before falling into the large crack in ground that I couldn`t see from my point of view. After a couple of attempts to get out of here, he just got stuck even more.
"Damn it, Harry, get out!" I exclaimed worried and then looked at Rhydon getting ready for another charge. "Or prepare for the Blade Tornado…" I added quieter.
Giovanni just grinned evilly looking at his pokemon blasting through all the crap remained from the stadium, from the building. We have already leveled the surroundings so much we have lost the edge of actual battlefield. This was the devastation I never saw on the pokemon battles… But this kinda fits my style.
Rhydon was approaching my stuck Victreebel in the floor, ready to blow another powerful hit, but we could not let him do that.
"Blade Tornado!" I shouted loudly my command, and Harry performed our new maneuver by making a thrust to free himself and jump high, spinning around and creating an actual tornado of small sharp leaves.
This surprised Rhydon and also struck him pretty hard, but still didn`t stop him – the difference in weights sure shows itself. Damn physics. Both pokemon fell down on each other after the collision and got dragged a bit further by inertia. Getting covered in dirt and dust, they got up, growled at each other and retreated back.
I had to relocate to a new position to get a better view of the situation. Giovanni ran somewhere behind me, trying to chase us too.
"No, Harry, no more retreats!" I shouted to my pokemon, stopping him with a jest. "Only forward we go! Attack with Razor Leaf from above!"
"To hell with your tricks! Rhydon, use Take Down!" Giovanni stood on the opposite side of us and gave the next command.
So we proceeded to the next phase of battle. Harry jumped high and prepared to strike his enemy with the storm of sharp leaves. The violent look on his wicked face literally wished to turn Rhydon into a rocky forcemeat and then proceed to Giovanni. But the drill pokemon wasn`t just standing there and waiting for his fate – he jumped high up too to make a powerful tackle on Harry. Leaves went through his tough rock armor and left two really large wounds, making Rhydon scream from pain and lose his direction. He missed Harry and dropped on ground somewhere near him.
I wished this to end, but Rhydon still had the strength to continue this madness. He raised from the ground, snorting and breathing heavily. Harry landed in front of him and jumped back to gain some distance between them.
Our pokemon stared at each other, furiously growling. I could see all their feelings in their eyes… And this scared me.
The pure hatred. Pokemon that barely know each other already hate each other so badly! And they have no actual reason for that – Rhydon definitely isn`t involved in the extermination of Harry`s flock, and Harry definitely never had conflicts with Rhydon too.
The only reason is us – people.
But I can`t stop on the half-way there, I can`t let emotions and morals stop me! We need to push him to the very end, no matter what. We have never been so close to victory, so this has to be our chance!
"Harry… Parasite maneuver on his head!" I quietly said, really wishing not to use this.
Victreebel made a couple of hops forward and jumped high up, turning upside down in the midair and landing on top of Rhydon with mouth wide open. Rhydon`s head was literally swallowed by Harry, and the drill pokemon began to move aside to get rid of my pokemon as fast as possible. Two small but sharp teeth fixed Harry good on his position despite the enemy tried to toss him down very actively.
"Throw this shit down with Rock Throw!" Giovanni threw his fist up, stomping the ground in rage.
"Grab the hold of Rhydon and… flow him with Acid!" I said calmly and stepped back.
The opponent pokemon did his best at throwing away my Harry, but this didn`t work. I don`t know what was happening inside Victreebel – maybe, Rhydon did try turning his head up and shoot stones into Harry`s insides, but soon all sounds from there were overflown by hissing sound of acid and worrying sound of a rock pokemon suffocating.
Very soon all this horror ended, and Rhydon left his hands free and fell down, losing conscience from this. Harry disconnected himself from opponent`s head and jumped away, very exhausted too. All the acid spilled out on the floor as a huge pool of violet poison.
I didn`t want to do this and we actually were lucky Rhydon gave up earlier than we choked him to death. Professor said captured pokemon can`t naturally kill other pokemon… But I`m used to breaking the rules.
The battle was over. The last pokemon of Giovanni`s gang is lying in the middle of large dust field, among the ruins of the building that someday was the glorious ground-type gym… But, I guess it will be no more. I ended this.
I ended Team Rocket.
Giovanni fell on knees, completely broken by this unexpected turn of events. He was heavily breathing like after a race. The level of shock went over all possible measures. His eyes, previously filled with blood and fury, now gone blank. He would NEVER expect to be him to be defeated so easily…
No, not defeated.
Devastated.
I have destroyed him and his pokemon, dominated over the battlefield, put him into the dirt… That wasn`t just the defeat in pokemon battle. That was complete humiliation. I don`t know whether I was prepared to battle him, or my pokemon are already got strong, or last failures weakened Giovanni… But that was NOT the battle I expected him to give.
"This can`t end this way!" He shouted loudly, standing on his knees and staring into the ground. "I can`t lose to you!"
After shouting at me he fell on all fours and coughed loudly. I slowly headed to him while he crawls to Rhydon with something in his hand – obviously, some medicine to revive the pokemon and get the chance to rematch.
"Oh no, you don`t!" I yelled at him and kicked the revive crystal out of his hand. Giovanni grabbed his hurt hand and stood on knees again, looking up at me angrily and contemptuously. Even standing on knees before someone he keeps his pride.
Suddenly I noticed that something round and purple fell out of his suit after my kick. This thing rolled exactly to my feet and let me realize this is the Masterball. I carefully took it and watched closely.
Well, this feels just like a regular pokeball, the only difference is its design. And a really long and dark history…
"All those efforts…" I said, shaking my head in disappointment. "All those troubles you caused… All those lives you took just to get THIS piece of shit?"
"My goal was ultimate. To reach it, I am ready to sacrifice ANYTHING!" He replied boldly and angered me really much. For everything the people of Kanto had to live through… for all pokemon that suffered because of him… for all people lives lost in the name of his cursed cause… I punched his face with this wretched Masterball as strong as I can, slightly cracking something – no matter whether it is the capsule or his skull.
Maybe this thing IS valuable, and I can find a use to this later. So I hid it inside my greatcoat and returned my glance to the Boss before me. He recovered after a hit and faced me on his knees again.
"Ha… What now?" He wheezed challengingly, expecting for me to make another daring move. "What can you possibly do to me?"
I didn`t make him waiting and just punched him in that ugly mug of his again. The blood went down, but he didn't fall this time.
"Ha-ha… I see…" The fallen Boss said, realizing my real intentions on him now. "So go on! Kill me!" He spread his hands before me, like a victim ready for sacrifice. "You may destroy me, but you will never destroy Team Rocket!"
I closed my eyes and lowered head guiltily.
"Oh no, destroying you is too much pleasure for me than I deserve." I sincerely admitted. "I know someone that deserves it more."
With my eyes still closed I pointed at my pokemon standing near me.
"There is no creature on the whole planet that hates you more than him." I opened eyes to give Giovanni a brutal look. "You captured his friends and family, you experimented on them, tortured them… Killed them in the end. If there`s one that really deserves to put an end to your miserable life – it`s him."
"Ha! It`s no use… Captured pokemon can`t kill, you have to know that!" He reminded me. "Until there is a connection between it and a pokeball, you can`t do anything!"
I knew that. I perfectly knew that. And I was ready for this for a long time.
That`s why determinatively grabbed the pokeball with a scratch and threw it down the floor. The small capsule ricocheted from the ground before being stomped into pieces. The small harmless energetic explosion happened both inside it and around Harry.
"There is no connection anymore." I grimly said.
"Do you really can order your pokemon to kill a human?" Giovanni exclaimed with disgust. "And who is monster after this?"
I felt something strange inside me… He literally repeated my own thoughts from before. But they are different, yes?
Even if they are not, I don`t give a shit. To stop evil… another evil is always needed.
"I don`t order him do that. I give him a choice…" After these words I slowly switched my eyesight on Harry that was still a bit shocked because of what I did. "It`s just his own will to set you free or swallow your body and spit the bones out…"
"So… my fate will be decided by… this? By this bloodthirsty mindless beast?"
"Oh… he is not as mindless as you think. Especially when he decides you to live or die… I can take this responsibility. I… just want some justice." I explained calm and cold. "Go on, Harry. Choose his fate."
I made a step back and turned away from this sight. Whatever happens there… I don`t wish to see it.
Seconds passed while Harry was taking his time to make a choice. I didn`t see what was behind my back, but.. it was too silent. Too quiet. Until…
"Fire blast!" Suddenly a familiar woman`s voice shouted somewhere from behind, catching me off guard.
I immediately turned back just to see how a huge clot of blazing energy directs to my Harry and strikes him really badly, knocking out right on place. Looking to the left I saw a large brightly yellow fox-like pokemon with many tails… and the master of this pokemon.
"Jane?" I exclaimed extremely surprised. "What are you doing here?"
The woman smiled and slowly approached me.
"Heh-heh… I came here to get my debt back." She said with intriguing voice, which I didn`t like at all.
"This is not the best time for that, Jane!" I grinned and replied to her.
"Jane! Did you come for me?" Giovanni`s voice sounded nearby with a bit of hope.
"What? You know him?" I asked her surprised.
"Of course! How could I not know my husband?" She answered with a sarcastic smile.
The day becomes more and more full of damn surprised for me. Giovanni is Jane`s husband? I just wonder was it so when I met her that day in Viridian…
Jane looked over her husband from top to bottom, literally enjoying the sight of his pitiful state. Defeated, on his knees, covered in dust and a bit of blood…
"No, my dear. I am here not to save you…" She answered him and shook her head, taking away the last bits of hope from the man. Satisfied by his des[air, she returned back her pokemon and headed to Giovanni.
I was literally paralyzed by her appearance, her behavior, her actions. She knocked out my Harry, saving Giovanni but she doesn`t act hostile to me. On the contrary, she acts like she is against her own husband somehow…
Jane made a small circle around Team Rocket Boss and observed him. After that she stared at me and walked around the same way.
"He is a great man. He did great things… Awful, criminal, heartless and inhuman… but great things. He isn`t destined to die from a pocket monster…" Suddenly Jane stopped right behind me and placed something metallic into my hand. "He is destined to be killed by another great man. The same as he is." She whispered in my ear.
I raised my hand just to see… a gun in it. A regular pistol.
She wants me to shoot Giovanni.
"Jane?!" The Boss exclaimed in shock.
I hesitated to make a move. I was too confused even to say something. So Jane completely ignored the crazy face of her husband and helped me point the gun at him.
"Come on. Do this." She whispered in my ear. "This is what you wanted all this time, right? Stop the crimes. Kill him… Repay… your debt."
"Are you mad?" I shouted and broke through her grip and escaped to the right. "I`m done with it!"
"Only you have guts to actually pull the trigger and finish this right here and right now!" Jane raised her voice at me. "So do it! You owe me!"
"I won`t do it!" I refusing her offer once again, making her just angrier.
"Ugh… I always knew you`re luring me into a trap!" Suddenly Giovanni raised from ground and shouted at her. "You ALWAYS was suspicious!"
"I just needed the services and connections of that stupid little gang of yours…" Jane addressed him teasingly. "Now I need you no more. STAND DOWN and wait!"
The woman struck him into the groin that strong he actually fell down on ground and doubled up from the pain. That was so hurt even to look at…
Dealt with Giovanni, Jane returned her attention back to me.
"Don`t resist, my boy… I always get what I want. Get on with it and everything will be over!" She ordered me once more.
Now I get it all… Now I understand how she appeared near me in the very unexpected moments. Now I understand why she kept reminding me of my debt over and over. She just need to get rid of now-useless Giovanni and keep her hands clean. She needed me to do this for her since the very beginning…
"You manipulative bitch!" I shouted at her. "You keep playing with men just how you want! But this won`t work on me, this will NEVER work on me!"
Angered even more by my insolence and disobedience she grabbed the pistol from my hands and pointed it at me this time.
"You don`t dare disobey me! I have connections across all the Kanto, I can turn your miserable life into nightmare! I can…"
The sound of a shot interrupted her and make both of us look to the left.
Giovanni have found his own gun my Loser make him drop earlier and targeted Jane. The first shot was a miss, but he was slowly approaching her and kept shooting. The woman didn`t wait for him to get her, and began shooting too. Both of them kept walking forward, getting shots and making shots until both of them fall on ground on the same spot, heavily wounded by each other.
I remained aside this shit for some time, pulling myself together until the realization of what happened came to me.
"Jane!" I exclaimed and rushed to her. She had lots of bad shots across her whole body, most of them – in stomach. The blood was drooling from everywhere, and I really didn`t expect her to survive after this.
For some reason while looking at this some feeling woke up inside of me. I just couldn`t let her go, I didn`t believe my eyes… Because some time in the past she was not indifferent to me. Jane may have tricked me, manipulated me, lied to me… But deep in my soul I just wanted her to survive.
I pushed Giovanni`s body down from her and raised her head a bit.
"Jane… Why?!" I just asked her completely emptied.
"Whatever happened…" She wheezed through the cough and blood. "…we are still on the same side, Transporter…"
With the last breath she rolled up her eyes and weakened in my hands.
She called me by my previous name… The one who I was before Vengeance. That the heck did she mean by that? How could she know that name at all?! As a Transporter I NEVER encountered her!
Damn it… She is dead now. Both of them are dead. I will never get answers for my questions…
I`m sitting in the middle of a total war… Complete destruction of everything around, unconscious pokemon scattered around the room and two corpses lying in the middle…
And a valuable hostage keeping somewhere here too!
I immediately rushed to Giovanni and began to search his pocket for something like a key. Luckily, I found his keycard – hope this will be enough.
After a quick look I found the direction I didn`t check at all and headed there.
"Leaf!" I was calling out to her. "Leaf, it`s Ven! Where are you?!"
The distant sound of metal smashing gave me a direction where to run. I quickly headed there and after a couple of minutes of running around the corridors and rooms until I actually found a blocked room with loud screams and knocking. I immediately used the keycard to unlock it and open the door wide. The poor girl inside was already standing before the door and rushed to me right at the moment I freed her.
"Ven!" Leaf exclaimed and hugged me tightly. Maybe for the first time in many years I actually hugged someone in return for real. "I`m so happy so see you fine!"
"I`m happy to see you`re fine too…" I replied her and backed off a bit to look at her. Her face was full of tears, but she seemed to be unharmed. "I will never accept your plans like this again!"
"Huh…" She smiled and swiped the tear. "You would have the same plan!"
"Yeah, maybe…" I smiled myself and hugged her again. "But I would never agree to that in this case!"
We released each other and headed the heck away from here. I showed her the way back to main room and looked around. Leaf just shockingly exclaimed when she saw what happened there:
"Oh my god… Are they all dead?" She pointed at everyone lying there – people and pokemon.
"Only those two." I replied, pointing at Jane and Giovanni. "Shot each other. But that doesn`t matter anymore. We need to get out of here quickly."
I approached my fallen partner Harry and took him on hands. Thankfully, Victreebels aren`t very heavy so that wasn`t too hard for me.
"The shots may have been heard, so cops will be there soon. Let`s go!" I commanded and headed to the large breach in the wall that I hope does NOT lead to the main road. "I hope they are clever enough to call an ambulance for those who left behind."
So we carefully left this wretched place and headed straight into the PokeCenter, inventing a cool story that must take suspicions away from us. For me, too much happened today, and I just could not think of something adequate, so I left this to Leaf.
The ground-type gym remained empty and quiet… Only one lone figure was lurking in the shadows, thinking what he should do now…
He approached Giovanni`s body and looked over it. The man that is responsible for everything he had to experience… For all the pain he had to suffer. For all the way he had to go.
But he is too late for his revenge, the tall and dark human already did this. So he has nothing to do here.
Still crying, the pokemon turned away and left this place, thinking what could he do now? What should he do now?
What future awaits this lone grown-up green Marowak…