Chapter 29; true victory
Sonic was feeling the wind on his face, eyes closed as him and raichu were flying on Moltres.
After the addition of Moltres on their team they had attempted to locate Mike. Sonic, having fully regained the will to live his life to the fullest wished to help Mike escape his darkness as well.
Unfortunately they had spent 3 days looking throughout the region and have been unable to find him. They had even had a stakeout at Jolty's grave to see if Mike would go there but he never showed up.
Realizing after the 3rd day that if he didn't want to be found, they would never find him, Sonic decided to go earn his 8th badge and wrap up the requirements to enter the indigo league tournament when the time came.
As they flew towards Viridian city, Sonic took pictures and sent them to his friends and brother on their common chat. They all answered by cursing in a friendly way so as to express their jealousy as to what he was experiencing.
During the end of the first day of their search for Mike, Sonic had another camping with his pokemon and this time had all of them out of their pokeballs. Taking a picture of his team interacting, most specifically raichu peacefully sleeping on top of Moltres which sat on the ground observing the rest of the team with curiosity, he had sent it to their chat. Needless to say they were shocked beyond imagination at Sonic's capture of a legendary pokemon, let alone the fact that Moltres had its eye on Sonic ever since their first meeting at mount moon.
Sonic and his team of course didn't miss training sessions even for a single day. Seeing Moltres' power first hand, Sonic easily figured Moltres was a special attacker and already had a plan for a moveset. The search for Mike however had postponed his visit to mr Fuji.
Deciding he would visit after earning the final gym badge, intending to return to visit mr Fuji and Reina triumphant in his badge quest, he had Moltres land 5 minutes from Viridian city. Dismounting it and recalling it to avoid attention as he was now known as both the hero of Kanto and the chosen one of Moltres –"Blaine couldn't keep his mouth shut" Sonic had thought the first time he was called the chosen one of Moltres – he headed towards the gym.
Approaching the big garage style door that led inside he was pumping with excitement. The idea of testing Moltres in battle intrigued him. He also wanted to see how well the two would work together.
"Hey" he called out to the door thinking someone was operating it from the inside "I'm here to challenge the gym! Open the door!"
The door started being raised. Sonic hopped in place anxiously and when it was open enough entered. But what he saw wasn't what he expected.
On his end of the arena of the gym was a kid fallen to the floor and next to it a toppled Blastoise. Overcoming the first shock he rushed in to help, identifying a purple shirt and spiky brown hair.
"GARY!" Sonic screamed in shock as he approached the fallen trainer while raichu checked on Gary's Blastoise.
"Gary you ok? Say something dude!" Sonic said while shaking him.
Gary's eyes suddenly jolted open and he grabbed Sonic by his shoulders.
"Run!"
"What?"
"Run! It's a monster!"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"What's all the ruckus about?" a voice was heard from a pedestal on the other side of the arena. A familiar voice.
"No" Sonic thought as memories of silph co returned "it can't be".
Steps echoed throughout the gym as Sonic held his breath. It couldn't be him. It couldn't.
A black haired man appeared on the pedestal. His left hand was in a cast and he had a small sticking plaster on his nose. Sonic and Giovanni's eyes met as hatred for each other flared.
"You" they both said at the same time.
"Well, well" Giovanni said without an ounce of evil humor in his voice "the hero of Kanto finally crosses my path again".
"Look what has become of you" Sonic mocked him "having to take over a gym to hide".
"Take over? What a joke. Why would I take over my own gym?"
"YOUR gym?!" Sonic shouted in disbelief. It couldn't be true.
"You're lying. Someone like you can't be the strongest gym leader!"
"After everything that has transpired this is what surprises you the most hedgehog?"
Sonic felt the blood rush to his head.
"You got away from me twice before. You won't get away this time. You're gonna pay for what you did to Jolteon!"
Giovanni started laughing maniacally.
"Oh on the contrary hedgehog! It is you who will be paying for all team rocket has lost at your hands! And you're gonna pay for it with your life!"
"Bring out your pokemon then! I know them this time. You don't have the element of surprise!"
"His pokemon are already fainted! I beat them!" Gary said cowering in fear on the back wall.
"What?"
"I'm telling you Sonic! Run! You can't beat it!"
"Beat what?"
Another door similar to the entry door started rolling upwards opening this time under the pedestal Giovanni was sitting on. Sonic and raichu observed as the door opened completely. A pair of glowing eyes appeared from the room the door had revealed.
"What the?" Sonic said taking a step back instinctively.
Steps started sounding through the gym again, originating from the being with the glowing eyes. Heavy steps. As if the being was carrying something heavy.
Slowly the creature stepped into the light. An armored creature.
"Meet. Project two" Giovanni said maliciously.
Sonic felt fear creep up his spine momentarily until he noticed something familiar on the creature. A distinctive purple long tail.
"No… no… it can't be… Mewtwo!" Sonic muttered.
Giovanni stepped back in surprise as well, caught off guard that Sonic knew about Mewtwo.
"How do you know about this?!"
Sonic didn't listen however. His mind was racing as he recalled the data he had sent Tails during his raid on silph co and the diary from the mansion on Cinnabar island.
"Project two is proceeding better than I could have ever expected. Dr Fuji's job hasn't gone to waste. My benefactor intends to use it as a weapon. I must destroy my research… and my creation".
"You were dr Fuji's benefactor. You invested in Mewtwo's creation! Dr Fuji tried to stop you by destroying…" he said remembering Giovanni's words in that recording.
"The prototype!"
"Exactly. The old man destroyed the original Mewtwo. But by doing so he allowed my scientists to perfect it!"
"Yeah. Making it so strong you need to encase it in armor to weaken it!" Sonic said grimly disgusted.
"Heh. You are too perceptive for your own good hedgehog. If I wasn't intending to end your life here today I would be forced to. You know too much!"
The door behind Gary and Sonic slammed shut.
"Hey let Gary go! This is between you and me!"
"I'm afraid I can't. My business with you is personal. And by revealing how much you know you've sentenced that kid to death".
Gary gulped.
"No way in any life Giovanni! We end this now!"
"Mewtwo!" Giovanni ordered as Mewtwo slowly walked forward.
"Go Nidoking!" Sonic called it out.
"Mewtwo psychic!"
"Protect!"
Mewtwo's attack was not impeded by protect. Easily breaking through it, it lifted nidoking up and slammed it down hard knocking it out immediately.
"What?!"
"One down. 4 more to go. And…"
A capsule came out of nowhere and before Sonic could react encased nidoking before floating on Sonic's right, displaying the trapped nidoking like a prize.
"Give it back!" Sonic screamed in anger as he tried to recall it. However the recalling mechanism didn't function.
"No… the capsule is jamming the signal?!"
"Your nidoking is now mine! Just like I said it would be!"
"You absolute coward! Just wait until I get my hands on you! Pinsir your turn!"
Pinsir emerged.
"Rock slide!"
Rock slide was launched Mewtwo's armor deflected most of the damage.
"Flamethrower!"
"What?!"
Mewtwo unleashed powerful jet of flames that struck Pinsir. It was knocked out immediately. Just like before a capsule appeared out from behind Mewtwo and trapped Pinsir having it showcased next to Nidoking.
"No! Pinsir!"
"AHAHAHA! How does it feel hedgehog?! How does it feel to lose everything you have bit by bit?! I will make you experience every ounce of pain I experienced before I put you 6 feet under!"
"You're a monster! How can you live with yourself hurting innocent creatures?"
"Because they are nothing but a business"
"Nothing but a business?!"
"Exactly. Just as was your friend's Jolteon. Nothing more than a side casualty in my business".
Sonic's fist was trembling and spasming from rage. That monster had killed Jolteon and felt a total of zero regret for it.
"Mewtwo can use flamethrower" he said in his mind "mew's myth says it can learn every move that exists. Can Mewtwo also do that?"
"What's wrong headgehog? Ready to finally give up?"
"Never! Go Blastoise!"
Blastoise emerged with a thud.
"Mewtwo thunderbolt!"
"I knew it" Sonic thought in fear as Giovanni had ordered the attack before he could even think "it can learn a lot of attacks. He must have forced it to learn moves that cans strike anything".
Mewtwo however didn't respond to Giovanni's command. It instead looked around through its helmet.
"I said use thunderbolt you damn thing!" Giovanni shouted in anger, taking out a remote and pressing the button.
Mewtwo released a cry of pain. To Sonic sounded more like a roar but he could feel the suffering emanating like an aura from Mewtwo. Mewtwo used thunderbolt while Giovanni let go off the button.
"Protect!"
Protect shielded blastoise from thunderbolt as it wasn't a stab boosted move, though it was pushed back by the immense power.
"Use thunderbolt again!"
Mewtwo however still didn't respond as Sonic noticed it made spasms from the pain.
"I said use thunderbolt!" Giovanni screamed using the remote again.
Mewtwo roared in pain once more. Sonic, who noticed a small red light on the helmet activating every time the remote was pressed, didn't waste time to wait for the attack.
"Hydro pump!"
Blastoise fired 2 jets of water with its water cannons striking mewtwo head on. Mewtwo who had still not used thunderbolt was pushed back slightly as the attack connected. Mustering its power to stop the pain it used thunderbolt on itself. The attack coursed through the water and struck blastoise which cried out in pain as well and toppled before being captured by a third capsule.
"No!" Sonic screamed again this time in despair. Half his team was already captured as they helplessly watched their trainer and their team members fall to the strongest pokemon.
"This stupid thing!" Giovanni screamed as he pressed the button again to punish Mewtwo for striking itself too instead of just Blastoise.
Sonic who was watching the whole thing couldn't help but feel sorry for Mewtwo.
"Why am I thinking this way? Why am I feeling sorry about a monster?!" he thought to his own surprise.
"He's a psychic type. Maybe with my own psychic type I can turn the tables!"
"Go Alakazam" he said sending it out.
Alakazam appeared and Mewtwo stopped moving despite the pain it was still going through. The two psychic types stared at each other in silence, as Giovanni who forgot his anger for Mewtwo stopped using the remote.
"Using your Alakazam to try and save Mewtwo? Please. Mewtwo is my slave! Now and forever! Nothing you do can save it!"
"Save it?" Sonic thought "I'm not trying to save it".
"Alakazam use psychic!"
"Mewtwo counter with your own psychic!"
The two psychic types tried to use their best attack on each other. Mewtwo was leagues stronger than Alakazam. During the clash of the attacks however, Mewtwo's helmet was shaken a bit. Giovanni's eyes widened and immediately pressed a button that realigned it to make sure it wouldn't come off. Sonic noticed it but paid no mind.
Alakazam was hurt by Mewtwo's psychic while Mewtwo was barely phased.
"Flamethrower!" Giovanni ordered.
Mewtwo unleashed another jet of flames.
"Light screen!"
Alakazam created its barrier but Mewtwo's power was just too great. Being pushed back it looked at Sonic as if it was the last time. It then dropped the barrier and was engulfed by the flames.
"NO!" Sonic screamed in confusion and horror.
Alakazam had not dropped its defense to just faint however. Holding on barely it fired a shadow ball at Mewtwo who didn't see it coming. The attack connected damaging Mewtwo greatly and even removing a part of its armor on its right hand. Giovanni gasped in horror at this but regained his composure as Sonic's Alakazam fainted and was captured as well.
"One left. Your raichu will be my greatest trophy" he said maliciously.
Sonic, to Giovanni's surprise took out an ultra ball instead of sending raichu to battle.
"What?!"
"I'm not the same as I was at silph co. I'm not just the hero of Kanto" Sonic said not really embracing the title, instead just wanting to plant seeds of doubt in Giovanni "I'm the chosen one of this pokemon!"
The ultra ball opened and the whole room was lit by the flames of the legendary Moltres. Giovanni and Gary both looked at it in shock, Giovanni with a begrudging respect too.
"Chosen by Moltres huh? I will admit hedgehog. You really are something. And I also have to thank you".
"Thank me?"
"Yes. For bringing me the legendary Moltres as a gift".
"No I don't think so! Moltres! Strike down Mewtwo! Fire blast!"
Moltres unleashed his jet of flames shaped like a star. Mewtwo defended with ease.
"Don't let up! Flamethrower!"
Moltres unleashed a normal jet of flames. Mewtwo easily blocked that move with psychic as well though a part of his armor became black from the heat. Giovanni noticed it visibly shaken.
"Mewtwo enough playing around! Thunderbolt!"
Mewtwo used thunderbolt but Moltres dodged. Mewtwo unleashed another one and Moltres countered with ancient power, the barrage of rocks working as a barrier for the electricity as it couldn't course through them.
"Use psychic to throw the rocks back!"
Mewtwo was visibly exhausted and in pain both from the armor and forced use of its power. Giovanni losing his temper used his remote again causing Mewtwo great pain. Sonic now felt compelled to help Mewtwo but the memory of what it had done to its creators at that lab wouldn't let him see Mewtwo as anything more or less than a monster.
"Moltres quick before Mewtwo attacks! Wing attack!"
However the successful physical assault was a mistake. Mewtwo forgot about the pain dealt to him by Giovanni and unleashed thunderbolt roaring angry at Moltres. The legendary bird of fire was not quick enough this time and collapsed on the ground barely not fainted. Giovanni, not wanting to risk such a prize, had the capsule capture Moltres as best as it could, though it was too small for the bird which barely fit in. As the glass walls pressured it Moltres cried out in agony. Sonic shed a tear at the sound Moltres made.
"I will save you Moltres! I will save all of you hang in there!"
"Save them? Don't kid yourself hedgehog! You can't even save yourself!"
"Raichu! Let's save our friends! Quick attack!"
Raichu charged at Mewtwo too fast for the latter to react. It struck Mewtwo but merely pushed it back. Mewtwo simply flicked raichu aside with psychic. To Giovanni's horror however raichu merely got back up as well.
"That phenomenon" he said remembering how both Sonic and raichu had been engulfed by lightning at silph co and it somehow restored them "those 2 together will be my undoing".
"Mewtwo change of plans! Kill the hedgehog! Psychic!"
"What?!" Sonic was able to say before being lifted off his feet with psychic. Mewtwo who was reaching out with its right hand, its hand free from the armor was holding him in place as raichu saw it happen. Charging thunder punch, it jumped towards Mewtwo only to be flicked away again.
"Do it Mewtwo! Kill him! Like you did the fools that made you!"
Sonic felt his head tilt back, his arms bending the opposite way, his legs bend forward. He screamed in pain as Gary observed the scene unable to help as Mewtwo had defeated all of his pokemon and even knocked him down with psychic before Sonic arrived.
Sonic however remembering his advice to Ash, focused his mind on his goal of living. Not just surviving but living.
The effects of the psychic were reduced however Mewtwo was still too strong for him to break completely free. Raichu in the meantime was trying repeatedly to attack Mewtwo only to be flung away every time, each time more painful than the last.
Giovanni was unnerved by raichu's refusal to go down as well as Sonic actually fighting off Mewtwo's psychic attack.
"Drastic times call for drastic measures! Mewtwo! Choke the life out of him!"
Mewtwo stood still for a moment. Giovanni was ready to use his remote again. But at the next moment Sonic was brought to Mewtwo as its 3 fingers wrapped around Sonic's throat. Mewtwo then started putting pressure.
Raichu cried out in despair seeing its trainer gasp and cough for air as his legs started shaking uncontrollably. Sonic's other pokemon also started trying to break free but their battles with Mewtwo had left them too weak to escape.
A million thoughts crossed Sonic's mind as he was choked by Mewtwo. Panic, fear, his pokemon, raichu, his friends, his family, everything. An amalgamation of thoughts all spinning inside his head at the same time as he continued making inhuman sounds trying to breathe.
Then for a moment Mewtwo's grip was loosened. Giovanni noticed it as Sonic stopped struggling as much.
"Obey me you stupid thing! I command you!" Giovanni screamed using his remote.
Mewtwo roared in pain again and put more pressure on Sonic's throat.
Sonic put his hands on Mewtwo's hands trying to take them off long enough to create a phrase.
"Raichu use…"
But then he stopped. At that moment he was struck with a powerful feeling of déjà vu. His mind was suddenly working clearly and his mangled thoughts were somehow falling neatly together perfectly.
"Just like my dream" he thought as he continued his struggle to take a breath "if I order raichu to attack Mewtwo will kill it.
"I said obey me you piece of trash! Get it over with!" Giovanni's voice echoed in his ears. Sonic couldn't see him due to his vision becoming blurred from the lack of air.
He heard Mewtwo making a sad cry that Giovanni was too far away to hear.
"Mewtwo is suffering" Sonic thought.
Yes. The creature strangling him at that very moment was in as much pain as Sonic. Maybe even more than Sonic.
Under normal circumstances Sonic would question why he was being empathetic for a monster. But those thoughts had left his mind.
"Mewtwo is no monster. He is a pokemon. A pokemon held captive by team rocket".
His mind went back to all the captured pokemon he and Mike had saved at silph co. Alakazam's mother, Mike's beedrill.
"Mewtwo is a pokemon who needs my help!" Sonic made one last determined thought "and I will help it".
Grabbing Mewtwo's hands again, he started using all of his strength to stop the choking. He screamed as he gave it his all, determined to end the suffering of everyone.
Giovanni was observing the scene with a combination of sadistic pleasure with hints of anxiety every time Sonic looked like he would break free.
"Look at you hedgehog. One foot in the grave. That's what happens when you cross team rocket. Did you really think you could mess with us and walk unscathed?"
Sonic didn't respond as Mewtwo was beginning to overpower him again.
"Did you really think you could win?!" Giovanni asked him again both gloating and a bit frustrated as he wanted to get a response.
And Sonic did respond.
"I don't have to win".
"What?" Giovanni said as the smile disappeared from his face.
"I just need to free Mewtwo! Quick attack!"
Raichu who had been completely forgotten by Giovanni had managed to climb to the pedestal. Before Giovanni could react Raichu used quick attack on him, causing him to drop the remote. Sonic momentarily overpowered Mewtwo allowing himself to take a breath in and create another phrase.
"Raichu quick! Use iron tail on Mewtwo's helmet!"
Raichu jumped from the pedestal as its tail glowed. Giovanni screamed a fearful no and dived to catch the remote.
Raichu landed the attack creating a huge crack on the helmet. Sonic letting go of Mewtwo's hand, he grabbed the helmet from both parts of the crack and with a last surge of his strength, split it in two.
The metallic pieces fell to the ground making a clanking sound, as Mewtwo's face was now revealed. It had purple eyes and looked eerily similar to a combination of Mew and a human. Sonic would describe it as a humanoid version of Mew only much stronger. Its eyes were feral and full of fear and pain. The moment the helmet came off Mewtwo, having grown used to seeing through the lens of the helmet, was overcome by the sudden light and dropped Sonic covering its eyes.
As Sonic coughed to catch his breath Giovanni was fuming in rage.
"NO! MEWTWO OBEY ME! KILL THE HEDGEHOG!" Giovanni screamed as he pressed the button on the remote.
Mewtwo's roar was heard again. Only this time it was much louder. Sonic observed as Mewtwo's power was unleashed.
"The remote wasn't causing pain through the helmet. It did through the rest of the armor. The helmet was an inhibitor" Sonic said in realization.
With raichu hiding behind him, Sonic saw Mewtwo use its power to remove the armor, continuously roaring as it started sending psychic blasts throughout the room. Many of those blasts hit the capsules Sonic's pokemon were trapped in freeing them.
"NOOOOOO! YOU'RE RUNING EVERYTHING!" Giovanni screamed in despair this time. Sonic was actually surprised never expecting someone like Giovanni to sound like this.
Mewtwo having heard Giovanni's voice turned its feral eyes on him. Using a powerful psychic blast it blasted Giovanni from the pedestal sending him crashing to the ground not moving. Mewtwo then looked around with the same feral look until its eyes met Sonic's. Sonic got up, determined to protect raichu.
"Hey hey" he said calmly lifting his hands in front of his chest as if he was signaling to Mewtwo everything was fine.
"It's ok now. You're free. Get out of here".
Mewtwo's feral look got slightly calmer. Alakazam from the corner of the room took the chance and telepathically communicated with Mewtwo. Sonic observed the two psychic types look at each other wondering what they talked about. After a few moments Mewtwo sent a power wave towards the ceiling creating a huge hole. Then to Sonic and raichu's shock it flew away using its psychic power on itself.
"Woah it can fly?" Sonic said in shock.
A groan of pain brought him back to reality as he remembered Giovanni was still there.
Giovanni had already gotten up and called his flying device to him. Sonic rushed to tackle him to the ground but Giovanni merely flew out of the hole on the ceiling. Sonic cursed at the supposed escape until Moltres flew to the center of the room and then flew back down ready for Sonic to ride it. Sonic knew what he had to do.
"Raichu use your moves to get Gary out of here. Bring the door down if you have to! I will go after him!"
Mounting Moltres and recalling his other 4 pokemon he looked at Gary who had still not spoken a word throughout the entire battle with Giovanni.
"Gary call the police! Tell them to search the whole place!"
As he spoke the last word Moltres soared through the opening on the ceiling. They saw Giovanni riding his flying device in the distance.
"After him Moltres" Sonic asked his pokemon.
Moltres started flying as fast as it could despite its heavy injuries.
Giovanni heard the flapping of the wings and saw Moltres on his tail. Cursing he tried to speed up. Moltres however was a lot faster than his device even with its injuries. Getting in front of him, Sonic and Moltres cut off Giovanni's escape route.
"It's over Giovanni. You lose".
Giovanni gritted his teeth but then both archenemies heard sirens. Looking back they saw the police surrounding Giovanni's gym.
The boss of team rocket observed in shock as he knew he had now really lost. Every defeat left him to fall on another backup plan. But the seizing of the viridian gym destroyed all of his backup plans.
Closing his eyes and sighing he met Sonic's eyes.
"You're right. I lose. You win. So take these" he said tossing Sonic 2 shiny objects.
Sonic caught them with ease though his movement caused Moltres to momentarily lose its balance. After it steadied itself, Sonic looked at the objects. They were 2 earthbadges.
"One for you, one for the kid that beat my team".
"I don't care" Sonic said "you won't buy your way out against me. You're going in for a long time".
"And how will you catch me? Your Moltres doesn't look well enough to stop me".
Sonic clenched his fist. Giovanni was right. Mewtwo had damaged Moltres too much. They wouldn't be able to pursue him.
"I will escape here today. But…" Giovanni said closing his eyes "I never expected to say it. Team rocket won't escape here today. The seizing of my gym was the final nail in the coffin. As of now team rocket is disbanded".
Sonic listened at his archnemesis' words.
"Heh. And of course you would run away abandoning everyone on your team".
"They were mere pawns for my goal of world domination. Useless pawns too. Ariana lost to you when your team was much weaker".
Moltres cried out in pain as it started flying unevenly. Sonic knew once they fell down, Giovanni would escape.
"You may have brought down team rocket and ruined my dreams of domination. But after surviving my ultimate weapon, Mewtwo… I can't say anymore that you're only worth of my hatred. You have, as crazy as it sounds, earned my respect, Sonic the hedgehog".
"Your respect means nothing to me".
"I'm aware of that. But it is true. You were a worthy enemy. For that I will, as hard as it is for me, graciously accept my defeat… and go into exile".
Sonic didn't believe a single word but knew he didn't have any other choice to make.
"And I suggest you stay in exile. Cause if you try to rise again… you and team rocket… I will be there to stop you".
Giovanni begrudgingly smiled.
"I'm counting on that" he said with a combination of maliciousness and respect as Moltres' energy was completely depleted.
Moltres plummeted to the ground roughly as Sonic rolled on the ground.
"Not a happy landing" he thought as he looked at the direction he suspected Giovanni had escaped towards.
He had done it. Team rocket was gone. But Giovanni had escaped and if he was telling the truth going into exile. Sonic fell back down, his head resting on the exhausted Moltres. Looking at the sky he decided to heed mr Fuji's advice and try to look on the bright side too.
Team rocket was gone. Kanto was free from their reign of fear. From Giovanni's reign of fear. Sonic smiled, as he ached from the strangling he had gone through.
"Jolty" he thought "we have passed justice for you".