Chapter 148: Heavy Losses
If Matt hadn't arrived, Giovanni would have suffered a catastrophic defeat. Even if he had survived, his Pokémon would have been wiped out.
Machoke, Nidorino, and Rhyhorn were covered in gruesome wounds, barely holding on. Persian and Beedrill, who had been the main damage dealers, were in even worse shape.
Persian's front paw hung limply, nearly severed, and a deep gash on its torso exposed its internal organs.
Beedrill had no uninjured spot on its body; one of its wings was shattered, and its lower half was almost completely torn off. The moment the threat was eliminated, they collapsed.
If Matt hadn't come, they would have died. His other Pokémon—the second Rhyhorn, the two Kingler, the disposable Water-types—were already part of the carnage littering the ground.
Giovanni's own body was riddled with penetrating wounds, some of which had damaged his internal organs. He was on the verge of death.
"Cough, cough," he sputtered, covering his mouth. Blood seeped through his fingers. It was the second time he had come this close to dying, the first being the encounter with the Rattata so long ago.
Matt walked over, his brow furrowed as he assessed Giovanni's injuries. "You need immediate medical attention."
Giovanni's pale face was a mask of indifference. The pain did not make him waver. "I am aware of my condition. Thank you, regardless." He glanced at the mangled forms of Beedrill and Persian before recalling all his Pokémon.
"You are welcome. It was the Boss's order," Matt said. "Ank was supposed to be the one to intercept, but he and Captain Price are locked in a fierce battle."
"It does not matter," Giovanni replied, his voice raspy. "I was not counting on him."
Matt looked at him, a deep, assessing gaze. "These men... they were his subordinates."
Giovanni's eyes were chips of ice. He slowly clenched his fist. "Does it matter whose they were..?" He trailed off into a guttural grunt of pain and fury.
Matt did not comment on his arrogance. He simply said, "You were too careless. Sending your subordinates back first exposed your position. That was a mistake."
Giovanni was not a god; he could not be perfect— but he was receptive to sound advice. "A lesson learned."
Matt glanced at the wound on Giovanni's side, which was still seeping blood. "Let me bandage that. Otherwise, I fear you will not make it back, and I will have failed my mission."
This time, Giovanni did not refuse. Even the power of Viridian was struggling to seal the wound.
Inside the medical bay of the Viridian Base.
Several nurses looked timidly at Giovanni, who was hooked up to IVs, his body wrapped in bandages. Across from him stood Dr. Mueller, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
"That is enough," Giovanni said to the doctor. "I am fine."
Dr. Mueller clicked his tongue. "Your body is terrifying. An ordinary person would have died from such injuries."
"That is why I understand my own condition," Giovanni said, dismissing the comment. "How are my Pokémon?"
Dr. Mueller sighed. "Their injuries are all severe. Especially Beedrill and Persian. If you hadn't recalled them when you did, they would not have survived the trip back."
A wave of relief washed over Giovanni. At least their lives were saved. "Can they recover?"
At this, Dr. Mueller's expression brightened. "You are in luck. The organization just acquired several high-quality treatment pods. We have placed your two Pokémon in them. It will take time, but they should make a full recovery."
He added meaningfully, "Otherwise, they would have been crippled for life."
"It is good that they can recover," Giovanni nodded, his face a cold mask. As long as the most severe injuries were treated, the power of Viridian could handle the rest.
"Your luck," Dr. Mueller shook his head, "I truly do not know if it is good or bad."
Giovanni glanced outside, then swung himself off the bed, pulling the IV stand with him as he started to walk toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Dr. Mueller asked, alarmed.
"Someone is looking for me," Giovanni said faintly. "I need to see them."
Dr. Mueller looked at the closed door, confused. "Who? Do you need me to accompany you?"
"No," Giovanni shook his head. "My subordinates."
As Dr. Mueller attended to other matters, Giovanni slowly walked out of the medical bay. Archer, Mars, Karle, and the others were waiting for him. Captain Ank, also bandaged and looking disheveled, was there as well, along with several of his own men.
Giovanni's gaze swept over them, lingering for an extra second on one of them. Before Archer could speak, Ank rushed forward. "Boss, it is truly good to see you are alright."
Giovanni looked at Ank's own poor condition and frowned. "Why is Captain Ank in such a state?"
"Do not even mention it!" Ank said, his face twisting in anger. "I received intelligence that someone was going to ambush you, so I immediately set out— but that bastard Captain Price blocked me halfway!"
He looked Giovanni up and down. "At least you are alright. I heard several of your Pokémon were killed, and the rest severely injured?"
Giovanni snorted. "Thank you for your concern. My core team is not harmed. Though they are injured, they will recover. The ones that died were disposable."
Ank breathed a sigh of relief. At least Giovanni still had a chance. He had come prepared to make amends for his failure. "Please, do not be angry. I was worried. These are excellent healing potions I prepared specifically for you." His men hurried forward with the supplies.
Giovanni only glanced at them, then waved a dismissive hand. Ank saw that Giovanni didn't drive him away, and his heart settled— at least their relationship wasn't completely strained.
He had already decided to step down once Giovanni took power, hoping to use his past loyalty to buy his own life.
It was a far better fate than waiting for Petrel or Raven to take over and eliminate him.