"Luca…"
Emerging from its Poké Ball, Lucario's eyes narrowed into slits as it stared at the monstrous, two-person-tall beast looming before it.
(A/N: Rhyperior—the classic example of a Pokémon that gets uglier with every evolution…)
[T/N: I feel like Rhyperior is fine? Idk, you can guess the type just by looking at it. I feel like it's well designed.]
This opponent? Every single one of them was absurdly powerful!
"Poni!"
As Ogerpon landed, its thorned vine whip was already raised high, entwined with gushing streams of water. Its mask, normally a grass-green visage, had shifted to the water-blue Wellspring Mask.
Even from within the Poké Ball, Ogerpon had witnessed the unscrupulous ambush by Rhyperior.
And so, for this hulking brute that had nearly harmed its Trainer, Ogerpon had no mercy to spare.
It was supposed to be a fair Pokémon battle—so why try to eliminate the Trainer first?
Clutching its Ivy Cudgel, Ogerpon was now beyond furious.
All it needed was one command from Aiden—and it would unleash full fury on these monsters who dared lay hands on its Trainer!
Though normally timid, easily startled by the faintest rustle…
When angered, Ogerpon's combat power became terrifyingly immense!
"Vee!"
Faced with the invisible pressure emanating from Rhyperior's colossal form, Sylveon showed no fear whatsoever. Its four ribbons rippled in offensive stance, ready to unleash a barrage of moves to end this foe in one decisive strike.
"Tch…"
After barely dodging the surprise attack, Aiden still felt his heart pounding.
No wonder Kanto trainers are so devious.
Giovanni's prolonged conversation earlier—wasn't that just a ruse to buy time for his Pokémon to launch an ambush?
Thankfully, Aiden had been mentally prepared for exactly this.
He wasn't experienced in wild combat, but he knew this style was essentially lawless—every underhanded trick was standard procedure.
"Teacher Aiden, are you alright?"
Lance spoke up immediately, glancing toward Aiden as he began to close the distance, intending to combine their three forces to overwhelm Giovanni.
There was no need for fairness against such villains—today, they would drag Giovanni back in chains!
Sabrina shared the same thought. Having perfected Psychic abilities to near-artistic mastery, she hovered silently in midair, her gaze fixed on Aiden.
And then—suddenly, from the deep crater carved by the Pokémon ambush, two figures clad in silver Team Rocket uniforms leapt out.
"Don't you dare interfere with Boss Giovanni's plan!"
"Your opponent is me!"
The two intruders blocked Lance and Sabrina respectively—and Aiden, recognizing their attire instantly, identified them.
Two of Team Rocket's Four Executives: Proton and Petrel.
The Executives' strength roughly matched that of an average Gym Leader. Though defeating Sabrina or Lance outright was impossible, if their sole purpose was to stall, prolonged skirmishes could easily drag on for minutes.
"…"
Lance quickly grasped their strategy—and his gaze toward them softened with pity.
Thanks to Team Rocket's deep-rooted local intelligence network, they probably had no accurate information on Aiden's true capabilities.
So…
They had no idea just how illegal his Pokémon really were.
If Giovanni underestimated him, Lance honestly believed Aiden might even win a one-on-one against him.
"I'll leave Giovanni to you, Teacher Aiden!"
Dodging the toxins spat by Proton's Arbok, Lance turned back and shouted to Aiden.
Aiden understood instantly.
Oh, so you're using a mismatch strategy?
You're using your two Executives to pin us down, hoping Giovanni will eliminate me first, then come to assist?
But you didn't seriously think I was an easy target, did you?
Staring at the towering, mountain-like Rhyperior before him, Aiden smiled.
So they underestimated me, huh?
"Ogerpon—use Ivy Cudgel!"
Giovanni's most famous title was "Giovanni of the Earth"—for he commanded a formidable, Elite Four–level ground-type army.
The sheer size of this Rhyperior alone proved it.
But…
Rhyperior, huh? Try this first!
"Rhyperior—endure the attack, then use Earthquake!"
Behind it, Giovanni's voice remained calm, almost dismissive—as if Aiden's Pokémon were beneath his notice.
Though he hadn't specifically studied the "Teacher Aiden" from Paldea, Giovanni had heard rumors.
For instance: Aiden had only become a Trainer for less than a year since inheriting his Gym.
Even with exceptional talent, becoming an eight-Gym Leader was likely inflated—probably the result of Champion Geeta deliberately letting him win.
So, without doubt, he was the weakest link in this trio.
For years, Giovanni had meticulously planned for this moment.
A rookie? Trying to block his path? Utter nonsense.
Giovanni thought this, then issued his next order.
"Dugtrio, Nidoqueen, Nidoking—use Earthquake alongside Rhyperior."
As "Giovanni of the Earth," his mastery of Earthquake had evolved into a unique technique.
In wild combat, rhythmic, staggered Earthquakes didn't just cover massive areas—they linked together, creating a cumulative effect like escalating seismic waves. Each subsequent quake amplified the force of the next.
"Roar—!"
Upon hearing the command, Rhyperior roared and slammed its fists against its chest, its footsteps growing heavier with each step.
Meanwhile, Ogerpon had already gripped its Ivy Cudgel. Its mask began oozing countless streams of water, which flowed naturally down its arms and coiled silently around the stick.
The seemingly mundane, close-range strike drew no attention from Rhyperior.
After all, the size difference was obvious—and Rhyperior, famed as the "Iron Wall of Ilex Gym" for its incredible durability, was built precisely for absorbing blows and retaliating immediately.
It compensated for its sluggish speed with raw physical resilience.
For years, Rhyperior had been Giovanni's core Pokémon, even regarded as the linchpin of his team—countless opponents had fallen beneath its fists.
Yet—
"Poni!!!"
When Ogerpon finally entered striking range, planted its foot firmly on the ground, leapt high into the air, and swung its Ivy Cudgel downward with the force of a mountain-splitting cleaver, Rhyperior suddenly shuddered.
An overwhelming aura of dread erupted—its instincts screamed a warning.
No—this wasn't right!
This move was far from ordinary!
Rhyperior instinctively halted its own attack, gritted its teeth, and brought its massive arms up in front of its body, bracing for maximum defense.
And just as it prepared its guard—
Ogerpon's Ivy Cudgel came crashing down.
BOOM—!!!
The sonic blast manifested almost as a physical wave, kicking up a massive cloud of dust across the already ruined gym floor.
Amid the swirling debris, a colossal silhouette was violently hurled backward, slamming into the wall before collapsing onto the ground with another thunderous cloud of dust.
That single strike had left Rhyperior wide-eyed—its once-thick, armored arms now shredded and bloody, nerves severed, limp and useless at its sides.
The blow hadn't been instantly lethal—but Rhyperior was now completely incapacitated.
"…"
Giovanni turned his head instinctively.
When he saw the horrific state of Rhyperior—the Pokémon he had trusted most—even his years of cold, calculating composure as Team Rocket's boss couldn't prevent his lips from twitching.
The power behind that strike… he had never anticipated it.
He could tell: Ogerpon had used some kind of Water-type move.
While the Ground-type's power was immense, it had its weaknesses.
Especially for a Ground/Rock-type like Rhyperior—Grass and Water types were devastatingly effective.
Yet, due to Rhyperior's extraordinary physical durability and its naturally armored rocky hide, even the most lethal attacks rarely inflicted critical damage.
Only one explanation fit this scenario—
Aiden's Pokémon was not merely equal in strength to Rhyperior—it was stronger.
It had broken through the first line of defense purely through raw power and Giovanni's arrogance.
But Aiden was supposed to be a rookie who'd only been a Trainer for less than a year!
Had the intelligence been wrong?
As Giovanni hesitated, Proton—still locked in combat with Lance—also noticed Rhyperior's downfall. His brow arched sharply.
Of course. Giovanni was never a true fan of Teacher Aiden—he just wanted to steal his tactics!
If he'd followed "Azure Wings" closely enough, he'd know this Ogerpon had once single-handedly crushed four Legendary Pokémon in Kitakami…
Its true power rivaled even the strongest of Elite Four Pokémon.
And now, Giovanni had paid dearly for underestimating it.
Didn't you know? Aiden was the most underhanded of them all!
Though Rhyperior was temporarily out of commission, Giovanni's remaining Pokémon were already preparing their assault.
With Giovanni at the center, three Pokémon stomped the ground simultaneously—the shockwaves spread underground, triggering violent tremors and unleashing indiscriminate damage on everything nearby.
Yet, Giovanni and his Pokémon remained untouched, their energies canceling each other out. Even as the earth heaved beneath them, Giovanni stood utterly still—as if rooted into the ground itself.
"Giovanni of the Earth"—the title was earned.
"Tch…"
"Lucario, Sylveon—jump and use Protect on the ground!"
Aiden reacted instantly, issuing commands while retreating several steps.
No wonder Giovanni was Kanto's strongest Gym Leader…
This cheap Earthquake trick was absolutely unbeatable in wild combat—directly targeting the Trainer!
If Aiden were a true Kanto native, he'd probably charge straight into the quake, riding the tremors with his Pokémon.
But unfortunately, his body wasn't that absurdly resilient—being hit by consecutive Earthquakes might knock him unconscious.
Just as Aiden stepped back, he suddenly felt an invisible force gently lifting him—his body rose effortlessly, avoiding the quake's impact entirely.
"Mew~"
Though he saw no sign of Mew nearby, Aiden faintly heard a cat-like chuckle beside his ear.
Usually so lazy and unserious… but when it mattered, Mew was surprisingly reliable.
Aiden exhaled in relief.
After landing the knockout blow on Rhyperior, Ogerpon also reacted instantly—dodging sideways with a sliding maneuver, slipping safely between the protective barrier formed by Sylveon and Lucario.
The tremors faded. Aiden remained suspended in midair, extending a finger with commanding authority:
"Ogerpon—press forward with Ivy Cudgel!"
"Sylveon—follow up with constant Magical Leaf attacks!"
"Lucario—stay behind Ogerpon and charge up Aura Sphere!"
His commands issued in rapid succession, Aiden's three Pokémon moved in unison.
"Sylvee!"
Sylveon struck first. Its four ribbons gathered energy, releasing a saturated barrage of Magical Leaf projectiles that streaked toward Giovanni's team like a storm of emerald arrows.
"Nidoking, Nidoqueen—alternately use Hyper Beam to clear the threat!"
Having suffered a humiliating setback, Giovanni was now far more cautious.
At his order, Nidoking charged first—then unleashed a blinding white beam from its mouth, vaporizing every Magical Leaf in its path.
Nidoqueen followed immediately, creating a crossfire that effortlessly dismantled the remaining leaf assault.
"Dugtrio—use Sand Tomb to temporarily trap them!"
Giovanni calmly assessed the situation.
The exposed Dugtrio vanished back underground, then erupted beneath Ogerpon's path, forming a patch of treacherous quicksand that forced Ogerpon to halt its advance.
Giovanni had neutralized every attack.
Yet Aiden's side remained calm.
Because the real offensive was already primed.
"Lucario!"
The Lucario, which had been shadowing Ogerpon, launched skyward. Between its palms, a powerful aura of psychic energy had coalesced—and as it struck, the energy locked onto its target with deadly precision.
BOOM—!
The Aura Sphere shot forth like a cannonball, moving so fast the eye couldn't track it—aimed directly at Giovanni, behind Nidoking and Nidoqueen!
This was it!
A slow, triumphant smile spread across Aiden's lips.
All previous moves were distractions. This was his true killing blow.
He understood the principle well: in wild combat, take out the leader first.
Yet, as the Aura Sphere hurtled toward him, Giovanni showed no panic.
In fact, he smiled—just as Aiden had.
And Aiden soon understood why.
Just before impact, a torrent of immense psychic energy erupted—easily deflecting the Aura Sphere into the ceiling, where it detonated, carving a deep crater.
And standing before Giovanni, blocking the attack, was a figure Aiden knew all too well.
A humanoid Pokémon clad in heavy armor, its very presence radiating an overwhelming Psychic pressure.
Its appearance sent chills through every nearby Pokémon.
Even Lance and Sabrina, locked in battle with the Rocket Executives, turned their heads involuntarily.
Aiden recognized the figure instantly.
This was the very reason he and Mew had come to Kanto—
Mewtwo. Currently under Giovanni's control.
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