Charizard, Dragonite, Gyarados, and Aerodactyl surrounded Giovanni on all sides.
Giovanni's expression had already darkened to the extreme as he took in the sight before him.
Even without looking at the man standing atop the Charizard's back, Giovanni knew exactly who had come to trap him.
The foremost of the Kanto Elite Four—the quasi-champion and the leading figure among the young generation of Kanto trainers—Lance, the Dragon Master.
"Lance…"
Giovanni's knuckles turned white from the force of his grip. Over the many years he had led Team Rocket, he and Lance had clashed countless times from the shadows. He knew better than anyone how terrifyingly strong Lance was.
He had never expected Lance to appear now, of all times.
In that instant, Giovanni realized the truth—This wasn't just a trap for him alone. It was a conspiracy aimed at the entire Team Rocket.
"Giovanni," Lance called out. "Surrender. You have no hope of victory."
Standing tall on Charizard's back, his crimson cape billowing in the wind, Lance's presence—combined with his four mighty Pokémon—radiated an aura that could overwhelm any opponent.
But Giovanni was not the sort of man to yield because of words alone.
He hurled out three Poké Balls in quick succession.
Aggron from the Hoenn region, Nidoqueen, and Kangaskhan—all appeared beside his Rhyperior, forming a defensive circle around their master.
A dangerous glint flashed in Giovanni's eyes."Too early to say that, don't you think?"
Giving up resistance? Impossible. Not in this lifetime.
He had led Team Rocket for years, building it to its current power through blood and calculation. If he were to surrender now, all that would crumble to ashes. There was no way he would allow that to happen.
Besides—he still had a chance to turn the tables.
His gaze flicked toward Mewtwo, which had begun to adapt under Nozomi's relentless assault.
If Mewtwo could finish off Nozomi, then Lance would no longer be a threat.
"Is that so?" Lance followed his eyes, immediately realizing the psychic Pokémon battling Nozomi was the very same Mewtwo that had once crushed Bruno. A sharp sense of urgency surged within him.
He had to take down Giovanni—fast—and then assist Nozomi.
The decision came in an instant. With a swift motion, he gestured forward, sending Aerodactyl and Gyarados hurtling toward Giovanni.
Then he shouted to his ace, "Dragonite—Dragon Dance!"
The rotund Dragonite twirled elegantly through the air. To the untrained eye, it looked almost comical, but any seasoned trainer who understood Dragonite's strength would never find it amusing.
Already immensely powerful, Dragonite's strength and speed would skyrocket once boosted by Dragon Dance—a terrifying prospect Giovanni could scarcely imagine.
"Kangaskhan, Dynamic Punch!"
Kangaskhan swung its massive fist, slamming into Gyarados's tail and blocking its Dragon Tail attack.
Meanwhile, Nidoqueen threw herself in front of Giovanni, enduring Aerodactyl's Rock Slide with her own body.
"Rhyperior—Drill Run! Break through Dragonite!"
Giovanni barked the order.
The silver-gray Rhyperior charged forward like a living tank, each thunderous step shaking the ground. Its horn spun violently as it lunged at Dragonite.
As Rhyperior's trainer, Giovanni knew its strength inside and out.
Even if it couldn't overpower Dragonite head-on, interrupting its Dragon Dance was enough. If Dragonite dodged, Giovanni's goal would still be achieved.If it didn't… then Giovanni was confident Rhyperior's horn would pierce a hole straight through it.
It was a sound plan—but Giovanni had forgotten one thing: the man beside Dragonite, and the Charizard beneath his feet.
"Charizard—Dragon Rage!"
Lance leapt from Charizard's back as he gave the command.
ROAR!Charizard's wings beat once, propelling it forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. A blazing wave of draconic energy erupted from its jaws, striking Rhyperior from the side.
Focused entirely on Dragonite, Rhyperior hadn't anticipated the sudden assault from the flank.Its footing faltered—the massive beast stumbled, roaring as the attack flipped it off balance and sent it crashing to the ground.
Its spinning drill-like horn bored deep into the earth, leaving a massive crater.
Rhyperior scrambled upright, but by then, Dragonite had completed its Dragon Dance. Empowered and surging with energy, the dragon exuded a new, crushing aura.Rhyperior hesitated for an instant—then turned and joined battle with Charizard instead.
"Aggron, Head Smash!"
Giovanni grit his teeth, furious at Rhyperior's faltering resolve. But now was no time to waste on anger. He quickly sent Aggron forward to keep Dragonite from setting up another Dragon Dance.
Lance welcomed the challenge.
"Dragonite—Protect!"
A shimmering green barrier surrounded Dragonite, effortlessly absorbing the brunt of Aggron's headlong charge.
Then, with fluid motion, Dragonite countered with its own Dynamic Punch, slamming its fist square into Aggron's head.
Aggron staggered back several steps, but retreated no further—its iron will unbroken.With a roar, it lunged again, its claws gleaming silver as it clashed with Dragonite's Dragon Claw.
Steel met dragon energy, sparks and light bursting through the air.The two sides—Giovanni and Lance—commanded their four Pokémon each, the battle raging in a chaotic yet magnificent rhythm.
Meanwhile, Nozomi's duel with Mewtwo had grown ever fiercer.
Metagross had just been blasted back by Mewtwo's Shadow Ball, and the clone Pokémon barely had a moment to catch its breath before Dragonite's Dragon Pulse swept in from the side.
No sooner had Mewtwo countered with Psychic to drive Dragonite back than Mega Metagross appeared, hammering its foe with a brutal Meteor Mash, sending Mewtwo crashing through the air.
Nozomi's two main battlers—Mega Metagross and Dragonite—fought in perfect synchronization, their attacks flowing seamlessly as though guided by a single mind.Such coordination was something even veteran Champions struggled to achieve.
Part of it came from Nozomi's telepathic connection guiding their rhythm.But more than that, both Pokémon were earned through the System's lottery—bound by perfect trust, obeying Nozomi's commands with absolute faith.
With that synergy—and the sheer might of Mega Metagross—even Mewtwo was steadily being overwhelmed.
Not far away, Nozomi's eyes gleamed as he analyzed the battle while directing his Pokémon's assault.
As Mewtwo reeled from a blow, stumbling backward from Metagross's strike, a sharp light flashed in Nozomi's eyes.
"It's time."