"'Eliminate me,' huh? Now that's the kind of thing I'd expect Giovanni-senpai to say."
Dylan's smile was light, teasing, as his gaze lingered on the Rainbow Giovanni standing across from him.
"Dylan," Giovanni interjected drily, "I don't think you need to call him senpai."
After all, he seriously doubted he'd ever say something like 'eliminate Dylan.'
He wasn't that suicidal—or that dumb.
"Sorry," Dylan shrugged innocently, "it's hard not to when he's got the same face as you."
"…How pathetic," Rainbow Giovanni muttered with a sigh.
The way these two acted, so comfortable and even friendly—it disgusted him.
Bond? Friendship? All meaningless. They only made one weak.
"Mewtwo."
At Rainbow Giovanni's calm command, a shadow fell over the room.
From behind him materialized a Pokémon cloaked entirely in black—its eyes burned with violet flames that radiated cold contempt, and its presence filled the office with crushing pressure.
The air reeked of malice—so thick it churned the stomach.
Even Hoopa Confined's expression hardened.
"That is…" Giovanni's brows furrowed. "Mewtwo?"
The silhouette was unmistakable—but where the real Mewtwo was silver and violet, this one was pitch-black, with a golden crystal embedded in its left shoulder and a golden flare at the tip of its tail.
"Dark Mewtwo?" Dylan tilted his head, studying it with mild surprise.
He knew that name—it wasn't fanmade, but official. Dark Mewtwo had appeared in Pokkén Tournament, though never in the mainline Pokémon titles.
Kind of like Shadow Lugia in Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness—real, but from a side story.
Still, this one looked exactly like that.
"So this is your ace, huh?" Dylan raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
In Ultra Sun & Moon, Rainbow Giovanni had commanded a Mega Mewtwo.
This time, it seemed, he'd gone darker.
"Heh. You'll feel its power soon enough."
Rainbow Giovanni's voice dipped lower, sensing Dylan's casual tone.
Dark Mewtwo's eyes flared—its gaze locked on Dylan like a predator sighting prey.
Just as the tension peaked, the door suddenly burst open.
"Father, my Weavile—wait… two fathers?!"
Silver froze at the sight of the room. His wide eyes darted between the two Giovannis, utterly confused.
It didn't take him long to spot the real one, but that didn't stop him from staring curiously at the duplicate.
Then his gaze caught the colored "R" emblazoned on the intruder's chest—and his expression shifted instantly.
That symbol—Team Rocket!
"Silver, get out!" Giovanni barked sharply.
"My, my," Rainbow Giovanni chuckled darkly. "So you're Silver, huh? I suppose that makes me your uncle, doesn't it?"
The smirk twisting his lips sent a chill through the air.
Giovanni's body tensed—his glare turning ice-cold.
"Father…" Silver whispered, his instincts confirming what his mind already knew. The man wearing that R wasn't just an imposter—he was dangerous.
It was also the first time Silver had seen his father so openly furious.
Terrifying… but also strangely reassuring.
"Relax," Rainbow Giovanni said lightly. "As much as I'd like to get to know my nephew, there's something more important right now."
"Actually, you came just in time. Mewtwo."
At the command, Dark Mewtwo's eyes flared.
A wave of psychic power exploded outward, swallowing the entire room.
Hoopa Confined moved reflexively—then stopped at Dylan's small nod.
An instant later, the four humans—and three Pokémon—vanished.
They reappeared in a vast open field, wind rushing across the grass.
Teleportation, Dylan noted calmly.
Giovanni immediately turned to Silver, checking him over. "You okay?"
Silver nodded, and Giovanni's shoulders relaxed slightly.
"I see," Rainbow Giovanni mused, his voice low. "You really do care about him."
No wonder this world's Giovanni had gone soft. Ties like that made a man weak.
But they also made him predictable.
"He's my son," Giovanni said flatly, meeting his counterpart's gaze with icy resolve.
Silver gripped his father's hand tightly. His mind raced—questions piling up.
Why did this man look exactly like his father?
Why was he wearing a Team Rocket uniform?
And why had he called himself his uncle?
But Silver held his tongue—his father's tone said enough.
"Your father-son issues can wait," Rainbow Giovanni said smoothly, brushing a speck of dust from his suit. Then his sharp eyes turned toward Dylan.
"Now… it's your turn."
"Finally," Dylan said cheerfully. "I was starting to feel left out."
"I sent Colress and Faba to this world before," Rainbow Giovanni said, narrowing his eyes, "and they vanished."
"That's right," Dylan nodded easily. "And not just them—Archie and Maxie too."
Rainbow Giovanni's pupils contracted. The air around him seemed to darken.
"Not only them," Dylan added, flashing a grin at Giovanni. "Even you, Giovanni."
Rainbow Giovanni's lips twitched.
"I've built a lovely house for you parallel-world visitors. The others are already living there. As the boss, you wouldn't want to leave your underlings lonely, right?"
"…You do have some ability," Rainbow Giovanni admitted with a low laugh.
Anyone capable of capturing his executives wasn't ordinary.
No wonder this world's Giovanni respected him.
"You're strong, I'll grant you that," he said. "But you're bound by this world's limits. Join us—join Team Rainbow Rocket."
He extended his hand again, eyes gleaming.
"With our power, you could see countless worlds. Giovanni, you too. Together, we could rule far beyond this tiny reality."
He smiled—calm, confident, certain of victory.
"If you both agree, I'll leave this world alone. It's yours to keep."
Dylan chuckled softly. "You've got a strange sense of humor."
"This isn't a joke," Rainbow Giovanni warned, his tone growing cold.
"Oh, really? Because when a soon-to-be prisoner starts offering me a job," Dylan said, grin widening, "that is pretty funny."
Rainbow Giovanni's eyes narrowed.
Joining Team Rainbow Rocket? Please.
Dylan had zero interest in serving anyone.
"I see," Rainbow Giovanni said at last. His voice dropped to a near whisper.
Then—
"Mewtwo!"
Dark Mewtwo's arm snapped upward, launching a surge of shadowy energy straight at Dylan.
Dark Pulse.
"Knew you'd try something like that."
Dylan didn't even flinch.
Hoopa Confined was faster. One of its golden rings flew forward, expanding midair into a massive portal. The blast vanished into it without so much as a ripple.
"Oh?" Rainbow Giovanni's brows lifted.
Dark Mewtwo's eyes flickered. It could no longer sense its own attack—the energy had been completely absorbed.
"Spatial manipulation?" the dark clone rasped, voice gravelly. "Interesting."
It stepped forward, looming over the much smaller Hoopa Confined.
"I've fought Palkia before," it said, "but even Palkia didn't have your kind of distortion."
"I can feel the power you're hiding. Show me."
"Think you can handle it?" Dylan asked lightly, studying the creature with genuine curiosity.
He had to admit—Dark Mewtwo's aura was extraordinary.
The sheer malice radiating from it was unlike anything he'd ever seen.
Even Hoopa Unbound's chaotic energy didn't compare.
"Hmph! Don't underestimate me!" Hoopa Confined puffed its cheeks.
"Hoopa's strong—super strong!"
The little figure rose into the air, black energy coiling around it like a storm cloud.
Then it crashed downward again, bursting outward in a blinding eruption.
A colossal figure towered above them—Hoopa Unbound.
The air trembled with its presence.
Whir! Whir! Whir!
Six severed arms spun into place, hovering menacingly beside its massive frame.
Dark Mewtwo's gaze sharpened. "Such power… no wonder you dealt with Colress and the others."
Rainbow Giovanni's smirk returned. "Impressive. But still not enough."
His voice oozed confidence.
After all, his Dark Mewtwo was no ordinary clone.
"Is that the teacher's power?" Silver whispered in awe, staring up at the towering Hoopa Unbound.
So this was Dylan's true strength.
"Ha," Giovanni said with quiet pride. "You haven't seen anything yet."
"Father," Silver said softly, "that man—he's from another world, right?"
"Most likely," Giovanni replied. "A parallel version of me. And from what Dylan said, he's not the first to invade."
He frowned. "Strange…"
"What is it?" Silver asked.
"You heard what he called himself—Team Rainbow Rocket, right?"
Silver nodded thoughtfully.
"So if he's your parallel version… that means, in his world, you were the head of Team Rocket?"
Giovanni: "…"
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
How was he supposed to explain that?
Would Silver realize the truth about his past?
Damn it, he thought helplessly. Dylan, please—bail me out here!
(End of Chapter)