In a Black World —
Looking at Ash, who had broken through the carefully prepared machine and now stood before him, Giovanni's face was dark!
To be honest, ever since meeting Ash at the Viridian Gym before, he had investigated Ash's records from childhood to adulthood in detail. Combined with actual analysis… Ash was likely a once-in-a-millennium Aura Guardian! But he hadn't considered just how strong Ash's Aura power could be. At most, it should be comparable to a Gym Leader–level Pokémon, right? Giovanni believed the wonder of Aura power lay more in the skill of fusing with Pokémon—the kind of skill that gave that Pikachu an unreasonable boost. That was where Aura's strength lay.
Yet today… Ash showed Giovanni he was wrong! The truly strong one was Ash himself!
That electric cage… was a machine Giovanni built based on projections of Mewtwo's growth. Theoretically, as long as Mewtwo hadn't reached first-tier Legendary status, it could be trapped! And ordinary second-tier Legendaries wouldn't be able to break out! At least a second-tier Legendary, and a non-Psychic-type, could break out from inside—but even then, it would take some effort and come at a cost! Did he really think the cage only confined what was inside without reacting to struggles?
But… what kind of monsters were this boy and this mouse?! Especially Ash… he couldn't even be called human anymore, could he?! When Pikachu's Iron Tail struck, that force had clearly been completely absorbed! Just as the cage was about to counterattack, Ash added another blow, abruptly bursting the cage! At least from Giovanni's perspective… it seemed Ash possessed even greater strength! What did that mean? It meant Ash's own power… surpassed that of a Champion-level Pikachu!!
Damn! You call this an Aura Guardian?! Weren't people who wielded Aura power just a bit stronger than ordinary humans? So… were the words in the ancient texts wrong? Should it be a hundred million times stronger???
"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash's voice shook Giovanni from his shocked, bewildered thoughts. By the time Giovanni turned, a golden flash had already streaked past him. Then, his secretary, Domino, beside him was sent flying—smashing into a machine and instantly knocked unconscious!
Not only that, but Pikachu was now standing beside him, the two red electric sacs on its cheeks crackling with sparks, a threatening look on its face.
"Alright, Giovanni. Now… the tables have turned. You should tell me: what exactly is Team Rocket doing here? What does it have to do with Mewtwo? Don't say it's nothing. I don't believe you'd design something like that on an airship if it weren't related." Ash's eyes glinted coldly. The 'thing' he mentioned was naturally the electric cage that had trapped him earlier. Although it was of little use to him, Ash sensed the current would greatly suppress Psychic-type Pokémon! He had momentarily converted his Aura power to Psychic-type and felt his strength suppressed by fifty percent! Direct contact would probably suppress over eighty percent… As Giovanni said, that thing was a machine made for Mewtwo! Forget Mewtwo—even if Lugia came, its full strength would probably be suppressed by half. Giovanni… was thinking big!
"Heh, so decisive now, brat? Using Pokémon to threaten humans isn't something a proper Trainer should do." Giovanni tried a moral kidnapping.
"Is that so? But what I've learned tells me… when the opponent makes a move against the Trainer, it's no longer a regular battle. To deal with those who use underhanded methods, you must use underhanded methods!" Ash used Taunt!
Actually, to be precise… he wasn't doing that yet. Otherwise, Giovanni would already be stunned by Pikachu and tied up by him. The reason he'd acted against Domino just now was also because she seemed to be making some small move. Just in case, he could only knock her out now! He was a principled person and generally didn't resort to such methods—unless the other side abandoned principles first!
This statement also stiffened the fake smile on Giovanni's face. According to Ash… he was actually forced into this by Giovanni himself. If Giovanni hadn't used underhanded moves first, Ash would naturally discuss things peacefully within the rules. But… if you strike first, then you can't blame me! Did this count as hoisting oneself by one's own petard?
Beep beep beep beep—
At that moment, the airship's communication device rang. Ash motioned with his head for Giovanni to answer. In this situation, perhaps the person on the other end could provide useful intel. Looking at the current on Pikachu's cheeks and Ash's gaze, Giovanni decided… a wise man knows when to retreat. He'd play along for now.
"Hello."
"Boss Giovanni, it's Domino!"
Ash: …
Boy! So you were a Team Rocket undercover! I thought the flash of malice I detected earlier was a mistake! Turns out you were sent by Team Rocket!
"I know." Under normal circumstances, Giovanni would definitely say, 'I know. Report.' But now, he deliberately omitted two words, hoping Domino would sense his predicament. Unfortunately… Domino didn't seem to think the all-powerful Boss Giovanni could be in danger, so she began her report directly.
"Reporting, Boss Giovanni! I've investigated the Clear Cliff route! Moreover, Team Rocket's advance force has confirmed that there are indeed clone Pokémon left by Mewtwo on Clear Cliff! And the water of Mirror Lake does possess unique vitality. The clone Pokémon Mewtwo left here have grown very strong! Also, when I followed Rina to gather intel earlier, I saw our Team Rocket recruitment target—Sabrina! Should we capture the target?!"
BOOM!!
A terrifying aura erupted from Ash! His face looked as if he'd been hit by Articuno—icy cold and frightening! Up until hearing about Sabrina, he could remain calm, even feeling fortunate inside—glad he'd run into Team Rocket now, glad Domino the undercover had been nearby and then disappeared. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known about Team Rocket's operation, and he wouldn't have gone looking for Domino. However, upon hearing that Domino—or Team Rocket—had designs on Sabrina and wanted to capture her, unparalleled fury surged from the depths of his heart! But even now, Ash was patient… patiently waiting for the other side to finish.
And Giovanni's face… was already darker than coal! What kind of pig-brained subordinate was this?! Normally, if she reported everything in detail, Giovanni would be pleased. But now… the person she wanted to deal with was right beside him! And especially two targets—Mewtwo and Sabrina! Plus, there was a Pikachu staring at him with crackling electricity. Giovanni was not having a good time. To be honest, he didn't dare to gamble… to bet that the Beedrill in his Poké Ball would emerge faster than Pikachu could strike him. Moreover, the opponent wasn't just Pikachu now, but also Ash! In today's situation… he was undoubtedly a fish on the chopping block!
"How to capture?"
Giovanni: !!
Giovanni looked at Ash in shock. That sentence just now… wasn't spoken by him, but by Ash, mimicking his voice. No way… you can do that too?!
"Huh? How to capture… don't we in Team Rocket have a specific set of guidelines for dealing with Psychic-types? It should be easy to handle someone like Sabrina, who isn't even Champion-level. Just need to neutralize her psychic powers—won't she be at our mercy then? Once that's done, it'll only be a matter of time before Sabrina becomes a member of Team Rocket!"
Fists clenched!
Listening to Domino talk as if Sabrina were already Team Rocket's property, the energy fluctuations around Ash grew stronger and stronger, even affecting the airship! Good, good, good! So that's how you want to play, huh?
"Good plan. Come to the flagship now. I need to see you."
"Yes!"
Domino had no suspicions. After hanging up, she began piloting a small airship toward the flagship.
On the flagship, Giovanni looked at Ash with a strange expression. "I thought you were a simple kid, but I didn't expect… you're quite scheming and skilled."
"Mimicking a voice temporarily isn't being scheming. It's that your Team Rocket is too disgusting!" When Ash spoke of Team Rocket, an expression of extreme disgust appeared on his face. "I'm not afraid to tell you—today, every single one of you Team Rocket members… will be taken down here! If the leader of Team Rocket is captured by the police… I'm afraid Team Rocket isn't far from collapse!"
If this teenager's words were spread outside, they might cause a magnitude-12 earthquake! The leader of Team Rocket captured… that really wouldn't be different from a magnitude-12 earthquake!
[Lance]: Good! Well said! Never expected! Giovanni would actually be taken down by Black Ash!
[Professor Oak]: Originally, I thought Black Ash had only changed in his training philosophy compared to our Ash. I didn't expect such astonishing changes elsewhere!
[Misty]: If it were our Ash… he probably couldn't do something like bantering with the Team Rocket boss. It has nothing to do with strength; the difference lies in the heart.
[Brock]: Voice mimicry to deceive, using Pokémon to threaten, refusing to play by the rules when the opponent doesn't… one could say what Black Ash is doing is within normal bounds. He's just repaying the other's underhandedness in kind.
[Gary]: Normal is normal, but our Ash absolutely couldn't do it. That idiot… is overly kind!
[Ash]: Woooo… though I don't want to admit it, it's really true. I… probably couldn't do something like having Pikachu threaten people.
[James]: I hope you can look at our faces and say that again.
[Ash]: You're used to being beaten up, so it's fine.
The implication… you're not human.jpg!
[Caitlin]: It's good if Giovanni and even Team Rocket are destroyed, but… once Giovanni is arrested, where will the Team Rocket trio go?
Looking at Caitlin's comment, the entire live chat fell silent for a moment. It seemed… indeed. If Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni, fell, the entire organization probably wouldn't be far from collapse. The Team Rocket trio were Giovanni's direct subordinates. Their rank was low, but their status wasn't. Therefore, if Giovanni were caught, the trio wouldn't just suffer a major blow—they'd also lose their reason for capturing Pikachu… After all, the reason they'd been hunting Pikachu was to offer it to Giovanni! Of course… now their purpose wasn't really to offer Pikachu to Giovanni. They probably didn't even know it themselves! These days, the trio just paid lip service to "catching Pikachu for Boss Giovanni." If they actually caught Pikachu, they probably wouldn't know what to do either… Such was the current state of the Team Rocket trio! It made people feel both amused and helpless, and a little pitying. To be villains to this extent… they were one of a kind.
[Meowth]: Boss Giovanni won't be caught by the brat!
[Jessie]: Exactly! Boss Giovanni has many methods! How could he be taken down by the little twerp!
[James]: You're all underestimating Boss Giovanni, right? Taken down by the twerp? Think too much, think too much~
[Lorelei]: Hehe, I don't know if Giovanni will be taken down by Black Ash, but… Domino is definitely done for.
[Caitlin]: Indeed. It's rare to see Black Ash this angry. The last time was facing Entei, when he nearly kicked its brains out.
Not only was Ash protective of Sabrina, but he was also fiercely protective of his loved ones! Domino saying that in front of Ash… this wouldn't end well.
In a Black World —
While Ash and Giovanni waited, it didn't take long for Domino to arrive at the flagship.
"Why are the guards outside the boss's door asleep… Whoa!!"
Thud!!
Domino, dressed in a black Team Rocket uniform, had just entered the flagship. She was about to ask about the sleeping guards outside Giovanni's door when suddenly, the world spun! By the time her scream sounded, her whole body had already been thrown to the ground! Ash pinned her down directly, twisting her hands behind her back, his face cold as he looked at Domino.
"Domino… it's really hard to imagine your heart is completely different from your appearance. The so-called 'femme fatale' should describe you, right?"
Domino: ???
At this moment, Domino was utterly confused. What was going on? What happened? Didn't Giovanni summon her? Why was she being pinned to the ground by some guy? And this voice… strangely familiar. Someone she knew?
Bang!
Ash didn't speak but smashed a fist into the metal plate beside Domino's face. The huge roar made Domino's head ring. When she regained her senses, the metal plate beside her was already dented! This made Domino's face turn pale!
"N-no, who are you?! Do I know you? Boss Giovanni, why are you doing this to me?! I didn't betray you!"
At this point, Giovanni said to her with a strange expression, "I know you didn't betray, but… can't you see I'm being held hostage too?"
Domino: …
She turned her head slightly and found Giovanni sitting in the main chair, cold sweat on his forehead, not daring to move. Beside him, Pikachu—usually petite and cute—had its electric sacs constantly crackling with sparks. The threat was self-evident! So… her boss had been captured?? Since when?! Didn't she just call?!
"Aren't you going to capture Sabrina?"
Bang!
"Tell me how you plan to capture her?"
Bang!
"What will you do to her after you capture her?"
Bang!
"It's up to me… how many punches to give you!"
Bang!!
The flagship's metal plate… was pierced!
Domino's vision grew even darker, nearly frightened into unconsciousness. Forget a few punches—just one would probably send her to meet Giratina! Sabrina… and this voice, and that Pikachu…
"You… you're that Ash, aren't you?"
"That doesn't matter… What matters is, what do you want to do to Sabrina?" Ash tightened his grip on Domino's hand slightly, her wrist even making a bone-crushing sound!
A wretched scream echoed through the flagship!
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