In the depths of Viridian Forest, two legendary Pokémon faced off.
However, it was clear that one side's fighting spirit seemed somewhat lacking at the moment—yes, that would be Mewtwo.
"Peppa."
"Mii~!"
'Yveltal' lifted its head and let out a piercing cry, as surging black energy slowly seeped from its body, surrounding it in a dark aura.
This was Yveltal's ability—Dark Aura!
Under the influence of Dark Aura, Yveltal's Dark-type moves became even stronger.
It was an incredibly powerful ability, and not just for itself—Dark Aura provided a group-wide boost, meaning Yveltal could extend its power to other Dark-type Pokémon as well.
Unfortunately, its signature move, Oblivion Wing, was not a Dark-type attack.
As Dark Aura spread, Yveltal's presence grew even more sinister and terrifying—it looked every bit like a final boss.
"Senior Giovanni, aren't you going to attack first?" Dylan asked curiously.
Given that Mewtwo's moves had been sealed and that Peppa had transformed into Yveltal, Dylan figured it was only fair to let Giovanni strike first.
This was his way of being kind, but Giovanni showed no intention of attacking, which puzzled Dylan.
"..."
How exactly do you expect me to attack?
Giovanni felt that Dylan had absolutely no sense of fairness. Mewtwo normally had an extensive move pool with excellent coverage.
But right now? Every single one of Mewtwo's moves had been sealed—except for Psystrike.
Giovanni had heard of Yveltal before—it was said to be a legendary Pokémon from Kalos, known for its Oblivion Wing, a harbinger of death, the bringer of life's end.
And now that he was seeing it in person, Giovanni was 100% sure that Yveltal was a Dark-type legendary Pokémon.
Which meant Mewtwo's only remaining move was completely useless—because Yveltal was immune to Psychic-type attacks!
Giovanni was beginning to think this battle was pointless—Mewtwo had no chance of winning, especially with its moves sealed.
"Mewtwo, do you still want to continue?" Giovanni asked, respecting Mewtwo's choice.
"I want to try." Mewtwo replied, a hint of frustration in its voice.
Logically, Mewtwo knew it had zero chance of victory, but it just couldn't accept it.
It had already lost to Mew once—was it really going to forfeit this time? That wasn't like Mewtwo!
At the very least, it had to try!
"If that's what you want—go, Mewtwo!"
Giovanni let out a small chuckle, regaining his usual composed and steady demeanor as he gave the command.
Mewtwo gripped its massive psychic spoon and charged toward Yveltal with the determination of a warrior marching to their doom.
"Oblivion Wing." Dylan smiled radiantly at the response.
He had actually worried that Giovanni and Mewtwo might surrender outright.
But now? He could finally use Peppa in battle, and as Yveltal no less! He had to make the most of it!
Time to try out Oblivion Wing!
"Mii~!"
'Yveltal' let out another sharp cry as its massive wings folded inward, its entire body pulsing with eerie crimson energy.
The next moment, a massive red beam of energy shot forward—Flying-type Oblivion Wing, Yveltal's signature move.
This was an attack infused with the power to steal life itself!
The beam moved insanely fast—Mewtwo's expression grew tense as it quickly raised its spoon in defense, forming a barrier of blue Psychic energy.
BOOM!
The Oblivion Wing slammed into Mewtwo's barrier, forcing it backward through sheer impact.
With a loud explosion, the crimson energy detonated, sending shockwaves and winds surging through the sky.
The sky turned a deep blood-red, reflecting in Lillie's and Truebird's wide eyes.
From within the crimson storm, Mewtwo burst forth, still encased in its psychic shield.
"Dark Pulse!"
Yveltal once again folded its sinister wings, black energy surging and condensing around it as Dark Aura intensified.
A pulse of black energy shot forward.
"I can't block that!"
Mewtwo's instincts screamed danger—if it tried to block with a psychic barrier, it would be shattered on impact. Dark Pulse was a Dark-type attack, meaning it had a natural advantage against Psychic-types.
Without hesitation, Mewtwo shot upward, narrowly avoiding the attack as it continued closing in on Yveltal.
Yveltal, however, didn't move. It didn't need to.
Because right now, Mewtwo posed absolutely zero threat.
'Yveltal' honestly couldn't understand why this rebellious child was still trying to fight. Was this just a phase?
Mewtwo finally got into melee range, swinging its psychic spoon with full force at Yveltal's side.
BAM!
Yveltal lifted its right wing, effortlessly blocking the attack.
And… that was it.
Since the spoon attack wasn't a move, it was just a regular physical hit—not even enhanced by Mewtwo's psychic power.
Yveltal felt some pain, but… that was about it.
"Dark Pulse!"
The dark energy around Yveltal surged again.
At point-blank range, Mewtwo had no way to dodge.
BOOM!
The Dark Pulse exploded against Mewtwo's body, sending it flying backward with a cry of pain.
The attack had done massive damage—Dark-type moves were already super-effective against Psychic-types, and Dark Aura had made it even stronger.
"That's enough, Dylan. We concede."
Giovanni spoke up firmly.
"There's no point in continuing this fight—Mewtwo cannot defeat Yveltal."
His words weren't just for Dylan—they were also for Mewtwo.
Mewtwo had managed to steady itself, breathing heavily. The last Dark Pulse had done a number on it.
The logical part of its mind understood—it had lost.
Without a word, Mewtwo descended, landing behind Giovanni.
"I acknowledge it as well, Dylan—you are stronger than me."
Giovanni looked at Dylan with admiration. Even if he had gone all-out, he still would have lost.
And Dylan was still so young. The future ahead of him was terrifying.
At this point, Giovanni couldn't even imagine who could challenge him—would he have to fight aliens next?
"Just luck." Dylan responded humbly.
Meanwhile, the white glow of transformation enveloped 'Yveltal,' rapidly shrinking until it reverted to a chubby Clefairy, which promptly snuggled back into Dylan's backpack.
"Heh… no, it's far beyond luck now."
Giovanni chuckled before glancing at the Clefairy poking its head out of the backpack.
"Truly powerful… it seems Mewtwo still has a long way to go before surpassing Mew."
So that was the real challenge.
Mewtwo's name literally meant "Surpassing Mew."
But now, it seemed that dream was still far away.
"Peppa is strong—it's been around long enough."
Dylan shrugged.
"Shall we return and talk?" Giovanni suggested.
"Sounds good." Dylan nodded, curious about what Giovanni wanted to discuss.
"Peppa."
Back at the Viridian Gym
In an instant, Peppa used Teleport once more, bringing everyone back to Viridian Gym.
They returned to the same office, where Truebird resumed making tea.
Mewtwo stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at Viridian City. No one knew what it was thinking, but its posture carried a deep, contemplative air.
"Dylan, you should have figured it out by now—my true identity."
Senior Giovanni leaned back on the sofa, his voice as deep and magnetic as ever. His composed and mature demeanor had returned, exuding authority. Though his features still carried a hint of sharpness, they did not evoke any sense of malice.
Lillie pursed her lips and turned to look at Dylan. Her brother had definitely realized it too.
"The boss of Team Rocket, right? Senior Giovanni."
Dylan took a sip of tea, looking at Giovanni with a half-smile.
"That's correct." Giovanni nodded calmly.
"I never would have guessed—the strongest Gym Leader in Kanto, praised by so many, turns out to be the very source of Team Rocket's darkness."
Dylan's eyes gleamed with intrigue as he spoke.
"If this news were to spread, Kanto would be shaken to its core. I bet Senior Lance would storm in and reduce your Viridian Gym to rubble."
Giovanni chuckled at Dylan's words, unfazed.
"And what's your reason for revealing this to me? You must know, I'm currently called the 'Rocket Hunter'—I've personally taken down quite a few of your top executives."
"That's true."
Giovanni nodded with a faint smile. This meeting, and his decision to lay everything bare, was something he had carefully considered.
"But Dylan, do you truly want to destroy Team Rocket?"
Giovanni's gaze sharpened as he locked eyes with Dylan.
"Or rather, what is your real reason for opposing Team Rocket? Is it out of a sense of justice?"
"I'm a League Gym Leader. Do I need a reason to go after Team Rocket?" Dylan countered.
As the Leader of Rota Gym, he was naturally aligned with the Kanto League. He didn't need any extra justification to fight Team Rocket.
"But the League isn't as clean as you think, Dylan. A clever person like you must realize that." Giovanni remarked.
"Perhaps you believe the League stands for righteousness, but the truth is, this world is far darker than it seems. Many people commit crimes under the League's name."
Giovanni accepted a file from Truebird and pushed it toward Dylan and Lillie.
"Take a look at this—see just how 'clean' the people within the League truly are."
"Poaching, illegal dealings, even murder. And do you know how many high-ranking League officials have ties to Team Rocket?"
Giovanni's smile carried a hint of sarcasm.
Dylan flipped through the document briefly before passing it to Lillie, who immediately started reading.
The deeper she read, the more shocked she became. Her worldview was being shaken to its core.
"I already know this." Dylan, however, remained unfazed.
As he had pointed out before, the Pokémon League had dominated the world for over a century. By now, it was the sole superpower.
With an organization that large, corruption was inevitable. There would always be parasites and hidden dangers lurking within.
The Shijiana Incident was a prime example—why had it caused barely a ripple? Because the Johto Pokémon Association was directly under the jurisdiction of the Kanto League, and more importantly, it was a department with real power.
Even someone like Goodshow, the League President, or Lance, the Champion, had no idea about it. And that was just one case.
"But even so, the League must continue to exist. Senior Giovanni, while the League has its flaws, it is still far better than Team Rocket."
Dylan did not mince words, nor did he hide his hostility toward Team Rocket.
The reason Team Rocket was universally despised in Kanto was simple: they stole other people's Pokémon and conducted horrific genetic experiments on innocent Pokémon.
That was a crime that could never be justified.
Dylan enjoyed excitement and interesting situations, but he also loved Pokémon. The idea of using them for genetic experiments was something he could never accept.
"Perhaps you're right." Giovanni was not surprised by Dylan's stance. He had never considered himself a good person. He never bothered dressing up his ambitions with flowery excuses.
"Victory determines everything. In the end, there will be a final outcome. Dylan, the reason I invited you here today is to propose a deal."
Giovanni's sharp gaze locked onto Dylan.
"So, Senior Giovanni, you've decided to settle things with the League once and for all?" Dylan immediately understood.
Over the past six months, under the League's relentless crackdown, Team Rocket in Kanto was on the verge of collapse.
Giovanni must have realized this and was preparing for his final move.
"That's right. But with you in the picture, Team Rocket has no chance of winning." Giovanni admitted.
"Senior Giovanni, you must be joking. Even without me, Team Rocket has no chance of winning." Dylan raised an eyebrow.
"I admit that you are incredibly strong, and with Mewtwo at your side, you have a powerful trump card. But besides you, who else in Team Rocket can fight?"
Dylan pointed out the harsh reality.
Giovanni was undoubtedly a world-class Champion-level Trainer. Combined with Mewtwo, he was a terrifying force.
Aside from Dylan himself and that old man in Johto, no one in the world could match Giovanni one-on-one.
But so what?
This wasn't a one-on-one battle—it was a full-scale war between Team Rocket and the Kanto League.
And what did Team Rocket have beyond Giovanni?
A bunch of nobodies.
Meanwhile, the Kanto League had Lance and the Elite Four, along with two 'wild' Trainers—Red and Blue.
That was six Champion-level Trainers, not to mention that Kanto could request reinforcements from other regions.
Even if Dylan didn't participate, Team Rocket's chance of victory was still zero.
Giovanni was strong, but he was just one man. Even with Mewtwo, he had no chance against six Champions.
A 1 vs 6 battle? That wasn't even a fight—it was a complete beatdown.
"Perhaps… but if you don't interfere, at least there will be a chance."
Giovanni knew the odds, but he refused to give up. Team Rocket was his life's work.
"I won't stay out of it. And to be clear, Senior Giovanni, I won't allow the Kanto League to lose."
Dylan shook his head.
He fully intended to watch this final clash between Team Rocket and the League.
In fact, he had planned to sit back and enjoy the spectacle. Since Team Rocket had no chance of winning anyway, there was no need for him to intervene—it wouldn't be fun.
But he would be there, watching the grand finale.
And if necessary, he would step in to ensure Team Rocket's utter defeat.
The League might have its flaws, but it was still far better than Team Rocket.
"I see." Giovanni sighed internally.
"However, Senior Giovanni, I do have a recommendation for you."
Dylan's eyes gleamed as he suddenly came up with an interesting idea.
"Oh?" Giovanni raised an eyebrow.
"Team Rocket can't win against the League. But as Kanto's most infamous villainous team, shouldn't it at least have a grand exit?"
Dylan's smile was warm and bright.
Giovanni narrowed his eyes.
Had Dylan already seen through his intentions?
He understood that Team Rocket couldn't win. And his own body didn't have much time left.
But if Team Rocket was going to fall, it should be glorious!
To achieve that, he had to ensure that Dylan wouldn't interfere—or at least, wouldn't go all out.
Otherwise, Team Rocket wouldn't even get a dramatic ending.
"Who are you recommending?" Giovanni asked after a pause.
"Aizen. His name is Aizen."