—Espeon!
Another evolutionary form of Eevee, a Psychic-type Pokémon, and the most suitable evolution for this moment.
As Ryuuske's body was less than ten meters from the ground, he shuddered, and all inertia and counterforces were nullified by Espeon's psychic power. Ryuuske smoothly came to a halt mid-air, suspended by Espeon's abilities. At that moment, Espeon's forked tail twitched, as if foreseeing Giovanni's next move, and it swiftly used its psychic power to carry Ryuuske out of harm's way, dodging a sudden attack from a Dugtrio bursting from the ground.
"My actions were predicted, huh…"
Giovanni wasn't angered by his failed attack and merely murmured softly.
Ryuuske landed steadily on the ground, his gaze fixed on Giovanni, who stood less than twenty meters away. Espeon stepped forward, positioning itself protectively in front of him.
"It's said that Espeon can predict an opponent's thoughts and the weather through its body fur and forked tail. Espeon is extremely loyal to the trainers it acknowledges, and when protecting its trainer, its precognitive abilities become exceptionally powerful. It seems that claim is quite reliable."
Ryuuske sighed lightly. Though Giovanni's strength was somewhat beyond his expectations, he was still delighted that Eevee had unlocked a new evolutionary form.
Espeon let out a soft "Dii~" as if responding to Ryuuske, but it didn't turn its head, its full attention remaining on Giovanni.
Above, Beedrill attempted to dive down again. Ryuuske raised his hand, and Mewtwo—now healed by Recover—shot up from the ruins below like a phantom, conjuring a massive psychic tornado that clashed with Beedrill amidst the pouring rain.
"Recover may heal injuries, but the skill consumes a significant amount of stamina and energy. Do you really think Mewtwo—or any of your other Pokémon—in their current state, can defeat me?"
Giovanni spoke unhurriedly, his tone composed.
"Well, I've already taken out one of your Golem, haven't I? That Golem was among the strongest of your Pokémon, wasn't it?"
Ryuuske snorted. Though Golem had effectively withdrawn via Self-Destruct, the result was the same—it could no longer fight.
There was no denying Giovanni's calculations were impeccable. By sacrificing Golem, he had nearly eliminated Ryuuske in one move. Giovanni had accounted for every Pokémon Ryuuske possessed and their possible reactions. If Eevee hadn't evolved into Espeon at that critical moment, Ryuuske would have been reduced to a bloody pulp.
"Luck is part of strength, and yours is truly remarkable, Ryuuske."
Giovanni shoved his hands into his pockets and took two steps forward, grinning coldly. "...But you still have no chance of winning this battle. You chose the wrong time to fight. You should have hidden, preferably far from Kanto, and waited until you were fully prepared before challenging me—not forcing a confrontation now."
"Hearing you say that, I really do feel a bit of regret. But what's done is done. Since the battle has already begun, I have no choice but to see it through."
Ryuuske exhaled and smiled at Giovanni. "...Sabrina's controlled Legendary Birds and your own strength are indeed formidable, but I'm not fighting alone!"
As Ryuuske's words fell, vines shot into the sky, entangling the Legendary Birds' talons. At the same time, a raging inferno surged upward, clashing with the lightning spewed by the Birds and neutralizing it.
"Ryuuske!"
The voices of Ash and Gary echoed from afar. Glancing sideways, Ryuuske saw that neither was in good condition—Ash's face was covered in blood. Though their Pokémon weren't at full strength either, they could at least help shoulder some of the pressure.
"Surge and Koga failed, huh… No matter. From the start, the deciding factor was Sabrina and me. Those two brats are already at their limits after fighting Surge and Koga. Even if they join forces, they're no match for Sabrina and the Legendary Birds. At best, they can temporarily ease the pressure from the Birds. But do you really think you can defeat me?"
Giovanni seemed to have accounted for everything, remaining utterly composed in the face of the current situation.
"To be honest, just that Beedrill alone is already nearly impossible for me to beat in my current state."
Ryuuske admitted frankly.
"Legendary Pokémon are powerful, but commanding them effectively requires training and bond with the trainer. Due to your physical condition, you've never trained Mewtwo—its strength is no different from when it was first born. Otherwise, even if it couldn't single-handedly defeat my Beedrill, it should at least be able to fight on equal footing rather than being suppressed like this."
As if certain of his victory, Giovanni spoke leisurely.
"You're right, Giovanni. If I had trained with Mewtwo, the battle wouldn't have come to this… But unless I'm mistaken, your body can't sustain prolonged intense combat either, can it?"
Ryuuske's eyes gleamed. From the start, Giovanni had moved only within a small range—likely not out of arrogance, but because his physical condition prevented large-scale movement.
"Hahahaha! Seems I've let slip a bit too much to you… You're right. My body can't handle large-scale movement. But boy, your body is in the same state—in fact, yours is far worse. How much longer can your body sustain Mewtwo's fighting?"
Giovanni laughed heartily, his tone almost cheerful.
"It's been a long time since I've fought at full strength. You've reminded me of the fiery passion of my journeying days, boy. To repay you, I'll make sure your death is as painless as possible!"
Giovanni bent forward slightly, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, fixed on Ryuuske. He stood like an unshakable statue rooted to the earth, leaving no openings.
Garchomp and Dragonair landed behind and in front of Ryuuske, respectively. Though both had been heavily injured by Beedrill's assault, they hadn't been knocked out—Beedrill's primary goal had been to send Ryuuske plummeting, not to incapacitate his Pokémon.
'He's lost Golem, and Beedrill is tied up with Mewtwo. That leaves four Pokémon… No, wait. Six Pokémon is just the optimal number a trainer can command at once—it doesn't mean Giovanni only has six. He might have more in reserve.'
Ryuuske calculated his odds.
'I'm confident Garchomp can take out one of his Pokémon. Eevee and Dragonair working together can defeat another. But no matter how I slice it, the best I can do is take down two. Even if Giovanni's other Pokémon aren't as strong as his main team, the sheer numerical advantage is overwhelming.'
Ryuuske was stretched thin. In terms of depth and reserves, the gap between him and Giovanni was insurmountable—but that was unavoidable. He'd only been in this world for ten months. The fact that he could fight the boss of Team Rocket to this extent was already something to be proud of.
After all, even across the entire world, there were very few as strong as Giovanni!
'But if my guess is right… I might still have one last trump card to turn the tables!'
To be continued…