In the ruins of a skyscraper weighing tens of thousands of tons, Ryuuske knelt on the ground, panting heavily. Beside him, Dragonair curled its body, using barriers of light to block the collapsing debris from above. Espeon emitted a faint glow, illuminating the darkness, while Garchomp used its powerful body to support the weight overhead, giving Ryuuske enough space to move.
"Will Giovanni attack from underground again?"
Giovanni's relentless assaults had left Ryuuske on edge. He remained vigilant, fearing that a Dugtrio or Rhydon might burst from the ruins beneath him.
The expressions on Espeon, Dragonair, and Garchomp were tinged with disappointment. In all their time accompanying Ryuuske, they had faced powerful foes but never come so close to defeat. The three Pokémon were no match for Giovanni's perfectly coordinated team of six. For intelligent and competitive creatures like them, this was hard to accept.
"Don't lose heart. This is my fault as your trainer, not yours. Besides, even if you gathered everyone in the world, you could count the number of people as strong as Giovanni on one hand. Losing to him isn't anything to be ashamed of."
Ryuuske's words came out hurriedly. He hugged Espeon with one arm and wrapped the other around Dragonair, leaning wearily against Garchomp as he tried to recover his stamina.
The three Pokémon were covered in wounds, their once-beautiful scales and fur now dirty and matted. The fact that they hadn't fainted yet despite their injuries was a testament to their incredible resilience.
"Change of plans. I knew Giovanni was strong, but I didn't expect him to be this strong—especially that Beedrill. It's downright monstrous."
Ryuuske had assumed that with Mewtwo, he wouldn't be too far behind Giovanni. But Giovanni had used that Beedrill to teach him what it truly meant to be a "Champion," proving that even legendary Pokémon weren't invincible.
Though he had never seen Lance in battle, Ryuuske suspected that if Giovanni and Lance were to fight to the death, the victor would still be the "Man Who Stands Upon the Earth."
"Let's focus on retreating for now. As for Ash and Gary…"
Ryuuske hesitated before sighing.
"...They'll have to leave it to fate."
Gripping his left arm, Ryuuske knew his time controlling Mewtwo was nearing its limit. The pain was still bearable, but once Mewtwo's cells began eroding his brain, he would likely pass out instantly. If that happened mid-battle, the consequences would be dire. His only thought now was how to use Mewtwo's final minutes of combat to break free from Beedrill's relentless pursuit and escape—not to defeat Giovanni.
For a "newcomer" who had only been in this world for ten months, taking on one of its strongest villains was perhaps too much to ask.
"Dragonair, be ready to take over for Garchomp and hold up the debris. Garchomp, use Dig to get us out of here. I know Giovanni's mastery of the earth means he'll sense it, but we don't have any other options."
Ryuuske quickly formulated a plan. While his Pokémon could blast through the ruins with high-powered moves, doing so would drain their already dwindling stamina. For the sake of their escape, he had no choice but to take the risk.
"Huh? What's wrong, Garchomp?"
Sensing Garchomp's sudden shift in mood through his Dragon Power, Ryuuske turned to see his Pokémon displaying an unusual reaction.
"This is…"
Looking closer, Ryuuske noticed a faint pink barrier forming where Garchomp was supporting the rubble, effortlessly holding up the reinforced concrete.
A thought flashed through Ryuuske's mind, recalling what he had seen earlier.
"...Mew?!"
As soon as the word left his mouth, a pink ring of light appeared in the cramped space, and a petite figure materialized before him.
It was an impossibly adorable little girl. Her delicate features, large curious eyes filled with a mix of wonder and fear, and her entirely pink, dreamlike appearance made her seem almost unreal. She had short, silky hair tied with a pretty bow, tiny non-human ears poking out from her locks, and a frilly dress that matched her petite frame perfectly.
The girl wore no shoes, only knee-high socks, standing barefoot on the dirty ground like a fragile doll. Most astonishing of all, a long tail swayed behind her.
Ryuuske blinked in surprise. Though he had seen Mew take human form from the skyscraper earlier, he hadn't expected it to appear before him like this.
"You've been following me since Cerulean City, haven't you?"
Despite the surreal sight of Mew in human form and the undeniable charm of the little girl before him, Ryuuske kept his tone calm.
There was a question he had been dying to ask—one that had gnawed at him since the first time he saw Mew. It was a mystery only a legendary Pokémon could answer. Mewtwo, though powerful, was too young to know the secrets of the ancient ones. But Mew… Mew was different.
"Meow?"
The girl let out a soft, catlike sound—one Ryuuske recognized as Mew's voice.
"Is it because your body structure can't form human speech, or do you just not like using it?"
Ryuuske frowned briefly before dismissing the thought. Even if Mew only spoke in meows, he could still understand her.
"Hmm? So you do know something. Come here. Tell me everything—why you've been following me. And don't say it's because of Mewtwo. I don't buy that. I know you couldn't care less about Mewtwo's existence. Otherwise, you would've stopped Team Rocket from creating it in the first place."
Ryuuske coaxed her like a suspicious old man, beckoning with his finger.
As narcissistic as it sounded, he was certain Mew had been tailing him for his sake—not Mewtwo's.
"Meow~"
The girl hesitated, her eyes flickering with fear as she shrank back.
"Come on, you're the legendary Pokémon Mew! I'm just a human—you could annihilate ten thousand of me without breaking a sweat. What's there to be afraid of?!"
Ryuuske couldn't help but laugh at Mew's timid demeanor.
After a long pause, as if finally convinced Ryuuske wasn't a threat, the little girl shuffled forward reluctantly.
Too exhausted to move, Ryuuske remained seated against Garchomp, putting him at eye level with the petite figure.
He reached out and placed a hand on Mew's head. Her fluffy hair was soft to the touch, and the girl flinched slightly, her face scrunching up in a mix of fear and discomfort.
"Alright, now tell me. Why have you been following me? What's the truth behind the unease I've been feeling…"
Ryuuske's voice was low, almost hypnotic, as he gently pressed for answers.
...
"Why hasn't he come out of the ruins yet? Don't tell me he got crushed to death."
Giovanni stood tall like a spear, his hawk-like eyes scanning the mountainous wreckage of the skyscraper.
He didn't believe Ryuuske would be taken out so easily. He had prepared for every scenario—if Ryuuske blasted his way out, his Pokémon would be too exhausted to fight. If he tried digging underground, Giovanni was ready with another Earthquake.
Every possibility had been accounted for, like a spider's web leaving no escape.
Then, the ground beneath him trembled—
"Tch. Finally making your move, huh? Let's see if you've figured out a way to survive in there."
A smirk curled on Giovanni's lips as he clenched his fist.
It had been so long since he'd fought all-out like this. That kid… really got his blood pumping.
And then—
"AAAAAaaaaaaaa——————"
The earth itself roared in protest, A primal scream of fury from an ancient beast!
The ruins of steel and concrete heaved upward as a monstrous figure—as if breaking free from an age-old seal—rose with unimaginable strength, lifting the debris weighing tens of thousands of tons. Chunks of rubble and twisted metal rained down like a storm, and even the torrential downpour seemed to pause in fear of the creature's awakening.
Giovanni's eyes widened as the towering behemoth, as massive as a skyscraper, shattered its way free from the ruins. He stumbled back, disbelief etched across his face.
"...Groudon?!"
To be continued…
Guys, I apologize for a really delayed update. Such thing won't happen in the future In Sha Allah. Also. I have moved the advance chapters of my fic on my other Patreon!
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