Chapter 167: Calling for Reinforcements
"A Quasi-Elite, at its peak," Giovanni surmised from the aura the Haunter had released.
"Just one step away from being an Elite Four level Pokémon." If it had possessed a proper method to refine the energy it consumed, if it hadn't devoured so many low-quality souls and ruined its own potential, it could have been at the Champion level by now.
Instead, it possessed the experience of an ancient being but was trapped between the power of a Quasi-Elite and a true Elite. The feeling it gave off was not as strong as Miyamoto's Houndoom, perhaps even a bit weaker. What a waste.
Then again, if it were a true Elite, Giovanni would have simply become another of the countless souls it had devoured.
The Weezing beneath him flew with a whoosh, the strong wind beating against his face, making it ache. "I know you are anxious," he said, annoyed, "but are you not being a bit too anxious?"
Weezing rolled its eyes. Anxious? You have no idea what kind of monster you've provoked. If we were any slower, our souls would be its appetizers. A flicker of resentment passed through it. Damn it, why do I have to risk my life for this kid?
Thanks to Weezing's full-speed escape, they made it back to the temporary safe zone without encountering much. What had been a multi-day journey on foot, Weezing covered in just over a day of tireless flight.
When the familiar shape of Pidgeot appeared in the sky, Weezing finally breathed a sigh of relief. It slowed, whimpering a few times at its companion, its expression aggrieved.
Pidgeot glanced at Giovanni, then toward the deep forest, and a solemn look entered its sharp eyes. It escorted them down, letting out a sharp cry to announce their arrival.
Below, Matt and his men rushed out. Seeing Giovanni and Weezing return safely, they, too, breathed a sigh of relief. "They are finally back." He and a few Chiefs met the exhausted Giovanni, but he did not immediately ask for a report. "It is good that you are back safely. Go and rest."
Though exhausted, Giovanni was not ready to rest. He relayed everything he had seen and heard, including the true nature of the Haunter. He also released the Gastly, which, upon seeing the powerful men and their Pokémon, immediately shrank into a quivering ball of shadow.
"A Quasi-Elite Pokémon... on the verge of breaking through," Matt muttered to himself. He did not doubt Giovanni's intelligence. Weezing's frantic return was all the proof he needed.
The Chiefs also understood, a wave of cold relief washing over them. They had been lucky to survive their own encounter.
"No wonder!" one of them said. "I knew it was a Ghost-type, but I didn't expect a master behind the puppets."
"Yes," another echoed. "Those savages acted like mindless fools; that must be the reason."
Of course, some immediately wanted to evacuate— a Pokémon nearing the Elite Four level was a threat that not even Matt could confidently face. One misstep, and the entire unit could be wiped out.
"There are other islands," one of the Chiefs suggested. "Perhaps we should relocate?" It was better to be seen as a coward than to be dead— but the final decision was not his to make.
Giovanni looked at Matt. With the captain's strength, an ordinary Quasi-Elite would not be a problem— but this ancient ghost was another matter entirely. If Matt lacked the confidence, their only option was to retreat.
Matt pondered for a moment. "You go and rest first," he said to Giovanni. "So what if it has lived for a thousand years? It is still just a Quasi-Elite. It is a Pokémon, and Team Rocket is not afraid of Pokémon. It will just be... troublesome."
Seeing Matt's confidence, Giovanni did not doubt him. He assented, returned Weezing's Poké Ball, and went back to his tent. After so many days in the wild, he desperately needed to rest.
After Giovanni left, the Chiefs pressed Matt. "Sir, what should we do?"
"I have it under control," he told them, dismissing them. "Just do your jobs." They looked at each other, then reluctantly excused themselves. "Keep a close watch," he said to his Pidgeot. "You may have to work hard these next few days." The Pidgeot nodded and took to the skies.
Matt then glanced toward the distant forest and walked back into his own tent.
He was not as confident as he had appeared— but to be scared away by this would make him a laughingstock to Team Rocket's strongest Captain. Methods were rigid, but people were flexible.
At worst, he would call for backup. As a member of Team Rocket, were unscrupulous means not a virtue?
He picked up the long-range communicator from the plane and successfully contacted Madame Boss. "Boss."
Her voice came from the other end. "Did you encounter trouble so quickly?" When pioneering a new base, trouble was inevitable. She would not blame him; she would help him solve the problem.
"Yes," Matt answered truthfully. "A few days ago, this happened... and then, Giovanni went to investigate..."
Madame Boss chuckled. "That boy has a lot of guts. He has no idea how much of a headache it is for me to solve his problems back here."