Chapter 142. There Really Is Divinity—Giovanni, Are You Even Human?
Bang!
A Pikachu was blasted away and slammed hard into the wall.
"Pikachu!"
Ash Ketchum hurriedly scooped up his partner.
"W-what on earth is that Pokémon, and why is it always a one-hit finish?"
From outside the field, Gary Oak's unwilling voice rang out.
He, too, had already lost—before Ash.
"What is that thing?
It's terrifying, like a man-made monster from a movie."
Misty shivered all over while holding Togepi.
The entire Viridian Gym was shrouded in a deep sense of helplessness.
"Hmph, it's because you're too weak."
Opposite them, Giovanni sat on a dais, backlit, his expression unreadable as he looked down on everyone.
"Tch, it's only because that Pokémon of yours is too strong."
Gary refused to accept it.
"Strong?
No, I don't think so."
Giovanni lazily swirled the wineglass in his hand.
Two rings on his index and ring fingers gleamed.
One was engraved with an "R," and the other held an emerald that seemed to contain a green pine.
"Come on, you're a Gym Leader.
Using a Pokémon like that to test challengers is downright dereliction of duty."
Misty protested.
"This shows your training isn't good enough.
I award Badges based on performance," Giovanni replied coolly.
"Then I didn't get one-shot like Gary.
Do I get a Badge?"
Ash pointed at himself, curious—he had at least lasted several turns.
"No."
Giovanni glanced at Pikachu's tail and still shook his head.
"He's just maintaining his image.
Ash, go up there and slug him."
Natsume's voice sounded, and at the same time, a high-powered flashlight swung up to shine straight at Giovanni.
In an instant, Giovanni went from backlit to facing the sun.
The blinding beam washed over him, and the two grunts at his side rushed up to shield him.
"What, you here to challenge me too?"
Giovanni waved his men back and squinted toward Natsume.
Unfortunately, the light was too strong for him to make out the other's face.
"You all head out first."
Natsume waved to the group.
"Why—"
Gary tried to ask, but Ash dragged him away.
Honora, Misty, Brock, and the others didn't hesitate in the least.
They turned and left.
When Natsume tells you to go first, don't overthink it—and don't hesitate.
That was a lesson they had learned on the road.
"Oh?"
Giovanni watched the scene unfolding below with amusement.
Click—
The flashlight switched off, and Giovanni finally saw Natsume's face.
A young man who looked delicate and easy to talk to.
"You're… that student of Professor Oak's?"
Giovanni felt Natsume looked a bit familiar.
The rollout of Dynamax in Kanto had a lot to do with this man.
"Interested in joining Team Rocket?"
Giovanni tossed it out casually.
"Sure.
Transfer fifty percent of the shares to me."
Natsume agreed cheerfully.
"Heh."
Giovanni smiled without smiling.
He clapped his hands, and a section of the wall below unfurled like a door.
Ka-chunk—
Cables strained and metal slid.
Out strode a humanoid Pokémon clad in a dark-violet exoskeleton, red energy restraint rings embedded at its joints, and its surface covered in reverse-etched Unown glyphs.
It seemed to be fitted with a vertebral stockade; a hydraulic spinal lock extended from the nape to the tailbone, each bone ring pulsing with blue indicator lights.
A translucent black visor masked its pupils, only splitting into cracks of violet light when emotions surged, and a breathing regulator valve extended from its jaw.
Ka-chak—
Armored Mewtwo took a step forward, its entire restraint armor trembling.
"Go, Great Ball Rotom!"
A blue-topped, white-bottomed Pokémon with golden inverted-triangle eyes appeared on the field.
"A new Rotom form.
I wonder how it compares to Mewtwo?"
Giovanni's voice was playful.
"Battle Domain, activate!"
Natsume didn't hesitate and opened the Battle Domain.
Stirring battle music erupted.
"What is this!"
With a whoosh, Giovanni sprang to his feet and looked at Natsume.
"Boss!"
His two grunts were startled—they had never seen their boss lose composure like that.
"The authority over battle…"
Giovanni muttered, then sat back down.
Natsume didn't know why Giovanni had spaced out, but he knew Giovanni would do so again very soon.
[Great Ball Rotom used Extinction Ball on Armored Mewtwo.]
[Invalid against a Pokémon in a special state!]
A familiar system voice rang out, and a twinge of foreboding welled up in Natsume's heart.
Beep-beep-beep—
Behind Armored Mewtwo, the indicator lights suddenly turned red and began blaring a harsh alarm.
Behind it, a crowd of lab-coated researchers pushed out all kinds of equipment.
But because of the battle field effect, they could not draw near by even a hair.
"Forget about that—record first."
Giovanni's voice sounded.
Record what?
Natsume froze.
Why did he feel like he'd just hit the jackpot?
A massive radar-like device was wheeled out and spun up.
Shoom!
A band of violet-pink light descended from above.
It was a beautiful crystal, like a ladder spiraling upward.
A moment later, Natsume realized it wasn't a ladder at all.
It was a double-helix gene structure; because only half was present, it looked like a ladder.
That massive crystal bored straight into Mewtwo's body.
[The opponent has become a Divine Legendary Pokémon.
The current battle is a Group Battle.]
As the system voice chimed, Mewtwo had already raised its hand.
[Mewtwo used Psychic Disintegration.
It struck Great Ball Rotom!]
[Because of its Divinity Trait, Mewtwo ignored Great Ball Rotom's defenses.
Great Ball Rotom fainted!]
In a flash, Rotom turned into a streak of red light and returned to its Poké Ball.
Natsume was stunned for a heartbeat, as if transported back to his battle with the giant Dragonite.
Only, times had changed!
[Trainer Natsume sent out Pikaremon!]
"Pika—"
Center-parted looked at the ferocious steel monster ahead, then glanced back at Natsume.
You want me to fight that?
"It just now obtained Divinity."
With that simple line, center-parted's blood boiled.
"Pika!"
Center-parted fixed a burning stare at the top of Mewtwo's head.
It was going to put this purple-skinned one to sleep, then sleep the other guy's Divinity over to itself!
To this day, center-parted firmly believed that if you lay down and slept on top of Divinity, the Divinity would burrow into your body.
Thinking that, center-parted sank into a deep sleep.
[Pikaremon fell asleep.
Land of Eternal Sleep took effect!]
Across the field, Mewtwo tilted its head, puzzled.
It could feel that the instant that violet-pink crystal entered its body, its armor could no longer restrain it.
But Mewtwo did not wish to break free.
If it broke free, then what?
Who am I, where am I, what should I do?
Mewtwo didn't know anything.
But in the body of this creature that resembled Pikachu, it sensed something similar to itself.
So it posed a soul-deep question to center-parted:
"Who are you, where are you, and what are you going to do?"
Center-parted jolted in fright.
For a second, it almost thought Natsume had linked up again.
Enjoyed the story? Support me and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at: Patr*eon*.com/Resium
Free members can read 10+ Chapters Ahead of Release
Paid member can read 150+ Chapters Ahead of Release
Stories Available
Honkai? No, This Is Daily Life
Hogwarts Pet Master
Pokémon: Who Let Him Leave Pallet Town!
Scrolling Yu-Gi-Oh! Shorts