Chapter: 218
Giovanni found it hard to accept.
He had imagined countless scenarios of reuniting with his son, Silver.
Scenes where father and son would embrace and weep.
Scenes where Silver, unable to accept this long-lost father, would need time to adjust.
He had even suffered a nightmare—where, after finally finding Silver, his son was no longer alive.
But never—never had he expected this.
His son, Silver, had joined the International Police and was now righteously declaring his intention to arrest him.
Behind Giovanni, the Rocket executives exchanged glances, feeling a mix of pity for their leader and… a subtle, unspoken sense of relief.
If Giovanni's son was with the International Police, didn't that mean he couldn't inherit Team Rocket?
Wouldn't that mean, when Giovanni eventually stepped down, the next boss would have to be chosen from among them?
Of course, they kept these thoughts buried deep inside, maintaining a calm and neutral expression.
Giovanni, unaware of their inner scheming, remained silent, his gaze fixed on Silver's cold, distant expression.
After a long pause, he could only blame one person—Asahi.
"What did you do to Silver?!" Giovanni asked, his voice low and tense.
He scrutinized Silver carefully, searching for any signs that Asahi had coerced or threatened him.
Asahi: "?"
What did I do to Silver? I didn't do anything!
How was this somehow his fault again?
Was this a trend? First Sabrina misunderstood him all the time—that was one thing—but now Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket, was jumping to the same ridiculous conclusion?
Even Asahi was starting to doubt himself. Had he done something without realizing it?
Turning to Silver, Asahi asked, "I didn't force you to join the International Police, did I?"
Silver shook his head, then looked Giovanni dead in the eye.
"I joined the Kanto division of my own free will. I have only one goal—to bring down your evil organization."
"Surrender, Giovanni!"
No matter how much Giovanni wanted to deny it, the reality was undeniable—his son had chosen a path completely opposed to his own.
Giovanni stared at Silver—the "unfilial son"—for a long time, his thoughts swirling.
He remembered Silver's kidnapping by Pryce.
He remembered Silver's escape from Pryce's grasp.
Silver must have suffered greatly all these years…
As an unfit father, Giovanni realized he had no right to criticize his son's choices.
Though his heart ached and a sense of regret lingered, there was also a bittersweet pride.
No matter what, he had finally seen his long-lost son with his own eyes.
Silver was alive.
That alone was enough for Giovanni—for now.
The rest were just minor details.
Giovanni swept his gaze over the Johto Gym Leaders around him, his eyes lingering on Mewtwo for a moment longer.
He didn't want to become enemies with his own son.
Moreover, most of his Pokémon were no longer battle-ready. Staying here any longer would only allow the League to capture them all in one fell swoop—there was no point.
As for working with Pryce to take down the League… what benefit would that bring him?
Not to mention, Pryce was his enemy!
The fact that Giovanni hadn't helped the League fight Pryce was already a decision made after carefully considering his organization and subordinates.
[It's time to leave.]
Just as Giovanni was preparing to find an opportunity to slip away—
Suddenly…
The shrine, located at the center of the snow-covered clearing, its structure twisted and skewed by the earlier earthquake, began to emit a faint glow.
A strange wave of energy pulsed from the shrine.
Even though the entire Ilex Forest was still blanketed in snow, everyone present simultaneously caught a whiff of a fresh, grassy scent—something only found in early spring.
"This is…" Bruno's face was filled with shock.
He recalled what Asahi had told him about Pryce's goal before they arrived.
Looking toward Pryce, sure enough, he saw the old man staring intently at the glowing shrine, clutching the GS Ball Giovanni had given him earlier, his expression filled with excitement.
"It's finally here!"
Without hesitation, Pryce dashed madly toward the shrine.
Bruno's heart tightened at the sight—he couldn't let the power of time fall into the hands of a villain. There was no way he could allow Pryce to capture Celebi!
"Asahi!" Bruno shouted.
Asahi had already noticed the change in the shrine.
"You handle Team Rocket!" Asahi ordered, then turned to Mewtwo. "Mewtwo, Gardevoir!"
The two Pokémon nodded and, together with Asahi, leapt into the air, speeding toward the shrine.
At this moment, Pryce had already opened the shrine.
Though the shrine appeared small from the outside, its interior seemed vast and boundless.
From Asahi's angle, he could clearly see inside—a wondrous scene unfolded before him.
A dazzling array of psychedelic colors filled the space within the shrine.
And amidst the swirling hues, a small, onion-headed creature with a bright green body flapped its wings, leisurely wandering through the vibrant world.
"Celebi!"
The moment Pryce laid eyes on Celebi, he didn't hesitate. With one hand gripping the Rainbow Wing and Silver Wing, and the other holding the GS Ball Giovanni had handed him, he stepped into the shrine's mysterious realm and threw the ball at Celebi.
The GS Ball struck Celebi squarely, absorbing the mythical Pokémon in a flash of light.
Years of longing fulfilled, a glimmer of ecstasy crossed Pryce's eyes. "Come, Celebi… take me away… bring me back to the past…!"
Reaching out, Pryce moved to grab the Poké Ball containing Celebi—
But suddenly… the ball trembled!
And to Pryce's bewilderment, the GS Ball abruptly popped open—
Revealing an equally stunned Celebi!
Pryce: [Wasn't I supposed to catch Celebi just now? Why did the Poké Ball open?]
Celebi: [According to the script, shouldn't I have been caught and then taken Pryce back in time?]
Man and Pokémon stared at each other in wide-eyed disbelief. Neither had anticipated this outcome.
Just as Celebi began to wonder if it should pick up the GS Ball and let Pryce try again, Asahi finally caught up!
Seeing Celebi still unsealed, Asahi wasn't surprised at all.
He had been keeping a close eye on Pryce ever since Giovanni handed him the GS Ball.
When Asahi had left the incomplete GS Ball—missing the Rainbow Wing—at Iron Island, it was only meant as a precaution for Byron's safety. But what followed was a series of unexpected events.
Giovanni eventually got hold of the defective GS Ball. Whether intentionally or by accident, he hadn't mentioned its flaws when giving it to Pryce. Overcome with excitement, Pryce had never once checked the ball.
Even after entering the shrine, he still hadn't realized the GS Ball in his hand was a half-finished product.
"Pryce, do you want to know why?" Asahi spoke.
Both Pryce and Celebi looked over.
Asahi smirked, shaking the GS Ball in his hand. "Because yours is the female GS Ball, and mine is the male GS Ball. When a female meets a male, it just doesn't work!"
Pryce: "?"
Celebi: "?"
Without giving Pryce time to react, Asahi tossed his GS Ball.
Bang!
The unsuspecting Celebi was struck directly—stumbling backward—before being sucked into the ball.
No shaking. No struggle. The GS Ball instantly confirmed the capture.
Pryce reached out, trying to snatch it, but Gardevoir, standing beside Asahi, used its psychic powers to flick the GS Ball into Asahi's hand.
Ignoring the system notification, Asahi toyed with the GS Ball containing Celebi, then looked at Pryce. "Wanna battle?"
He was certain Pryce was seething with frustration.
Even without Asahi's provocation, Pryce was already commanding his Piloswine to attack!
Asahi responded swiftly, instructing Mewtwo to counter!
The battle that had remained unresolved at the Whirl Islands now reignited within this rift in time!
—
While Asahi and Pryce clashed within the shrine, chaos erupted outside.
The Johto Gym Leaders and Bruno faced off against the weakened Giovanni and his remaining executives—while also fending off the four Masked Man commanders.
Though the intensity of the fight didn't match Giovanni and Pryce's earlier battle, the scene was pure pandemonium.
Sabrina, with her Alakazam and Kadabra, single-handedly pressured, Masked man's Psychic-type specialist commander. Facing a human whose psychic powers rivaled those of a Champion-level Pokémon left the commander in disbelief.
Elsewhere, Green commanded her Blastoise and Jigglypuff, teaming up with Silver and Ethan—along with the Eevee Asahi had entrusted to her—to combat one of masked man's commander.
Although Silver and Ethan were still rookie trainers, Ethan's unexpected strategies constantly caught the enemy off guard.
And that Eevee—who keeps an Eevee at Champion level without evolving it?!
The trio, alongside Eevee, thoroughly annoyed Lila—though she was helpless against them.
Bruno squared off against Giovanni himself.
Despite Asahi's assurance that Giovanni's remaining forces consisted only of an injured Beedrill and Dugtrio, Bruno remained cautious.
With his Onix coiled protectively around him, he surrounded Giovanni with his remaining Pokémon.
Giovanni frowned as Dugtrio used Earthquake to fend off the incoming Machamp.
It irked him—how quickly Bruno grew bold after his team was crippled.
Meanwhile, his subordinates struggled. The earlier battle had drained their strength.
Giovanni made his decision: [If I can't break through… it's time to use that.]
He reached into his coat.
Bruno tensed, thinking Giovanni had another hidden Pokémon, but the next moment—
Giovanni pulled out a communicator and transmitted a command.
"Calling reinforcements? It's useless!" Bruno sneered. "Ilex Forest is completely sealed. No one's getting in or out!"
The League Council had taken extreme precautions for this operation.
All communication devices had been confiscated to prevent leaks, and countless trainers were stationed to block every possible route into the forest.
If Giovanni thought backup was coming, he was sorely mistaken—
Or so Bruno thought, until—
A deafening roar echoed from the sky, and a massive shadow loomed overhead.
Bruno's head snapped upward—his eyes widening in shock.
A colossal battle airship broke through the clouds, descending rapidly.
The vessel's sheer size blotted out the entire battlefield below.
As the leader of Team Rocket, Giovanni never fought battles he wasn't prepared to win.
His persistence wasn't just about his son—it was because he always had an escape plan.
Long before coming here, Giovanni had set his fallback strategy: if things went south, he'd abandon the GS Ball and lure Pryce away—then summon his airship and retreat!
What was meant for Pryce ended up being his way out of the League's trap.
Realizing the danger, Bruno shouted, "Don't let them escape!"
But it was too late.
Smoke bombs rained down from the airship, blanketing the battlefield in thick, black fog.
Gas canisters exploded midair, releasing a suffocating haze that threw the League trainers into disarray.
Giovanni cast one last glance toward Silver, regret flashing in his eyes.
He wanted to take his son with him—but time was running out.
The smoke wouldn't hold forever, and the airship carried no combat units—only the crew.
Without hesitation, Giovanni let his Crobat grab his shoulders, carrying him skyward.
Orca followed, with his Jumpluff pulling his massive frame into the air.
Not everyone was so lucky—
"You're not getting away!"
A Dragonair emerged from the smoke, blasting Lance's Golbat with a Dragon Pulse—knocking him to the ground.
Athena, despite being attacked, used her Weezing as a shield—remaining cold and unyielding.
Apollo suffered minor injuries but managed to board the airship.
In the end, the unlucky Lambda—and the frozen another one—were left behind.
As the smoke cleared, Team Rocket's airship had already risen high into the sky.
Bruno, furious, smashed an ice pillar beside him, his gaze locking onto the remaining Masked Man commanders.
Giovanni may have escaped—but these goons weren't going anywhere!
While the capture of the Masked Man commanders was being wrapped up outside, the battle within the time rift was also nearing its end.
Pryce's Delibird flung a flurry of Ice Shards at Asahi.
Asahi flicked his hand. "Mewtwo, Psychic!"
The petite, agile form of Mega Mewtwo Y gracefully raised its arm. With a simple clench of its fist, the incoming Ice Shards crumbled into dust, vanishing into thin air.
Mewtwo even had the spare energy to assist Gardevoir.
As Gardevoir used its psychic power to counter Piloswine's Blizzard, Mewtwo's whip-like tail gently swayed, releasing an additional burst of psychic energy that merged with Gardevoir's power.
The previously balanced clash instantly tipped in their favor—an unstoppable surge of psychic force slammed into Piloswine, sending it flying.
Delibird, of course, wouldn't just stand by and watch Piloswine get pummeled. It twisted its body mid-air, turning into a blur as it dove straight for Mewtwo Y.
Swoosh—
Watching the oncoming Delibird, Asahi calmly issued a command through their mental link: "Mewtwo, Reflect!"
There was no need to dodge with Agility—why bother?
At Asahi's order, Mewtwo Y lightly tapped its forehead with a finger, and a psychic barrier instantly formed before it.
Delibird didn't notice the Reflect—or perhaps it did—but its speed was too fast to stop in time.
Bang!
Delibird smashed head-first into the invisible wall. Cracks rippled across the barrier, and only then did Pryce realize the wall was there.
Ironically, Delibird's own high speed became its greatest enemy—causing it to nearly knock itself out.
Dazed and stumbling, Delibird tried to retreat and put distance between itself and Mewtwo Y. But Mewtwo, having finally caught an opening, wasn't about to let it slip away.
"Psybeam!"
Raising a hand, Mewtwo fired a vibrant, multicolored beam straight at Delibird. Already reeling from the earlier impact, the moment the beam struck, Delibird was instantly thrown into confusion.
And then—
"Psystrike!" Asahi commanded.
Mewtwo unleashed a powerful psychic shockwave that blasted Delibird backward.
After enduring the battle against Giovanni and taking multiple hits from Mewtwo, Delibird finally collapsed.
As Delibird hit the ground, Piloswine wasn't far behind.
Despite Pryce's repeated orders—trying to make up for the gap in strength with tactics—Piloswine was simply too injured from its earlier battle with Giovanni.
Against the combined force of Mega Mewtwo Y and the mind-boosted Gardevoir, Piloswine was defeated.
"You've lost, Pryce."
Ignoring the system's notifications, Asahi gazed at Pryce with a calm but firm expression.
Pryce silently stared into the depths of the time tunnel.
Glancing at his fallen Piloswine and Delibird, he seemed to lose all his strength, slumping into his wheelchair.
"Yes… I've lost."
"After everything I've done, it was all for nothing…" Pryce murmured, pulling out a Poké Ball from his coat—a Poké Ball containing his anxious-looking Lapras.
With a soft sigh, Pryce tossed the ball toward Asahi. "Take care of it. Find its parents."
Having done that, a strange sense of relief flickered across Pryce's face.
Humming Lapras' Song under his breath, Pryce slowly closed his eyes. The Rainbow Wing and Silver Wing slipped from his grasp as he let himself fall back—toward the depths of the time tunnel.
But before he could vanish, he felt a sudden force pull him back.
Opening his eyes, Pryce found himself face-to-face with Asahi—his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief.
In the next moment—
Click!
A pair of handcuffs snapped around Pryce's wrists.
"Hmph. Trying to escape?" Asahi smirked.
...
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