Chapter 217: Giovanni, You Don't Want That to Happen Either
Having realized Giovanni wouldn't be convinced, Pryce abandoned all restraint.
A tap of his cane—
Piloswine conjured a howling Blizzard aimed directly at the Rocket Team.
Everyone present finally understood what true, merciless cold felt like.
Especially the Grass-type Pokémon trainers, Archer and Ariana.
Archer's Jumpluff and Ariana's Vileplume were both quickly showing signs of frostbite.
Reluctantly, the two recalled their Pokémon into their Poké Balls.
Even Asahi and Sabrina, hidden atop the distant tree, shivered.
It was early summer, and Sabrina wasn't wearing much.
At that moment—
[Gardevoir Is the Best]: Here, take this.
Asahi handed a piece of clothing to Sabrina.
Sabrina's first reaction wasn't gratitude—
[Psychic Girl]: Since when are you so considerate?
She eyed him suspiciously.
[...]
Asahi, exasperated:
[Asahi: Gardevoir Is the Best]: It's just a sweater—do you really think I'm that bad? Have I ever done anything to you?
Sabrina kept staring.
Eventually, she accepted the... sweater?
And as she put it on, she noticed something odd—
Right across the chest area was an open slit.
Confused, she looked at Asahi.
He nonchalantly explained:
[Asahi: Gardevoir Is the Best]: Oh, don't mind that—it was made for Gardevoir.
[Asahi: Gardevoir Is the Best]: She's grown a bit recently, so the sweater ended up too small for her. I was going to throw it away, but it looks like it fits you just fine."
As he spoke, Asahi seemed quite pleased—although he hadn't knitted the sweater himself, he had custom-ordered it.
Wasting things was never good, so seeing it put to use felt satisfying.
Sabrina: "..."
Even though Asahi was clearly talking about Gardevoir, Sabrina couldn't shake the feeling that he was subtly mocking her figure.
I'm not mad. I'm not mad.
She repeated this mantra in her head, but her clenched fists betrayed her frustration. She really shouldn't have expected anything from Asahi.
...
While Asahi was busy "caring for his superior," the battle below raged on.
The ground was scarred with fissures, and towering ice pillars jutted out, forming a frozen forest.
Apollo clutched his arm, glaring at Rika, who was pointing at her Umbreon. His face was grim.
If it hadn't been for Oka's Shuckle blocking that last attack for him, he would already be on the ground. Even so, the battle had left him with only two Pokémon still capable of fighting — Arbok and Houndoom — both of whom were injured.
Rika wasn't faring much better. The recent Explosion from Weezing had taken down both her Murkrow and Houndoom, and she was now furiously focusing her attacks on Oka's Shuckle.
On the other side, Athena and Lance were teaming up against Ichiki and another masked general, but the situation there was dire.
They were already weaker than Apollo, and against Ichiki, a specialist in Psychic-type Pokémon, they were barely holding on.
"Why not surrender and join the Masked Corps?" Ichiki, wearing his mask, extended both hands, inviting Athena and Lance.
"Hmph!"
Athena and Lance both scoffed coldly.
Was this an insult?
Ichiki's expression darkened. "If you won't surrender… then die!"
His pokemon's eyes flashed ominously, unleashing a powerful Psychic attack. While Athena's Murkrow managed to endure, Lance's Weezing took a heavy blow.
Despite the fierce battles between the officers, they didn't determine the outcome.
The real deciding factor was the clash between Giovanni and Pryce!
In the ice pillar forest—
Piloswine unleashed an Ice Beam.
It struck Giovanni's Tyranitar, which staggered, trying to stand back up. But the cumulative damage from Blizzard had already taken its toll. Tyranitar swayed before collapsing into the snow.
Giovanni silently recalled it into its Poké Ball.
This wasn't the first of his Pokémon to fall — his Persian and Nidoking had already been taken down by Pryce's relentless, wintery assault.
Meanwhile, Pryce had only lost his Ariados, Gastly, and Dewgong — none of his core Pokémon. His mainstays, Delibird and Piloswine, though injured, remained battle-ready.
Giovanni calculated the time in his head, then gave an order to Aggron. "Rock Tomb!"
Chunks of rock rained down on Piloswine, but it easily dodged.
However, Giovanni's goal wasn't to hurt Piloswine — it was to subtly guide it into a predetermined area.
The scattered rocks seemed random, but they were actually herding Piloswine into a trap.
As the last stone fell—
Before Piloswine could relax, Dugtrio suddenly burst from the ground behind it. The three heads unleashed attacks of three different types simultaneously.
Tri Attack!
The move sent Piloswine flying.
Dugtrio didn't follow up — instead, it swiftly retreated underground.
That turned out to be the right call. The next instant, Delibird swooped down from the sky.
Had Dugtrio stayed above ground, it would've been in serious trouble.
Delibird, its attack missing, didn't give up.
It took a deep breath and exhaled a frigid blast into Dugtrio's tunnel.
The freezing air spread underground, and moments later, a frost-covered Dugtrio scrambled back to the surface, shivering.
Delibird's face twisted into a smug, almost human-like grin.
Just as it prepared to strike again, it suddenly darted to the side—
A flash of metallic light struck the spot where Delibird had just been, shattering nearby ice pillars into fragments.
Flash Cannon!
Delibird soared higher, circling in the sky before reaching into its hollow tail and tossing down a flurry of gift boxes.
Present!
Watching this, Asahi couldn't help but be impressed. Pryce's Delibird was fearless.
After all, Present was a notoriously unpredictable move, with four possible effects — three levels of damage, or a healing effect for the opponent.
If Giovanni got lucky and Delibird accidentally healed his Mega Beedrill...
That would be something.
But Giovanni clearly wasn't willing to test his luck. His response was cautious:
"Pin Missile! Rock Slide!"
Mega Beedrill, somewhat recovered, launched a volley of Pin Missiles, piercing the falling gift boxes and detonating them in midair.
At the same time, Aggron smashed the nearby rocks into smaller pieces, sending them hurtling at Delibird like a storm of boulders.
Delibird nimbly weaved through the onslaught.
With Aggron and Mega Beedrill focused entirely on Delibird—
Piloswine crept closer.
Then—
Icicle Spear!
A volley of icy spikes shot toward Giovanni.
In the critical moment, Aggron stepped in front of Giovanni, its Rock/Steel typing allowing it to tank the attack without much damage.
But without Rock Slide to hinder Delibird—
The bird dove from above at breakneck speed.
Aggron was now busy dealing with Piloswine.
That left only Dugtrio and Mega Beedrill to act.
"Dugtrio, Protect!"
A green barrier enveloped Dugtrio, Mega Beedrill, and Giovanni.
Delibird hurtled toward the shield—then abruptly stopped midair.
Instead of ramming into Protect, it opened its beak and blasted the shield with an Icy Wind.
Crack!
The shield instantly froze over.
A thick layer of ice encased Giovanni, Dugtrio, and Mega Beedrill inside.
With his enemies trapped, Delibird and Piloswine turned their combined attacks on Aggron.
Brilliant! Pryce is truly something else.
Asahi marveled.
Giovanni's Protect was meant to guard himself, but Pryce had swiftly turned it into a prison of ice.
Now, with Dugtrio and Mega Beedrill neutralized, Pryce could use the two-on-one advantage against Aggron.
To be fair, Asahi knew that if he were in Giovanni's place, breaking out of Pryce's strategy would've been just as hard.
It wasn't Giovanni's fault — Pryce's Delibird and Piloswine were simply too overpowered.
Arceus, where are you? Can you nerf these two already?
As Asahi silently complained, Aggron struggled to defend itself against Delibird and Piloswine's relentless assault.
Forced into a corner, Aggron boosted its defense with Iron Defense before charging at Piloswine.
The ground shook as Aggron leapt, crossing its arms. A silver aura surrounded it.
Heavy Slam!
The move's power depended on the user's weight compared to the target's — and with Aggron's massive bulk...
Asahi did a quick mental calculation. If that attack landed, Pryce's Piloswine was done for.
Even the strongest Pokémon had their limits.
Pryce clearly realized this too. His calm demeanor broke as he urgently tapped his cane.
Piloswine immediately split off a shadowy double—
Substitute!
Aggron slammed into the substitute, destroying it instantly.
Though it kept charging at the real Piloswine, the loss of Heavy Slam's added power gave Piloswine just enough time to block with an ice wall.
With its momentum broken, Aggron staggered.
At that moment, Delibird struck with Ice Beam, freezing Aggron's joints.
Then—Piloswine from the front, Delibird from behind—
Piloswine used Earthquake, while Delibird kept Aggron immobilized with freezing attacks.
Aggron roared in frustration before finally collapsing, its strength drained.
KO.
Asahi shook his head. "What a shame…"
To be fair, Giovanni's Aggron wasn't weak — it was the same powerhouse that broke through Deoxys' triangle defense in the original storyline.
But it didn't matter. Pryce's Delibird and Piloswine were just too monstrous.
Just then, Asahi's communicator buzzed. He glanced at it and smiled.
Sabrina, curious, asked, "Good news?"
[Gardevoir Is the Best]: All the Rocket and Masked Corps grunts have been captured.
Asahi had prepared for this moment — not only rallying local Gym Trainers but also bringing in League Trainers from nearby cities, calling in help from the Johto division, and even borrowing the Prosecutor's Squad from Lance.
It had worked perfectly.
After assessing the battlefield, Asahi quickly typed:
[Gardevoir Is the Best]: Green, tell Elite Four Bruno and the Johto Gym Trainers to move in. Everyone else, withdraw with the captives.
Giovanni and Pryce's fight was nearing its end — it was almost time for them to step in.
As Asahi coordinated, Pryce—through his "Masked Man" persona—soothed his startled Piloswine before glaring at Giovanni.
Giovanni, having finally broken free from Delibird's ice prison, stared at his fallen Aggron, his face darkening.
His Aggron had been a key part of his plan against Pryce — and now it was down.
"The match is over," Pryce said coldly. "One last time — hand over the scroll and the GS Ball, and I'll let you leave."
With Celebi's appearance growing imminent, Pryce was done wasting time.
Giovanni didn't answer right away.
Instead, under Pryce's watchful eye, he pulled out the scroll and GS Ball from his pocket—
Then—
Slash!
Mega Beedrill, standing by Giovanni's side, sliced the scroll into countless pieces, scattering them into the snowstorm.
"Giovanni!!"
Fury blazed in Pryce's heart as he stared at Giovanni, his fingers itching to freeze him solid.
But he held back—because now, with the scroll gone, the only item left was the GS Ball in Giovanni's hand.
This GS Ball — Giovanni's only hope of capturing Celebi!
Giovanni gripped the half-finished GS Ball tightly, Mega Beedrill's stinger resting dangerously against it. His expression remained utterly calm, unfazed by Pryce's fury.
"Where is Silver?"
The same question.
Hearing it again, Pryce felt like he was about to lose his mind. "Who the hell told you Silver is with me?"
"He escaped a year ago! How many times do I have to tell you?!"
Pryce was on the verge of collapse.
He had done plenty of questionable things over the years, but in this case, he really wasn't lying.
Giovanni stared at Pryce's almost hysterical expression — and for the first time, he started to doubt himself.
Was Pryce actually telling the truth?
Then, a flash of realization struck him — the same thought that had crossed his mind before but slipped away.
Who told him Silver was in Pryce's hands?
It was Asahi.
Who had been feeding him information these past few days, guiding him to Oak Forest to confront Pryce?
It was still Asahi.
And who benefited the most from Rocket Team clashing with Pryce?
Once again — the League, represented by Asahi.
At last, Giovanni's obsession with finding his son gave way to cold, calculating reason.
If Asahi knew his goal — knew he would fight Pryce in Oak Forest — what would Asahi do?
Realizing this, Giovanni no longer cared about Pryce. He spun around and barked at Apollo:
"Apollo, check in with the main forces — now!"
Based on what he knew about Asahi, the man always struck from the outside in. He would've started by dealing with the grunts first.
The moment Giovanni gave the order, the battles between the Masked Corps and Rocket Team officers ground to a halt.
Though confused, Apollo obeyed without hesitation. He used his one uninjured arm to pull out his communicator, quickly dialing several numbers.
But—
"Boss Giovanni… no one's picking up."
One call after another, but not a single response. Apollo's face darkened.
It couldn't be that all their men had been wiped out by the Masked Corps… could it?
Ichiki also tried contacting his own subordinates — only to get the same eerie silence.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances.
The chill they felt now wasn't just from the freezing air — it was the creeping fear that they had walked into a carefully laid trap.
Even Pryce frowned.
No wonder everything had felt off today.
Giovanni's reaction was the most direct. He turned to the surrounding forest and called out:
"Come out, Asahi. I know you're here."
If this was Asahi's scheme, then knowing Asahi, he had to be lurking nearby to watch his plan unfold.
Giovanni's voice echoed through the silent Oak Forest.
For a long moment, there was nothing but the wind howling through the trees — an unsettling quiet.
Just as some began to wonder if Giovanni had been mistaken—
A voice broke the silence:
"Ah, sorry — the wind was a bit loud. What did you say, Giovanni? I didn't catch that…."
The familiar figure of Asahi stepped out from the woods, flanked by a group of trainers.
Giovanni's eyes immediately spotted some familiar faces —
Sabrina, his former subordinate turned traitor.
And Mewtwo, once Rocket Team's trump card, now stolen by Asahi.
Pryce, on the other hand, recognized his fellow Gym Leaders — and to his surprise, Green.
The Gym Leaders' Pokémon showed clear signs of battle, and their stern expressions made it clear what had happened to the grunts who had retreated earlier.
As for Green…
Pryce no longer cared about his former pupil.
Despite the dark expression on Pryce's face, he wasn't as upset as he seemed.
Because Asahi's presence proved one thing —
Silver truly wasn't with him.
Giovanni had been played.
Pryce turned to Giovanni. "Shall we cooperate?"
Frankly speaking, Giovanni wasn't an easy opponent. Though Pryce held the advantage, his Piloswine and Delibird were injured and not at full strength.
Taking on Asahi like this would be difficult — especially since he needed to save his energy for capturing Celebi.
Joining forces with Giovanni was the most practical choice.
Giovanni fell into deep thought.
But before he could respond, Asahi spoke up:
"Think carefully, Giovanni. Are you really going to team up with Pryce — the man who kidnapped your son?"
Giovanni's gaze snapped to Asahi.
He wasn't wrong.
But between working with his enemy and falling into Asahi's trap… Giovanni chose the lesser evil.
Without hesitation, he tossed the half-finished GS Ball to Pryce.
In an instant, the two men — once at each other's throats — reached an unspoken alliance.
"…."
Asahi sighed at how quickly Giovanni made his choice.
"Man… you villains really are cut from the same cloth."
He shook his head, but his tone was light, almost playful.
"Good thing I came prepared."
With a sudden tug, Asahi yanked Silver out from behind him.
Silver, stunned, stared blankly as Asahi reached over and yanked off the mask covering his face.
Then, grinning like a true villain, Asahi declared:
"Giovanni, your son is with me now. You don't want anything to happen to him… do you?"
He even let out a dramatic, villainous laugh.
Silver: "…."
Giovanni: "?"
Pryce: "?"
Rocket Team and Masked Corps officers: "???"
Even the League trainers — including Bruno and the Gym Leaders — exchanged bewildered glances.
Wasn't Asahi supposed to be the righteous one here?
Why did he sound more like a villain than the actual villains?
Sabrina and Green were equally stunned, unsure whether they were really on the side of justice anymore.
But as ridiculous as Asahi's performance was, it worked.
Giovanni's shock melted into cold calculation. He studied Silver carefully.
Before this mission, Asahi had gone the extra mile — even dyeing Silver's hair back to its original color.
Now, seeing Silver's face — still holding traces of the boy Giovanni remembered — a wave of unmistakable familiarity washed over him.
Giovanni knew at once.
This was his son.
He should have realized it sooner —
Why did Asahi have so much information about Silver?
How did Asahi know Silver had once been kidnapped by Pryce?
The answer was clear now.
But…
Why was Silver with Asahi in the first place?
Did Asahi capture him?
Giovanni's expression darkened. "Silver… I'll get you out of here."
Silver's brow furrowed.
It dawned on him that Giovanni believed he had been captured by Asahi.
His face hardened, and he spoke coldly:
"I'm with the International Police now. I'm here to arrest you, Giovanni."
Giovanni froze.