Silence.
A suffocating stillness hung in the air as Ryuuske and Giovanni locked eyes, standing barely a meter apart. Both were hyper-focused, neither daring to relax for even a second. Despite his advantage, Giovanni couldn't afford to slip up—not with Mewtwo in the equation.
"Ryuuske, what are you afraid of?"
Giovanni's smile was no longer warm and easy as it had been the day before. Now, it carried a weight, a calculated edge.
"And what are you planning, Giovanni?"
Ryuuske smirked coldly. "...Finally dropping the act?"
When Ryuuske outright called out his deception, Giovanni didn't react with anger or denial. Instead, he acknowledged it calmly.
"...When did you figure it out?"
"Because your acting was so bad from the start that it was almost laughable. If I were you, I'd stick to simpler tasks."
It was a lie. Giovanni's acting had been flawless—had Ryuuske not known his true identity, he might have been completely fooled.
Whether Giovanni believed him or not, the man simply sighed.
"...So I was exposed from the very beginning. No wonder you didn't step in to help. My apologies for making a fool of myself in front of you."
Despite his words, Giovanni's expression remained composed, his smile unwavering—cool, confident. Slowly, he shifted his posture, his hand sliding out from his suit jacket.
Ryuuske tensed, fingers brushing the Master Ball at his chest—
Then, a deafening roar shattered the tension.
Both Ryuuske and Giovanni flinched, their gazes snapping upward as a massive shadow blotted out the sun.
A colossal Aerodactyl descended from the sky, its wingspan vast enough to eclipse the afternoon light. The prehistoric predator landed on a nearby plateau, its rider stepping forward with an air of absolute arrogance.
A man in his early twenties, wild red hair spiking upward like flames, stood atop the Aerodactyl's back. Clad in a billowing crimson cape, he crossed his arms and surveyed the scene below with a gaze so disdainful it bordered on contempt.
"Champion Lance of the Elite Four… Why are you here?"
Giovanni's brow arched slightly. He took a subtle step back, as if wary of being caught between Ryuuske and Lance—though his calm demeanor betrayed no real fear. He was simply reassessing the battlefield.
Ryuuske remained silent. He trusted neither Lance nor Giovanni. Even if this man shared his surname, the sheer arrogance in his eyes was off-putting. Handsome or not, Ryuuske wasn't some starry-eyed fan.
Lance's gaze was, unexpectedly, infuriating.
"That's my question, Giovanni—Gym Leader of Viridian City, the so-called 'Master of Earth,' and leader of Team Rocket."
Lance's eyes flicked to Ryuuske, as if expecting a reaction. But Ryuuske's expression didn't waver. He merely watched, like an audience member at a play.
"Hmph. So my plan failed. No matter—I've had plenty of successes to balance out the failures."
Giovanni glanced at Ryuuske, curiosity flashing in his eyes.
"...Judging by your lack of surprise, you already knew my identity."
Ryuuske said nothing.
Giovanni's lips thinned. He had always operated in the shadows—even within Team Rocket, few knew his true face. For Lance to uncover him was one thing, but a fifteen-year-old?
Instantly, Ryuuske's threat level in Giovanni's mind skyrocketed.
No chance like this will come again. I should have brought Sabrina—only her psychic abilities could counter Mewtwo's Teleport.
Giovanni exhaled. He was a man who knew when to cut his losses.
Without another word, he turned to leave—but not before taking two deliberate steps toward Ryuuske. Under the boy's wary gaze, Giovanni reached into his pocket and tossed him a small, thumb-sized stone.
"...Consider this a parting gift. The 'Everlasting Moon Stone.'"
Ryuuske caught it. The stone bore a crescent mark, its surface shimmering with an ethereal glow. At first glance, it resembled a standard Moon Stone—but if Giovanni's words were true, this was something far rarer.
"Be careful with Lance. He's not as straightforward as he seems. The Elite Four? They've never bowed to the League's authority."
With that final whisper, Giovanni slid his hands into his pockets and strode away.
Only when he was a hundred meters distant did Lance finally speak again.
"...You think you can just walk away? Underestimate me at your peril. Aerodactyl—Hyper Beam!"
His voice dripped with arrogance—and something darker.
The Aerodactyl's maw split wide, a blinding surge of energy gathering between its fangs. Then—
BOOM.
A beam of pure destruction lanced across the landscape, its brilliance eclipsing the sun. The earth split beneath its path, carving a molten trench straight toward Giovanni. The resulting explosion shook the mountains, sending shockwaves that nearly knocked Ryuuske off his feet. Gabite shielded him from the debris as boulders rained down like meteors.
When the dust settled, Ryuuske lowered his arm, squinting through the haze.
The beam had erased part of the mountain.
But Giovanni wasn't dead.
Standing unharmed in the blast's path was a colossal Golem, its body gleaming like diamond.
"Harden."
Giovanni had blocked Lance's apocalyptic Hyper Beam with a basic defensive move.
"This isn't the time for battle, Lance..."
With one last glance at Ryuuske and Lance, Giovanni raised a hand—and a sandstorm swallowed him whole. When the winds died down, he was gone.
Now, only Ryuuske and Lance remained.
Their eyes met.
The strongest versus the strongest.
To be continued…
Guys, please donate your power stones :(