I am Giovanni

Chapter 111: The Deserted Island

Buzz... Buzz...

The sound of Beedrill's wings vibrated over the sea in the early morning, as the rising sun painted the horizon in hues of red and gold, erasing the bloody slaughter of the night.

"Alright, we've arrived," Giovanni said to his exhausted partner, looking at the island within reach. "Come back and rest." He raised a Poké Ball and recalled the Beedrill. Though it was temporarily unable to battle, thankfully, the Persian and the others had recovered some of their strength overnight.

After swimming a short distance and reaching the shore, feeling solid ground beneath his feet again, Giovanni released his other Pokémon. The Persian, Nidorino, and Machoke immediately became alert, their master's safety now depending entirely on them.

The beach wasn't large— a pair of Kingler scuttled along the shoreline, unafraid, their powerful claws clicking against the sand. To be fair, the Pokémon on this island were strong; these two were both at the advanced level, which explained their brazenness.

Unfortunately for them, they encountered me. If Giovanni wanted to leave this island, he needed powerful swimmers. The low-level Pokémon Archer's squad had caught were useless for a long sea journey. These two Kingler would do nicely.

"You two." he said to his Machoke and Nidorino. "Don't kill them. Just knock them out."

The two Pokémon simultaneously used Focus Energy. With their auras rising, they immediately charged. The two Kingler, unwilling to show weakness, met their assault. They first used Harden, their shells instantly becoming tougher.

Nidorino charged forward, striking one of the Kingler's eyes with a powerful Horn Attack, temporarily disorienting it. Seizing the opportunity, it immediately used Poison Sting, its sharp barbs accurately piercing the crevices in the Kingler's shell.

On the other side, Machoke was entangled with the other Kingler. It used Low Kick, causing its opponent to lose its balance and fall. Pressing its advantage, the Machoke countered with a powerful Revenge, striking the Kingler's armor with a dull thud.

The Kinglers were not to be outdone. The one battling Nidorino retaliated with Metal Claw, its sharp pincer cutting a silver arc through the air. Nidorino dodged, narrowly avoiding the attack. The other, knocked to the ground, lay there and used Water Gun, a powerful stream of water striking the Machoke and forcing it to temporarily retreat.

As if fueled by the battle, a surge of energy enveloped the Nidorino. A white light flashed across its body—it had broken through to level 30, officially reaching the advanced stage.

"Nido!" it roared, quickly gathering energy and unleashing a furious Horn Attack, a series of rapid strikes that overwhelmed its opponent. It then followed up with a Double Kick, completely finishing the fight.

On the other side, the other Kingler swung its pincer for a Crabhammer, but the Machoke suddenly closed in and, seizing the opportunity, used Seismic Toss.

Bang!

The Kingler was slammed headfirst into the sand. It struggled for a long time but couldn't get out, and finally passed out.

Giovanni nodded in satisfaction, then threw out two Poké Balls, capturing them. He casually praised his two partners. He then turned his head to look at the still empty sea horizon, frowning slightly.

It seemed the massive wave had separated him from Archer and the others. However, with their strength, survival should not be an issue. They had also heard Surge's words and would eventually rendezvous here.

But after the commotion last night, the journey to Vermilion City now seemed a world away. Worse, the supplies he had been carrying were lost to the sea, making his current situation tricky.

Giovanni was never one to sit idly by. He looked at the dense jungle on the island. There had to be abundant food sources inside. Listening to the cries of unknown Pokémon coming from within, he gently clenched his fist and pulled the dagger from his waist.

"Let's go," he nodded to his Pokémon.

With the power of Viridian's perception, he was able to safely traverse the forest. Persian, his strongest conscious Pokémon, stayed close, ensuring his safety, while Nidorino and Machoke stood on either side.

Crossing the short stretch of beach, he entered the jungle's cool shade. If this was the closest island, then it was likely that not only his own group would arrive here soon. Besides the wild Pokémon, he also had to guard against other humans.

Continuing further inside, the jungle suddenly opened up into a sun-dappled clearing. Here, untouched by human hands, trees were laden with Berries, each one plump and bursting with energy.

If Matisse and Surge knew about an island with such abundant resources, Giovanni wondered, why did they live such hard lives? He frowned slightly, a rough idea forming in his mind. Hm, there has to be a powerful guardian that kept them away.

He signaled to the Persian, telling it to use Swift to knock down a few Berries— Machoke ran over and quickly picked them up.

But just as Machoke caught the first Berry, Giovanni shouted, his voice sharp with alarm. "Machoke, jump! Below you!"

The Machoke immediately leaped. The ground beneath its feet began to churn.

The earth cracked and split, a line of destruction racing directly towards it.