I am Giovanni

Chapter 49: The Hunter Hunted

The three grunts Mondo had left behind had no idea what was happening on the other side of the stampede. Seeing the Tauros herd halt its charge, they assumed their captain had succeeded. They immediately commanded their Pokémon to attack the herd's flank, tossing Poké Balls wildly in an attempt to capture as many as they could. They were dedicated, even if foolish.

Without their leader's guidance, the Tauros on the flank were confused and began to stir restlessly. If this had been a normal operation, Mondo would have had his Gloom use Sleep Powder on the Tauros leader first, allowing them to pick off a few before retreating. The mission would have been simple— but now, it was a chaotic mess.

Their attack on the herd also made them an easy target for the ranger who had just arrived on the scene.

"Poachers!" he reprimanded them loudly. "In the Safari Zone! You have courage, I'll give you that. But are you not afraid of the League's judgment?"

One of the grunts saw through simple camouflage gear and scoffed. "A single Ranger? Grimer, deal with him."

A Grimer began to ooze slowly towards Baoba, the ranger, but he simply pointed at it. "Slowpoke, use Disable. Then, Water Pulse."

A clumsy, adorable head emerged from behind Baoba. Its "wise" eyes looked at the Grimer, and it let out a sleepy "Sloooow..." Its eyes glowed blue, and a wave of psychic energy washed over the Grimer, freezing it in place. The Slowpoke then opened its mouth and spat a shimmering blue orb of water, which struck the Grimer with concussive force, blasting it apart.

"Now," Baoba said, pointing at the stunned poachers. "Take them down."

If it were just his high-level Slowpoke, the three grunts might have been able to escape— but as Baoba spoke, they turned and saw that the Tauros leader had awakened. Its bull eyes were bloodshot, and a faint purple tinge around its mouth from the poison barb Mondo had given it made it even more furious.

Seeing its fallen herd members, it let out a deafening roar. As a Ranger, Baoba had watched this Tauros grow from a calf. The Pokémon of the Safari Zone would not harm him, and he could temporarily command their respect.

The three unlucky grunts looked around in confusion, realizing their captain was gone. "We're finished..." one of them whimpered.

The enraged Tauros herd charged. Even Baoba couldn't stop them now. Their only fate was to be trampled into meat paste.

Baoba sighed helplessly. The Slowpoke behind him tugged at his clothes and pointed in the direction Giovanni and the others had fled. "Still more of them there?" Baoba asked, rubbing his chubby face. The Slowpoke nodded.

Baoba looked up at the Pidgeot still circling in the sky. It was carrying his message to Fuchsia City. "They're heading towards Fuchsia? They'll have to pray for themselves, then."

— — —

Mondo's pursuit was relentless. Giovanni and Archer were fleeing haphazardly, and by sheer chance, they were indeed heading straight for Fuchsia City. Giovanni's power of Viridian made him sensitive to the energy of other living things. After fleeing for a while, he sensed a powerful presence approaching rapidly from directly ahead.

He frowned and asked Archer, "Something's not right. What's in that direction?"

"It's Fuchsia City!" Archer replied, his face pale.

Giovanni instantly realized who the newcomer must be. "Oh no... it must be the Fuchsia City Gym Leader!"

Team Rocket was not yet a full-fledged evil organization. Poaching would lead to arrest, not summary execution. "It's fine," Giovanni said, his mind racing. "Even if we get caught, we won't be killed."

"But if we fail the mission, won't the Boss kill us?" Archer worried.

"No," Giovanni shook his head. "That stage of the selection is over."

"So, we just surrender?"

"Not so fast," Giovanni said thoughtfully. "Let Mondo draw his fire. Compared to us, he's the bigger, noisier target, right?" Archer listened to Mondo's shouted threats from behind and nodded in agreement.

Giovanni judged the distance. When it was just right, he and Archer descended from the sky, landing hard on the ground.

Mondo, seeing them land, thought they were making a final stand. "What? Giving up? Do you even have the strength left to fight?"

Giovanni turned his head and grinned. "We don't— but someone else does."

At that moment, the dark clouds parted, revealing the bright moon. A figure descended from the sky, a massive Crobat gliding silently beside him. Upon spotting the three below, the man released his grip on the Crobat, his body spinning in mid-air before he landed gently on the ground. The Crobat above them flapped its wings, and streams of Air Cutter sliced down.

The attack was precise. Most of the aerial blades shot towards Mondo and his Pokémon, while only a few stray shots headed for Giovanni and Archer. Mondo was caught off guard, but his Pokémon reacted quickly, unleashing their own moves to block the attack.

Archer, who was already prepared, shouted to his Arbok and Golbat. "Protect!"

The two Pokémon shielded Giovanni and Archer, their bodies glowing as an emerald energy shield formed around them.

BANG!

But the power of a Gym Leader's ace was absolute. The emerald barrier shattered like glass. Though Arbok and Golbat were not knocked out, they were sent flying, their bodies battered. They were no match.

The strength of a true Gym Leader was on a completely different level.