I am Giovanni

Chapter 65: Dog Eat Dog World

After a brief rest, Giovanni spoke to his three Pokémon. "Let's go. We'll deal with the Meowth later. Let's finish the mission first. We're short one Raticate, and we still need a dozen or so other Pokémon."

Beedrill and the others nodded and continued to lead the way.

It seemed Giovanni had been right; they had come out a little late, and all the nearby Pokémon had already been caught by other teams. After circling the area twice, they only found two lone Pidgey. He had Beedrill knock them out and capture them easily. Other than that, they saw nothing. Not even a single Weedle or Caterpie.

In this situation, they could only risk going deeper into the forest, where Pokémon from level 20 to 30 roamed. That was fine. With Beedrill's strength, a level 30 Pokémon was a manageable fight. Below level 30, it was unrivaled. As long as it wasn't a whole group of high-level Pokémon, they would be fine.

After wandering for some time, besides Pokémon, Giovanni finally encountered other members of Team Rocket. They were like Karl's group, working in pairs. They both wore Slowpoke-themed masks.

At this moment, they were chasing two adorable Pichu. Interestingly, the two Pichu, with nowhere else to go, ran directly in Giovanni's direction. By the time they saw him and his Beedrill, it was already too late. Beedrill and Machop were not polite; they moved instantly, stunning the two Pichu.

The two official Team Rocket members, seeing Giovanni alone, immediately shouted, "Hey! Those are our prey!"

Giovanni calmly glanced at them, then took out two Poké Balls and threw them, successfully capturing the unconscious Pichu. He picked up the Poké Balls, showing no fear as he met the grunts' gazes, which had clearly changed under their masks.

"Prey?" he said, not giving an inch. "Once they're in front of me, they're mine. Besides, I've already caught them."

The two grunts heard his arrogant remark and glanced at the Poké Balls hanging from his waist. They exchanged a look, their eyes filled with greed and killing intent. "You're courting death!" one of them roared.

Giovanni glanced at their Pokémon: several Raticate, several Zubat, and several Mankey. A typical grunt-level team. He gently waved his hand.

Buzz!

Beedrill's wings vibrated, its insectoid eyes glowing even redder, the freshly congealed blood on its stingers making it look chilling. The Nidorino took a step forward, sharp teeth glinting. The Machop exerted a slight force, its muscles bulging.

"Since you two said that," Giovanni said, his eyes narrowing, a faint killing intent flowing from him, "can I assume you're attacking me? And that I can defend myself?"

The two grunts clearly didn't expect him to be so tough. They had him outnumbered, yet he showed no fear. Their faces instantly darkened, ready for battle.

"Hmph, don't think we're afraid of you! Go, Raticate, Mankey! Tear them apart for me!" one of them shouted fiercely. Several Raticate and Mankey bared their fangs and lunged at Giovanni's team. Within a dark organization like Team Rocket, infighting was common. As long as there was a conflict of interest, there would be slaughter.

"Go," Giovanni said, a cold smile on his lips. "Fury Cutter."

Beedrill became a yellow lightning bolt, instantly darting among the charging Raticate. Its twin stingers moved, unleashing a devastating Fury Cutter. The sounds of ripping flesh and pained screams filled the air as blood spattered.

"Nidorino, Poison Sting," Giovanni clapped lightly. His Pokémon opened its mouth, and a volley of sharp needles shot towards the swarm of Zubat. The bat-like Pokémon shrieked, scattering to avoid them, but many were still hit, their wings pierced, and lost their ability to fly. Though the poison wouldn't be very effective, the physical damage was more than enough.

"Machop, Low Kick!" Giovanni's voice rang out again. The Machop roared, its strong body suddenly leaping forward, powerfully kicking away a charging Mankey. The poor Pokémon crashed into a tree, a crisp crack sounding from its back.

"This... how is this possible?!" one of the grunts widened his eyes, looking at the scene in disbelief. He hadn't expected Giovanni, with just three Pokémon, to be slaughtering them so easily.

He looked so much younger than them. Wait... a Beedrill? A Nidorino? He suddenly remembered the three candidates for the successor position. Didn't one of them have an incredibly strong Beedrill?

"It's you!" they shouted in shock.

Giovanni didn't care if they had guessed his identity. To him, it was all the same. His gaze grew colder. He knew that for an organization like Team Rocket, any sign of weakness could lead to unpredictable, fatal consequences.

"Since you've chosen this path," his voice was low and powerful, "you must be prepared to pay the price." He gently waved his hand, signaling his Pokémon to continue their attack.

"Wait!" the two grunts hurriedly begged for mercy. "We surrender! We give up!"

Nidorino and Machop paused when they heard this. Beedrill, however, continued forward decisively. It understood its master best. Once an enmity was formed, not eliminating the threat would only lead to trouble in the future.

"Kill them," Giovanni said, his voice as icy and unchanging as ever.