Chapter 129: Daigo, Save Me! Sakaki's Beedrill!

【This is the true Mamon! This is…the complete me!】

Hearing Mamon's words, the expressions of the three of them—Daigo included—finally changed.

"Mamon! What you're doing is wrong!" Daigo said in a low, stern voice.

"If a person's destiny and ideals have to be entrusted to an evil organization, then they were wrong from the start."

Shirona objected as well.

She could not imagine how Mamon's mind had twisted into something like this.

"Mamon, you've always been you—the one and only you. You don't need to prove your existence to anyone at all!"

"That's just your naive little idea." Mamon sneered.

"Shirona, you still don't understand why Caitlin chose Team Rocket over coming back to you."

"Your life is perfect, but that doesn't mean everyone else's is the same."

Hearing this, Shirona's face went pale and ugly, her thoughts a tangled mess.

"I've humored you long enough. It's about time to end this."

Mamon glanced at the other side—Hijiri had already grievously wounded Regirock and Registeel, and would soon defeat Shinji.

As for Nimo, she was locked in an intense battle with Caitlin.

And as for Mikoli… well, at this moment he had transformed into a cheerleader, rooting Nimo on.

Teacher Daigo's performance remained as 'steady' as ever.

"Don't even think about it! Mamon, we will absolutely not let you leave today!" Daigo's gaze was firm—they had already come this far.

They would absolutely not give up!

"Mewtwo!"

Mamon called out to Armored Mewtwo, hands stuffed in his pockets.

A strange deep-purple light flashed in Armored Mewtwo's eyes, and the wind went still.

The next instant, two black tornadoes rose from flat ground, whipping up violent gales that surged toward the three of them.

Tornadoes of pure telekinetic wind!

"Aggron, Rock Tomb!"

The hurricane howled as Daigo hastily ordered Aggron.

Aggron roared, and sharp rocks condensed one after another, shooting toward the two telekinetic tornadoes.

Yet when Rock Tomb struck the tornadoes, it was swallowed up by them outright.

Damn it!!

Seeing this, Daigo's face darkened—was he really going to have to watch helplessly as Mamon swaggered away?

"Megahorn!"

A low voice rang out.

A yellow figure shot forward at high speed, stopping before the two tornadoes, and drove its twin stingers, gleaming white, viciously into them.

Bam!

Two sonic booms—and the tornadoes struck by Megahorn ground to a halt, then gradually crumbled and vanished.

Seeing this, both Daigo and Shirona froze, staring in shock at the yellow figure ahead.

Because it was a Beedrill! The final evolution of Weedle—Beedrill!

One of the most common wild Pokémon in any forest!

But just now, this utterly unremarkable Beedrill had actually shattered the two telekinetic tornadoes Armored Mewtwo had whipped up.

"Hm?"

Mamon, who had been walking toward Hijiri and Caitlin, turned his head, looking rather surprised at this Beedrill.

"This Beedrill…belongs to you, Gym Leader Sakaki?"

Shirona looked toward Sakaki, whose expression was dark and restrained—without a doubt, this was Sakaki's Pokémon.

"Ah~ this is my starter Pokémon. My apologies for the unsightly display." Sakaki said in a low voice.

No—not unsightly at all. Your Beedrill seems absurdly strong.

Daigo's eyelid twitched. He knew his mid-line mainstay Aggron's STAB Rock Tomb hadn't been able to affect those two telekinetic tornadoes.

But this Beedrill had broken them with a single Megahorn…the gap was plain to see.

This Beedrill was terrifyingly strong—without question!

"Mamon, I'm sorry. It was my oversight in the past—I failed to care for you." Sakaki said in a low voice.

"But your destiny should not be Team Rocket. I don't accept it! And also…"

And as Sakaki's words fell, the Beedrill shot downward like an arrow, swift as lightning.

So fast!

Shirona's eyes could barely track the Beedrill's figure—was this pure speed?

Bam!

Armored Mewtwo raised its arm, and a deep-purple telekinetic barrier flared to life—just in time for the Beedrill's Megahorn to drive into it. The naked eye could see the Beedrill's stingers slowly sinking into the barrier.

Armored Mewtwo's hand clenched in the air, and an invisible telekinetic force enveloped the Beedrill.

The Beedrill naturally sensed it, lashed its twin stingers heavily to tear apart the telekinetic force around it, then immediately retreated at high speed, keeping its distance from Armored Mewtwo.

So strong!!

The same thought rose in both Daigo's and Shirona's minds.

Trading blows with Armored Mewtwo without falling at a disadvantage—this Beedrill was far too strong!

"I knew it, my dear father. A man like you would still have a trump card hidden away."

Mamon's corners of the mouth curled high, his face seeming covered by a layer of shadow, looking very evil.

"And for your sake, I will even less let you leave from here."

Sakaki finally finished his second half of the sentence, his expression sorrowful yet heavy.

"Saying these things now is already too late." Mamon's smile, half mocking and half sarcastic, was very cold.

"And even if I want to leave, you cannot stop me."

The Armored Mewtwo raised its right arm, and Caitlin and Cynthia flew over from a distance at high speed.

Teacher Big Mi flew over at the same time.

Cynthia and Caitlin wore expressions of composure, after all, the battle on their side had been quite smooth.

"Mikuri!"

Seeing this, Steven's expression changed; how had Mikuri been captured again??

"Teacher Big Mi, let you experience high-altitude flight." Mamon spoke to Mikuri with a smiling face.

"Mamon! What do you want to do??" A bad premonition suddenly rose in Teacher Mikuri's heart.

Mamon said nothing, merely calling out to Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo."

The Armored Mewtwo swept its palm, and Teacher Mikuri instantly shot into the sky like a sharp arrow at high speed.

Wild wind slapped his face, and Teacher Mikuri's face instantly turned pale.

"Aaaaaah!! Steven save me! Steven save me!!!"

"Mikuri!!"

Teacher Steven watched his best friend turn into a tiny dot in the blink of an eye, his expression changing drastically.

"Beedrill!" Sakaki, without hesitation, ordered Beedrill to rush into the sky to rescue him.

"Then everyone, we had a very pleasant time today, see you next time."

Seeing this, Mamon waved goodbye to the three of Steven and to Nemo and Siebold who had run over.

"Mamon! Don't think about running!"

Steven, of course, was unwilling to let Mamon and the other two leave like this.

But Beedrill had already gone to catch Mikuri; among those present, no Pokémon could stop the Armored Mewtwo.

"You cannot stop it, no need to waste effort, Teacher Steven."

The Armored Mewtwo, carrying Mamon and the other two, took flight.

"Also, if you want to catch me, Teacher Steven, you still have to find a stronger lineup; I am very much looking forward to it."

As if bidding farewell to a dear friend, Mamon's smile was very warm.

The next moment, the Armored Mewtwo, carrying Mamon and the other two, instantly turned into points of light and vanished at the horizon, the speed very fast.

Steven and the others simply did not have time to stop them.

And just as the figures of the Armored Mewtwo and Mamon and the other two completely vanished, Beedrill descended from the sky.

In Beedrill's arms, Teacher Mikuri, held in a princess carry, had a pale face; just now had truly scared him to death.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

"Um... should we chase?"

Nemo hesitated for a moment, then timidly asked Steven and the others.

Her side had actually been quite smooth; she fought Caitlin to a standstill, but it seemed these seniors were not very smooth.

Senior Siebold was completely suppressed by Cynthia; the battle situations of Steven, Cynthia, and Senior Sakaki were also not good; as for Senior Mikuri... no need to mention it.

Nemo really did not expect that the six of them, all Champions, fighting three, could end up like this.

This Team Rocket is simply too strong, right?

Nemo finally understood why the Hoenn League requested reinforcements.

I heard Team Rocket originated from the Kanto region; good heavens, the Kanto League could actually keep suppressing such a Team Rocket?

"No need to chase; catching Mamon is very difficult."

Steven tiredly rubbed his brow, his tone also very low.

Without a doubt, this battle also made him understand Mamon even more.

"Truly shameful, I actually could not even take down an executive of an evil organization." Siebold spoke with immense shame.

"Senior Siebold need not blame yourself; Team Rocket's strength is powerful; although we did not successfully capture them this time."

"But at least we obtained more intelligence; we can prepare for the next operation."

Steven forced a smile to comfort Siebold.

They indeed failed greatly this time; deploying six Champions, this was six Champions! An unprecedented event.

But they actually did not catch even a single person; who could have expected this?

Roar~!

And just then, a roar came from the horizon.

Steven and the others looked up; a Charizard was flying over quickly.

The man on the Charizard also saw Steven and the others; his eyes lit up, and the Charizard landed.

"That is... Champion Leon?" Nemo was stunned, immediately recognizing the newcomer.

"Truly sorry, I arrived late; there was a small accident on the road."

Leon got off the Charizard and, embarrassed, scratched his head awkwardly.

He had flown over from Petalburg City, but strangely, although he was following the navigation, he still flew off course on the way.

If he had not happened to meet a Officer Jenny Young Lady just outside the suburbs of Rustboro City, he would not have made it in time.

"Where's Team Rocket?" Champion Leon looked around, at the various injured Pokémon beside Steven and the others.

Leon felt even more embarrassed; had the battle already ended?

Steven: "..."

Steven's face twitched as he forced out an awkward yet polite smile. Was this really the undefeated Champion of the Galar region?

He had truly learned something new...

"Team Rocket has already fled."

But since the other party had come to help, Steven sighed and replied.

Although he actually felt that even if Leon had arrived earlier, he probably could not have changed the outcome of the battle.

Unless Leon possessed an absurdly powerful ace comparable to Giovanni's Beedrill, facing a Mega Mewtwo Y, the number of opponents made little difference.

(End of Chapter)