Pokémon: Midnight Blue

The Eighth Badge: Part 5

I struggled for the color to return to my face as Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, emerged from the shadows. His face showed sinistry and his smirk shone with corruption.

“It’s been quite a while, Mister Phoenix,” Giovanni greeted me, “You seem to have grown as a trainer.” He then turned to Celso, and the smirk on his face turned into a look of utter disappointment, “You have done nothing but fail me lately, Celso. You failed to harness the power of the Ghost Pokémon at Lavender Tower, you failed to protect the hideout, you failed to guard Silph Co, and you’ve failed me now! I have given you nothing but the best resources and training. This is how you repay me?”

“Master!” Celso fell to his knees, as if pleading Giovanni for his life, “I beg you, give me one more chance! I will not fail you again! I am your best and most loyal servant. Please do not discharge me so rashly!”

“Loyalty!" Giovanni scoffed, "Your loyalty means nothing to me if you can't accomplish the tasks I've placed on you!"

"Master, you must understand!"

That’s enough! You’ve humiliated yourself and the entire Rocket organization far too much. There’s no need to disgrace yourself anymore. I’ll expect your immediate resignation.”

“No,” Celso was hyperventilating at this point, “Team Rocket is all I know. I can’t leave! Please!”

“Leave!” Giovanni roared. The shock from his outburst sent Celso stumbling back, and as a result, Celso fell off the platform and landed roughly on his back.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Giovanni turned back at me, slowly returning to his original arrogant state, “Now, what do you say we get on with this battle?”

“Let’s do it,” I responded, feeling a bit of remorse for Celso. It did not seem right to me that Giovanni was so harsh on him for losing a battle. After all, Giovanni had lost to me before.

“Three on three,” Giovanni explained the terms, “No items, no substitutions, and any Pokémon that is sent out cannot be switched until it faints.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Very well, then. I’ll begin with Dugtrio.”

“Go, Charizard!”

The two Pokémon stood there, eyeing each other. Charizard growled lowly. I knew it was not waiting for my command, it was simply waiting for Dugtrio to let its guard down so it could deliver an effective attack.

Giovanni smirked at the sight of my Charizard and demanded, “Dugtrio, Rock Slide.”

I panicked immediately, but Charizard had somehow already seen it coming. It flew up in the air and zigzagged about avoiding Dugtrio’s attack.

“Your Charizard is fast,” Giovanni observed, “but has it gotten any stronger since we last met?”

“It sure has,” I smirked, “Wanna see? Charizard! Use Solarbeam!”

Charizard started charging a beam of light in its mouth as it continued to avoid the continuous Rock Slide attacks. Finally, after what felt like a minute, it shot an explosion of light at the Dugtrio. The damage was critical, but to my surprise, it was not enough to take Dugtrio out. Charizard was equally as confused as I was, and the distraction caused it to be hit by one of the incoming rocks. Charizard seemed to be terribly injured, particularly in a wing, meaning it would no longer be able to fly.

“Dugtrio, use Earthquake now!” Giovanni laughed. The fact that Charizard could not fly meant that it was vulnerable to Ground-type moves. This could not end well.

“Charizard!” I cried, but my Flame Pokémon was already a step ahead. Charizard craned its neck down and blasted a Flamethrower attack at Dugtrio. A direct hit landed before the Mole Pokémon could execute its attack, and it was too much to bear. Dugtrio fainted.