Team Rocket’s Second-in-Command! [426]

There was no denying it—Giovanni’s tactics were flawless.

Advance. Withdraw. Separate.

Using Rhydon and Aggron, two heavily armored Pokémon, to suppress his opponents while Beedrill provided agile support wherever needed, he eliminated any possibility of unexpected setbacks. With overwhelming strength on his side, Giovanni steadily solidified his advantage, moving step by step toward victory.

For Jupiter and Mars, however, the situation was dire.

Rhydon and Aggron were already formidable—excessively so—but at least they still had a fighting chance against them.

But Beedrill? They had no counter to it whatsoever.

Its exceptional speed, devastating attack power, and sharp battlefield awareness… It was hard to imagine all these qualities concentrated in a Beedrill, a species commonly found in forests.

Who the hell is this Giovanni?

How did he train a Beedrill to this level?!

The Beedrill hovered over them like the sword of Damocles, forcing them into an unforgiving state of heightened vigilance. A single mistake—a moment’s hesitation—could mean instant defeat.

But as everyone knew, no one could maintain that level of concentration forever.

And often, the more you tried to avoid making mistakes, the more likely you were to make them.

At last, under the force of Aggron’s [Brick Break], Mars’s already-injured Purugly had no choice but to expose a slight opening in an attempt to evade the attack.

For just an instant, Mars thought she saw a glint flash through Beedrill’s crimson eyes.

Then her vision blurred—Beedrill vanished from Giovanni’s side.

The next moment, it reappeared directly in front of Purugly.

[Fell Stinger].

A flurry of strikes.

All Mars heard was Purugly’s agonized screech before it was sent flying.

This time, not even its layers of fat could cushion the blow…

With Purugly, Mars’s strongest Pokémon, down for the count, her already precarious situation turned utterly hopeless.

And just like that, her defeat triggered a chain reaction.

With Purugly eliminated, Aggron turned and joined Rhydon in attacking Skuntank.

Under their combined onslaught, the already large-bodied Skuntank suddenly seemed incredibly small—utterly helpless.

Meanwhile, Beedrill didn’t stay idle.

After taking down Purugly, it lunged toward Mars, who was reaching for her belt to release another Pokémon.

One of its needle-like stingers struck with precision, shattering the button on her Poké Ball before she could deploy it.

The other stinger? It was pressed against her throat—one slight movement, and it would pierce right through.

Mars had no choice but to raise her hands in surrender, humiliated.

Jupiter, who had never particularly liked Mars, silently cursed her for being so unreliable.

At the same time, she quickly scanned her surroundings for any possible escape route.

But everywhere she looked, she found only despair.

By now, there were barely any Galactic grunts still standing.

Under the combined assault of the League and Team Rocket, the already outnumbered Galactic forces had been nearly wiped out.

The few who remained were the exceptionally strong, barely holding on with the help of their Pokémon.

The rest? Either captured by the League or restrained by Team Rocket.

Her subordinates could barely protect themselves, let alone cover her retreat.

Her plan to use them as a distraction had completely fallen apart.

With no other options, Jupiter released all of her Pokémon at once, hoping to buy herself some time.

Maybe—just maybe—Team Rocket would gain the upper hand against the League, creating enough chaos for her to slip away.

To her credit, while she wasn’t particularly strong, her instincts were sharp.

She immediately recognized that, at this moment, Team Rocket was gaining the upper hand.

With Team Galactic eliminated, the only two factions left standing were the League and Team Rocket.

And the League was in serious trouble.

During their battle against Team Galactic, the League had already expended a significant portion of its fighting strength.

Now, facing Team Rocket—who not only outnumbered them but had also just entered the battlefield fresh—there was little they could do to resist.

With Team Galactic out of the picture, the battle’s true dynamics became apparent.

Luo Yuan’s Deoxys and Mewtwo were locked in a dead-even clash.

Lorelei was barely holding her ground against Truebird and Orm’s coordinated assault.

The League’s remaining trainers were being completely overpowered by Team Rocket.

If the League wanted any hope of turning the tide, their only option was Giovanni.

Lorelei’s emotions were complicated.

She had originally believed that eliminating Team Galactic would give her the upper hand against Giovanni.

But not only had she miscalculated strategically, but the League was also being crushed by Team Rocket in terms of raw strength.

Now, she had no choice but to rely on Giovanni to change the battlefield’s course.

This time… I lost.

And the most frustrating part?

She had made every decision herself.

At that moment, Lorelei finally abandoned any lingering thoughts of competing with Giovanni for the title of Kanto Champion.

And that was exactly what Luo Yuan and Giovanni wanted.

After all, why orchestrate such an elaborate scenario in the first place?

Taking down Team Galactic was just an added bonus—the real objective had always been to cement Giovanni’s position as Kanto’s Champion.

With Mars swiftly dealt with, Giovanni finally made his move.

“Rhydon, [Rock Tomb]!”

He gazed at the League trainers struggling against Team Rocket and issued the command.

Hearing his order, Rhydon immediately hoisted massive boulders and hurled them into the battlefield.

Carefully aiming to avoid his own forces, the rocks crashed down between Team Rocket and the League, dividing the battlefield in two.

It was time to put on a show.

The masked Rocket grunts loudly commanded their Pokémon to attack Rhydon—launching a series of flashy yet non-lethal strikes.

Rhydon, in turn, withstood these attacks and planted itself firmly in front of the League trainers—its towering figure shielding them from Team Rocket’s advance.

Moved by the sight, many of the League trainers felt a surge of hope.

As Rhydon took to the battlefield to “hold off Team Rocket,” Aggron joined the fray as well.

Clad in heavy armor, it barreled into Lorelei’s battle against Truebird and Orm.

It charged straight toward Cloyster, plucking it from a swarm of Shuckle before slamming a foot down onto the ground.

[Heavy Slam]!

The sheer force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling outward.

The surrounding Shuckle were flung in all directions, clearing the battlefield in an instant.

Seeing this, the previously embattled Lorelei exhaled deeply, her spirits lifting.

With Giovanni in the fight, her burden suddenly felt much lighter.

If she were to be completely honest…

At this moment, Lorelei felt an unshakable sense of admiration for Giovanni.

From a tactical standpoint, from an individual strength perspective—he was simply superior.

Before, she had lacked a deep understanding of him.

But now, she could clearly see—compared to her, Giovanni was the better choice for Champion.

—

T/N: gah its tough translating rhydon, since its so similar to tyranitar, but im starting to think its rhyperior? maybe not…

This is a fan translation of 我，火箭队二把手！ by 落唯 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!