Chapter no.424 Stormy Showdown
Amidst the urban sprawl of Saffron City, Lucario found himself atop a skyscraper, soaked by relentless rain. He was glaring at a chocolate bar, struggling with the wrapper.
"Of all the battles," he grumbled, "it's a chocolate bar that's got me beat."
Just then, a dangerous aura tickled his senses.
In a swift motion, he whirled around, his fist charged with a swirling aura, and launched an Agile Style Focus Punch.
The air reverberated like a thunderclap as his punch zoomed towards an unexpected figure: Mewtwo.
Mewtwo, calm as ever, had conjured a psychic shield. The shield wobbled under Lucario's strike but didn't break. "Impressive for a mere mortal," Mewtwo remarked, his voice a mix of awe and sneer.
Lucario rolled his eyes. "Great, it's you."
Mewtwo, ever so haughty, replied, "Your human needed my help."
Looking towards the Silph Co. building, Lucario retorted, "You damn bastard."
Mewtwo, clearly irked, said, "I am talking to you, mortal."
"Sure, sure, Mr. Wanna-be-God," Lucario muttered, still wrestling with the chocolate.
"It's 'Supreme Deity' for you," Mewtwo corrected, unwrapping the chocolate with a mere thought.
Lucario's tail wagged as he bit into the chocolate. "Want some?"
Mewtwo scoffed. "Gods don't need such petty things."
Lucario shrugged.
"Guess you're missing out on the best parts of Life."
"Is it that good?" Mewtwo asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Shouldn't you know, Mr. Almighty?" Lucario teased.
"Just answer me," Mewtwo demanded.
"Try it, you'll see," Lucario offered a piece.
Mewtwo tried it, then immediately spat it out. "What is this piece of shit?"
Enraged, Lucario grabbed Mewtwo by the collar.
"Insult anything but my chocolate."
Mewtwo, his ego bruised, shot back, "I am a God. I'll do as I please."
Lucario's eyes flashed. "Never thought I'd get to punch a 'god.'"
"Go ahead," Mewtwo taunted.
Energy crackled between them, shaking the rooftop. Suddenly, an alarm blared. Lucario stopped, his energy fading. "Time to go."
Mewtwo sneered. "Running away?"
Lucario glanced back. "Wish I could show you the ground up close, but duty calls."
"I've defeated gods," Mewtwo boasted.
"Yeah, and I've survived some really bad diarrhoea. So what?" Lucario quipped.
Mewtwo's eyes narrowed.
"You mock me?"
Lucario feigned sadness. "Oh no, God's upset. Maybe your tears will help with the flooding down there."
"We'll finish this later," Mewtwo said, regaining his composure.
"Sure thing," Lucario replied casually, then holding up the chocolate wrapper, added, "But can you open this first?"
With a flick, Mewtwo unwrapped it. Lucario, grinning, took a bite. "See, you're useful after all."
....
Saffron City, once a bustling metropolis, had transformed into a stage for a titanic clash, thanks to a massive storm. Dark clouds loomed ominously, casting a shadow over the city, while relentless rain turned streets into mini rivers. Lightning crackled, briefly illuminating the city in an eerie glow before plunging it back into darkness. Thunder rumbled, drowning out the city's whispers.
On top of Silph Co. building, in the heart of the storm, stood two figures. Giovanni and Austin, drenched and defiant, faced each other, their standoff as intense as the storm itself. Suddenly, a psychic bubble popped up, giving them a break from the rain.
Then, Lucario and Mewtwo made their dramatic entrance. Giovanni turned to Mewtwo, looking puzzled and annoyed. "Why are you here?" he asked.
Mewtwo, cool as a cucumber, replied, "I don't answer to bugs."
Giovanni's temper flared. "I'm your partner, remember?"
Mewtwo glanced at him, his expression dripping with disdain. "Partner? More like a clown in my circus."
Giovanni, baffled and fuming, didn't know what to say.
Mewtwo, enjoying the moment, announced, "You two are going to fight. Winner gets to be my new pet."
Giovanni's jaw clenched. If only he had that Master Ball...
Lucario suddenly stepped back, drawing curious looks.
"What's up?" Mewtwo asked.
Lucario smirked. "Just keeping my distance from Mr. Creepy."
Mewtwo and Austin were confused, while Austin facepalmed at Lucario's antics.
Lucario continued, "You know, the kid's only 11, and you wanting him as a toy? Sketchy, don't you think?"
Mewtwo looked like he was about to explode with anger. Giovanni, recognizing Lucario, glared at Austin.
"You're the superhero from Celadon City," he said.
Lucario clapped his hands sarcastically. "Correct! Someone get this demented old man a prize."
Giovanni, not used to such disrespect, was thrown off by their confidence and casual attitude.
Giovanni gave a sly chuckle, eyeing Austin more closely. "You know," he started, "you're a carbon copy of your dad, Red. Anyone could tell. And here I am, facing Red's kid as my rival."
He paused, then added with a hint of drama, "I was spooked for a bit, scared Red would come after me. So, I steered clear of anything too bold, like messing with his wife and your mom, Delia. Lovely lady, by the way." His voice oozed fake sympathy as he said, "Too bad she's gone."
Giovanni squinted at Austin's cool reaction. "Wow, cold kid, not even fazed by his mom's fate?" he exclaimed, though he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off, especially as Austin whipped out his Poké Ball.
"Rematch time, huh?" Giovanni said, with a touch of theatrical flair. "Kinda poetic, don't you think? Your dad saved Kanto from Team Cypher, and now you're here to take on Team Rocket. It's like fate's got a weird sense of humor."
As Giovanni's words floated in the air, heavy with mock sentiment, Lucario and Mewtwo stood to the sides as referees.
Austin drew in a deep breath, steadying his nerves. "Okay, Austin. Concentrate. You've got a country to rescue, a bad guy to beat, and a couple of surprises to handle. No big deal, right? Just the usual for a hero."
While the storm continued its fury, Giovanni threw a Poké Ball into the heart of the chaos. Out came a Cloyster, its tough shell glinting intermittently in the flickering light, with raindrops sliding off its surface.
Austin, unbothered by Giovanni's action, let out his Scizor. This Scizor was unique; its metal body reflected the lightning's random flashes, casting a strange shadow. The Scizor's eyes shone with fierce bloodlust, and it was surrounded by a strange, almost machine-like aura. It seemed as if the Scizor had gone beyond its natural form.
The influence of the Rare Candy was clear. The Scizor looked stronger, its body more muscular and slightly mechanical in appearance. Its movements, though more rigid, were incredibly precise. The aura around it glowed a deep, fiery red, like a cloak of blazing fire. As the Scizor bled from the stress and the force of its enhanced state, the aura appeared to evaporate the blood, giving it a chilling, unearthly look.
The Scizor, transformed by the Rare Candy, stood as proof of the extremes Austin had reached in his journey, pushing his Pokémon beyond its natural limits for sheer, increased strength.
With lightning speed, Scizor launched forward, its Bullet Punch cutting through the air with such velocity that it not only broke the sound barrier but also created a cascading effect akin to a cavitation bubble. As its fist hurtled forward, the surrounding raindrops exploded outward in a radial burst, mimicking the extraordinary shockwave of a pistol shrimp's strike. This secondary wave of force amplified the attack, sending a ripple through the stormy atmosphere. Giovanni's eyes widened in sheer amazement; the speed and might of Scizor, now augmented by this rare and powerful phenomenon, were beyond anything he had ever witnessed.
But the attack just missed Cloyster, instead smashing its horn. Giovanni stared in horror as his Pokémon began to bleed heavily. The storm's darkness deepened, reflecting the grim turn of the battle.
With a voice barely above a whisper, Giovanni asked, "What have you done to your Pokémon, Ketchum?"
Austin kept his focus on the injured Cloyster, his tone icy and determined. "I've done what was necessary. We've all made our choices, Giovanni."
As lightning tore through the sky, Austin's tone turned menacing. "Now, show me the best you have to offer, give it your all, because I want you to know that there is nothing that can protect Team Rocket from me."
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[ Omake Paragraph ]
It has often been surmised that the reason Torchic are so rare today is because, unlike their relatives such as Natu and Starly, they are unable to fly. In reality, the opposite is true; Torchic's ancestors were easy prey for Hoenn's large flying-types such as Swellow and Pelipper, and large, vivid targets for the arrows of early Man, who drove them to the edge of extinction.
Yet mutation came to the rescue when a female Torchic was born who lacked large, ear-like wings and was therefore unable to fly. This Torchic hid in tall grass and fed on seeds, and learned that the pokemon which could find her there, such as Zigzagoon, did not regard her as prey. Forced to use her legs from a young age, she found that they did not atrophy but strengthen. When she evolved, she had arms instead of wings, and her legs had grown so strong that she became a fighting type and could jump high enough to kick birds out of the sky. Because of this, she was able to live a long life and lay many an egg, all of whom hatched into these flightless birds.
In time, she became the ancestor of modern Torchic, Combusken, and Blaziken, and the Latias-like creatures who once bore those names went the way of Armaldo and Cradily. These modern Torchic are not nearly as numerous as their prehistoric ancestors, and much harder to spot. Yet every now and then they can be found not only in the care of trainers, but also in the wilderness whenever tall grass ignites into a brushfire