Aoki listened intently to their conversation, his expression shifting to one of disbelief.
This family wasn't bold or ambitious—they were outright foolish.
It wasn't just one or two individuals with poor judgment; the entire family seemed devoid of rational thought.
Are they a family of Slowpoke or something?
Aoki didn't even know how to begin criticizing them.
With only a handful of weak Pokémon at their disposal, they actually believed they could challenge Giovanni?
Breaking through to Champion-level strength would, at best, place them at the lower end of Elite Four Trainers.
But what level was Giovanni at?
At the very least, he stood among the strongest Champions. What kind of delusional thinking led this family to believe they could oppose him?
No wonder Giovanni's father had abandoned this family.
They were all utterly incompetent.
It was a miracle they had survived this long.
And now they want to take over Team Rocket?
But one thing was clear: their mission wasn't just to obtain Moltres' genetic data—they aimed to capture the Legendary Pokémon entirely.
This was something Aoki could not allow.
The stronger this family became, the more problems they would create for him.
Brownis, the apparent leader of this operation, summoned his six strongest Pokémon.
Their combined presence was imposing, but Aoki wasn't impressed.
He activated his scanning system to assess their strength.
The most formidable among them was the Charizard Brownis had been riding.
Pokémon: Charizard (Cyan) ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novèlfire.net
Egg Moves: Belly Drum, Bite, Metal Claw, Air Slash
Basic Moves: Wing Attack, Flame Charge, Heat Wave, Dragon Claw, Shadow Claw, Air Slash, Scratch, Growl, Smokescreen, Dragon Rage, Leer, Fire Fang, Ember, Slash, Flamethrower, Fire Spin, Inferno
Learnt Moves: Fire Pledge, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Dragon Pulse, Iron Tail
TM Moves: Hold Back, Hyper Beam, Roost, Earthquake, Double Team, Overheat, Steel Wing, Swords Dance, Shadow Claw
Aoki's expression darkened as he analyzed the data.
Though he mocked this family's idiocy, he couldn't deny that Brownis was a competent Trainer.
Aside from the Charizard, the rest of Brownis' team—along with Rocks' six Pokémon—were all in their 60s, not yet reaching level 70.
This Charizard's moveset was also well-rounded. With support from the others, the combination of Belly Drum and Swords Dance could be devastating.
Now, with a total of twelve high-level Pokémon, Moltres was in serious danger.
Aoki remained hidden, observing the battle without intervening.
If it had just been Rocks, he might have acted—but with Brownis present, a direct confrontation was too risky.
He didn't know how long Moltres could hold out.
Though he didn't participate, he didn't leave either.
The battle raged on, the volcanic terrain shaking from the force of the clashes.
Moltres, now exhausted, had no escape.
Even if it fought valiantly, twelve strong Pokémon would eventually wear it down.
Moltres was breathing heavily, its body covered in wounds. It couldn't last much longer.
But as a Legendary Pokémon, its endurance was incredible.
Rocks had only two Pokémon left standing—the rest had fainted and been recalled.
Brownis still had all six of his Pokémon, but most were heavily injured.
Only his Charizard remained in decent condition.
The others had been buying time for it to strike.
Most of Moltres' injuries had been inflicted by the Charizard.
The battles on the distant Thunder Mountain and Iceberg had quieted—likely nearing their end.
Aoki remained patient, waiting for the perfect moment.
"Brother, this Moltres is incredible! But it's almost done for—soon, it'll be ours!" Rocks said, eyes gleaming with greed.
Brownis nodded, though his expression was tense.
The most dangerous moment was now—a cornered beast was unpredictable, let alone a Legendary one.
"Brother, the other battles are ending. Their forces must be weakened. Should we…?" Rocks made a slashing motion across his throat.
He was suggesting they eliminate Dark and Shadow and seize Zapdos and Articuno as well.
If Brownis captured Moltres, Rocks could take Articuno for himself.
The thought was exhilarating.
Brownis considered it.
Dark and Shadow were two of Giovanni's most trusted operatives. Eliminating them would weaken Team Rocket significantly.
"Focus on Moltres first. We'll deal with them if the opportunity arises."
Right now, Moltres was the priority.
"Got it!" Rocks grinned.
"Charizard! Swords Dance, then—Belly Drum!" Brownis commanded.
The Charizard roared, flames erupting from its maw.
It was moments away from victory.
Aoki's grip tightened around his Poké Balls.
This was the moment—when their guard was lowest, when they thought they'd won.
"Charizard! Hyper Beam!"
The remaining Pokémon corralled Moltres, preventing escape as Charizard charged its final attack.
"Gengar! Take out Rocks' remaining Pokémon!"
"Honchkrow! Drapion, Weavile, Altaria—save Moltres!"
"Mismagius! Confuse Ray—help Gengar disable Rocks' team!"
Six Poké Balls flew through the air, releasing Aoki's team in a flash of light.
"Who's there?!" Brownis shouted, whirling around.
Altaria and Honchkrow shot forward at blinding speed.
Honchkrow scattered the surrounding Pokémon with Dark Pulse, while Altaria grabbed Moltres and yanked it out of Hyper Beam's path.
Drapion lunged in, blades gleaming, blocking any pursuers.
Meanwhile, Mismagius' Confuse Ray ensnared Rocks' last two Pokémon—already weakened, they stood no chance.
Gengar phased through the ground, reappearing in front of Rocks with a sinister grin.
The ambush was flawless.