In a moment, Red arrived inside Viridian Gym and immediately saw Giovanni situated on the second floor.

Giovanni spotted Red at first glance, choosing to selectively ignore Gary below, looking at Red with slight surprise, not understanding why Red, who had already obtained the green badge, would be bored enough to “visit” Viridian Gym.

‘Could this kid also be here for Mewtwo? It seems the League personnel will be arriving at Viridian Gym soon…’

“Don’t mind me, I just ‘happened’ to pass by here,” Red said leisurely, ignoring Giovanni’s slightly warning gaze.

“Red, you’re actually here too?” Gary said in surprise. Just as he was about to show off his ten League badges to Red, he saw the green badge Red held in his hand.

Comparing it to his own ten badges, Gary couldn’t help but lower his head dejectedly in silence, since most of his badges were from second-rate unofficial gyms. Although they equally qualified him to participate in the Indigo Conference, their value really couldn’t compare to the eight major gyms.

“Save the boring reminiscing for after the match, kid,” Giovanni said flatly, sitting in his chair and leisurely looking down at Gary below.

“I am Gary, the first… second of Pallet Town, and I formally challenge you to a gym battle!” Gary shouted. He had originally wanted to boast about his strength, but embarrassingly, with Red still present, Gary had to tactfully call himself second place.

“Quite spirited. I accept your challenge. I am Giovanni, the gym trainer of Viridian Gym,” Giovanni said flatly, leisurely stroking the Persian beside him.

Rather than a gym trainer, Giovanni at this moment looked more like a businessman in a suit and tie, which made Gary, as the challenger, very curious about Giovanni’s actual strength.

“Three Pokémon will be used, no time limit. The official match begins!”

The two guards who had previously guarded the gate walked to the center of the battle field, serving as referees for this match.

“Ding!”

The battle bell rang, and Gary immediately threw the Poké Ball in his hand.

“It’s up to you, Nidoking!”

“Go, Golem!”

Both Gary and Giovanni sent out their Pokémon to battle.

Giovanni lazily ordered Golem to use Tackle, and Gary also commanded Nidoking to use Tackle in retaliation.

Nidoking and Golem both used Tackle, competing with each other’s strength.

But something embarrassing happened. Golem was directly knocked back to the wall corner by the powerful Nidoking, fainting from the impact force in one hit.

‘That’s unexpectedly weak…’

Red looked at Giovanni with slight complaint. Even if he could send out Mewtwo to battle, he didn’t need to be this perfunctory, actually daring to send out these poorly trained Pokémon to fool people.

“Golem is unable to battle!” the referee announced.

To celebrate Gary’s victory in this round, the beautiful cheerleaders behind immediately shouted victory slogans.

“Quite impressive. Then use this one next,” Giovanni said with false praise, continuing to send out a Pokémon while completely ignoring Red’s disdainful gaze.

The white light faded, and a Kingler appeared before Nidoking.

After a brief exchange, realizing he couldn’t match Kingler in strength, Gary immediately switched Pokémon, sending out the speedy Arcanine, planning to implement hit-and-run tactics.

Sure enough, under Arcanine’s ramming and Flame Wheel offensive, Kingler’s stamina gradually gave out, finally falling to Arcanine’s full-power Fire Blast.

“Kingler is unable to battle!”

‘This is way too easy, isn’t it? Isn’t Viridian Gym supposed to be praised as the strongest Ground-type gym in the Kanto region?’

Gary looked puzzledly at the fallen Kingler. Gary wasn’t arrogant enough to think his strength was sufficient to crush all the strong opponents.

But the scene unfolding before him, combined with Giovanni’s deliberate flattery and occasional “approving” glances, made Gary’s heart involuntarily swell with inexplicable pride.

“Keep fighting, and you’re just wasting effort. I’ve already won!” Gary said smugly.

“Not necessarily!”

Giovanni slowly rose, arrogantly looking down at Gary below.

“I have absolute power. Now let me show you!”

After speaking, Giovanni didn’t forget to glance provocatively at Red, his eyes signaling whether Red dared to step forward and challenge.

Red helplessly chuckled at this, having figured out Giovanni’s little scheme.

It was nothing more than using the first two weak Pokémon to make the challenger overconfident, then using Mewtwo’s absolute strength to crush the challenger, tormenting their heart as a source of pleasure.

Of course, it was also partly due to Gary’s arrogant attitude and Red’s unexpected arrival here.

Giovanni was quite looking forward to Red’s reaction. If Red showed any fear of Mewtwo’s powerful strength, then Giovanni would no longer have any expectations for Red.

Because someone who would fear Mewtwo’s strength was not worthy of becoming his, Giovanni of the Earth’s, true opponent.

The iron door of the secret passage ahead opened, and Mewtwo, wearing restraining armor, made its grand entrance. The faintly emanating aura alone was enough to make the previously smug Gary tremble all over, fearfully swallowing saliva and instinctively taking a step back.

Mewtwo’s eyes turned blue, and its slightly released psychic power restricted Arcanine’s body, then controlled Arcanine, slamming it into the wall corner. The powerful impact force nearly knocked Arcanine unconscious.

Seeing this scene, Giovanni looked at Red with slight urgency, anticipating Red’s reaction.

“Good…”

Giovanni breathed a sigh of relief and showed a slight smile.

In Giovanni’s line of sight, Red’s face showed only calm, without the slightest panic or fear. Instead, his eyes gradually burned with the flames of battle intent, looking forward to the upcoming duel with Mewtwo.

‘Red of Pallet Town, indeed only you…’

Giovanni looked forward even more to his duel with Red, but the calmed Giovanni still suppressed his inner restlessness.

Because Red at this moment had not yet reached the true peak of his strength. To duel with Red in this state would be far too disappointing.

“Arcanine!”

Gary nervously turned to look at the fallen Arcanine, his eyes revealing fear.

“What… what is this thing?”

Gary urgently took out his Pokédex, wanting to analyze Mewtwo’s data.

“No data available. It’s a mysterious Pokémon!”

“No data!”

Gary looked at his Pokédex in shock, murmuring.

“This childish gym battle ends here, young man. Even if all your Pokémon attacked it together, you couldn’t defeat it!”

To prove Mewtwo’s powerful strength to Red, Giovanni slightly provoked Gary with words, having him send out his proud Pokémon, completely unconcerned about the upcoming situation of many against one.

“That’s not true!” Gary retorted, not allowing Giovanni to look down on his cherished companions like this.

“Want to try?” Giovanni said leisurely, his mouth curving up provocatively.

At this, Gary threw out Nidoking again. The fallen Arcanine also recovered at this moment, standing shoulder to shoulder with Nidoking, rushing toward Mewtwo with all their might.

“Let this young man experience what true fear is!” Giovanni said flatly.

Mewtwo’s eyes turned blue again, and with slightly released psychic power, it controlled the approaching Nidoking and Arcanine in mid-air, making them unable to move.

“Do you see, young man? This is true fear. Absolute, invincible power!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep