“Due to recent business transaction breakdowns and Lance’s strict investigations, our Team Rocket’s private interest relationships with League executives have collapsed.”

“Now Lance is mobilizing League personnel to rush to Viridian City, obviously having discovered the truth that Viridian Gym is Team Rocket’s behind-the-scenes base.”

“What an unwise fellow. What a shame about this perfect base.”

After brief consideration of interests, Giovanni decided to abandon the current Viridian Gym, turning to instruct Domino to arrange for subordinates to prepare to evacuate Viridian Gym.

“Yes, Lord Giovanni!”

With that, Domino turned and left, instructing Team Rocket members hidden inside Viridian Gym to prepare for evacuation at any time.

Although it was somewhat regrettable, Giovanni wasn’t so desperate as to need to hold onto Viridian Gym as a base.

After all, Team Rocket had already obtained enough massive funds to invade various regions, so there was no need to continue disguising as the positive identity of Viridian City’s gym trainer.

Moreover, the Kanto League’s upper echelons still had Team Rocket infiltrators, so Giovanni wasn’t worried that Team Rocket would suffer setbacks due to losing Viridian Gym as a hidden base.

After all, interests weren’t something that could be easily abandoned.

Thinking this, a hidden passage slowly appeared before Giovanni, and he threw the Poké Ball in his hand.

The white light faded, revealing a three-headed Dugtrio.

“I’m counting on you, Dugtrio. Let those who dare to cause trouble at Viridian Gym experience your power!”

Meanwhile, on Red’s side:

A sudden explosion came from behind Red as Lance arrived riding his Dragonite with a ‘domineering’ entrance that shocked Red and many Pokémon.

Immediately, countless League members wearing uniforms with the “P” logo appeared, surrounding Viridian Gym entirely, intending to capture all Team Rocket members hidden inside Viridian Gym.

“Are you hurt, Red?” Lance asked with concern.

Initially, seeing Red’s weary expression and the injuries on his many Pokémon, Lance mistakenly thought Giovanni had been ruthless with Red.

“I’m fine, Lance. I just had a very ‘proper’ match with Giovanni and didn’t suffer any harm,” Red said calmly.

After Red’s brief explanation, Lance understood the general situation.

However, Red deliberately glossed over Mewtwo’s existence, not wanting Mewtwo to be overly exposed to others, only roughly explaining to Lance that Team Rocket possessed a powerful artificial legendary Pokémon.

Although Red guessed that Lance already knew of Mewtwo’s existence, he just didn’t know the detailed information.

“I see, no wonder Team Rocket mobilized personnel to raid Silph Co. that time. So Team Rocket was planning such a vicious scheme!”

Speaking of this, Lance couldn’t help but show a disappointed expression toward the League’s upper echelons.

Seeing Red’s slightly puzzled look, Lance didn’t hide the ‘truth’ from him.

“What I didn’t expect was that Giovanni, the strongest gym trainer in the Kanto region, was actually the mastermind behind Team Rocket. I never imagined the enemy the League had been fighting all along was hiding in the most obvious place: Viridian City!”

After speaking, Lance didn’t forget to secretly glance at Red’s expression, wanting to roughly understand Red’s current mood.

If Red showed disappointment or anger, Lance could understand, since he was being betrayed by the Pokémon League he had regarded as his faith.

Anyone who wasn’t thick-headed could hear the implication in Lance’s words. Giovanni’s true identity had long been exposed to the League’s upper echelons, but they chose not to break through the façade for the sake of one-sided benefits.

With the birth of the uncontrollable existence Mewtwo, it indirectly showed Team Rocket’s attitude: to devour the Pokémon League.

For their own power’s safety, the League’s upper echelons no longer concealed Giovanni’s true identity, instead ordering Lance to quickly go to Viridian City and capture Giovanni who wanted to leave.

Unfortunately, this was just wishful thinking from the League’s upper echelons. If Giovanni didn’t have the strength to suppress Mewtwo, Mewtwo would have destroyed Team Rocket first, rather than foolishly remaining under Team Rocket’s control.

However, initially Mewtwo was too naive, which led to it believing Giovanni’s lies.

When it first awakened in the island laboratory, due to the painful realization that it was merely an experimental product, the emotionally rampaging Mewtwo painfully destroyed the entire laboratory.

Before Mewtwo could contemplate the meaning of its existence in this world, Giovanni appeared before Mewtwo.

Giovanni, under the pretext of helping Mewtwo control its own power, made Mewtwo serve him. Through Mewtwo’s powerful psychic abilities, Giovanni captured many excellent-quality Pokémon for Team Rocket.

Through continuous training, Mewtwo finally realized it was just being used by Giovanni, treated as a tool by Team Rocket for capturing Pokémon.

Fortunately, Mewtwo was awakened during this battle with Red; otherwise, after destroying the restraining armor, it might have caused an unnecessary rampage.

For example, a true ‘Mewtwo Strikes Back.’

“I see.”

Red nodded with ‘seeming understanding,’ pretending to only now realize Giovanni’s true identity, showing a surprised expression.

Seeing Red didn’t show disappointment, Lance breathed a sigh of relief, since Lance had absolute high hopes for Red and was counting on Red to become a pillar of the Pokémon League in the future.

If this rare pillar, Red, became disappointed with the League now, Lance could easily imagine who could defend the Pokémon League’s honor when his own strength declined in the future.

“Big brother!” “Red, are you okay?!”

Just then, Ash and Gary emerged from among the League personnel, urgently coming to Red’s side, worried about Red’s safety.

Seeing Red’s initial team all showing weary expressions, Gary once again recognized the power of Mewtwo’s existence.

“So that mysterious Pokémon that left was so powerful,” Ash said worriedly, seeing the fatigue on Red’s face.

“Don’t worry, I won’t die that easily,” Red joked, telling Ash and Gary not to worry too much about him.

Just as everyone thought the incident was over, they discovered the floor ahead suddenly showing quicksand, and many League members standing on the front floor were forced into the quicksand, continuously letting out miserable screams.

Under Lance’s cautious gaze, Dugtrio’s figure appeared in the quicksand, contemptuously looking up at the Dragonite flying above.

“This is the Sand Trap ability?!” Red exclaimed in shock.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep