The hallway outside had grown eerily quiet after a short while, and Giovanni, sitting in the office, naturally assumed that the child who had invaded had been taken care of by his subordinates.
"The people who came to rescue you have failed. Are you still unwilling to hand over the information? It's only a matter of time before we obtain it." Giovanni placed his cup down and addressed the elderly man seated at the president's desk.
This man was none other than Ryan Silver, the current president of Silph Co.
"Spare me your empty threats. I will never give you the information, Team Rocket!" Silver replied firmly, his voice steady as he gazed at the man who appeared to be Giovanni.
"And... do you really think you have much time left? No... since someone has broken in, the Alliance must already know what's happening here. It won't be long before the rescue team arrives," Silver added with conviction.
Giovanni's eyes darkened as he responded, "You might be right, but I assure you, before they arrive, I will make sure you leave this world permanently."
"Of course, I trust you on that... Petrel, one of Team Rocket's Four Generals," Silver stated calmly, causing a slight pause in the room.
"I thought my disguise was flawless..." 'Giovanni' stopped, a smirk forming as he turned his attention to Silver with interest. "When did you realize?"
"From the moment you first walked in," Silver said with a casual tone.
"Looks like I still have room for improvement," 'Giovanni' chuckled. With a flick of his hand, he pulled at the skin on his lower jaw, revealing a completely different face—leaner and sharper. He pressed a button on his waist, causing the fake body to split in two, revealing a much thinner figure underneath.
The man now standing before Silver had a striking appearance, with a purple mohawk, a thick, purple-dyed beard, and an overall lanky frame. But anyone familiar with him would never underestimate him.
He was Petrel, one of the Four Generals of Team Rocket and a master of disguise.
Suddenly, the door was flung open with a loud bang, drawing the attention of both men inside. Standing at the doorway was a young boy—Ash!
"No way..." Petrel's expression soured as he realized who had arrived. This boy was the one who had invaded their headquarters.
Silver, who didn't know Ash, quickly picked up on Petrel's reaction. Judging by the uniform Ash wore and the way Petrel looked at him, this young boy must be the rescuer who had broken into the Silph Co. building.
Despite Ash's young age, Silver was astonished. It wasn't easy for anyone to reach the eleventh floor of the building, especially with it being overrun by Team Rocket. This boy must have incredible strength.
"I can't believe you managed to defeat my men," Petrel said, standing up from the sofa with a dark look in his eyes.
"Intruder? No, to Silph Co., you're the ones who are the intruders, Team Rocket!" Ash declared firmly. Pikachu stood on his left shoulder, while Charmeleon and Wartortle flanked him on either side. The secretary stood nervously behind him.
Ash quickly scanned the room, noting that Giovanni wasn't present, and realized that the "Giovanni" from before had been Petrel in disguise. He knew Team Rocket was infamous for their impressive disguises, and seeing it firsthand was still a shock.
"That's right, hahaha..." Silver laughed loudly at Ash's words. It was ironic that the real invader was calling Team Rocket the intruders.
"Enough talk. Why waste words on a kid like you?" Petrel shook his head, his voice dismissive. He pulled a Poké Ball from his waist, his expression cold. "I'll finish you quickly and then have Archer come upstairs."
Silver immediately warned Ash, "Be careful, young man. He's Petrel, one of Team Rocket's Four Generals. His strength is not to be taken lightly!"
"One of Team Rocket's Four Generals..." Ash muttered as his eyes narrowed. His body tensed up as he prepared for battle, his gaze locked on Petrel.
The Four Generals were said to rival the Elite Four in power, and Ash knew that taking on someone of that caliber was a tall order. But he had three powerful Pokémon by his side—Pikachu, Charmeleon, and Pidgeotto.
"Crobat, take care of this kid," Petrel said dismissively. He had already assessed Ash's Pokémon and deemed them elite-level at best, far below his own.
A flash of white light burst forth from the spinning Poké Ball, revealing Crobat, a large bat-like Pokémon with four wings, sharp claws, and a menacing aura. Its yellow eyes gleamed with red pupils, and its presence filled the room with pressure.
**Crobat**
*Type:* Poison, Flying
*Species:* Bat Pokémon
*Ability:* Inner Focus; Hidden Ability: Infiltrator
*Strength:* Alliance Level
"A Crobat with Alliance-level strength..." Ash's eyes widened. Even though he had faced powerful Pokémon before, such as a gigantic Dragonite and a massive Tentacruel, he still felt a chill facing a Pokémon of this caliber.
Pikachu and Charmeleon braced themselves, but Wartortle struggled under the immense pressure. It was clear that Wartortle couldn't handle the power disparity, and Ash knew it wouldn't be able to perform at its full potential in this fight.
Without hesitation, Ash recalled Wartortle to its Poké Ball. There was no point in keeping it out against an Alliance-level opponent.
"Oh? You only recalled Wartortle... but I must admit, there's something different about that Pikachu and Charmeleon," Petrel remarked, noticing how Ash's other two Pokémon seemed less affected by Crobat's presence. His eyes flashed with curiosity, but only for a moment. "Not that it matters. Crobat, take them out."
With a wave of Petrel's hand, Crobat soared into the air, ready to strike. Ash, fully aware of the power he was up against, tightened his grip on Pikachu and Charmeleon's Poké Balls, knowing this was going to be the toughest battle yet.
"Here we go!"
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