I am Giovanni

Chapter 67: Takedown

The Machop leaped high, its palm striking at the Ursaring in mid-air. However, what seemed quite strong among the recruits' Pokémon was completely inadequate in front of this beast.

The Ursaring swatted with its massive, basin-like paw, sending the Machop flying with a single slap. The small Pokémon cried out in pain, spitting blood as its body fell to the side like a torn rag— but its effort had paid off; at the very least, it had altered the Ursaring's trajectory slightly.

Bang!

The enormous bear crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of smoke. It immediately raised its massive paw, aiming for Giovanni and his Nidorino. The Nidorino's eyes narrowed. It remembered this Ursaring; it was one of the group that had once driven its family away.

It had been bullied by these creatures since it was a hatchling. Yet, despite its fear, the Nidorino did not retreat. It was no longer the same timid creature, and it would not let any other Pokémon bully its new family.

"Nido!" it roared, shaking its head repeatedly and charging forward with a powerful Horn Attack. The continuous assault forced the Ursaring back a few steps, leaving several small wounds on its body— but that was all.

The Ursaring curled its lips in disdain, tightening its massive paw and bringing it down hard on the Nidorino with a vicious Slash. The immense force landed on the Nidorino's head, supposedly knocking it out. However, Nidorino toughed it out so Giovanni wouldn't feel sad!

Though its Poison Point ability injected venom into the Ursaring's paw, the massive bear barely noticed. It often raided Beedrill hives for honey and was accustomed to their potent venom. The Nidorino's poison was nothing to it.

In fact, the poison only served to activate its Guts ability, making its muscles tense and its body seem to swell with power. It grabbed the stunned Nidorino and sent it flying.

The Ursaring then turned its head to look at Giovanni. It detested humans; it had eaten more than its fair share of trainers and ordinary people who had wandered too deep into the forest. It opened its gaping maw, aiming for Giovanni's head, its yellow fangs dripping with a putrid liquid.

"Nido!" the Nidorino struggled, wanting to rush back, the urgency in its eyes genuine. After only a few months, its feelings for Giovanni had warmed considerably. They were not family, but they were something more.

Facing the Ursaring's attack, Giovanni's eyes remained calm as he fired his capture device, sending streams of white nets flying out. The Ursaring tore through them with its sharp claws, looking at the human with disdain. Is that all you have? Now, become my food!

"BZZZT!"

A huge and angry buzz sounded in its ears. Beedrill had arrived. It used its newly learned Assurance with full power. The Ursaring hastily raised its claws to block, but the sharp stinger embedded itself deep into its thick flesh, sending blood splattering. The stinger grated against bone, and the bear let out a painful roar, stumbling back.

"URSARING!"

Beedrill shook its stinger and hovered in front of Giovanni. Nidorino and Machop both struggled to their feet, also blocking their master, confronting the Ursaring as equals.

"The battle," Giovanni said, a slight smile on his lips, "has just begun." He waved his hand. "Focus Energy!" Beedrill's aura began to rise, condensing furiously. "Beedrill, use Venoshock! Nidorino, Machop, use Glare!"

Beedrill responded, a strong poisonous light gathering in its abdomen. It then released a purple-black torrent of venom, rushing straight towards the Ursaring's face. The bear tried to block with its claws, but the venom was too fierce, seeping through the gaps and eroding its face. Though tough-skinned, its eyes began to sting, and its movements faltered.

"Nidorino, now! Focus Energy, then Poison Sting!" Giovanni immediately ordered. The Nidorino closed its eyes, took a deep breath, and its own aura intensified. It then opened its mouth, and one poison needle after another struck Ursaring's fresh wounds. The combination of the two poisons made the Ursaring's roar even louder.

"Toxic Spikes!" Giovanni commanded next. The Nidorino quickly moved, scattering a layer of sharp, venomous caltrops on the ground, encircling the Ursaring. Enraged and uneasy, the bear swung its giant paw, using Slash to counterattack Beedrill.

"Don't go head-to-head with it!" Giovanni instructed. Beedrill pulled back, dodging the attack. The Ursaring didn't notice and stepped directly onto the Toxic Spikes. The sharp points pierced its foot, causing it immense pain. It shuffled its feet uneasily, only to step on several more.

Pain, coupled with anger, intensified its killing intent towards Giovanni. It roared, ignoring the severe pain, and charged. "Double-Edge!"

"Beedrill, Harden to strengthen your defense! Tough it out!" Giovanni had foreseen this last stand. His partner's body surface glowed with a hard sheen, as if it had donned invisible armor.

BANG!

The Ursaring crashed heavily into Beedrill's body. Even with its defense prepared, the immense strength of the attack sent Beedrill flying. The Ursaring let out a roar of triumph.

"Machop, use Low Kick!" Giovanni seized the opportunity. Though severely injured, the Machop gritted its teeth, leaped up with all its might, and kicked fiercely at the Ursaring's lower body. Disoriented from the poison and the recoil of its own attack, the Ursaring lost its balance and was kicked to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

"Now! All-out attack!" Giovanni commanded. "Venoshock! Horn Attack! Revenge!"

Under his command, the three Pokémon surrounded the fallen Ursaring. Under their successive attacks, even the mighty bear could only meet its bitter end. With a final crash, the Ursaring fell to the ground, completely motionless.