I am Giovanni

Chapter 74: No Way Out

Time returned to the present.

"What should I do?!" Giovanni was drenched in sweat, his mind racing for a solution.

The crackling electrical energy from the pursuing Thunderbolt filled the air, causing a stinging pain all over his body. This was the first time he had felt so helpless.

The man behind him, Gale, was simply too strong. He could only pin his hopes on the Meowth, praying that there was an even stronger Pokémon deeper in the forest.

"Meowth!" he shouted to the cat fleeing beside him. "Is there anything in this forest stronger than that Magneton?"

The Meowth raised its head, a look of extreme conflict on its face. Giovanni knew it must be aware of such a Pokémon, but was reluctant to go there.

"This is not the time to hesitate!" Giovanni screamed, voice urgent. "If that guy catches up, we're finished."

The Meowth was still conflicted, but it knew there was no other way. "Meow!" it growled, then shook its head towards a new direction.

Hope flared in Giovanni's eyes. He immediately followed, frantically running in that direction.

"You sure can run," Gale sneered from behind. He waved his hand. "Magneton, use Discharge!"

The electrical energy on the Magneton's body boiled again. A blinding golden light flashed, and arcs of electricity instantly shot out, reaching Giovanni's back in the blink of an eye. The attack was aimed directly at him.

Clang!

Nidorino, catching the electric arc in its peripheral vision, rushed forward in a panic, knocking Giovanni to the ground. Though Giovanni fell heavily, he had avoided the fatal attack. A faint current brushed past him, leaving a charred, numb mark on his thigh. The pain almost made him faint.

Nidorino, however, was hit squarely by the current. It let out a scream, its body almost electrocuted into charcoal as intense pain swept through it. If not for the faint Ground-type energy already starting to generate within it, it might have died instantly— but its level was too low. It was knocked unconscious, its aura weak.

The wide range of the attack also affected Beedrill and Machop, injuring them as well.

"Nidorino!" Giovanni gritted his teeth and shouted, hurriedly recalling his partner. He struggled to get up, but the sharp pain in his thigh made him stumble again. Beedrill and Machop immediately stopped and turned back to support him.

The Meowth looked at him with conflicted eyes, then continued to flee without looking back.

Seeing this, a triumphant smile curled Gale's lips. He slowly stepped forward, his eyes full of disdain. "Hmph, I thought you could run further." He turned to his Magneton, preparing to give the final order.

"Wait," Giovanni said, struggling to his feet. "Before I die, can you clear up a confusion for me? Whose man are you?"

"Trying to buy time?" Gale sneered. "Don't bother. My master warned me to be careful with you, lest you play smart."

"Even if you don't say it," Giovanni smiled, "I can guess. The person behind you is Petrel, right?"

"Hmph," Gale waved his hand dismissively. "So what if you know? You're still going to die. Kill him, Magneton. I'm tired of his nonsense."

The electrical energy on the Magneton's body surged wildly, ready to send Giovanni and his Pokémon away with one final attack. Just then, a deafening roar came from the depths of the forest, so powerful it shook the surrounding trees— even Gale couldn't help but frown.

Immediately after, a robust, sleek-furred Persian emerged from the shadows. Its eyes were sharp, and a faint energy fluctuation surrounded its body. It was clearly extraordinary.

Beside it was the Meowth, who had returned. Now, it seemed to have found its support, holding its head high. And it was no wonder; this Persian was at the quasi-Elite Four level.

"A Persian?" Gale narrowed his eyes, clearly not expecting to encounter such a powerful wild Pokémon in Viridian Forest. "And at the quasi-Elite Four level?" His sneer deepened. "So what? It's still just a wild Pokémon!" He waved his hand, and several senior-level Pokémon were released. He still had some strength left.

Giovanni, however, wasn't surprised. A Meowth with that much potential, daring to roam the depths of the forest... it was clearly a child who had run away from home. This explained everything.

This Viridian Forest is truly mysterious. If there are quasi-Elite Four level Pokémon, are there Elite Four? Or even Champion level?

Facing the arrogant Gale, the Persian let out a disdainful growl, then shook its head at the Meowth. The smaller cat immediately jumped to the side, then beckoned to Giovanni and his team. Beedrill and Machop quickly helped their master over.

The Persian saw Giovanni, a human child, but also saw that the Meowth liked him, and that he carried a friendly aura from the forest. It did not attack him.

"Magneton, kill the boy first," Gale commanded, but the Persian easily blocked the attack. At this point, Gale completely believed Petrel's warning. He regretted talking to Giovanni for even a few extra sentences. He should have just killed him directly.

But it was too late. As the quasi-Elite Four level overlord of Viridian Forest, how could this Persian be as useless as Gale thought? It unfurled its body, rapidly approaching the Magneton, its eyes flashing with a cunning light.

It leaped fiercely, using Pay Day. Golden light condensed between its claws, and massive gold coins slammed heavily into the Magneton. The Magneton reacted quickly, releasing a powerful Zap Cannon to counterattack, but the attack ignored the current.

Bang!

The Magneton was sent flying.