(If anyone goes to CP, maybe you'll run into me, haha. If you see a guy with a dragon-girl cosplayer at his side, holding a camera—that's probably me.)

— Espeon!

The Psychic-type evolution of Eevee, a form most suited for this exact situation.

As Logan's body plummeted to within ten meters of the ground, his body suddenly trembled. All the inertia and reactive force from the fall vanished in an instant—neutralized completely by Espeon's psychic powers. With that force, Espeon halted Logan mid-air, letting him float to safety.

At that very moment, Espeon's twin forked tails twitched. As though it had foreseen Giovanni's next move, it immediately pulled Logan away with psychic force—just in time to evade a Dugtrio that shot up from the ground, jaws snapping where he had just been.

"Predicted my attack, huh…"

Giovanni wasn't angered by the failed strike. Instead, he spoke softly, almost amused.

Logan landed firmly, standing on solid ground at last. Only twenty meters separated him from Giovanni. Espeon stepped forward, positioning itself protectively in front of him.

"It's said Espeon can use the sensitivity of its fur and its forked tails to predict enemy thoughts and even the weather. They're fiercely loyal to Trainers they recognize, and when protecting their Trainer, their precognitive powers grow even sharper. Seems that old saying is pretty accurate."

Logan let out a small sigh. Giovanni's strength was indeed greater than he had expected. But still—seeing his Eevee evolve into Espeon brought him genuine joy.

Espeon gave a soft cry, "Bii~," almost as if it was answering him. But it never turned its head—its focus locked entirely on Giovanni.

Above them, Beedrill dove once more. But from the ruined ground below, Mewtwo suddenly erupted upward like a phantom, intercepting with a swirling psychic tornado. The storm of psychic energy collided with the rain pouring from the heavens, crashing head-on with Beedrill's furious dive.

"'Recover' may restore Mewtwo's wounds," Giovanni remarked coolly, "but that skill devours stamina and energy in huge amounts. Do you really think, in its current state—and the condition of your other Pokémon—you can defeat me?"

Logan smirked. "Well, I already took down one of yours, didn't I? That Golem of yours—it was one of your top-level Pokémon, wasn't it?"

Though Golem had removed itself with Explosion, the fact remained: it could no longer fight. A victory was a victory.

It was undeniable—Giovanni's calculations had been perfect. Sacrificing Golem nearly crushed Logan outright. Every counter, every possible move, Giovanni had predicted. If not for Eevee's sudden evolution into Espeon, Logan would have been reduced to a broken corpse.

"Luck is a part of strength, too. And yours is exceptional, Logan."

Giovanni stepped forward, hands in his pockets, a cruel smile curling at his lips.

"…But even so, this battle is already decided. You've chosen the wrong time. You should have hidden yourself—fled far from Kanto—until your wings had grown strong. Only then should you have faced me. Instead, you force a battle now."

Hearing this, Logan exhaled. He smiled faintly.

"Listening to you… I almost regret it. But it's too late now. The battle's begun—and I can only fight it through."

He lifted his gaze, eyes locked on Giovanni.

"…Sabrina's control over the three Legendary Birds, combined with your own power, Uncle Giovanni—you're terrifying. But I'm not standing here alone!"

As his voice fell, thick vines shot upward, wrapping around the talons of the three Legendary Birds in the sky. At the same time, searing flames streaked through the air, colliding with the bolts of lightning the birds unleashed. The clash of fire and thunder lit the horizon.

"Logan!"

Two voices rang from afar—Red and Blue. Logan's eyes flicked sideways. Both looked beaten down, Red's face streaked with blood. Their Pokémon weren't at full strength either—but at least they could share the burden.

"Lt. Surge and Koga failed, then…" Giovanni muttered, still unshaken. "No matter. From the very start, the true victory condition lay with Sabrina and me. Those brats are spent after their battles. Even together, they can't stand against Sabrina and the Birds. At best, they'll ease the pressure temporarily. But you—do you really believe you can defeat me?"

Giovanni's voice carried the weight of absolute calculation. Every move was accounted for, every outcome pre-written.

"To be honest," Logan admitted, "just that Beedrill alone is nearly impossible for me to handle."

He was brutally honest with himself.

"Legendary Pokémon are immensely powerful," Giovanni said, "but commanding them requires training and bonds. You've never trained Mewtwo properly—your body's condition never allowed it. It's no stronger than it was at birth. If it were trained, even if it couldn't defeat my Beedrill outright, it would at least fight evenly. Instead, it's being crushed."

His tone was calm, deliberate, almost like a teacher scolding a student.

"…You're right," Logan conceded, "if I'd trained Mewtwo, we wouldn't be struggling this way. But if I'm not mistaken, your body isn't in condition for prolonged, high-intensity combat either, is it?"

His eyes gleamed sharply. From the beginning, Giovanni had kept his movements small, tight—minimizing exertion. Not arrogance. Limitation.

"Hahahaha!" Giovanni threw back his head, laughing. "I've let slip more than I meant to… But you're right. My body can't endure long bouts of battle. But boy—your body is far worse than mine. Tell me—how much longer can yours endure? How long can Mewtwo last before you both collapse?"

His laughter rolled across the battlefield, savage and triumphant.

"It's been so long since I fought at full power. You've reignited the blood I once felt in my youth! As repayment—" His smile turned sharp as a blade. "—I'll kill you swiftly, without pain!"

Bending forward, Giovanni's presence hardened—like a hawk about to strike. His stance was unshakable, like a statue rooted into the earth. Not a single opening could be found.

Behind Logan, Garchomp landed heavily, Dragonair curling protectively around his side. Both were battered from Beedrill's earlier assault, but not defeated. Beedrill's true aim had been to crush Logan—not eliminate them outright.

The enemy lost Golem, and Beedrill's tied down with Mewtwo. That leaves at least four more… No…

Logan's mind raced. Six Pokémon is just the optimal command number. It doesn't mean Giovanni only carries six. He may have more…

His thoughts turned grim.

I can trust Garchomp to take one. Espeon and Dragonair together could bring down another. But no matter how I calculate… at best, I can only take two more. Even if his reserves are weaker than his main force, his sheer numbers are overwhelming.

It was a suffocating reality.

This was the difference between him and Giovanni—depth of resources, battlefield experience, the very weight of years. Logan had been in this world only ten months. That he had brought the Rocket Boss himself to this point was already an achievement worth pride.

After all, even across the entire world, there were only a handful at Giovanni's level.

But… if my prediction is right…

Logan's eyes narrowed. I should still have one last trump card. One final chance to turn this entire battle upside down.

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T/N:

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