"Hmph, nothing to say now, right?"
Seeing Stephen remain silent, Lance beca even more convinced of his suspicion.
"Still trying to deceive ?"
"Ha~"
Stephen shrugged and forced a laugh. Forget it, forget it. Let the misunderstanding be a misunderstanding. After all, with my face covered, you wouldn't know my true identity anyway.
"Nothing to say but to laugh, huh?"
Lance's cold smile sharpened.
"Alright, think what you want."
Stephen waved dismissively, pointing at the unconscious Anders.
"In any case, I'm taking this wanted criminal away. Consider it a favor to you officer—solving a problem. Just pretend you didn't see , and let's all go our separate ways."
With that, Stephen began walking slowly toward Anders.
"Did I say you could?!"
Lance suddenly threw out a Poké Ball.
"Draaaa!"
A flash of white light revealed a Dragonite perched above Lance's head. Unlike most Dragonites with their warm, golden-retriever-like personalities, Lance's Dragonite mirrored its master's temperant. It perpetually looked as though the world owed it money.
Lance's disdain for Team Rocket was palpable. He had summoned his ace imdiately.
Puh-choo—!
Suddenly, Stephen flicked his right hand outward. Sothing shot from the wrist of his red glove, striking the unconscious Anders with precision.
"That is... String Shot!?"
Claire exclaid in shock.
Yes, it was indeed the basic move most Bug-type Pokémon could perform—String Shot. However, to Earthlings, it might evoke a certain friendly neighborhood superhero.
In the next second, Stephen tugged the thread, pulling Anders, seven or eight ters away, to his feet.
A web-shooter.
Inspired by Spider-Man's concept, this was Stephen's creation. By the way, the threads were bartered from Caterpies, Weedles, and other Bug Pokémon in a small forest outside Cianwood City.
The Beedrills?
No dice—they were cheapskates.
"Is this a new gadget from Team Rocket?"
Lance scoffed.
"How many Pokémon lives did you sacrifice to make this monstrosity?!"
His intense disdain stemd from one reason: Team Rocket's vile experints on Pokémon.
"Hey, hey~ don't lump in with those third-rate scientists! Sothing like this? Child's play for —"
"Dragon Dive!"
Lance roared, cutting off Stephen's explanation.
Whoosh!
A Dragon-type aura enveloped Dragonite, transforming it into a roaring force of destruction. The sheer power cracked the earth beneath it as it charged forward.
No wonder Lance was one of the Elite Four. Or perhaps, he'd already reached the level of a Champion.
"Co back, Umbreon. This isn't your match."
Stephen smiled slightly.
"Now, I'll leave it to you~"
Bang!
A Poké Ball inside Stephen's coat opened. In contrast to the chaos of Dragon Dive, the Pokémon that erged retained its white glow. With a flick of its arm, it used sharp stingers to pierce through Dragonite's aura, striking a critical point.
Thud!
Dragonite, charging like a speeding car, suddenly lost control as though it had hit a speed bump. It veered off course and crashed into a distant tree trunk.
"What!?"
Lance's face darkened.
Behind him, Claire finally saw the Pokémon Stephen had summoned.
"A... A Beedrill?!"
She was dumbfounded.
Could it be true?
A Beedrill, as common as weeds, had intercepted Lance's Dragonite?
"Were you trying to kill with that last attack?"
Stephen raised an eyebrow. Not that it surprised him—across ani, manga, and gas, Lance was always formidable. The ga version even had his Dragonite use Hyper Beam on Team Rocket. No half-asures here.
"Dragonite, are you alright?!"
Lance called out.
"Draaaaa..."
Dragonite groaned, shaking off its crash. The Beedrill had altered its attack trajectory, sparing it serious harm.
"That Beedrill... isn't ordinary," Lance muttered, staring at the masked boy.
When did Team Rocket gain such guy?
"I need to invent sothing lighter. This thing's too heavy."
Stephen tried lifting Anders but struggled.
This body can't handle my genius inventions.
"Beedrill, handle that Dodrio over there—just knock it out."
With transport secured, Stephen could manage Anders while Beedrill held off their pursuers.
"Who are you calling a Dodrio?!"
Lance's face twitched with rage.
"Whirlwind!"
Recognizing Beedrill's agility, Lance opted for a long-range strategy.
Buzz!
Buzz!
Buzz!
Beedrill's thin wings produced a high-pitched sound as it darted through the storm of wind.
"Whirlwind's accuracy is low without rain. It won't land in this environnt," Stephen remarked.
As if on cue, Beedrill accelerated further, using Agility.
"Dragon Claw!"
Lance switched tactics. Dragonite charged, its claws glowing with green energy, slashing toward Beedrill's face.
But at the last mont, Beedrill vanished, leaving only an afterimage.
"Draa?"
Dragonite faltered, sensing the danger behind it. Turning, it locked eyes with Beedrill's blood-red gaze and the deadly stinger dripping with venom.
The difference in speed was undeniable.
In the brief instant before Dragonite could react, Beedrill raised its venomous stinger, aiming directly for its throat.
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