Pokemon: Resurgence Chapter 20

Hi all,

Here’s the next chapter. It focuses heavily on Pokemon battles.

Chapter 20

Giovanni's sharp gaze bore into Lucas, and the noise of the bustling crowd seemed to fade away, swallowed by the palpable tension that hung in the air between them. The presence of others served only as a thin veil, separating him from an underlying danger that seemed to emanate directly from Giovanni himself.

"My name is Lucas," he said, introducing himself. "It is an honour to meet the Viridian City gym leader."

Giovanni's mouth curled. “Lucas. I'll remember your name. I have a feeling that you'll leave a significant impact on the world someday.”

Lucas did not need to attract the attention of a major crime boss. He didn’t even know if Giovanni recognised him. Because of the size of Team Rocket, it was possible that the order to capture him did not even come from Giovanni.

"Are you kidding me? I am just an aspiring Pokemon breeder looking for a way to make a living."

"My instincts tell me otherwise, and they are almost never wrong." Giovanni's attention was drawn to the two children who stood behind Lucas. He was particularly interested in Ash. "Excuse me, young man. You remind me of a former acquaintance. Could you please tell me your name?"

Lucas frowned and placed a protective hand on Ash's shoulder. Giovanni noticed the gesture but made no comment on it.

"My name is Ash Ketchum," the boy announced. "Could I get your autograph?"

Giovanni's jaw tensed slightly, catching Lucas's attention. What could Ash have said to elicit such a reaction from Giovanni?

Giovanni forced a smile as he reached inside for a business card with his signature and handed it to the boy. "Delia Ketchum is your mother?"

Ash regarded him with interest. “That’s right. How do you know my mum?”

Giovanni kneeled down to look Ash in the eyes. "I had the privilege of serving alongside your father in the army. I was his commanding officer."

“Really?” Ash exclaimed. "Would you mind telling me some stories about him?"

"I do not have time right now, but you can come to my gym whenever you want and I will tell you some stories."

Ash nodded, a grin spreading across his face.

"Hello, Miss Waterflower," Giovanni said to Misty. "I did not know you were in town."

Misty scowled at Giovanni. "Isn’t it your responsibility to keep the people of this city safe?"

“Of course.”

"Did you know that members of Team Rocket were attacking people in their homes? We would have died if it had not been for the help of a passing Pokemon."

Lucas was surprised because he did not know Misty knew about Salem, who had saved them.

Giovanni's gaze shifted to Lucas, his face displaying a fierce expression. "Is this true?"

Lucas nodded cautiously. "Although I was not present, the police later revealed the details to me. One assailant died at the scene."

Giovanni stood up with a scowl on his face. "Please excuse me, but I have a prior engagement and need to get going. It was a pleasure meeting you."

Lucas watched as Giovanni departed the building, his mind preoccupied with the unsettling encounter they had just shared. He suspected the man knew who he was and the order to capture him, but not the specific details. Giovanni seemed taken aback because the Ketchums were also in danger.

He looked down at the kids. "Let us go to the counter and sign up for the battle arena."

When the attendant at the counter discovered they were new to the arena, she explained the various aspects of the arena.

"We match the contestants against others based on their ranking, Pokemon level, and win record," she explained. "You have the option of placing a bet against your opponent on the outcome of the match. At the lowest rank, you can only bet up to a thousand Pokedollars. As compensation for its services, the arena will receive 10% of the bet. In addition, you earn points by winning matches, which allows you to earn valuable prizes.”

“Can I bet on other matches?” Lucas asked.

The attendant shook her head. "There was once a way for the audience to bet on match outcomes, but they prohibited it because of multiple match-fixing scandals."

She pointed to a storefront to the left of the counter. "You can use your points to purchase items from the Arena Shop. There are some amazing items available that are regularly restocked.”

“Is the number of points you get always the same?" Lucas asked.

“No, the number of points you earn is determined by two factors. The first consideration is your ranking. Initially, winning a match earns you only one point. The most efficient way to accumulate points is to win multiple battles in a row and earn bonus points. The longer your winning streak, the more bonus points you will receive."

"That does not sound like a straightforward task," Lucas observed with a raised eyebrow. "I imagine that the number of consecutive wins you have influences the difficulty of the opponents you face."

The attendant ignored his comment and continued explaining. "The stadium is divided into several arenas. Higher-ranking members compete in the largest arena because their matches are the most popular. You will fight in Arena One, the smallest arena.

"We need to scan the Pokemon you are using in the arena to determine their level. You must do this every time you return to the arena. Let us begin with your registration."

Lucas and Misty both registered for the battle arena. He did not register Meowth because the Pokemon were not interested in taking part. His level was much lower than the other two, so he would struggle to defeat the opponents Lucas would face.

The attendant gave him a card that contained information about him and his ranking.

==========

Battle Arena

Name: Lucas Walker

Sex: Male

Age: 18

Current Points: 0

Rank: Rookie Trainer

Next: [0/20]

Wins: --

Losses: --

Consecutive Wins: --

Win Percentage: --

Membership No: 5098097

==========

He needed to win twenty matches to advance to the next level, but there was a catch. If he lost five consecutive matches, the requirement would be reset to zero.

They were guided through the door and entered a small arena. In the middle of the arena, there were four stages allowing for four matches to take place simultaneously. These stages were simple and lacked any special terrain found in the higher ranks. There was a gallery that looked like it could hold a few hundred people, but it was currently only about a quarter full.

"I don't think I'm going to take part in any matches yet," Misty said. "I only have two Staryu right now. I'm going to catch some more water-type Pokemon first."

"That is fine," Lucas replied. "You can be my cheerleader in the audience."

“Yeah, we'll pray hard for your victory," Ash joked. "You're gonna need it."

“Brat.”

An attendant greeted them and took Lucas' card in order to find him an opponent. The wait time for a match-up can be as short as a minute or as long as several hours, depending on the individual's capabilities and the level of activity in the arena. The battle arena did not appear to be an efficient method of earning experience points.

While he waited, he opened his menu. To increase his chances, he was going to upgrade his battle commentator skill. He did not know what it would give him, but he needed all the help he could get. He spent three skill points and took out his guidebook discreetly to see what the upgraded skill gave him.

Lucas frowned as he read what he had given him. The second level of the battle commentator skill granted him the ability to keep track of every battle by recording a battle log in the guidebook. This log contains vital information about each battle. It would not help him in the upcoming fight, so perhaps it was not the best choice to spend his skill points on. At the very least, it may provide some useful information after the fact.

Lucas got his first opponent ten minutes later, and he proceeded to the stage. Ash and Misty climbed the stairs to the gallery to watch his match.

"Hey, what was it with that old dude back there?" Meowth spoke into his ear. "You appeared to be wary of him."

"Did you notice that? Well, I have my reasons to be wary of him."

“Well, spill the details, Meowth.”

“I believe he is the leader of Team Rocket.”

Meowth was so surprised that he almost tumbled off his shoulder.

His opponent was a young adolescent, around the age of twelve or thirteen. He burst out laughing when he saw Lucas walk onto the stage. “Isn't it weird that someone your age has the lowest rank?”

A few chuckles emerged from the crowd.

The kid's snide remarks did not bother Lucas. He sighed. "I guess I'm not very strong, so please take it easy on me."

The kid smirked. "Heh, no worries. I'll take it easy on you, old man."

Lucas shook his head. The kid was a complete moron.

The referee addressed the two contestants. "This will be a one-on-one battle with no substitutions, according to the rules of both trainer's ranks. Do you want to place a bet before we start?"

"I put up a thousand Pokedollars," his opponent replied with a laugh.

"I agree to the bet," Lucas said.

They handed the Pokedollars over to the referee.

The referee flipped a coin to see who would release the Pokemon first, and Lucas won. His opponent sent his Pokemon onto the stage. A level twenty-one Butterfree. Lucas scanned the Butterfree's parameters. Butterfree's strongest stats were special attack and special defence, with speed coming in a distant third. In terms of total stats, Icarus had a slight advantage. The Butterfree’s special ability was compound eyes, which increased the ability-bearer's accuracy by 30%.

Lucas frowned. That was the first time he had seen the accuracy stat. Although he knew it existed in the games, he did not expect it to apply in this world. He could look into it later.

He grabbed Icarus' pokeball and released him, who soared into the air with a powerful beat of his wings. Because the ceiling was approximately seventy feet high, Icarus would have to be cautious because he did not have as much freedom to manoeuvre as he would in the wild. They could have done it on purpose to prevent flying Pokemon from remaining out of range indefinitely.

There was an audible murmur from the crowd as they saw the size of Pidgeotto. His opponent lost his smirk and glared at Lucas.

Mr Mime, one of the arena's Pokemon, raised a barrier over the stage. When it was ready, the release dropped his flag to signal the start of the match.

[The match between Icarus and Butterfree has begun.]

“Whirlwind,” Lucas called.

With the beat of his wings, Icarus directed a powerful funnel of wind towards his opponent.

It was an attempt to win quickly by returning the Butterfree to its pokeball. He could only use the move once per match.

"What an amateur!" His opponent mocked him. “Why are you still using verbal commands?"

Butterfree successfully avoided the attack before unleashing its first move. It emitted normal-type energy from its body.

[Butterfree has used Harden.]

[Its defence has increased by one stage.]

Lucas frowned. He had not expected his opponent to fight without using verbal commands. Was this because of the bond?

"Close in and use Air Cutter."

Icarus flew closer and flapped his wings. A powerful blade of wind emerged, slicing through the air.

Butterfree didn’t have time to evade after using Harden. A transparent blue barrier appeared in front of the Pokemon. When the blade struck the barrier, it shattered. But it kept the move from hurting Butterfree.

Lucas made a decisive decision. He was at a disadvantage because he had to give his commands verbally. "Icarus, take command of the battle."

Icarus clacked his beak. He disappeared in a blur as he unleashed Quick Attack.

Butterfree was surprised by the attack and sent flying through the air.

[Butterfree’s condition has fallen.]

[Condition: Excellent 5/6]

Icarus continued his relentless attack, unleashing yet another Air Cutter.

Another barrier shielded Butterfree, preventing it from taking any more damage.

Icarus vanished once more, poised to deliver another Quick Attack strike.

Butterfree reacted faster this time and countered with its own move. Several white rings appeared in front of its body and shot at Icarus, emitting a loud metallic sound.

Supersonic.

Icarus did not have time to react. Icarus cried out as the rings struck him.

[Icarus has been inflicted with the confusion status ailment.]

“Icarus, snap out of it,” Lucas yelled.

Icarus disregarded his order. He launched a Quick Attack, blurring forward, except he was turned around and aimed at empty space.

Lucas facepalmed.

"Wow, that's so embarrassing," Meowth whispered.

At the very least, the manoeuvre had allowed Icarus to gain some distance. Butterfree released a long sticky thread from its mouth, but Icarus had already moved.

Icarus landed on the stage and began pecking at the ground as if foraging for food. The audience erupted in laughter at the sight.

"I am definitely going to tease Icarus about this, Meowth."

Butterfree flapped its wings and flew closer to the ground. It appeared to want to get closer so it could ensure an attack landed. A pinkish mass of energy materialised in front of the Butterfree and hurtled towards the ground.

Confusion.

Icarus abruptly stopped pecking at the ground and raised his head at the same time. He clacked his beak, his gaze narrowing at his adversary. Icarus performed a Gust, but he aimed at the ground in front of him. With perfect timing, a whirl of wind erupted from the ground and into the air. It served as a shield when it came into contact with the Confusion attack. When they collided, the air exploded, causing a blinding explosion.

Icarus took advantage of the distraction to return to the air. He fired another Air Cutter at the Butterfree, who could not react in time. The explosion had temporarily blinded its trainer.

Because Icarus was above the Butterfree, the attack knocked it to the ground and landed with a soft thump.

[A critical hit!]

[It’s super effective!]

[Butterfree’s condition has fallen.]

[Condition: Depleted 2/6]

Butterfree struggled to get to its feet, but a shadow fell over it. Icarus landed on the ground and used his claw to pin his opponent to the ground.

They both launched an attack at the same time.

Icarus unleashed Gust, while Butterfree expelled spores from its body. The wind whipped up from the ground, striking both Pokemon at once and scattering the spores before they could affect Icarus.

Both opponents were injured, but the damage done to the Butterfree ended the fight.

[Butterfree has fainted.]

[Lucas and Icarus receive twice the experience for defeating a trainer’s Pokemon.

[Lucas/Icarus: +800 experience.]

[Icarus: + 1 Luck]

He would have come much sooner if he had known battling trainers would give him twice the experience. Although he did not receive any pokedollars from the fight, this was irrelevant given that you could bet on pokedollars.

The referee raised his flag. “Pidgeotto has won the fight. Lucas Walker is the winner."

Icarus released the Butterfree and clacked his beak in satisfaction.

The crowd applauded politely.

"Awesome match!" Ash cheered. “Icarus, the chicken who ascended into the sky and became a dragon."

Icarus flapped his wings and let out an indignant chirp at the boy.

The two competitors met in the middle of the stage. Lucas extended his hand for a handshake, but the kid ignored him. Saying nothing, he recalled his Butterfree into his pokeball and left the stage.

Lucas shrugged. It wasn’t his problem that the kid was a sore loser. He turned to Icarus and scratched him under the chin. “You did amazing for your first trainer match. Although you were very undignified when pecking around like a chicken."

Icarus looked away, extremely offended.

Meowth opened his mouth to add to the teasing, but Lucas covered his mouth. He did not want to risk others overhearing Meowth talking.

He took a healing gel from his pocket and administered it to Icarus in order to restore his condition. Although the arena had its own healing facilities, they were the same as the Pokemon Centre in that healing Pokemon took time.

After deducting the arena fee, the referee handed him his winnings from the bet.

Lucas returned Icarus to his pokeball and left the stage. He took a seat in the gallery, deciding to take some time to reflect on his first match. He needed to process everything after encountering some things that confused him.

He opened his guidebook and began searching for the new feature that his updated skill had unlocked. As he read through the battle log, he discovered some in-depth information that provided him with a better understanding of the technical aspects of how battles worked.

The battle log went into greater detail about the moves used in the battle as an example. What piqued his interest the most was the information regarding synergy stats. The battle commentator didn’t mention them during the battle, as too much information would have only distracted him, but there was another factor that affected a battle between trainers at a certain level. They were called synergy stats, which were stats that were a combination of the trainer's abilities and the Pokemon's stats.

These synergy stats only came about once a bond reached a certain level. He flipped through the pages until he came across an entry explaining the matter. Once his Pokemon reached a favourability level of Loved, Lucas would unlock the benefits of the synergy stats. One such stat was called telepathy, enabling trainers to communicate with their Pokemon mentally. In an instant, the mystery of how the kid could silently command his Pokémon became clear.

There was another synergy stat called accuracy, which he uncovered after reading Butterfree’s parameters. They derived the stat from a combination of the Pokemon's speed and the trainer's observation ability.

These synergy stats altered how some moves, special abilities, and traits worked, which he would have to keep in mind. Wild Pokemon battles would always differ from trainer battles.

It made him realise that the bond between a trainer and his Pokemon was far more mysterious than he had previously imagined. It also explained why trained Pokemon had an advantage over wild Pokemon because they worked together with their trainer to improve their fighting capabilities.

Lucas closed the book and put it away. He would compete in a few more matches before they went to the other arenas to watch other trainers battle. His plan was to use the matches to help Icarus adjust to his new form.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

The next morning, Lucas was up early, preparing for his fight with Dratini. He had done as much training with Icarus as he could yesterday, and now all he needed to do was defeat her to get her officially recognised as part of the team. Failure was out of the question. He had already decided on a name for her, which served as motivation for him to win.

The backyard was huge, with a sectioned-off area for Pokemon battles, so having the fight here should be no problem. Icarus took to the sky, while Dratini stood on the opposite side of the field, facing Lucas.

Delia stood off to the side, as she would officiate the game to ensure a fair competition. Chase was standing next to her. If one of the Pokemon were in danger of being seriously injured, the Chansey would intervene.

Lucas used Dratini's Insight to confirm his battle strategy. Icarus had the upper hand in the upcoming fight because two of Dratini's moves were ineffective at a distance. Dratini only had three viable moves to counter Icarus. That would not hold true if Dratini used Thunder Wave to paralyse Icarus and knock him out of the air. Both Pokemon had no type advantages, meaning that no moves would inflict significant damage unless there was a critical hit.

“Ready?“ Delia raised her hand before swinging it down sharply. "Fight!"

[The match between Icarus and Dratini has begun.]

“Icarus! Feather Dance to get things started." Lucas commanded.

Icarus' entire body glowed with flying-type energy before a swirling vortex of feathers materialised in front of him. He released it, directing the swirling vortex at Dratini below.

Dratini was ready for the attack, and the distance between them allowed her to avoid it.

The feathers hit the ground, but they dispersed without causing any damage.

Lucas clicked his tongue, but he expected this to happen. Although Icarus could stay aloft and evade Dratini's attacks, the increased distance between them would also work in Dratini’s favour. He hoped to reduce the power of her Aqua Jet because it was considered a physical move.

Dratini retaliated with a Thunder Wave, sending a crackling arc of lightning through the air.

Icarus banked, narrowly avoiding the attack.

“Be careful,” Lucas warned. “She is very proficient with Thunder Wave. You can’t get too close.”

He expected Dratini would utilise the move with greater frequency, and he was right. She unleashed a series of Thunder Waves at her opponent. Dratini showcased her intelligence by strategically targeting the airspace where Icarus would be instead of directly attacking him. This approach effectively put him on the defensive, leaving Icarus with no choice but to evade.

He needed to change things up because Icarus could not avoid the attacks for much longer. Dratini had above-average Energy, which meant she could use more moves without affecting her condition.

Instead of evading, he had Icarus come to a stop in mid-air. Icarus possessed the paralysis resistance trait, giving him a 50% chance of overcoming the status condition. He bet Icarus would resist being paralysed, giving him an opening to attack.

Dratini unleashed another Thunder Wave, which Icarus chose not to avoid, resulting in a direct hit.

[Icarus has resisted the paralysis status ailment.]

“Gust!” Lucas called urgently.

Icarus executed Gust and a swirl of wind erupted from the ground beneath Dratini.

She had been surprised when her attack did not affect Icarus, and she had failed to avoid the attack in time. She was launched into the air because her body was too light to withstand the force of the wind.

[Dratini’s condition has fallen.]

[Condition: Excellent 5/6]

“Quick Attack!”

Icarus swiftly reacted, as if he had been prepared to use the move himself. Moving with blinding speed, he struck Dratini, who was flailing in mid-air. The force of his attack sent her hurtling to the ground.

[Dratini’s condition has fallen.]

[Condition: Fair 3/6]

“Use Gust again!” Lucas commanded.

Icarus launched another Gust, but Dratini recovered and slithered out of the way in time.

Dratini swiftly countered with Aqua Jet, propelling a forceful stream of water into the air. This move proved to be even faster than Thunder Wave.

Icarus attempted to dodge the attack by tilting his wing to perform a roll. However, during the manoeuvre, one of his wings was clipped.

[Icarus' condition has fallen.]

[Condition: Excellent 5/6]

Icarus was sent spiralling towards the ground, but he recovered by flaring his wings. He did not get a reprieve as Dratini unleashed another Thunder Wave on him. When Icarus was hit, he froze and was sent plummeting to the ground.

[Icarus' has been inflicted with the paralysis status ailment.]

Dratini immediately launched an Aqua Jet at Icarus after he crashed to the ground. The attack sent him rolling across the ground.

[Icarus' condition has fallen.]

[Condition: Healthy 3/6]

Because Icarus' defence was low and it was a direct hit, he took a lot of damage. He was living up to his role as a glass cannon.

“Not good,” Lucas exclaimed. “Icarus, snap out of it!”

Dratini slithered across the ground to close the distance. She sent another Aqua Jet to Icarus when she was within range.

[Icarus' has recovered from paralysis]

Icarus kicked out, causing himself to flip over in a comical manner. The stream of water hit the ground, forming a deep furrow where he had been lying just moments before.

“Nice save,” Lucas cheered.

Icarus struggled to stand. He chirped angrily at his opponent before raising his wings and launching a standing Air Cutter without waiting for Lucas' command.

It should not have worked as well as it did because Icarus' attacks were not as effective on the ground, but the blade of wind released was so powerful that the backlash threw him into the air.

Lucas frowned. The attack looked off.

Dratini cried out in panic and laid herself flat against the ground to avoid the attack However, the blade's behaviour was rather strange. It transitioned from a horizontal position to a vertical one, and as a result, the tip of the blade cut deep into Dratini's body.

[A critical hit!]

[Dratini’s condition has fallen.]

[Condition: Critical 1/6]

[Dratini has suffered a severe injury.]

"Damn it!" Lucas exclaimed, taking off in a sprint the moment he caught sight of Dratini being hit by the attack.

"This match is over," Delia announced hastily. "Chase, use Healing Pulse on Dratini right away."

Chase dashed forward and arrived at the injured Dratini at the same time as Lucas. He was about to retrieve a potion when Chase used Healing Pulse on her. Instead, he held Dratini's head in his lap and soothed her while she was being healed.

“Tini,” Dratini cried, burying her head into his lap.

“Sorry,” Lucas petted her. “Not how I wanted to win the fight.”

It just goes to show that even with their tough bodies, Pokemon can be seriously injured or killed. It was uncommon in official matches, where they had access to healing facilities and potions.

Icarus trudged along, his head hanging low.

"It is not your fault," Lucas assured him. "You are still inexperienced with the move, so it is no surprise you lost control of it. This is my fault for forcing you to use it before you were ready.”

The others gathered around Dratini and encouraged her until her healing was finished. Only the blood on Dratini's body indicated that she had been injured at all.

Dratini climbed his body and wrapped herself around it. He stroked her head and she nuzzled him affectionately.

"Well, you did win the fight," Ash said. “What are you going to call her?”

“I have the perfect name for you,” Lucas murmured. “I will call you Saphira.”

“Tini!” Her positive reaction indicated that she liked the name.

Curious to see her new parameters, he used Insight on her and promptly switched to the traits and evolution tabs.

=======

Traits `

Inherent (Can be passed onto offspring)

Dragon-type Aptitude (Master) - Increases dragon affinity training by forty percent.

Water-type Aptitude (Expert) - Increases water affinity training by thirty percent.

Attack Aptitude (Intermediate) - Increases attack stat training efficiency.

Attack Boost (Expert) - Greatly increases attack stat potency.

Wonder Scale - 30% chance to resist all status conditions.

Learned: --

==========

Evolution Conditions

Dragonair

Level 30

Condition: Perfect

Experience in Cache: 50000

Dragon-type Affinity: 50%

Evolution Bonuses

Max Experience in Cache = 80000: + 15 to All Stats

Dragon-type affinity = 70%: Dragon Rush learned upon evolving

Three Affinities above 50% = Energy + 1

Level 50 + Dragon Scale in possession: Endurance + 1

Defeat an opponent ten levels higher than your own: Dual Abilities.

==========

Saphira was an absolute monster in terms of her traits and potential, which came as no surprise. She would be a force to be reckoned with by the time she evolved into a Dragonute.

"We need to get going," Delia said as she looked at her watch. “Professor Oak’s carriage will arrive soon.”

Lucas nodded and rose to his feet. Saphira was particularly clingy after her ordeal, so he was not going to put her back into her pokeball. It did not matter that she would be seen by others; it was bound to happen at some point.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Lucas took one last look around before leaving Viridian City in the carriage. He still had some unfinished business at the mine, but that could wait for now. He had enough Pokedollars for the time being, and he could earn more if he needed to.

For the time being, he was going to concentrate on getting his breeder's licence and producing his first egg. He wanted to focus on his alchemy as well and earn a skill for making potions.

"It feels like we have been gone forever," Delia sighed as they pulled into Pallet Town.

"I can tell Gary about all my adventures," Ash smiled. "I am sure he will be jealous."

"Ash!" Daisy chastised him. "You will not do that to your friend."

"He does it all the time," Ash muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

"Are there any good fishing spots nearby?" Misty asked.

"There are a few," Delia replied. "Lucas would not mind showing you around when he has time, right?"

Lucas shrugged. “When I am not working at the lab.”

He noticed Meowth peering out at the town with a greedy expression. He leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Don’t get any ideas.”

Meowth turned to face him, an innocent expression on his face.

The carriage drove straight to Professor Oak's laboratory. Lucas still had to deliver the Pichu egg. He kept it in his pack, alongside the Vulpix egg. He had purchased the firestones required to construct a nest in order to meet the bonus requirements. He would place the egg in the nest when he wasn’t holding onto it himself.

They got down from the carriage and entered the lab. He smiled when he spotted Sabrina at the reception talking to Professor Oak. But that smile disappeared when he spotted Giovanni standing nearby. What the hell was he doing here?

“The leader of Team Rocket is here,” Meowth hissed in his ear.

“Delia.” Giovanni walked forward and hugged her like an old friend. “It has been some time since we have spent some time together.”

“Hello, Antonio.”

Lucas sidled up to Sabrina. “What is Giovanni doing here?"

“I wouldn’t have a clue,” Sabrina stated. She glanced at the new companions that were draped all over him. “Where did you find a Dratini?”

“It's a long story,” Lucas replied.

He stared at Giovanni, who noticed and gave him a small smirk before returning his attention to Delia.

The bastard was mocking him.

So, what do you think? Saphira is the name of a dragon in the fantasy series The Inheritance Cycle. Have any of you read it?

Thanks for reading.