53. Retreat

If you're enjoy the chapter, don't forget to drop some Power Stones! Your support keeps me inspired to create and share more. Thank you!💎💎💎

----

"Who are you? How dare you block our way?!" Gozu snapped angrily.

"It's you who are in the way!" Jessie's voice echoed from inside the Meowth robot. "We've got business with that kid, so if you're smart, step aside!"

As she spoke, the robot's upper body began to rotate. The two massive mechanical claws spun like bladed fans, generating a powerful hurricane!

Kai, watching from nearby, couldn't help but give a wry thumbs-up.

'Where do they even find this kind of tech so quickly?' he thought.

"Damn it!" The violent wind pressure blew the hats off the Matori Matrix team members.

Delayed by the commotion, Gozu could only watch helplessly as the freight train sped past on the side rails.

He shouted furiously, "How dare you interfere with our operation? I'll report this to the boss!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" James glared down at Gozu from the cockpit's glass cover. "We're on a mission here when did we ever mess up your operation?"

Despite Gozu's mounting frustration, he realized arguing would be pointless. Instead, he turned his focus back to Kai, intent on targeting him directly.

But when his eyes landed on Kai again, his expression shifted. After the intense battle, Kai's Pokémon were clearly struggling!

"Squirtle! Use Water Gun! Ivysaur hit it with Razor Leaf!" Kai commanded firmly.

Squirtle and Ivysaur opened the gap in the battle. Against Gozu's Rhyhorn, a Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon, their Water- and Grass-type attacks dealt massive damage four times the usual amount!

Despite Rhyhorn having evolved into its second stage, its bulky frame made it slow and vulnerable. After repeated attacks, it collapsed to the ground.

"Tch!" One of the Matori Matrix members clicked their tongue and reluctantly returned Rhyhorn to its Poké Ball.

"Stay sharp, everyone!" Gozu barked at his team. "He's just one guy! We can't afford to lose here!"

But even as he shouted encouragement, another Pokémon went down. Toxicroak, a Poison- and Fighting-type, was no match for Kirlia's Psychic-type moves.

It barely managed a few attacks before being overwhelmed and fainting.

Although these defeats came quickly due to type disadvantages, the other three Pokémon were much tougher to deal with.

First was Alolan Persian. Though its Normal typing didn't make it particularly special in terms of resistance, it had an impressive agility that belied its pudgy appearance.

It darted around the battlefield so quickly that only Kai's Jolteon could keep up with it.

The two Pokémon chased each other until they vanished somewhere beyond the skirmish.

Then there was Skuntank, a Poison- and Dark-type Pokémon. Its dual typing made it resistant to most of Kai's team's moves, and its foul stench kept other Pokémon at bay.

Finally, Gozu's Aggron took centre stage. Despite being at a disadvantage against Gyarados, the Steel- and Rock-type Pokémon managed to hold their ground and even started to gain the upper hand.

"Aggron! Use Iron Tail!" Gozu commanded. The massive Pokémon swung its tail, striking Gyarados hard on the head.

The impact sent Gyarados crashing to the ground with a wail.

Gozu smirked, ready to press the advantage, but at that moment, the Meowth robot lumbered into the fray.

"Time for my stomp attack!" Meowth laughed sinisterly as he manoeuvred the robot's legs to stomp heavily on the ground, causing tremors to ripple through the battlefield.

The vibrations didn't just destabilize Gyarados they also took a toll on Aggron, whose Steel and Rock typing left it vulnerable to such shockwaves. Aggron toppled over with a groan.

"You idiots! Stop messing around!" Gozu yelled, trying to halt the chaos, but the tremors knocked him off balance.

"We're helping you!" Jessie cackled, covering her mouth with feigned innocence. "You're welcome!"

"Perfect!" Kai's eyes lit up as Aggron fell. Quickly recalling Gyarados, he called out to his other Pokémon. "Ivysaur, Squirtle attack now!"

A concentrated blast of Water Gun and Razor Leaf rained down on Aggron, striking it while it was vulnerable.

Meanwhile, the Meowth robot continued its rampage, turning its sights on Skuntank.

Skuntank, primarily relying on close-quarters moves, found itself cornered. With Kirlia's support, Kai's Charmander managed to hold its ground despite the intense pressure.

"Skuntank, use Crunch!" a Matrix team member shouted.

Skuntank lunged at Charmander with its jaws wide, but the Meowth robot stepped in at just the right moment.

Unable to stop in time, Skuntank crashed headlong into the robot with a loud clang.

The impact left Skuntank disoriented. Worse, its signature stench couldn't penetrate the robot's airtight cockpit.

"Heh heh heh…" The Team Rocket trio grinned smugly.

Finally, the Matrix team began to catch on. It was clear that Jessie, James, and Meowth weren't allies they were undermining them at every turn.

"Captain, what do we do?" one team member asked nervously.

"Retreat for now," Gozu growled, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Kai. "This guy's stronger than Interpol. If we keep this up, we're finished."

"But what about those three clowns?" another member protested, gesturing at the Meowth robot in disgust.

"We'll deal with them later!" Gozu snapped. "We'll report to Ms. Matori let the boss handle their punishment!"

"Understood!"

The team recalled their remaining Pokémon and retreated into the shadows.

"Finally!" Jessie sighed in relief as the Matrix team disappeared. Turning her gaze back to Kai, she smirked. "No more distractions! Now we can finally show you how powerful we really are!"

The Meowth robot stomped forward, charging directly at Kai with heavy strides

----

For early access to advanced chapters and exclusive illustrations made by me, visit my P@treon:

P@treon/iamxeno

Thank you so much for your support and for reading!