Chapter 82: I Lost Again

When Dylan arrived at the alley, the battle had just ended.

Proton looked helpless, while Archer was in shock, standing there dumbfounded.

Yes, Archer had lost again.

Because his core team of Houndoom and Weezing had already been defeated by Dylan, his combat power was incomplete.

Moreover, compared to the last time on the Battle, Red's combat experience and strength had increased significantly.

The battle between the two was intense, but undoubtedly, Archer had been defeated once more.

"I... I lost again..."

Looking at his Crobat and Victreebel, both incapacitated, Archer fell into deep self-doubt.

This doesn't make sense!

During the last encounter on the Battle, hadn't he fought both Dylan and Red to a standstill? How did things turn out like this now?

"Brother, in the future, don't try to act tough in front of us," Proton said, patting Archer on the shoulder with a heavy heart.

It wasn't even about Dylan, but this Red—Archer couldn't even solo him!

How could he have the nerve to say he almost won that two-on-one?

"???"

Archer felt his face heat up rapidly, and he didn't know if he should cough up the blood in his throat or not.

Archer's face turned an ugly shade, but there was nothing he could do. He noticed Dylan walking towards them from the other side.

"Yo~ Red, so you're here," Dylan greeted Red.

Red: (=v=)

Red nodded slightly, but it was clear he was in a good mood, happy to reunite with Dylan.

"Mr. Archer, Mr. Proton, I didn't expect that even with your boss giving you a chance to retreat, you still failed," Dylan teased as he looked at Archer and Proton.

Neither Archer nor Proton responded. The only consolation for Archer was that he had managed to pass on the gene fusion research data to Giovanni.

Rumble!!

At that moment, the ground suddenly shook violently, the tremors even reaching Dylan and Red.

A yellow figure suddenly burst out from the underground in the distance, then quickly sped off into the distance.

The next moment, Lance's Dragonite soared into the sky, scanning the area before locking onto a direction and giving chase.

"Is that?" Red's red eyes flickered as he looked at Dylan.

"That's the leader of Team Rocket, a very strong trainer. Lance is currently battling him," Dylan replied after a moment of thought.

"But it seems that the Team Rocket leader is about to flee."

There was no doubt about it; Giovanni wouldn't engage Lance in a prolonged battle under these circumstances. After ensuring that Archer and Proton were safe enough, Giovanni would undoubtedly retreat as well.

The leader of Team Rocket, huh? Red remained silent. He had no fondness for the evil Team Rocket, and naturally, their leader was the source of all evil.

If they ever met, he would do everything in his power to capture him!

With Archer and Proton captured, the operation to clear out the Team Rocket base in Celadon City was a huge success.

Including Ariana, who was captured before the operation, they had effectively captured three of Team Rocket's high-ranking officers in one go!

"Thank you for your hard work, Gym Leader Dylan, and to both of you as well. We greatly appreciate your assistance."

Outside the Game Corner, Archer and Proton had their Poké Balls confiscated and were handcuffed. Officer Jenny, in charge of the operation, rarely smiled as she expressed her gratitude to Dylan and the others.

Leah and Red both shook their heads, as usual, trying to keep a low profile. Leah didn't want to stand out, and Red simply wasn't interested.

"Officer Jenny, you're too kind. As a member of the League, it's everyone's duty to eliminate the evil Team Rocket," Dylan responded politely. He wasn't after verbal thanks; he wanted something more tangible.

"You truly deserve the praise, Gym Leader Dylan. As the key contributor to this operation, I'm sure the League will reward you handsomely," Officer Jenny said with a smile.

Indeed, although Red had intercepted the two and defeated Archer, securing them, the credit was largely given to Dylan. Red, being modest and shy, didn't like being in the spotlight and once again pushed his achievements to Dylan, just like on the S.S. Anne.

"It was really a group effort…" Dylan was about to say more when his phone rang. Seeing that it was Lance calling, he answered.

"Lance," Dylan answered.

"Dylan, I've already heard the report from Officer Jenny. You did a great job. I've informed the President, and he'll likely contact you personally."

Lance's calm voice came through the phone.

"Thank you, Lance. What about the Team Rocket leader?" Dylan was still curious about the outcome of the battle between Lance and Giovanni.

"That rat managed to escape," Lance replied coldly.

Indeed, he hadn't caught up with Giovanni. The speed of Giovanni's Beedrill was astonishing, and with it being nighttime, it was even harder for Lance to track him down. In the end, he lost him, which infuriated Lance. It took him a while to calm down before contacting Dylan.

"After all, he's the leader of Team Rocket, incredibly cunning," Dylan offered a gentle consolation.

"Hmph! I won't let him escape next time," Lance huffed.

After ending the call with Lance, Dylan couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. The camera he had left in the Team Rocket base was now in pieces, evidently destroyed during the battle between Lance and Giovanni.

Leaving the post-battle cleanup to Officer Jenny and her team, Dylan and the others left early.

"You guys encountered the leader of Team Rocket?" Leah asked lightly, clearly in high spirits after successfully dismantling a major Team Rocket base.

"Yes, he's incredibly strong. We must be very cautious if we encounter him again," Dylan nodded. Giovanni was one of the strongest in every version, second only to Rainbow Giovanni in "Ultra Sun and Moon" and the Giovanni in the Special series.

Today, Dylan had witnessed firsthand the terrifying power of Giovanni's ace, Beedrill.

Among his current team, the strongest was Articuno, yet even Articuno's full-force Blizzard had been effortlessly cleaved in two by Beedrill's simple Brick Break…

It was truly ridiculous.

"Haha~ Don't worry! I believe in you and Red. You two will definitely be able to defeat that big boss in the future!"

Leah quickly moved ahead of the two, smiling brightly as she looked up at them with her large eyes sparkling with unknown intent.

Can we do it?

Red tilted his head, a bit confused. He felt like Leah's words had a deeper meaning.

Dylan, however, understood who Leah's 'big boss' was referring to, and after a moment of silence, he chuckled.

"We can."

Yes, given enough time, of course they could!

"Hehe~"

Though Leah believed that neither Dylan nor Red understood her true meaning, she was still delighted by Dylan's affirmation.

"In that case, as a reward, I'll give you guys this spoils of war~"

Leah extended her fair hand to them, revealing a shrunken Poké Ball in her palm.

"What is this?" Dylan raised an eyebrow.

"I found it in the base's lab. Team Rocket truly committed unforgivable sins." Leah's expression revealed a hint of disgust and sadness. Even with her strong mind, the sights in that lab had made her nauseous and horrified.

"This poor creature deserves better. I believe that either you or Red will be able to care for it properly and end its suffering."

Leah pursed her lips, speaking earnestly to the two.

"I've already had other gains, and you both gave up the League rewards for me. Red?"

Dylan pondered for a moment and then looked at Red. He had already encountered an unclaimed Darkrai and would try to catch it. Moreover, Leah and Red had pushed all the credit for this mission onto him, so taking another Pokémon didn't feel right.

They were friends, and Dylan wasn't a greedy person.

"I didn't do much," Red shook his head, refusing. After some back-and-forth, Red still stubbornly declined the Pokémon, leaving Dylan to look at Leah again.

Leah raised an eyebrow and firmly placed the Poké Ball in Dylan's hand.

"Alright, alright. I'll prepare other gifts for you two later," Dylan relented.

"Then we'll look forward to it, Mr. Big Shot of Silph Co.," Leah said in a playful, mockingly sweet voice, making Red shiver with goosebumps.

"Leah? What Pokémon is this?" Dylan asked, amused and curious as he looked at the Poké Ball.

"You'll see when you get home. This one's special."

(End of Chapter)