"Don't! Don't!"
The threat of death filled Member C with terror. His trembling hands tore at the wound on his thigh, causing the already intense pain to worsen, and tears of fear streamed down his face as he desperately begged Red to spare him.
"When you were killing Cubone, why didn't you think about ending up like this?" Red said disdainfully. Since it had to be done, he would see it through to the end. He had no charitable heart to spare the scum before him.
"The final strike—Bone Club!" Red ordered coldly.
"Cubone!"
Cubone leapt up with its Bone Club and smashed it down viciously toward Member C's head.
For some reason, Red felt no nausea at the sight before him. All he felt was a sense of comfort in his heart for Cubone's revenge.
(Maybe… from beginning to end, I've always been an extremely cold person…)
Red looked at his hands, which had not trembled even once, and felt a faint trace of pessimism about his own indifference.
Sensing the fluctuation in Red's emotions, Dratini rubbed its face gently against his cheek and stuck out its tongue to lick him, hoping to dispel the negative feelings in his heart.
"Little one, let's defeat these guys together!"
After casting a worried glance at Red, Thousand-Year Gengar decided to take Dratini and finish off the enemies first. Since Cubone had already gone this far, Thousand-Year Gengar had no intention of letting these people leave safely.
A stream of azure dragon breath burst from Dratini's mouth. The powerful impact blasted the spot where Raticate stood into a spiderweb-like crater.
(Good grief, this kid's inherited bloodline isn't simple!)
Thousand-Year Gengar looked at Dratini in astonishment. He hadn't expected that a casual breath attack from the little one would have such power—though part of it was due to Raticate's own weakness.
Blue light glowed in Thousand-Year Gengar's eyes as he used Hypnosis on the two Pokémon before him. Then his body turned into a dark shadow and slipped inside them, unleashing Dream Eater.
"Hm? What a simple and vulgar dream. All it thinks about is how to reproduce—how ridiculous. The taste really isn't that great!" Thousand-Year Gengar complained, even making a spitting motion, though nothing actually came out…
Seeing their Pokémon easily defeated by Thousand-Year Gengar, the two Team Rocket members trembled and clung to each other, trying to use each other's warmth to dispel the chill of fear. But clearly, it was nothing more than a futile attempt to comfort themselves.
"Boss, what should we do with these two?" Thousand-Year Gengar asked.
"Shh. Cubone and Marowak are saying their final farewell," Red signaled for him to stay quiet for now. Marowak's soul was also a kind of earthbound spirit. The reason it lingered in Pokémon Tower was to see its child one last time.
"Mom, I don't want you to leave!" Cubone cried, trying to use the Bone Club in its hand to disperse the mist around Marowak, believing that doing so would bring Marowak back to life.
"It's okay, my child. Being able to see you one last time is already enough for me. Forgive your mother's selfishness—I can't stay by your side anymore and watch you grow up!" Marowak embraced Cubone, but because she was only a soul, Cubone could only vaguely sense her presence.
"Every living being possesses its own noble soul. Marowak's maternal love makes her soul shine with golden light…" Red murmured.
Though reluctant to leave at Cubone's desperate cries, Marowak no longer had the right to linger in Pokémon Tower. Under the watchful eyes of Red and the Pokémon, she slowly ascended and dissipated into the sky, leaving behind only the weeping Cubone trying to hold her back.
"The most beautiful form of a soul is when it radiates noble gold," Thousand-Year Gengar sighed. Marowak's maternal love had given him a trace of understanding about family bonds.
"Gengar, let these two live forever in the fear within their hearts," Red instructed.
Understanding his meaning, Thousand-Year Gengar nodded. Blue light shone from his eyes as he used Hypnosis on the two men, permanently branding their deepest fears into their hearts.
The two screamed miserably. After only a few moments, they foamed at the mouth and collapsed unconscious. One of them even lost control of his bladder, and the stench made Red frown.
"If only one person had an accident, it could barely be covered up…" Red said calmly.
Even members of an evil organization could not be slaughtered freely without provoking resistance from the Pokémon League. Fortunately, Red's background was anything but simple. The accidental death of a single Team Rocket member could easily be ignored by the League. After all, Red's personal value far surpassed that of an ordinary Team Rocket grunt.
Cubone wiped the tears from the corner of its eyes. It had grown now. It could no longer cry like a child and throw itself into its mother's arms for comfort.
"Cubone, if you want, you can cry your heart out in my arms anytime. As long as it makes you feel better."
Red stroked Cubone's head, nearly causing its tears to fall again. But at this moment, Cubone swore to grow stronger. It simply leapt silently into Red's arms, feeling the warmth.
"Boss, according to their memories, they have a captain. He seems to be a squad leader. Right now, he's interrogating the old man Fuji about the research materials from before at the laboratory!" Thousand-Year Gengar said, pointing toward the staircase ahead, indicating that going up would lead them to the old man Fuji.
"Hurry!" Red said. Dratini immediately coiled back around Red's neck.
Arriving at the top floor, just as they stepped inside, an Arbok hidden in the shadows fired Poison Sting in ambush, while a Weezing concealed in darkness released suffocating toxic gas.
"Scyther, Swords Dance!"
Scyther emerged in a flash of green light, spinning rapidly and unleashing Swords Dance, instantly dispersing the Poison Sting and toxic gas.
"Damn it! I didn't expect it to be broken so easily!"
A purple-haired man with a pale face stepped out. This was Captain. He had heard the commotion below earlier, but instead of helping his subordinates, the cunning and treacherous Captain had set up an ambush to sneak-attack Red. He hadn't expected Scyther's Swords Dance to neutralize it so easily.
"You're just a brat. What are you acting so cocky for?" Captain shouted angrily, throwing another Poké Ball. A Crobat appeared overhead, clearly meant to counter Scyther.
"Trying to use a Poison- and Flying-type Crobat's fourfold resistance to Bug-type moves to defeat my Scyther?" Red shook his head disdainfully. "Unfortunately, in the face of absolute strength, your little tricks are useless."
Empowered by Swords Dance, Scyther's scythes glowed green as it dashed forward and unleashed X-Scissor.
"Boss, don't I need to help?" Thousand-Year Gengar asked. Poison-type Pokémon could halve the damage of Bug-type moves. Although he had clashed with Scyther before, it had only been a minor dispute. Seeing Scyther facing three Poison-type Pokémon alone, he asked Red out of concern.
"Don't worry. These guys aren't enough to defeat my Scyther!" Red said proudly, absolute trust in Scyther's strength evident in his voice.
"Don't get so arrogant!" Captain roared. "Arbok, use Acid! Weezing, Sludge Bomb! Crobat, Air Slash!"
The three Pokémon launched their attacks simultaneously. Suddenly, the advancing Scyther's figure blurred, splitting into more than a dozen identical forms.
"Tch, it's Double Team!" Captain frowned. "Listen up! There's only one real Scyther—don't be fooled by the illusions!"
Even so, the simultaneous assault from over a dozen Scythers caught the three Pokémon off guard. Weezing suddenly let out a scream—because the real Scyther had appeared behind it. One brutal X-Scissor struck its vital point, followed by a relentless Fury Cutter assault.
Fury Cutter's damage stacked with each consecutive hit. Combined with Scyther's Technician Ability, by the fourth slash, Weezing's eyes spun in circles as it collapsed unconscious to the ground.