Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect-Chapter 260: bbhjk

"Dragon Claw!"

Garchomp's razor-sharp claws slashed through the metal door like it was paper, sending it flying as if a wrecking ball had torn through it.

Di-di-di-di!

The Rocket Hideout blared with piercing alarm sirens, while crimson warning lights bathed the corridors in an eerie glow. Behind the ruined door, Team Rocket grunts scrambled backward, their panic palpable as they hurled their Pokeballs, releasing their Pokemon in a desperate bid to slow the relentless advance.

Not that they had much hope. This was the third hall John had torn through. The first two had already been left in ruins, with grunts barely managing to flee in time.

Repel him? At this point, escaping from his Garchomp and Gardevoir was the real victory. This wasn't some ordinary trainer they could handle.

"Get a hold of—No, screw that, someone get an Executive down here!" one of them shouted in terror.

"Dragon Rush!"

"Gardevoir, Hypnosis!" John barked as he pressed forward.

They didn't have time to waste. The security lockdown was set for thirty minutes—shorter than the time given for the infamous Volcano operation. Who knew how long it would take to deal with Ariana? They needed every second they could buy.

Garchomp roared, its body glowing with an intense green aura as it launched into the crowd of opposing Pokemon like a meteor. The impact was devastating, scattering them like leaves in a storm. Meanwhile, Gardevoir gracefully waved its hand, sending waves of psychic energy cascading through the room. One by one, the Team Rocket grunts collapsed to the floor, unconscious before they even realized what hit them.

Experienced trainers would always keep a Dark- or Psychic-type Pokemon close for protection—anything to prevent exactly this kind of mental assault. But these guys? They weren't ready. They never stood a chance.

"Boom!"

Pokemon were hurled through the air, slamming against the walls before returning to their Pokeballs in a blur of red light. Their trainers soon followed, dropping like dominos as Gardevoir's hypnosis spread through the battlefield.

Unlike the previous cafeteria and combat arenas John had torn through, this chamber looked more like a research lab. He barely spared it a glance before pressing forward.

Just as he stepped inside, Gardevoir's psychic aura flared. Without hesitation, it teleported John and Garchomp back to the entrance.

A fraction of a second later, a deluge of dark purple liquid crashed down where they had stood. The stench of corrosion filled the air, a sinister hiss following as the toxic sludge ate through the floor.

"Fast reflexes," a sultry voice cooed from across the hall.

John turned his gaze toward the source. A woman stepped into the dim red glow of the warning lights. Silver uniform. Crimson hair. A Murkrow perched on her shoulder, its beady eyes glinting with malice.

"Ariana."

One of Team Rocket's top Executives. The highest-ranking officer in this hideout.

At the same moment, a system prompt appeared in his vision:

[Dungeon Objective: Prevent the Rocket Hideout leader from escaping.]
[Bonus Objective: Defeat Ariana before Lance arrives. (Extra rewards available.)]
[Remaining Time: 19 minutes, 32 seconds.]

Defeat her before Lance arrived? Easy enough.

After all, he was the one who had to press the button to notify Lance in the first place. No notification, no backup. All he had to do was take her down in under twenty minutes.

Plenty of time.

"Oh? Looks like my reputation precedes me." Ariana smirked, crossing her arms beneath her chest. "Then you should know I can't let you walk away from here."

"Glare!"

A gigantic Arbok slithered out from the shadows behind her, its massive hood flaring as it rose to its full height. The menacing face-like pattern on its chest shimmered under the emergency lights, its hypnotic 'eyes' glowing with a terrifying intensity.

Glare wasn't just an annoyance—it was an immobilization technique so potent that, in the anime, people sometimes outright collapsed from it.

But John? He didn't even flinch.

A spark of energy crackled across Gardevoir's body, absorbing the negative condition instantly. The mythical Gracidea it carried negated all debuffs around it, converting the energy into raw power for its devastating Seed Flare attack.

Glare?

Yeah, not happening.

Ariana's smirk faltered. "What the hell? Glare didn't work? On either of you?"

"Dragon Rush!" frёeωebɳovel.com

Garchomp lunged forward, its body once again enveloped in emerald energy, tearing through the shattered flooring like an unstoppable freight train. It wasn't slowing down. And Ariana was right in its path.

"Muk, block it!" she ordered, tossing a Pokeball.

A massive, toxic heap of sludge emerged in an instant, its amorphous body surging forward like a living tidal wave, aiming to swallow Garchomp whole.

John didn't hesitate.

"Gardevoir, Mega Evolution! Psychic Surge!"

A radiant light engulfed Gardevoir, her form shifting as she donned the ethereal black gown of her Mega Evolution. With a graceful motion, she vanished, teleporting to the heart of the battlefield before unleashing an explosive wave of psychic energy.

Invisible blades of pure mental force slashed through the air like a thousand invisible knives.

Ariana had no time to react.

"Arbok, Poison Tail!" she commanded in a last-ditch effort.

Her serpent struck, its glowing purple tail snapping toward Mega Gardevoir like a deadly whip. But it was futile. Psychic blades intercepted the attack mid-air, knocking the poison-type backward.

Muk, meanwhile, took the brunt of the assault. The moment the psychic energy made contact, it convulsed violently before collapsing in an instant.

Quadruple damage.

Poison-types already suffered a weakness to Psychic moves, but Gracidea's power-enhancing properties turned that weakness into a death sentence.

John barely glanced at the fallen Muk before turning back to Ariana.

"Still think you can stop me?"

Ariana scowled. "Tch. Cocky little—"

Before she could finish, Garchomp lunged again, claws glowing with raw draconic power.