Chapter 52: The True Bird Matrix

“Are you the Matori Matrix!?”

Xia You glanced back at Looker. When he saw the man give a slight nod, he knew the situation had become even more troublesome.

“Using rocket launchers? You people really have no sense of honor.”

“We’re villains. Completing the mission is our top priority.” Goz folded his arms and smiled at Looker. “Though I never imagined you’d be hiding here. We were only planning to follow those two idiots and see what they were sneaking around doing. We certainly didn’t expect such an unexpected bonus!”

“Hey, you! Who are you calling idiots!?” Behind them, Jessie and James came stumbling out of the warehouse with Meowth and their Pokemon, having heard every word.

The pair looked utterly miserable. They were soaked from head to toe, and much of their hair had been singed.

Close behind them, Kirlia, Charmander, and Squirtle hurried out of the warehouse as well.

Jessie pointed at Goz and shouted, “Ah! I remember you! Aren’t you the underlings of that melon-rind-glasses woman? How dare you follow us!”

“Melon-rind glasses!?” Goz’s expression darkened. “You’ve got quite a lot of nerve, addressing Miss Matori that way.”

“Enough with the nonsense!” Jessie yelled. “This man is our target. You’re not allowed to interfere!”

“Oh? Your target?” Goz’s gaze lingered on the mask covering Xia You’s face. Then realization dawned on him. “So that’s it. He’s Xia You! Perfect. Since the two of them have gathered in one place, we can save ourselves the trouble of searching and capture them both at once!”

“What did you say?” James exclaimed in disbelief. “You dare disobey the boss and steal our prey!?”

“Idiot.” Goz took out a Poke Ball and tossed it to the ground. “As long as the job gets done, the boss won’t care who completed it. Go, Aggron!”

A flash of blue light burst forth. A huge Pokemon appeared in the field, its head crowned with three sharp horns, its tail as massive as iron, and its entire body encased in a coat of hard armor.

The moment Aggron emerged, it threw back its head and roared at the sky, unleashing a deafening bellow.

The four remaining members of the Matori Matrix released their Pokemon one after another.

“Come out, Toxicroak!”

“Purugly, show yourself!”

“It’s up to you, Skuntank!”

“Crush them, Rhyperior!”

With all five Pokemon on the field, they advanced step by step, surrounding Xia You and Looker.

Should they flee or fight?

After only a moment’s thought, Xia You made his decision. He held nothing back and released all his Pokemon at once.

Blue flashes of light appeared one after another. When Zapdos and Gyarados emerged together, their presence was in no way inferior to that of the Matori Matrix.

Gyarados threw back its head and let out a long roar, its red eyes fixed fiercely upon the Aggron before it.

“Zapdos!?” Looker cried out in astonishment.

He was not the only one startled. Jessie and James leaped in shock as well.

Although they had been ordered to eliminate Xia You, that despicable Matori woman had never told them that he possessed a Legendary Pokemon like this!

“That accursed melon-rind glasses woman! She’s absolutely vile!” Jessie cursed.

Within Team Rocket, many people knew that she and Matori were enemies. The two had disliked each other for a very long time.

James glanced over and whispered, “What do we do now?”

“We absolutely cannot let those people succeed!” Jessie ground out through clenched teeth. “If they complete the mission, we’ll become completely useless in the boss’s eyes. And we’ll never be able to hold our heads up in front of that woman again!”

“Eh? You want to stop them? That doesn’t seem like a good idea.” James hesitated. “They’re Team Rocket, just like us. If the boss found out, he’d never forgive us.”

“Idiot. Who said we’re going to attack them?” Meowth said slyly. “We’re merely carrying out our orders. It just so happens that, while we’re dealing with that kid, they get caught in the crossfire!”

Jessie and James’s eyes lit up.

“That’s why you’re the best, Meowth,” they said. “You’re the most wicked of us all!”

After reaching their decision, the trio slipped away and vanished.

By then, the many Pokemon on the field had already become embroiled in a chaotic battle. Seeing their trainer under attack, Kirlia, Charmander, and Squirtle had no time to worry about Team Rocket’s trio. They leaped into the fray as well.

Gyarados charged straight at Aggron. Toxicroak took the initiative and tangled with Ivysaur. Relying on its speed, Purugly kept harassing Charmander, while Skuntank attacked Jolteon. As for Rhyperior, it faced two opponents at once, fighting Squirtle and Kirlia together.

Zapdos, meanwhile, was held at bay by the other five members of the Matori Matrix with their firearms and artillery, temporarily unable to break free.

Haunter was also lurking in the shadows, ready to provide support, so Xia You felt no panic. He calmly issued his orders.

“Kirlia, go deal with Toxicroak. Ivysaur, team up with Squirtle against Rhyperior. Jolteon, stop tangling with Skuntank and go after Purugly. As for you, Charmander, I need you to keep Skuntank occupied for now!”

The change in positions gradually brought order to the complicated battlefield. In terms of type matchups, their Pokemon might not have enjoyed overwhelming advantages, but at least they would not be at a disadvantage against their opponents.

When he found a moment, Xia You glanced toward Gyarados and Aggron.

The two Pokemon were biting and roaring at one another, both utterly frenzied. With no one directing them, their minds held only one thought: tear the other to pieces.

But Gyarados had only just evolved. Its lack of experience left it somewhat immature, and it was clearly on the losing side. Unless someone intervened, defeat was only a matter of time.

Now Xia You understood why Looker had ended up in such a state. These Pokemon belonging to the Matori Matrix were simply beyond his ability to handle.

At that moment, accompanied by the thunderous whistle of a train, a freight train emerged from the distance, trailing thick smoke.

Knowing that this was an opportunity he could not afford to miss, Xia You said quietly, “Haunter, I’m leaving Mr. Looker to you!”

“I understand.” Haunter gave a sinister cackle. It emerged from Xia You’s shadow and slipped into Looker’s shadow. A moment later, Looker began to rise gently into the air, flying toward the train cars before landing securely atop one.

Goz had been watching the situation closely. The instant he saw Looker board the train, his expression grew anxious.

“Oh no! He’s getting away!”

The members of the Matori Matrix were stunned. They were just about to abandon Zapdos and rush toward the train when their vision suddenly went black.

Then a gigantic Meowth-shaped robot leaped down in front of them.