Johnny's death

Aye glanced lightly at Giovanni and Axin, then tapped a Poké Ball, releasing a Gym-level Venomoth.

It merely fluttered its wings gently as it headed toward Giovanni and Axin.

Yet the mere release of its Gym-level aura completely overwhelmed even the Beedrill Bug King's presence.

Giovanni decisively raised his hands and recalled Beedrill. "Wait, we surrender!"

Axin hurriedly raised his hands too, following his example and recalling his Pokémon. Anyone who fought back now would be an idiot.

Aye said coldly:

"Poaching Pokémon in the Safari Zone is a slap in the face to the Fuchsia Gym, so you'll have to repay it in blood."

When Giovanni heard that, he thought, Good grief, is this guy really that bloodthirsty?

He exchanged a look with Axin, and they instantly made their decision. "Run!"

They turned and ran with everything they had.

Aye gave them a disdainful look. Trying to escape a Gym-level Pokémon was pure wishful thinking. He simply gave Venomoth a casual order:

"Go kill them, Venomoth."

Venomoth flapped its wings and chased after the two of them.

Aye turned his head slightly toward Johnny, who was silently backing away. Rubbing his chin, he thought for a moment. "I don't know why you were trying to kill them. A dispute over splitting the loot or something. Forget it, none of that matters. You have to die too!"

Johnny had never expected a Gym Leader to turn up out of nowhere. His face nearly turned green.

Gym Leaders were quite famous. As a Team Rocket squad leader, Johnny also needed to know who the Pokémon League's Gym Leaders were.

Aye, the Fuchsia City Gym Leader-quite a few people had died at his hands.

If Johnny actually fought him, death would be his only outcome.

Johnny placed a hand on Dugtrio, pointed at Aye, and shouted to his Pokémon:

"Attack! Hold him off for me! Dugtrio, dig!"

Hearing Johnny's words, the three Pokémon all showed some disappointment in their eyes. They knew their trainer had abandoned them, or rather, was using them as shields.

But that was how Pokémon were. If they had truly submitted to their trainer, even if that trainer abandoned them, they would fight for him until the very last moment.

They roared and charged at Crobat and Aye.

"Crobat, Supersonic!" The three pitiful Pokémon received no mercy from Aye. He decisively ordered Crobat to attack.

Crobat folded its two pairs of wings, then abruptly spread them, releasing silent sound waves from its mouth.

The sound waves spread, some even visible to the naked eye.

The three Pokémon collapsed and began rolling in agony, blood streaming from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths.

Meanwhile, the soil around Johnny and Dugtrio began shifting as their bodies slowly sank.

Aye sneered. "Running? Think you can get away? Crobat, Mean Look! Don't let that selfish bastard escape!"

Crobat gave a low cry, its orange eyes turning black.

At the same time, Dugtrio's eyes turned black too. Its sinking body abruptly stopped, frozen in place as though it had hit an invisible wall.

Although Mean Look was a Normal-type move, it actually affected the mind.

Trying to escape would be truly difficult.

When Johnny noticed what had happened, his face darkened. "Damn it, you bastard."

He hastily pulled out a Poké Ball and recalled Poliwhirl, who had not been affected by Mean Look.

Then he shouted at Dugtrio, who was now useless beside him:

"You go! Take Poliwhirl's place!"

He himself took off running!

Helpless, Dugtrio also headed toward Crobat!

Watching Johnny flee, Aye's eyes filled with disgust. "What a ridiculous bastard. Crobat, show him despair. Cross Poison!"

Crobat let out a piercing cry. As it flapped its wings, poisonous blades shot out, raining down like a raging storm.

Though made of poison, the blades were extremely sharp. As they struck the three Pokémon, the sounds of flesh being sliced rang out incessantly, and blood splattered everywhere.

Deadly poison seeped into their bodies through their wounds.

The deadly poison made them wail in agony, their bodies hideously swollen.

Although Arbok would not be poisoned, Cross Poison sliced it straight into several pieces. It writhed painfully on the ground, flinging out its entrails mixed with blood.

Their agonized cries did not make Johnny stop for a single step, pause for an instant, or hesitate for even a second!

His retreating figure was so resolute that the three Pokémon could only die in despair.

Aye said in disgust:

"A bastard who doesn't deserve to be a trainer."

He instructed Crobat, "Crobat, Agility! Then use Leech Life!"

Crobat flapped its wings, moving so fast its body became a blur.

It appeared behind Johnny in an instant, opened its mouth, and bit into his neck.

Johnny screamed and tried to open his Poké Ball to release Poliwhirl, but he had no strength left in his body.

In the end, he could only collapse to the ground with a thud, his body sucked into a dried husk, not a single drop of blood or moisture remaining.

His sole remaining Poké Ball rolled in front of his skull-like face, coming up before his hollow eye sockets.

Crobat flapped its wings, gently took flight, and returned to Aye's side.

He was not worried about Venomoth. After all, it was Gym-level.

He had originally intended to check how things were going on Baoba's end.

But Baoba, who had already finished and searched the area without finding anyone else, had come over with Slowpoke.

Baoba greeted Aye politely:

"Mr. Aye, you're here."

Aye nodded and replied to Baoba, "Yes. How did it go?"

Baoba answered:

"Aside from a few Tauros that were trampled to death after being hypnotized, the others are all fine, with just a few minor injuries. There were three people on my end, but the enraged Tauros trampled them to death."

"What about your end, Mr. Aye?"

Aye pointed at Johnny's corpse and answered:

"I killed one here, and sent Venomoth after the other two. They won't get away."

Baoba was just about to nod. He had seen Aye's Venomoth before, and it was very strong.

But Slowpoke beside him tugged at his clothes and began gesturing.

Baoba pointed in the direction Giovanni and the others had fled, then asked Aye:

"Mr. Aye, did they flee that way?"

Aye nodded, somewhat puzzled. "Yes. What's wrong?"

Baoba explained, "Slowpoke says there are five humans in that direction."

Although Aye knew what was special about Baoba's Slowpoke, he trusted his own eyes more. "Five people? Impossible. There were only two just now."

Baoba continued:

"It seems two more came from the direction of Fuchsia City. The other one..."