Yes, Ishihira had been Pyrus's subordinate in Team Rocket.
A few months ago, when they had surrounded Tetsuya, he had still been the second-in-command of that operation.
After Pyrus fell from power,
Ishihira had not sunk into obscurity because the superior he followed had declined.
On the contrary,
because of Team Rocket's unique Promotion System,
his position as an Elite Squad Squad Leader had become Middle Captain after several missions.
Within Team Rocket, that already counted as a Middle-level Leader.
It had to be said,
although they were enemies, from his perspective as someone who had experienced it in person, Giovanni really did possess a uniquely charismatic personality.
At the very least, Meritocracy was well embodied within Team Rocket.
As long as you had the ability to complete a mission well, plenty of rewards awaited you.
Unfortunately,
his gaze was incomparably resolute. Giovanni was, ultimately, the League's enemy.
"Weavile, take them out."
With exceptional coldness, Ishihira released another Main Pokemon he had painstakingly raised during his time in Team Rocket.
Ishihira's attacks were almost all bloody and ruthless.
A ruthless person who had infiltrated a Dark Organization for so long and had nearly managed to retreat safely could hardly be soft-hearted.
Elsewhere,
Bruno and Agatha were working together to arduously fend off the attacks of Team Rocket's many higher-ups—though, naturally, most of that pressure came from Armored Mewtwo.
No one knew what Giovanni was thinking. He silently stood where he was without making a move.
The Beedrill Levitate beside him remained in a guarded stance, extremely vigilant.
Ten minutes, twenty minutes, an hour...
Nearly two full hours passed.
The outcome on Ishihira's side had long since been decided.
The Matilda Matrix Squad's combat capability was not particularly outstanding to begin with. Their true specialty was technical matters, such as infiltrating