"Lii!!"
The familiar cry made Articuno, still locked in battle, instinctively turn its head.
However, facts proved that one absolutely could not lose focus during a battle.
Mewtwo seized that opening and struck Articuno with a Shadow Ball.
Amid the smoke and dust from the explosion, the blue bird was blasted backward in somewhat disheveled condition.
Lorelei was helpless.
Legendary Pokémon were immensely powerful, but correspondingly, their practical combat experience was severely lacking compared to ordinary Pokémon.
A Legendary Pokémon like Mewtwo, one born with a talent for battle, was undoubtedly an anomaly among anomalies.
Although Lorelei had been working to correct Articuno's battle habits ever since she had "caught" it, the results had been minimal.
The problems left behind over who knew how many years were deeply ingrained and difficult to change.
This situation was an obvious example of a mistake.
Come to think of it, whose cry was that? Why had even Articuno paid attention to it?
"Is everything all right on Giovanni's side?"
Lance asked through his communications earpiece.
"Tetsuya has stopped him, and Chen has arrived as well. He has, at most, two or three Champion Level Pokémon on him. There shouldn't be a problem."
Cynthia's cool voice came through.
Having taken on more than seventy percent of Team Rocket's officers besides the four senior executives, she was actually the most relaxed one.
Before an absolute gap in strength, a numerical advantage alone could not bring good results.
That was why Cynthia had more time to keep an eye on the situation elsewhere.
It was also because of her that Lance and the others learned that the "Giovanni" they had been fighting all along was merely an impostor.
An impostor was still an impostor.
But Mewtwo's abilities were undeniably real.
Thus, he, Lorelei, and the others