"Hey, Mewtwo. How long are you planning to lie there?"
Ash's voice snapped Mewtwo out of her daze.
She slowly lifted her head, her gaze locking onto the spirited young man standing below the arena.
At first, when he appeared at Viridian Gym, she had thought he was nothing more than an ordinary human. Yet their very first encounter shattered that assumption, he had taken her attack head-on with nothing but a human body, even while she was still heavily restrained.
Later, she sensed her own power within him.
For the first time since her birth, she initiated communication with a stranger. From that brief exchange, she reached a vague yet unsettling conclusion.
Soon after, she entered the arena to battle him directly.
The Pokémon he sent out defied reason. Even after most of her restraints were removed, she was completely overwhelmed, unable to fight back at all.
Then came the moment she removed all restraints.
That final battle, violent, unrestrained, and overwhelming, was the first time she had ever fought with everything she had. And in that clash, she found something she had never possessed before.
A reason to exist.
She wanted to become stronger. She wanted to understand the bond between humans and Pokémon. She no longer wanted to exist as a weapon wielded by others.
The clash of Pokémon awakened a dormant fire within her heart. For the first time, battle made her blood surge and her spirit burn.
In the end, she was defeated.
And she engraved Ash, and Lucario, deeply into her memory.
After being taken back to the League, its advanced medical technology not only repaired her shattered body but also stabilized flaws within her mind and spirit.
Though her missing spiritual essence was still incomplete, the recovery allowed her to glimpse a higher realm.
Once her condition stabilized, she shattered the League's Psychic-nullifying field and escaped.
Such a barrier would stop even most Champion-level Psychic Pokémon, but for her, it was no longer enough.
After escaping, she went to find Ash.
She wanted to battle him again. She wanted to see him again.
But what she discovered crushed her.
The human who had displayed such profound understanding of bonds… had deceived her.
She did not believe Ash was unaware that the essence within Gardevoir belonged to her. Yet he claimed she "couldn't use it yet."
It was hers.
Why couldn't she use it?
The truth was obvious.
If that essence were forcibly removed, Gardevoir would suffer irreversible harm.
Ash had lied to protect his Pokémon.
Logically, she understood that.
Emotionally, she could not accept it.
Ash clearly possessed power far beyond hers at the time. Even if the truth had been revealed, he could have controlled the situation. So why deceive her?
Protecting a Pokémon… at the cost of deceiving her.
That was something Mewtwo could not forgive.
So she left without confronting him.
After wandering aimlessly, she stood before him again.
But now, everything was different.
Ash no longer had Lucario's overwhelming support. And she had reached the legendary pinnacle of Pokémon existence.
Their strengths were no longer equal.
Yet Ash stepped forward anyway.
And with a single punch, he smashed her back into reality.
Even without Lucario… she was still no match for him.
"I don't believe it…"
For the first time, raw fury twisted Mewtwo's expression.
"I don't believe it!!"
She burst free from the shattered wall and shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.
Golden lightning crackled around her fist as she hurled it toward Ash's face.
Thunder Punch!
Ash's expression flickered, strange, unreadable.
Then he raised his own fist.
BOOM!!
The collision sent a visible shockwave ripping through the arena.
Lorelei's Pokémon had already retreated to her side. In the instant the shockwave spread, Lapras erected an ice wall to contain the aftermath.
Even so, the residual force carved a deep gash straight through the ice.
Bang!
Mewtwo was sent flying again, launched hundreds of meters into the dim sky before crashing downward.
Just before hitting the ground, she stabilized herself with Psychic power, hovering shakily in midair.
She stared at Ash. Then at her own chest.
Disbelief flooded her face.
Once could be dismissed as carelessness.
But twice?
Even after unleashing Thunder Punch at full power, she couldn't advance even a single step.
Her lightning failed to injure him because Ash's fist was shrouded in another force, Aura.
Thunder Punch wasn't even a move she favored, yet it was still her full-power strike.
The fact that Ash blocked it effortlessly proved one thing beyond doubt.
That punch that sent her flying earlier…
Was no accident.
It was the result of pure, overwhelming strength.
Ash still had strength left.
He stepped forward and threw another punch.
It struck Mewtwo squarely in the chest, the impact detonating with a dull boom and launching her straight upward. If not for the drastic enhancement to her physique after reaching the God tier, that single blow would have knocked her unconscious on the spot.
Had this been back at Viridian Gym, she would already be drifting through a haze of broken dreams.
Even now, Mewtwo felt a violent ache spreading through her body. More than the pain, however, was the confusion clawing at her mind.
'Why… why do you, a human, possess this kind of power?!'
Humans were supposed to be weak, frail beings who survived only through intelligence and tools. Creatures who barely carved out a place in the world by relying on Pokémon.
So what was this?
The power this human wielded surpassed that of ninety-nine percent of Pokémon in existence.
"Because… talent, I guess."
Ash shrugged casually, as if he were explaining why the weather was nice today.
Of course, he couldn't very well say it was power inherited from another self in another world. While he did have an innate affinity for Aura, without that external catalyst, he likely wouldn't have been able to awaken it at all.
Power buried that deeply inside the human body simply didn't surface without guidance.
So "talent" was the easiest explanation.
'Talent? Even the most gifted human shouldn't be capable of this. Are you truly human?'
Ash's expression darkened slightly.
"What, Pokémon can be born Champions, but humans can't be born strong? Are we fighting or not? If not, let's sit down and talk."
'Fight.'
Mewtwo's eyes flared with cold light.
The Thunder Punch had only been a test. Now came her true strength.
A vast Psychic presence surged outward, distorting the air itself. The condensed force screamed toward Ash in an instant.
Ash raised one hand. Brilliant blue Aura gathered in his palm, compressing until it hummed violently.
He thrust it forward.
BOOM!!
Psyshock collided with Aura Sphere, and a deafening explosion tore across the island.
Ash was blasted out of the smoke, skidding dozens of meters across the ground before finally coming to a stop. He hadn't suffered internal injuries, but his appearance was in tatters.
His black T-shirt was torn and dust-covered, riddled with holes. His jeans were ripped, and even the soles of his shoes had been ground thinner.
His blue jacket was nowhere to be seen, it still rested on Misty's shoulders.
Mewtwo remained hovering in the air.
She lifted her arms, and streams of condensed Psychic force rained down relentlessly. Ash didn't try to tank everything, he dodged where he could, weaving through the storm.
Each Psyshock and Psychic strike smashed into the island, ripping open the already fractured terrain. The entire landmass trembled, as though it might collapse at any moment.
Misty and the others watched in horror.
This was no longer a battle, it was a clash of gods.
Without Lorelei's protection, they would have been obliterated by the shockwaves alone. In a God level battle, even Champion-level Pokémon could do nothing but serve as shields against the aftermath.
A direct hit would mean death without even a complete corpse.
Lorelei's expression was grim.
Nearly ten minutes had passed. By now, Lance and the others should have arrived.
Once they did, even if they couldn't stop Mewtwo outright, they could at least evacuate Misty and the others. Right now, Lorelei alone could barely hold back the residual damage, moving people while doing so was impossible.
And if she left Ash behind…
Who would help him?
Among everyone present, only her Pokémon could even slightly influence the battlefield.
"ROAR!!"
An earth-shaking roar tore through the sky.
Ash and Mewtwo halted simultaneously, both turning towards the sky.
An orange-yellow figure descended at terrifying speed.
Dragonite.
Two figures rode on its back.
One had red hair, a flowing cloak, and a calm, commanding presence.
The other was broad-shouldered, muscular, and radiated raw, iron-like resolve.
Dragonite landed beside Lorelei. The two men dismounted in unison.
Lance's gaze immediately locked onto the battlefield.
"I could hear the fighting from the sea," he said solemnly. "Is that… Mewtwo?"
Bruno followed his line of sight, his expression tightening. This was their first time seeing her. When Mewtwo had been recovering at the League, they were still en route, and by the time they arrived, she was already gone.
"Yes," Lorelei replied quietly. "That is Mewtwo."
She paused, then added heavily, "And I'm sorry, but I can't handle her. Her power has already reached the God tier."
"God tier?!" ×2
Lance and Bruno froze.
That single statement explained everything, why Lorelei had sent an emergency signal.
God Level and Champion Level were not even remotely comparable.
Even if all four Elite Four members combined their strength, they might still be unable to contend with a single genuine God tier Level Pokémon.
"God Level?"
Agatha's voice sounded calmly beside Lorelei.
Her figure appeared without warning, materializing out of the shadows like a ghost.
Misty and the others nearly jumped out of their skin.
In an already dim environment, an elderly woman with snow-white hair suddenly appearing beside you was terrifying no matter how many times you experienced it.
"Agatha?! You're here too? Why didn't you come with Lance on Dragonite?" Misty exclaimed.
"I'm old," Agatha replied flatly. "I don't ride those things anymore. I had Gengar bring me over slowly."
She then turned back to Lorelei, repeating her earlier question.
"She wasn't at God tier back at Viridian Gym, was she?"
"I don't know when she broke through," Lorelei admitted, shaking her head. "But right now, she is undeniably God Level. All six of my Pokémon together wouldn't last a single full exchange against her."
Lance's expression hardened.
"Then how did you hold out this long?" he asked, eyes fixed on Mewtwo.
"Did she take pity on you?"
"The one who stopped her," Lorelei said quietly, "wasn't me."
She turned her gaze.
"It was Ash."
"Ash?"
Bruno stared, convinced he had misheard. "You mean the Kanto supernova? That kid? This is God Level we're talking about! No matter how talented a newcomer is, it's impossible for them to train a Pokémon of that level!"
Even movies wouldn't dare write something that outrageous.
"Heh heh…"
Agatha let out a dry chuckle, the tension in her expression easing just slightly.
"Don't underestimate the younger generation, Bruno. The waves behind push the waves ahead, and the waves ahead die on the beach."
Her eyes glinted.
"Who was it that subdued Mewtwo in the first place? Ash. His Lucario displaying God level strength was already absurd enough. But if he could make that miracle happen once, who's to say he can't do it again?"
She glanced at Lorelei.
"Isn't that right?"
Lorelei shook her head, slowly, firmly.
"It wasn't Lucario."
Agatha, Bruno, and Lance froze.
"What?"
Lorelei's voice was steady, but the words themselves were enough to shake any Trainer to their core.
"The one fighting Mewtwo… is Ash himself."
Agatha, Bruno, and Lance: "..."
All three stared at her in stunned silence.
"You don't mean to tell me he's fighting her barehanded?"
A human.
Hand-to-hand.
Against a God Level Pokémon.