"Screeeech—"
"Screeeech—"
"Screeeech—"
Three sharp bird cries rang out, shifting from an overlapping chorus of the past into solitary calls. Flame, ice, and lightning completely separated, like dragon balls scattering after a wish had been granted, transforming into streaks of light shooting off in three different directions. However, these three beams did not fly straight—after traveling a certain distance, they arced downward like parabolas before plummeting from the sky.
"Thud—"
A dull impact echoed, followed soon after by three mournful shrieks. Though Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos had been forcibly separated by the combined efforts of Mewtwo and Mew, they were still heavily injured, crashing onto the relatively intact rooftops of nearby skyscrapers. The impact sent spiderweb-like cracks spreading across the buildings' outer walls.
Ryuuske pretended not to notice. While these three foolish birds hadn't willingly sided with Team Rocket against him, the fact remained that they had caused trouble. Getting beaten up a little was nothing more than they deserved.
This dazzling light was like the dawn of victory, heralding the end of the incident. The protective barrier enveloping the sky shattered into fragments, dissolving into starlight. Thousands of trainers, led by four Gym Leaders, surged into Saffron City from all directions. Tens of thousands of Pokémon continued to clash fiercely with Team Rocket's forces.
From time to time, buildings collapsed and burned, the explosions even more violent than before. But Ryuuske knew this was nothing more than Team Rocket's last stand. Having lost all advantages—timing, terrain, and manpower—their fate was sealed in defeat.
Clearly, Giovanni had anticipated this. He had already ordered his commanders to retreat, leaving only a rearguard behind while the majority of Team Rocket's forces fled using every means available.
"Hm? Where's Sabrina?"
After the blinding light that split the three legendary birds faded, Ryuuske realized Sabrina was no longer in the sky. Frowning, he scanned his surroundings—given her condition and that of her Alakazam, she couldn't have gone far.
"Mew~ Mew~"
After unleashing Mewtwo's devastating attack, Ryuuske had recalled it along with Garchomp and Dragonair back into their Master Balls. Only Mew remained, flitting around him. Hearing Ryuuske' mutterings, Mew circled him twice before projecting a three-dimensional map into his mind using its psychic powers.
"So she went there, huh? I knew she couldn't have gone far."
Ryuuske' frown eased as he chuckled. "...No need to worry about her for now. There's no way she's escaping!"
"Mew~"
Mew covered its mouth with its tiny paws, giggling. Ryuuske reached out to grab its long tail, but Mew twisted away playfully.
"Even though you have your own reasons for helping me—making this a partnership—I still owe you thanks, Mew. Without you, I wouldn't have known what to do against Giovanni."
Ryuuske spoke calmly, though a lingering fear remained when he thought of Giovanni. That unassuming man was easily on par with—if not stronger than—the Elite Four's champion, yet he had hidden so deeply in the shadows as Team Rocket's leader, pulling strings from behind the scenes.
Ryuuske wasn't intimidated by those who flaunted their power. But those who possessed great strength yet remained low-key? Those were the truly terrifying ones.
"Mew mew~"
Mew let out a couple more soft cries.
"Don't worry, I understand. It's just that my current strength isn't enough to face it yet. You shouldn't rush either—you've endured for so many years already, even if things are getting more urgent now... I'll do whatever it takes to gather more allies. If the situation is truly as dire as you say, then forming pacts with legendary Pokémon and making them fight for me isn't out of the question."
Ryuuske' eyes gleamed with calculation.
Ever since his transmigration, Ryuuske had felt a strange sense of rejection—not from his body toward his soul, but from the world itself toward his existence.
Yet, paradoxically, he also felt a bizarre sense of belonging, as if he were being embraced by the world. It was as though he existed on the "horizon of boundaries", standing at the intersection of two realms, simultaneously rejected and accepted.
After communicating with Mew, he learned that legendary Pokémon had long sensed this anomaly. The phenomenon had persisted for countless years, only growing more severe recently.
In other words—this world was sick. Something was fundamentally wrong. But even Mew didn't know the specifics. Perhaps the world itself was flawed, or perhaps the issue lay with Arceus, the creator deity who symbolized this world.
Legend stated that Arceus had existed before the universe itself, and that the entire world was born from its flowing energy. This myth aligned almost perfectly with the creation stories Ryuuske knew from various regions of his original world. Whether Arceus truly was a primordial being remained unconfirmed, but its unique status was undeniable.
The Pokémon and humans born in this world could not defy it, for the world itself was part of Arceus. But Ryuuske was different—because he wasn't from this world to begin with!
"But this is still far beyond my reach. To uncover more details, I'll need to investigate ruins scattered across this world... For now, let's deal with the immediate situation. Mew, take me down."
After a brief contemplation, Ryuuske shook his head. His current strength wasn't enough to touch upon the world's ultimate secrets. Right now, his priority was to grow stronger and gather more allies.
Still, he had a feeling he'd soon have to become a historian and mythologist himself, delving into ruins in search of the truth.
Under Ryuuske' command, Mew carried him down from the sky to the ruined battlefield below. There, he found Ash and Gary, exhausted after their fight.
Ash lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his clothes in tatters. Blood pooled beneath him, dripping steadily into a small puddle. After defeating Lt. Surge and then battling the three legendary birds without pause, he had pushed himself to the limit.
Unlike Ryuuske, he hadn't relied on Mewtwo or Mew—every clash had been a direct, brutal confrontation.
Gary stood beside Ash, his injuries no less severe. But his stubborn pride refused to let him lie down. Compared to them, Ryuuske was in relatively good shape—aside from being covered in dust, suffering from the agony of Mewtwo's cellular corruption, and sustaining some minor wounds (well, maybe a broken rib, but that barely counted as an injury to him anymore).
"That Pokémon is..."
Ash's eyes lit up with excitement as he spotted Mew fluttering around Ryuuske.
"It's Mew. I saw it in Viridian Forest," Gary replied hoarsely, his voice rough from dehydration after prolonged battle.
"Not 'Mew'. Just an adorable little loli."
In a flash of pink light, Mew transformed back into the petite, pink-clad girl. Ryuuske patted her head with a grin.
Ash: "..."
Gary: "..."
The two exchanged glances. If lolis were this powerful, they wouldn't mind raising one either.
But their expressions soon turned curious. A Pokémon turning into a human? That was something they'd never seen before. Could all Pokémon do this, or was it unique to certain species?
And if Pokémon could become human... what exactly could they do? Did they function the same as humans?
As Professor Oak's grandson, Gary's scholarly mind dug deeper into the implications.
To be continued…
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