"No wonder you defeated this world's so-called bosses." Ghetsis said, watching Mew2 with grudging admiration.
In the air, Kyurem and Mew2 clashed, while Palkia timed a Spacial Rend that grazed Mew2's arm.
Caleb was on the verge of collapse. Two days of nonstop, high-intensity combat had brought him to the brink of exhaustion. Dialga had also recovered and joined Palkia and Kyurem.
It was three Legendaries against one. Worse, Maxie and the others had even rotated in for a shift earlier.
No matter how fast Mew2 was, it couldn't emerge unscathed from the encirclement of so many Legendary Pokémon. Every injury required Caleb to expend energy to heal it.
Team Rainbow Rocket had indeed chosen the perfect moment to launch their invasion.
They had arrived early, quietly gathering intel on everything in this world: the Lusamine incident, the Ultra Beast invasion of Alola, and Lillie's plea for help.
If Caleb was right, all of this was part of this Giovanni's plan.
Giovanni was known for his ambition, sharp mind, and high intelligence. Having learned why the villains of this world had failed, he crafted a counter-strategy.
And that strategy was to trap Caleb in Ultra Space.
The facts proved that Caleb's conjecture was not wrong.
Giovanni had even monitored Lillie's private phone. The only thing he hadn't expected was Caleb entering Ultra Space with only two Pokémon...
Mew2 glanced back, worry in its eyes.
Caleb shook his head, panting as he faced the three Legendaries preparing to strike again.
Solgaleo had been captured by Cyrus using a Master Ball. Now, only Lunala and Necrozma could open Ultra Space.
But Ultra Space was vast, and finding them was nearly impossible. Which meant Caleb was truly trapped.
Nearly two days had passed since he entered. As for what was happening outside? He didn't dare imagine.
In the games, Team Rainbow Rocket was defeated by the protagonist. But in this world, Caleb had brought too much change. Many events had diverged from the original timelines.
The protagonists hadn't even begun their journeys. Without them, only the Champions and Elite Fours from other regions remained.
But faced with a fully prepared Giovanni, who even controlled an Ultra Beast army, could they succeed?
Watching Mew2 struggling in the bitter battle, Caleb recalled the events he encountered in the Punishment Instance.
'Will this world suffer the same fate?'
Memories of Infinite Space flashed through his mind: his undercover missions, meeting Lance, traveling with Cynthia, watching wild Pokémon in their natural habitats.
'No. Not this world. Not here.' Caleb took a deep breath. In that moment, he made his decision.
Before settling here, he had read the ticket's fine print... If a player living in this world dies, the world will open to players, and would likely be treated Punishment Instance.
"You're almost at your limit, aren't you?" Ghetsis asked with a relaxed smile, having slept soundly the night before.
"Your willpower is truly admirable," Cyrus added.
"I used to think saying something like 'If you want to destroy this world, you'll do it over my dead body' was too melodramatic," Caleb said softly, "But now, it seems more appropriate."
The moment he finished speaking, emerald-green aura erupted from his body and engulfed Mew2.
The blazing aura pulsed with vitality, healing Mew2's injuries. Amid the rejuvenating force, Mew2's form shifted into X Form.
"Burning your own life force…" Cyrus murmured, watching the spectacle, "Is this world really worth it?"
Caleb just looked at him and shook his head, "You wouldn't understand."
Cyrus fell silent for a moment, then said, "You're a worthy opponent. I'll remember you."
"I see..." Caleb said, voice steady, "Mew2, Psychic!"
Tears filled Mew2's eyes.
Just moments ago, Caleb had spoken to it telepathically: "If I'm gone… don't resist if they catch you. Wait until you're out of this space. Don't worry, I'm just returning my life to the forest. Tell Mimikyu and the others; I love you all."
Mew2 felt Caleb's determination and the torrent of vitality flooding into it. But it would never abandon him!
With nothing left to lose, Mew2's attacks grew even more ferocious.
The vitality coursing through it rendered enemy strikes meaningless, any non-fatal wound healed instantly. So it embraced the brutal physical power of X Form, charging straight into the trio's assaults, fists hammering Dialga, Palkia, and Kyurem without pause.
Alone, Mew2 forced the three Legendaries into retreat.
"H–how is this possible?! What is this power?!" Ghetsis cried in shock.
Caleb's gaze locked onto him: 'If I take out these two with me, it'll ease the pressure outside...'
In the next second, with a thought, Mega Mewtwo X vanished and reappeared before Ghetsis, throwing a punch.
Ghetsis flew backward, head lolling as he collapsed, either unconscious or worse.
Cyrus's blood ran cold. Without hesitation, he recalled Dialga and Palkia and activated his teleporter, then vanished from Ultra Space.
'His life force will burn out eventually. I'll just wait outside until it does.' he thought.
...
~Aether Paradise~
Cyrus reappeared, but the conference room was empty.
He didn't care. He went straight to Colress's lab and ordered him to activate the teleporter to retrieve Ghetsis for treatment. After that, he stepped outside.
The sky above Alola was now filled with swarms of Ultra Beasts, all flying in the same direction.
"Why are you out here?" Lysandre's voice came from behind.
"There was an unexpected complication..." Cyrus frowned and recounted what had happened.
Lysandre stared, incredulous. "You're telling me The two of you with so many Pokémon couldn't defeat one guy?!"
Cyrus's face darkened, "He burned his own life force."
Before Lysandre could respond, Giovanni's voice echoed from a nearby screen: <..Do you like the gift I prepared for you?..>
Cyrus asked, "Who's he talking to?"
Lysandre grinned, "Who else? Our old friends! They've arrived."