{T/N: There are less than 7 chapters remaining til completion...}
...
Caleb glanced at the floating camera-like device in the air and spoke, "You think I'd believe anything you say?"
Giovanni's eyes darkened. A slow smirk curled his lips, "Is that so?"
He waved his hand. An Ultra Wormhole opened, and Mewtwo exited through it, then returned moments later. This time, it carried a golden-haired woman.
Giovanni asked, "How about now?"
Caleb's expression changed. He forced himself to stand and said coldly, "Let her go!"
Giovanni flicked his wrist, and Mewtwo tossed Cynthia aside.
"Your relationship really is something special," Giovanni scoffed, "So… shall we begin?"
Caleb looked at Cynthia. She had been silenced by Mewtwo's psychic power and could only shake her head anxiously, her eyes full of worry.
"Don't worry. I'm fine," Caleb said softly, then withdrew his gaze.
Giovanni had his Mewtwo throw the severely injured Mew2 back to Caleb.
Caleb used his Viridian Power to restore Mew2's strength. His stored energy had already been depleted, but he still carried Xerneas's blessing, which allowed him to convert his own life force into healing power.
Mew2, linked to his mind, knew this and tried to stop him.
But Caleb pushed its hand away with firm resolve and spoke telepathically: "See the teleporter on Giovanni's belt? When the time comes, grab it and take Cynthia out of here."
>..What about you?..< Mew2 asked, worried.
"I'm sorry."
>..No!..< Mew2's eyes burned with desperation.
"Listen. They won't kill me right away. Once you're out, go find Dragonite and the others to come back and save me."
>..You're lying. I know what you're planning..<
Caleb tone became stern, "This is an order. If you still consider me your Trainer."
Mew2 fell silent. It looked at this human in silence, as if trying to etch him into its memory.
"Please…" Caleb's voice cracked, "I'm begging you."
Mew2 closed its eyes, let out a deep sigh, and when it opened them again, its resolve was absolute: >..I'll stay with you, no matter where you go..<
Caleb frowned, "Don't be reckless..."
He opened his mouth to say more, but Giovanni cut in sharply, "Enough! Let's begin!"
Caleb stood, giving Mew2's shoulder a light pat.
Mew2 turned around, its gaze burning with fury as it looked at Giovanni.
Without wasting time, Caleb initiated with Teleport.
But Giovanni, as if reading his mind, instantly commanded, "Teleport!"
Both Mewtwos vanished from their spots simultaneously, instantly swapping positions, then shot skyward, their fists colliding midair.
A massive psychic shockwave erupted from the clash, causing Ultra Space itself to emit a strange hum...
If Mew2 had been at full strength, this exchange would've been even. But it had already been through a brutal beating. Though Caleb had restored some of its health, it wasn't enough.
Giovanni noticed Mew2's weakness and ordered, "Go all out!"
His Mewtwo's right hand surged with power. A psychic wave burst from its eyes, blasting Mew2 backward. It crashed into Caleb, and both were thrown to the ground.
Caleb struggled to his feet, continuing to heal Mew2. Moments later, he stood again, exhaled, and said, "Continue!"
But in this state, Mew2 stood no chance. Seconds later, it was sent flying once more.
Caleb could barely stand, but he still dragged himself to Mew2's side to heal it.
Tears streamed down Cynthia's cheeks. A sense of helplessness spread through her entire body.
Not just her; at this moment, everyone watching the live broadcast felt shock and anger.
...
~Johto Region~
Lily sat before her computer, biting her lip, watching the scene in sorrow and pain.
...
Somewhere else… Jessie, James, and Meowth watched in silence.
"Boss Giovanni is s so cruel…" James murmured.
Meowth smacked his head, "He's not our boss, nyaa! Don't forget who helped us achieve our dreams, nyaa!"
Jessie shouted at the screen, watching Caleb fall and rise again, "That's right! You have to hang in there!"
...
~Unova Region~
The little girl Caleb had once saved couldn't bear to watch and buried her face in her mother's embrace...
...
~Hoenn Region~
Mr. Stone clenched his fists at the sight, remembering his meeting with the young man at the academy years ago...
...
"You're clearly at your limit. Why don't you just give up?" Giovanni asked, "Do you even value your life?"
"There are things in this world more important than life itself," Caleb replied.
"True enough," Giovanni said, almost wistful, "For me, conquering all worlds is worth more than life."
Just then, Caleb gave Mew2 a subtle nod.
Mew2 instantly teleported beside Giovanni, snatched the teleporter from his belt, and vanished to Cynthia's side. An Ultra Wormhole opened behind them. Mew2 grabbed Cynthia and leapt through.
Giovanni's eyes widened, "Stop the–"
*Bang!*
A gunshot rang out.
Giovanni looked down at the bullet wound in his abdomen.
Caleb smiled weakly, "My arm couldn't lift properly, so I missed."
The next second, the protective protocol of Giovanni's controlled Mewtwo triggered. It appeared before Caleb and blasted him away with psychic force.
"They got away!" Lysandre reported, returning from the wormhole.
Giovanni ignored his wound. He fixed his gaze on Caleb, then looked straight into the camera and coldly declared:
"Your Savior falls now. You're next."
He turned to Mewtwo and ordered, "Finish him."
...
Cynthia, now in a safe place, had just opened the livestream when she heard those words. On screen, Mewtwo stood over Caleb.
"No!" she screamed, terror gripping her heart like never before.
*Hum!*
At that moment, the ring she always wore on her hand suddenly emitted a dazzling white light.
Immediately after, glowing particles began rising from Steven, Lance, and the others.
Not just them... at that moment, glowing orbs emerged from every human and Pokémon watching the broadcast.
Amid cries of 'Please!', 'Hang in there!', 'Don't die!', the lights soared into the sky and raced toward Alola at incomprehensible speed.
...
Meanwhile, deep within Ultra Space, a pitch-black creature suddenly opened its eyes.
In the next instant, it vanished and reappeared above Alola.
The light of humanity's prayers flooded into it. Bathed in that radiance, its body began to transform. In moments, it became a colossal, luminous being.
Necrozma finally reclaimed its stolen light through the faith of humanity.
If Caleb had been there, he'd have immediately recognized it as Ultra Necrozma, the Radiant One of Alola.
The same radiance simultaneously enveloped the entire Ultra Space.
Giovanni and the others frowned at the sudden shift.
Mewtwo's action hadn't stopped. A solid blade of pure psychic energy had already formed before it. But just as it launched, figures emerged from the light behind Caleb.
Another Mewtwo appeared, blasting Giovanni's Mewtwo away with a single psychic attack.
Giovanni's face twisted in disbelief, "It's you!"
At the front stood a young man in a red-and-white jacket, a red cap with half a Poké Ball emblem tilted on his head.
He helped Caleb up from the ground and, looking at Giovanni and the others opposite, said, "Your plan ends here, Giovanni."
Ultimate Necrozma had sensed the human's prayers and, after regaining its light, summoned righteous heroes from other worlds, just like it had summoned Team Rainbow Rocket...