"Mewtwo has actually been captured? Who could have done such a thing? Could it be Giovanni again?" Brock couldn't figure out who could capture Mewtwo.
Although Ash seemed to defeat Mewtwo rather easily, everyone knew how powerful Mewtwo was. Even if Lance were to try, he might not be able to suppress Mewtwo.
Also, if Mewtwo wanted to escape, Lance wouldn't be able to stop him. So to capture Mewtwo, one must at least have a Champion Level superpower Pokemon capable of stopping Mewtwo during an escape and defeating him head-on.
There is almost no one in this world who can defeat Mewtwo head-on and intercept him during an escape.
So who on earth is this person who captured Mewtwo?
"Ash, are you going? The opponent has captured Mewtwo, it's probably more dangerous than battling Giovanni." Misty asked Ash with some concern.
In her heart, she didn't want Ash to go to such a dangerous place. This wasn't just an adventure or challenge; it was practically a suicide mission!
Unless Ash could miraculously repeat what Lucario did, she didn't know how Ash could handle such a person.
"I have to go. I can't let Mewtwo fall into the hands of someone like that. We worked so hard to save her from Team Rocket; we can't let her fall straight from the wolf's lair into the tiger's mouth!" Ash decided without hesitation that he would participate in the battle of the strongest trainers.
Titles and reputation didn't concern him. What mattered was Mewtwo's whereabouts and her current situation.
From his brief communication with Mewtwo, Ash could sense that she wasn't inherently a vicious Pokemon. The actions described by Blaine could have either been influenced by Giovanni or the environment within Team Rocket.
In any case, that wasn't Mewtwo's true nature!
They had just managed to save her from Team Rocket, only for her to fall into another person's hands. Ash could not accept this!
He had to bring Mewtwo back!
"Should we inform Miss Lorelei and Professor Oak? You can't just go there by yourself!" Brock suggested, knowing that even if he tried to stop Ash, Ash would still go his own way. It was better to bring more helpers.
Going solo was just too dangerous. They had already made that mistake once and couldn't afford to make it again.
Although Lorelei didn't come last time, she was monitoring remotely. If it weren't for the contract Giovanni had, Lorelei would have intervened immediately when the situation got out of control.
This time, it couldn't be like dealing with Giovanni. Back then, Giovanni had to somewhat abide by the rules and concealed Lorelei's presence to lure Mewtwo out.
But now that Mewtwo was essentially out in the open, they could directly go to her.
"Alright, let's inform Miss Lorelei and Professor Oak and see what they say." After some thought, Ash agreed with Brock's suggestion.
Even though Ash was confident in his own abilities, he was facing someone who could capture Mewtwo. He had no idea what other tricks the opponent might have, so it was wise to be prepared.
...
Three days later, at the pier—
The sky was gloomy, lightning flashed frequently, heavy rain poured down, and strong winds howled, creating layer upon layer of waves!
To reach New Island, one must depart from here by boat and traverse a sea area to get to the island.
But today's weather was out of control. Storms swept across the sea area, with wind, lightning, torrential rain, and surging waves preventing ships from setting out.
At the pier were not only Ash and his friends but also Lorelei, completely shrouded in a gray cloak, and a sea of trainers.
The invitation for the strongest trainer had spread throughout Kanto, and anyone with some interest was preparing to head to New Island. But who could have imagined such a scenario?
Why did the storm have to come today of all days? And a storm of unprecedented scale too! In such weather, it was unrealistic to set out to sea, and many trainers gave up on going to New Island.
It seemed like fate didn't want the strongest trainer's contest to be held.
Ash, sitting by the window of the Pokemon Center, watched the flashes of lightning outside, deep in thought.
These lightning and rain... it seemed like there was a force stirring behind them.
This wasn't the work of nature, but man-made, or perhaps caused by a Pokemon!
'To influence nature to such an extent requires a Champion Peak Level superpower Pokemon. Could it be Mewtwo? But it doesn't make sense, wasn't Mewtwo's trainer inviting us to New Island? What's the purpose of this sudden turn of events?'
While Ash was lost in thought, a voice called to him: "Hey, Ash, what now? Are we still going?"
Ash turned his head to see a spiky-haired boy: "Of course, I'm going to rescue Mewtwo no matter what. Gary, if you don't want to go, you can head home now."
Gary had also received the strongest trainer invitation, and Ash had informed him of the situation. Initially, Gary was hesitant upon learning that the culprit behind this chaos was Mewtwo and his enigmatic trainer.
But he eventually decided to come. As a trainer, how could he become a Celestial King Champion or the world's strongest trainer without the courage to face challenges?
Despite all his inner turmoil, the moment he arrived, a storm began. Did the heavens not want him to go?
Even faced with such a storm, Ash was determined to go to New Island, and as his rival, Gary couldn't fall behind. If Ash was going, so was he!
"Go back? As if! If you're going, how can I not? I'm not letting you take the title of the strongest trainer. So, what's your plan?"
"I'll take you there," Lorelei said gently, her voice emerging from beyond the gray cloak.
With Lorelei leading the way, the group reached the sea's edge. She lightly touched the Pokeball at her waist, and with a flash of light, a blue Pokemon with a large shell on its back—Lapras—appeared on the water.
Lapras was a rare Pokemon, not as elusive as a Quasi-God, but still hard to find in the wild.
But as one of the Elite Four, it wasn't surprising that Lorelei had Lapras. What surprised Ash was that this Lapras was at Champion Peak Level!
Even among Champion Trainers, possessing a Champion Peak Level Pokemon was rare, and for a trainer officially designated as an Elite Four member to have one was truly astonishing.
Although Kanto had declined, its high-level powers were not to be underestimated!
"Let's go." Lorelei said, leaping onto Lapras' back. The rain soaked her cloak, making it weigh several pounds more. Yet, she could still jump that far, indicating her impressive physique.
Ash silently noted this, then tossed out a Pokeball, summoning Blastoise into the sea.
"Miss Lorelei, you and Misty can ride Lapras. Brock, Gary, and I will go on Blastoise so it won't be too crowded."
"I'm fine with it, but are you sure?" Lorelei asked, eyeing the turbulent waves with some concern.
"No worries, Blastoise can handle these waves easily!" Ash declared, as he and Brock and Gary climbed onto Blastoise. Amidst the raging storm and rolling waves, they set out for New Island!