"I called Lance. He said he's currently in the Kalos region," Ash said as he ran ahead, not turning back. "Not just him, the other Elite Four members are there too. They were planning to return tomorrow, but after receiving the emergency notice, they're rushing back immediately."
Misty blinked. "All of them… in Kalos?"
"Yes."
In a way, this situation was indirectly Ash's fault.
After Ash revealed MEGA Evolution, the Kanto Elite Four had begun scouring the world for Mega Stones. Through various channels, they obtained information suggesting that rare stones similar to Mega Stones had appeared in the Kalos region, along with rumors of Key Stones.
At the time, people there only believed these were rare gemstones. No one knew their true purpose.
That was why the Elite Four had rushed to Kalos without hesitation and stayed there searching for some time.
If not for the Indigo Plateau Conference approaching, they likely wouldn't have returned even tomorrow.
After all, Team Rocket in Kanto had already been almost completely wiped out. From the Elite Four's perspective, what kind of danger could still appear in Kanto?
But reality had a way of mocking assumptions.
Not long after their departure, something truly troublesome happened in Kanto, something even high-level Alliance Trainers found difficult to deal with.
The Alliance's official Trainers were not weak. Low-level Trainers were common, and there were even Mid–level and Mid-High level operatives among them.
Yet even they were unable to meaningfully resist those two gigantic Pokémon.
That was why the Elite Four had been urgently summoned back.
Even with Dragonite's speed, it would still take Lance at least half an hour to return from Kalos to Pallet Town.
That was the reason the Alliance requested nearby Trainers to hold out for thirty minutes.
Crossing regions in half an hour was already pushing the limits of plausibility. Even by aircraft, it wouldn't be easy. Dragonite's speed alone made this response time possible.
But those thirty minutes were also a brutal test.
The Alliance's initial assessment placed the two Pokémon at at least Elite level.
Combined with their enormous size and unknown abilities, it was clear that without a Champion-level Trainer, suppressing them would be nearly impossible.
Among wild Trainers, how many could even reach Mid level, let alone Champion?
Still, the Alliance had no choice.
They could only issue a desperate call for assistance, even knowing that some Trainers might be walking straight into danger. No matter the cost, they had to stall until the Elite Four arrived.
Otherwise, the nearby towns would be doomed.
What the Alliance failed to consider was that there was a town very close to the battlefield, Pallet Town.
And Pallet Town housed two top-tier combatants.
One of them even had direct communication with the Alliance: Professor Oak.
Had the Alliance remembered the combat power hidden in Pallet Town, there would have been no need to rally Trainers through a televised announcement.
But now, although Professor Oak had not yet arrived, another top-tier combatant from Pallet Town was already on the move.
And this one was even more dangerous.
In a regulated battle, Ash's combat power might pale in comparison to Professor Oak's.
But in an unrestrained wild battlefield?
Mewtwo, welcome to the field.
On the back mountain of Pallet Town, dozens of Trainers had already gathered.
Among them were many Mid-low level Trainers, along with several official Alliance Trainers.
They were doing everything they could to resist the two monstrous Pokémon.
Some people were still clinging to unrealistic hopes.
With so many Trainers present, maybe they could suppress the two Pokémon that resembled Gengar and Alakazam.
Some even fantasized about capturing them.
One-on-one, no one dared claim confidence.
From aura alone, it was obvious these Pokémon were on an entirely different level. Their massive bodies only made the pressure worse.
But this wasn't a one-on-one fight.
There were more than thirty Trainers present.
As the saying went, enough ants could bring down an elephant.
With numbers on their side, surely they could at least contend with them… right?
If they succeeded, then whoever captured them would simply depend on who threw their Poké Ball first.
If captured, they would immediately become core combat assets. Even without Gigantamax, simply releasing such colossal Pokémon would intimidate opponents beyond reason.
That was the fantasy.
Reality crushed it instantly.
At the first clash, a gigantic Gengar unleashed a massive black Energy Ball.
The battlefield collapsed.
Pokémon were sent flying, heavily injured before they could even mount a proper defense.
There was no counterattack.
There was barely time to react.
The gap in strength was far beyond what they had imagined.
Fear flooded the hearts of even the professional-level Trainers.
"With this size, numbers don't matter at all!"
"The Alliance didn't explain this clearly! Are Elite-level Pokémon something we're supposed to handle?!"
"Damn it! Ordinary Elite level would already be bad enough, but something this big, human wave tactics don't work at all!"
"One hit and our Pokémon are critically injured. How are we supposed to fight?!"
"Run! Run while you still can!"
"No!"
A voice cut through the panic.
"There's a town nearby. If even we retreat, what happens to the civilians?"
"As Alliance Trainers, we cannot retreat here!"
The more one understood Pokémon battles, the more terrifying high-level Pokémon became.
Many of the Trainers present had personally fought Elite-level Pokémon before. And precisely because of that experience, they knew just how vast the gap between Elite-level Pokémon and themselves truly was.
Some had already begun thinking about retreat.
But under the encouragement of the leading Trainer, everyone still held their ground.
If this gigantic Gengar and the gigantic Alakazam moved toward the town below, then without High–level Trainers standing in their way, the entire town would be wiped out.
Even if it meant sacrificing themselves, they absolutely could not allow these two monsters to reach the civilians.
Seeing that the Trainers were still stubbornly resisting, the gigantic Gengar curled its lips into a ferocious grin.
It raised both hands.
A black energy beam erupted forward like lightning.
The beam was so thick it rivaled the width of a building, and in an instant it slammed straight toward the gathered crowd.
Almost simultaneously, Pokémon throughout the field unleashed their moves in defense.
Fire, water, rock, psychic energy, countless attacks surged forward to intercept it.
But the stalemate lasted less than three seconds.
The Dark Pulse released by Gengar crushed everything in its path, overwhelming all resistance.
"Scatter! Scatter now!" someone shouted desperately.
The Trainers and Pokémon on the ground fled in all directions, narrowly avoiding the beam.
The Dark Pulse struck the mountainside.
The forest was erased in an instant, reduced to drifting dust. And atop that devastated ground, a strangely shaped stone-like object remained behind.
The shockwave rolled outward like a tidal wave, sending Trainers and Pokémon flying, tumbling across the ground dozens of meters before finally coming to a stop.
The gap was absolute.
After sweeping aside the ground forces, Gengar lifted its gaze to the sky.
Flying Pokémon filled the air, circling desperately above.
A cruel smile appeared on Gengar's face.
Another black beam erupted skyward.
At the same time, Alakazam, who had been observing silently, raised its spoon and fired a brilliant blue beam in response.
Dark Pulse. Psybeam.
Black and blue light flooded the sky, sealing off nearly every escape route.
The Pokémon on the ground were already barely holding on from the shockwaves alone. If those in the air were struck directly, even surviving the beams wouldn't save them from the fall.
Despair spread.
Just as the flying Trainers braced themselves for death, a figure suddenly appeared in mid-air.
The instant it appeared, every beam in the sky froze.
Dark Pulse and Psybeam hung motionless in the air, suspended as if time itself had stopped.
Trainers who had instinctively raised their arms slowly lowered them.
Then they saw it.
All those devastating attacks, frozen.
"What… what's happening?"
"Why did the moves stop?"
"Did the Alliance reinforcements arrive?"
"But they said it would still take time…"
"What kind of Pokémon is that?"
Compared to the towering Gengar and Alakazam, the figure in the sky was tiny, like an ant.
And yet, that tiny figure felt like a pillar holding up the heavens.
The suspended beams of destruction seemed utterly insignificant in its presence.
The figure slowly clenched its fingers.
The next instant, every beam shattered.
Light scattered like falling stars, transforming the dark battlefield into something almost beautiful.
Gengar and Alakazam stiffened.
They stared at the figure in the sky with unprecedented caution.
From that being, they felt pressure unlike anything they had ever encountered.
Even in ancient times, they had never faced such an existence.
"How about it, Mewtwo? Can you handle this?" Ash's relaxed voice sounded as Charizard flew in beside her.
Ash had already activated his Eye of Insight.
The data on these two Pokémon was strange.
They possessed levels, moves, and six-attribute aptitudes like normal Pokémon, and like the ancient Dragonite, but beside their names was a designation he had never seen before.
"Phantom."
Ash didn't know what that meant.
But he knew one thing clearly.
These two Pokémon possessed Elite-level peak strength.
Combined with their colossal size and multiple A-rank attributes, they were more than enough to overwhelm ordinary forces.
Without a Champion-level presence, stopping them would indeed be nearly impossible.
Mewtwo glanced sideways at Ash, her voice echoing calmly in his mind.
"You should ask them if they can handle me. You might even get an uncertain answer."
In other words, his question was pointless.
"So confident, huh?" Ash chuckled, utterly unconcerned.
In his eyes, these two giants were not threats.
As Ash and Mewtwo exchanged words, murmurs rose from the battlefield below.
"That guy riding Charizard… doesn't he look familiar?"
"Wait, he's Ash! Ash from Pallet Town!"
"The Kanto Supernova?"
"The one who defeated Elite Koga in less than half a year?"
"And later fought Elite Four Lorelei to a draw, against an Elite-level peak Pokémon!"
"Why is he here?"
"What town is nearby again?"
"Pallet Town."
"Wait, seriously?"
"So that's his hometown?"
"No wonder he arrived so fast!"
"If Ash is here, maybe this really can be resolved!"
"Still… these two might need Champion-level power."
"But with Ash plus all of us, holding out until the Elite Four arrive should be guaranteed!"