In the Kanto region, along the forest path leading to Pallet Town, sunlight filtered through the gaps between leaves, scattering dappled patches of light across the ground.
"So awesome! Pikachu, look!"
A boy wearing a red-and-white cap and a blue-and-white jacket suddenly jumped up, holding a pink, petal-shaped Badge high in the air as he shouted excitedly at the sky.
"This is proof of strength—the Pink Badge! I really am a genius!"
The boy was Ash. His face was glowing with joy as he carefully pinned the newly acquired Badge to the inside of his well-worn jacket. Then he planted his hands on his hips, lifted his chin proudly, and looked back at his companions.
"Heh! With this one, I've got six Badges now! Just two more and I can enter the Pokémon League Conference! Tremble, Kanto League!"
Perched on his shoulder, Pikachu chimed in with a cheerful "Pika pika," clearly celebrating along with its partner.
However, the blood-pumping atmosphere lasted exactly three seconds.
"Ash, you know…"
A lazy, teasing female voice drifted from behind. Misty stood there with her hands behind her back, head tilted slightly, her emerald-green eyes filled with a look that practically said Are you an idiot?
"You don't actually think you won all those Badges with your so-called 'genius' strength, do you?"
Ash's smile froze. "Huh?"
Misty raised a finger and began counting mercilessly, her words sharp and precise, every sentence a critical hit.
"Pewter Gym—Brock went easy on you, plus the sprinkler system accidentally activated and conducted electricity. That one was basically half a freebie, right?"
"Cerulean Gym—my sisters didn't even want to battle. They only gave you the Badge because you chased off Team Rocket."
"Celadon Gym doesn't even need mentioning," Misty sighed, her eyes full of pity. "You cross-dressed to sneak in, and in the end Erika only gave you the Badge because you helped put out a fire."
She spread her hands and delivered the final verdict.
"All things considered, only the Thunder Badge from Vermilion Gym and this Pink Badge you just got were actually earned properly. Out of eight Badges, four came from favors. What exactly are you so proud of?"
"Pfft…"
Brock, standing nearby with his eyes squinted as usual, couldn't hold it in and let out a laugh.
"T-That's… that's enough!"
Ash's face flushed bright red. In an instant, he went from triumphant hero to a wronged puppy. His eyes grew moist as he protested, "Luck is part of strength too! And—and I worked really hard, okay?!"
Seeing Ash on the verge of tears, Misty's heart softened, and she was just about to say something to smooth things over.
But the very next second, Ash suddenly lifted his head, clenched his fist, and his eyes reignited with fiery determination.
"But it doesn't matter! As long as I can enter the League, I'll prove I'm the strongest! Hahahaha!"
"..."
A vein popped on Misty's forehead as she silently cursed her moment of weakness. This guy really is a single-celled organism.
Brock patted Misty on the shoulder and said with a squinty-eyed smile, "Come on, Misty. You've known Ash long enough. Reckless, impulsive, overly hot-blooded… If he ever suddenly became calm and deep-thinking, that would be terrifying."
"Hmph. I don't think he'll ever be mature in this lifetime," Misty rolled her eyes.
The three of them continued down the path as usual, bickering and joking.
Suddenly—
Wooooom!!
A low-frequency hum, impossible to describe, exploded across heaven and earth without warning.
It wasn't thunder. It felt more like a vibration that resonated directly within the soul.
Pikachu's ears shot straight up, its fur standing on end as it stared ahead warily, tilting its head and letting out a confused "Pika?"
"What's going on? An earthquake?" Ash steadied himself and looked around in confusion.
The next moment, a scene none of them would ever forget unfolded.
A gigantic, semi-transparent white light screen appeared out of nowhere, like a dimensional wall cleaving reality itself, stretching across the road before them. No—more than that.
At this very moment, whether it was Professor Oak's backyard in Kanto, the peak of the Bell Tower in Johto, Mt. Chimney in Hoenn, or Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh…
Even as far away as Unova, Kalos, Alola, and the Galar region!
The skies of the entire world were covered by this eerie white light screen!
Pallet Town, Professor Oak's Laboratory.
Professor Oak, in the middle of eating instant noodles, dropped his fork to the floor as he stared in shock at the blinding white light outside the window.
Indigo Plateau.
Chairman Goodshow's teacup shook, spilling tea onto his beard. His expression grew grave as he looked outside. "Is this… an attack by some evil organization? Or…"
Ecruteak City, Johto.
High above the city, Lance was patrolling on Dragonite's back, his red cape snapping in the wind. Yet now he had no choice but to order Dragonite to halt in midair—the light screen even covered the skies.
Mt. Mortar.
Elite Four Bruno, shirtless and locked in a contest of strength with a massive Onix, froze mid-motion. Sweat slid down the lines of his muscles as his piercing gaze fixed on the void.
Galar Stadium.
In this arena saturated with Dynamax energy, the so-called "Unbeatable Champion" Leon had just flicked his sponsor-covered cape, about to strike his signature Charizard pose, when the sudden anomaly overhead interrupted him.
"What… is that?"
In the hearts of countless people, the same question arose simultaneously.
At the instant the world fell into panic and chaos, the motionless white light screen suddenly rippled.
Without any warning, a grand and ancient vision—like something from before the dawn of time—was forcibly projected into the eyes of every human and Pokémon across the globe.
[In the void, there was only chaos.]
Within the image, an egg wrapped in light appeared in the emptiness. Cracks spread, and a sacred figure descended—its form like a platinum qilin, bearing a radiant wheel of countless hands and eyes upon its back.
Its roar was not sound, but a decree of creation itself!
Light exploded—and the prototype of the world was born!
Then, three terrifying black silhouettes split from the light.
A colossal dragon clad in metallic armor, diamonds gleaming from its back, let out a thunderous roar as the river of time surged forth—Dialga!
A massive beast with pearl-like shoulders and dominion over space spread its arms, unfolding dimensions themselves—Palkia!
And lurking within shadows, a ghostly, centipede-like monstrosity slithered through a reversed world—Giratina!
The vision shifted again, escalating in awe.
On land, magma churned. A crimson, ancient titan formed of crust and lava—Groudon—strode forward, each step pushing the continents farther into the sea!
In the depths of the ocean, waves raged. A deep-blue leviathan with vast wings like a mythical roc—Kyogre—cried out, summoning torrential rain as the seas roared in response!
And in the distant heavens, a small, pink, dreamlike figure blinked its lively eyes, curiously observing everything—
Mew.
"Those are… the legendary…"
On the forest path, Ash's jaw had practically fallen off. He stood there stiff as if struck by lightning.
Pikachu trembled as it hid behind Ash's leg, only daring to peek out half its head.
Misty's face turned pale as she instinctively stepped back, clutching Brock's sleeve.
And Brock—normally so composed—had actually opened his perpetually squinted eyes a sliver, his pupils reflecting the world-ending divine beasts.
"Those are… the legends of creation?"
Hoenn region, a secret base.
Maxie adjusted his glasses, staring fixedly at the red titan creating land, his breathing rapid. "That is… the master of the land—Groudon!"
Deep within a submarine.
Archie slammed his hands excitedly against the control panel, pointing at the blue leviathan. "The ruler of the seas! Kyogre! This is the perfect ocean world!"
Somewhere in a dense jungle.
A dark-skinned boy holding a Poké Ball stared at the fleeting image of Mew, greed and longing flashing in his eyes. "Mew… that one belongs to me!"
The light screen did not stop for anyone's shock.
At the center of the image, a line of blazing, lava-like words slowly emerged, shaking the souls of every living being.
A reckoning that would overturn the entire Pokémon world… had officially begun.