It is said that in the distant past, Groudon once clashed with the ancient sea deity, Kyogre, in the Hoenn region. With each step Groudon took, the earth expanded, volcanoes roared, and molten fire burst forth. With each step Kyogre took, tidal waves surged, and the ocean came flooding in. When the two titans collided, it was nothing less than a battle of land versus sea.
The struggle between earth and ocean was a calamity powerful enough to wipe out an entire continent. The ancient human civilization that existed in Hoenn somehow—by means unknown—managed to halt their war. Yet the act of stopping such gods came at a terrible cost, plunging their civilization into decline and eventual ruin.
When Giovanni laid eyes on Groudon, even he could not suppress the shock. Confronting this colossal being that seemed one with the very land itself, Giovanni knew—even his mighty Beedrill could only stall Groudon's advance, not defeat it. For a master of Ground-type Pokémon like him, Groudon's authority over the earth was nothing short of a natural enemy. Unless he himself ascended to the highest possible state—the realm of a true master—defeating Groudon with Ground-types was as impossible as a myth.
Legendary Pokémon cannot truly die. Even if one could "kill" them, at best it is only temporary physical destruction. So long as the land exists, the earth's energy would endlessly flow into Groudon, restoring its body. In time, it would rise again.
If not for this undying trait, ancient human civilizations might have devised countless ways to eliminate such gods long ago.
"No… wait. Groudon should still be slumbering deep within Hoenn. I almost let myself be deceived by this brat… Incredible—that must be Mew's ability. The mythical Pokémon said to carry the genes of every Pokémon in existence."
Giovanni's sharp eyes glittered. His interest in Mew's abilities grew. Records of human contact with Mew were scarce. Even when Team Rocket had created Mewtwo, the genetic material had been recovered from an ancient tablet, not from capturing Mew itself. Humanity had never truly studied Mew directly.
Though it was known Mew carried all Pokémon's genetic code, no one had ever seen what this trait actually manifested as.
Had a Pokémon researcher been here, they would have been consumed by fanatical excitement.
But Giovanni was no researcher. He was first and foremost a trainer. And what occupied his mind now was: what abilities does this "authority" grant Mew, and what weaknesses does it have?
"Dugtrio, Rhydon, Nidoking, Nidoqueen—use Earthquake together!"
If this were truly Groudon, Earthquake would be useless. But Giovanni intended to test the limits of Mew's "Groudon-form."
Four Pokémon struck the ground simultaneously. The earth convulsed violently, shaking the very heart of Saffron City. In the city's central district, nearly everything was reduced to barren ruin. Only the Silph Co. Tower barely retained its shape, while the surrounding skyscrapers collapsed like dominos.
This was the power of a top-tier trainer: the destructive force to level an entire city alone. Trainers of this caliber were living weapons, walking nuclear arsenals.
Earth's energy surged forth, slamming into the body of the false "Groudon." Giovanni's gaze locked onto it—and he reached his conclusion at once.
"Groudon's trait is there—but it's more like a weakened imitation. Since it's Mew transforming, its overall power is limited by Mew's own strength. Still, even so…"
Giovanni calmly analyzed, calculating Mew's authority, its limits, and how one might defeat it.
"…Even so, Mew's ability gives it the ultimate adaptability. No matter how the environment changes, it can survive with this power!"
From atop Groudon's massive head, Logan's voice rang out.
His figure was minuscule compared to the titan beneath him, like a human standing atop a kaiju from an Ultraman film. Yet standing there, he seemed to command this dreadful monster, gazing down at the earth with eyes that radiated terrifying pressure.
All creatures face the judgment of nature. Many species perish, carved away by evolution's competition. The survivors etch their victories into their very genes.
Mew was different from the other so-called gods. Unlike Groudon or Kyogre, it had no fixed authority or defined domain. In sheer raw power, Mew was far inferior to those primal deities.
But it possessed something greater—absolute adaptability. Its survival power was unmatched. Its genes carried the record of every choice, every adaptation Pokémon had ever made to endure their environments.
Mew could not overwhelm foes with brute force like Mewtwo. Instead, it could endure endlessly, grinding its enemies down, reshaping itself into perfection without weakness.
To Logan, this made Mew not invincible—but nearly unbeatable.
Giovanni, however, was more focused on one thing:
"Boy… how are you commanding Mew to obey you?"
His face darkened. This, more than anything, was unthinkable.
Humans cannot truly control legendary Pokémon. To try is to invite death. Giovanni himself had mastered temporary methods to bind legendaries, but even he would not dare use them recklessly.
To make a legendary fight by your side, you must share a deep unity of purpose and spirit.
So what pact had Logan forged with Mew? What mutual agreement, what understanding, had led it to heed his command?
"Why don't you guess, Uncle Giovanni?"
Logan smirked coldly. Even now, with Mew under his command, he did not dare believe he could defeat Giovanni outright. This man's power was monstrous.
But Logan knew one thing for certain: his life was no longer in immediate danger.
Mew was unlike Mewtwo, which had limits bound by its unstable existence. Mew could endlessly adapt, shifting forms, tapping into psychic prowess, wielding the techniques of all Pokémon. Its versatility was staggering.
While not truly the strongest, nor able to rival the mightiest primal deities, it was certainly among the hardest to kill—a creature that began battles already in a state of unyielding survival.
And so, Giovanni found himself facing an opponent even he could not easily destroy.
"Mew—transform into Rayquaza! Retrieve Mewtwo!"
The burning pain in Logan's left arm reminded him of what he must do. The Beedrill had entangled Mewtwo, and his first priority was to recall it into its Master Ball, where the genetic sync fluid would stabilize their coordination.
With Mew's adaptability, he could drag Giovanni into a stalemate. Once Mewtwo's synchronization was restored, he could send it out again—Mew as defense, Mewtwo as the spear. It was a war of attrition he intended to win. After all, Giovanni could not afford to drag this out forever—not with Gym Leaders assaulting Saffron from outside.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH——!"
Freed from the shackles of the earth, the colossal form of "Groudon" warped, shifting. Its mountainous bulk compressed, reshaped, until it emerged as a dragon with teeth and claws gleaming. Ozone hissed around its body—poisonous to humans—as clouds and mist gathered.
In a storm of whirling vapor, the creature hurled itself skyward.